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Round 84 of the AlHimyan Perfume Battle puts the longest reign in tournament history back in the ring. Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos arrives with twenty-nine straight wins. Its challenger is Tom Ford Black Orchid Reserve, a 2025 release that takes the famous black orchid and turns up the dark chocolate, truffle and patchouli.

This is honey-tobacco against dark floral gourmand. Naxos is warm, sweet and enveloping. Black Orchid Reserve opens with black truffle and bergamot, moves through ylang-ylang and black orchid, and settles into dark chocolate, patchouli, tonka and vanilla. Both are available at AlHimyan in the UAE, and both Fragrantica and Parfumo were reachable today, so the full scoring formula is in use.

The tale of the tape

Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos: the champion

Naxos belongs to the Xerjoff 1861 collection, a tribute to the unification of Italy, and it still sits at number one among unisex fragrances on Parfumo. It opens with lavender, bergamot and lemon with a thread of Omani frankincense. The heart brings honey, cinnamon and jasmine sambac over soft cashmere wood.

The dry-down of tobacco, tonka bean and vanilla is warm and creamy without turning sticky. Fragrantica voters name sweet, honey, vanilla, lavender and tobacco as its main accords. It wears long and stays on fabric into the next day.

Community scores: Fragrantica 4.49/5 from 21,299 votes. Parfumo: Scent 8.9/10 from 13,927 ratings, Longevity 8.8, Sillage 8.5, Bottle 9.1, Value for money 7.6.

Tom Ford Black Orchid Reserve: the challenger

Black Orchid Reserve is one of the newest additions to the Tom Ford Signature collection, launched in 2025 and credited on Parfumo to perfumer Yann Vasnier of Givaudan. It keeps the dark, velvety mood of the original Black Orchid, but pushes it further into the earthy and edible.

The opening is black truffle and bergamot. The heart is ylang-ylang and black orchid, with ghost orchid and a touch of Nepalese sichuan pepper listed on Parfumo. The base is dark chocolate, patchouli, amber, roasted tonka bean and vanilla. Fragrantica voters list sweet, earthy, warm spicy, patchouli and woody as its main accords. Reviewers describe it as sweeter and more sparkling than the original, and best in autumn and winter.

Community scores: Fragrantica 3.95/5 from 602 votes. Parfumo: Scent 7.8/10 from 90 ratings, Longevity 8.7, Sillage 8.3, Bottle 8.2, Value for money 6.7. The Parfumo sample is still small, so these numbers can move.

Head to head

Scent quality. Naxos leads on both sites: 4.49 against 3.95 on Fragrantica and 8.9 against 7.8 on Parfumo. The Naxos numbers come from tens of thousands of people and barely move from round to round. Black Orchid Reserve is new and its vote counts are still growing.

Performance. Both are strong. Parfumo users give Black Orchid Reserve 8.7 for longevity and 8.3 for sillage, just behind Naxos at 8.8 and 8.5. Fragrantica reviewers describe about eight hours of wear and a sillage that carries for hours.

Value. Parfumo users score the value for money of Naxos at 7.6 and Black Orchid Reserve at 6.7. At AlHimyan, Black Orchid Reserve costs AED 1,049 for 100 ml against AED 909 for Naxos, so the price gap is smaller than in recent rounds.

Presentation. Naxos, 9.1 against 8.2. The honeycomb-gold Xerjoff bottle remains one of the most admired in niche perfumery, while the Tom Ford flacon is sleek and dark.

The verdict

Winner: Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos. The champion takes its thirtieth consecutive round by a margin of 0.82. Black Orchid Reserve stayed close on performance, but Naxos wins the scent vote on both sites and leads on value for money.

A note on method. Fragrantica and Parfumo figures were read on 9 October 2026, and Fragrantica ratings were converted to a 10-point scale. Longevity, sillage and value for money come from Parfumo community bars for both perfumes.

Which one should you buy?

Buy Naxos if you want a rich honey-tobacco scent with strong projection, a crowd favourite that lasts all day and night.

Buy Black Orchid Reserve if you love the Tom Ford signature and want a darker, earthier, more chocolatey take on it, with truffle and patchouli behind the orchid.

How to wear them in the UAE

Naxos is rich, so two sprays are enough: one on the neck and one on the chest or the kandura collar. It suits cool evenings, air-conditioned majlis gatherings and the winter months from November onwards.

Black Orchid Reserve is also powerful and sweet. Two sprays on the neck and clothes are plenty. It is best for evenings, formal occasions and cooler weather; in the daytime heat, keep it to a single spray.

Frequently asked questions

What does Tom Ford Black Orchid Reserve smell like? Black truffle and bergamot over ylang-ylang and black orchid, resting on dark chocolate, patchouli, tonka bean and vanilla. It is a dark, sweet and earthy floral.

When was Black Orchid Reserve released? In 2025. Parfumo credits it to perfumer Yann Vasnier.

Is Black Orchid Reserve long-lasting? Yes. Parfumo users rate its longevity 8.7 out of 10 and its sillage 8.3, close to Naxos.

Is it for men or women? Both. Fragrantica lists Black Orchid Reserve and Naxos as fragrances for women and men.

Which is better for a gift? Naxos is a sure crowd-pleaser in a striking bottle. Black Orchid Reserve is the gift for someone who already loves Tom Ford and dark, rich scents.

Where can I buy them in the UAE? Both are available at AlHimyan: Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos Eau de Parfum 100 ml and Tom Ford Black Orchid Reserve Parfum 100 ml, with cash on delivery and fast delivery across the Emirates.

Next round

Naxos has now won thirty rounds in a row. A new challenger steps up next time. Follow the Perfume Battle on the AlHimyan blog and on Instagram to see who finally ends the reign.