Show some love for the Tom Ford Collection

oh, oh, sometimes i get a good feeling, yeah

"Private Blend is my own scent laboratory; it's where I have the ability to create very special, original fragrances that are unconstrained by the conventions of mainstream scent-making. Private Blend is designed with the true fragrance connoisseur in mind.' — Tom Ford

Yesterday I got an email from my condo complex that a package had arrived for me. I couldn't figure out who it was from because I wasn't expecting anything.

I arrived home, picked up the package and saw that it was from Nordstrom. 

"Really?" "What could they be sending me?" I thought.

I opened the package and to my surprise I found a box filled with small samples from the Tom Ford Private Blend Collection. And, as you can see below, they were not  the usual tiny sample sizes that they throw in your bag with every purchase.

OMG!!!

my samples

The reason that I was so impressed (and shocked) is because, on Sunday I drove out to Broadway Plaza to get a 'sniff' of the new Tom Ford Private Blend Collection (in our area Broadway Plaza has an exclusive on the perfume) After smelling all of them (and there are at least 20), I narrowed it down 4 scents.  The prices are on the expensive side ($205 - $405) so I put my favorites on my arms (2 scents on each arm) and headed upstairs to do some shopping while the scents settled in. While I was shopping, I engaged my sales person and a number of other shoppers who were in the dressing room area to vote on which one they liked. Decisions, decisions...

After spending more than I should have upstairs (thank you Ashlee Nikol), I returned to the perfume counter with my decision.  My choice was 'Noir de Noir'.

[A dark chypre oriental, this scent opens with an earthy mantle of richly woven saffron, black rose and black truffle, with hints of floralcy. Underneath, vanilla, patchouli, oud wood and tree moss soften the intensity, making the scent a sensual experience] 

I love Tom Ford and already wear his fragrance called 'Black Orchid' (which BTW, I thought it was very expensive until I saw the price on the private blends). Since this was such a HUGE purchase (I have NEVER spent this much on a single bottle of perfume before) I just wanted the small bottle (1.7oz). The sales lady (who had been very helpful) wrapped it up and off I went.

When I got home, I looked at my receipt and noticed that the price I was charged was more than I thought it would be (and don't worry, it didn't cost $405). I phoned the store and inquired. The sales person apologized and told me 'Noir de Noir' had only come in one size. I was a little bit upset that I wasn't told about it beforehand, but of course I wasn't gong to return it. After all, I really like the fragrance.  So, I chalked it up and let it go.

Fast forward to the package I received via UPS today. It contained 17 samples of the private blend perfumes. 4 of them (in bigger sample size bottles) were of my 2nd choice fragrance 'Tobacco Vanille' and 3 smaller samples of my 3rd choice 'Cafe Rose' along with various others that I had tried. My sampler also came with a nice handwritten 'thank you' note from the Tom Ford counter manager.

Now that is REAL customer service

I love you Nordstrom!!!