Trussardi — Scent of Gold
Essence
Scent of Gold (2018) is the third entry in Trussardi’s “Exclusive Collection,” a niche-styled, Middle-East-facing line that began with Amber Oud (2016) and The Black Rose (2017). Where those tackled oud and Taif rose, Scent of Gold is the line’s plummy tobacco-vanilla amber - an opulent, gourmand-leaning oriental built by Givaudan perfumer Alienor Massenet. Its conceptual and olfactory centerpiece is the Noir Prunol base, a candied-plum accord that gives the whole composition its jammy, dried-fruit signature. Marketed as “rich and luxurious” with an “imperial mood,” it launched exclusively at Harvey Nichols from April 15, 2018 (RRP 79 for 100ml EDP) and was presented in the line’s characteristic flask-shaped bottle, here in light gold with rose-metal cap and sidebands. It punches well above its designer price point, and that value-to-quality ratio is the single most consistent theme in its reception.
Scent Profile
Scent of Gold opens with a burst that most wearers read as fruit-forward: a jammy, sometimes near-sour blast of stone fruit (the Noir Prunol candied plum), occasionally read as ripe mango, tempered but not dominated by bergamot and a mild true-cinnamon spice. As that dried-fruit accord settles, the heart reveals its real character - a sweet, pliable tobacco leaf threaded with jasmine and a “moistened” violet leaf, opulent and faintly mysterious rather than cloying. About half an hour in the tobacco turns dry and pleasant, and a sensual (not bakery-sweet) vanilla rises, anchored by a modern patchouli and a smoky, balsamic labdanum/rock-rose. The result is a plum-violet-tobacco-vanilla amber that several experienced noses peg as close to Tom Ford Black Orchid in DNA without being a clone, and which wearer reviewer wittily glossed as “a noble metallic Italian gourmand response to Mitsouko. “
Performance
Performance is generally a selling point, though with notable skin-chemistry variance. The dominant view holds longevity as above-average to enormous - wearers report still smelling it on their arms nine-plus hours after a bedtime spray, and on clothing for far longer. Sillage reports split: many call it heavy or “enormous,” while a sizable minority experience it as surprisingly soft and close to the skin despite the projection claims. The vanilla in particular is described as strong in scent but modest in throw. Net: expect long wear and at least moderate, often strong, projection - a richer, cold-weather performer rather than a quiet skin scent.
Wearing Context
This is a fall/winter fragrance and a unisex one in the truest sense - repeatedly described as genuinely genderless, with the plum-tobacco-vanilla profile reading equally well on men and women. It suits evenings, cooler weather, and occasions that reward an opulent, slightly old-school warmth; reviewers tie it to “suit” elegance and “imperial” richness. The flip side is that its tobacco and dried-fruit richness strike some younger or trend-oriented wearers as mature - one wearer called it “a very grandma kind of scent” and “a big deja vu,” everything you’ve smelled before. Warm, not fresh; statement, not office-safe.
Comparisons & DNA
The two anchoring comparisons are Tom Ford Black Orchid (shared dark plum-patchouli-vanilla density, with Scent of Gold the more tobacco-and-labdanum-inflected, sharper cousin) and, via the Noir Prunol plum, the great fruity-chypre lineage of Guerlain Mitsouko that wearer reports invoked. The tobacco-vanilla axis inevitably draws Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille into the conversation (a wearer reports commenter wondered at launch whether it’d be “another riff of Tobacco Vanille”). Within Trussardi’s own Exclusive Collection it’s the sweetest, most gourmand of the trio, distinct from Amber Oud’s leathery oud and The Black Rose’s Taif rose. Several owners who bought the whole line single Scent of Gold out as the most “opulent for a designer scent. “
Reception
Reception is warm and tilts toward “hidden gem. “ Wearers repeatedly praise its quality, opulence and value, with multiple accounts of a skeptical blind buy turning into love overnight. wearer reviewer admired the careful evolution from jammy plum to dry tobacco to sensual vanilla. The dissent is real but minority: that it’s unoriginal/dated, that on some skins it turns “grating and scratchy” with a harsh oud-like wood in the drydown, and that the synthetic edge of the top and heart makes it “rather nice than dreamily beautiful. “ No -2 critic published a dedicated review; the most authoritative non-wearer source is the Trussardi/wearer reports launch announcement, which is also the key reference for the Noir Prunol pedigree.
Versions & Reformulation
Scent of Gold appears to exist in a single 100ml EDP formulation with no documented reformulation. There is minor note-list inconsistency across databases - some list amber explicitly in the base alongside labdanum, vanilla and patchouli - but these reflect cataloging differences rather than separate versions. The line was marketed by Angelini Beauty (AB Parfums), Trussardi’s fragrance licensee. The fragrance is not flagged as discontinued in the way the other four catalog entries are, though as a Harvey Nichols-exclusive niche-style designer release its distribution has always been limited.
Acquisition Notes
Scent of Gold is the value play of this batch: an EDP that “feels opulent for a designer scent,” frequently found heavily discounted (one buyer reported paying under EUR25; UK retail launched at 79). Because performance is strong and a little goes a long way, even a discounted bottle is generous. The main caveat is skin chemistry - the dried-fruit/tobacco accord and a possible harsh-wood facet in the drydown don’t suit everyone, so sample before a full bottle despite the tempting price.
Notable Facts & Lore
- The Noir Prunol base is the fragrance’s headline ingredient and its most interesting piece of history. Per the Trussardi launch release, “Perfumer, Alienor Massenet has built a complex olfactory (Sources reconcile: de Laire’s heritage and captives now live within Symrise. ) - The plum isn’t a top note so much as the spine of the whole composition - Massenet built the “ - The Exclusive Collection was explicitly aimed at the Middle East market, each entry themed to a landscape (Amber Oud = the desert, The Black Rose = Saudi mountains), with Scent of Gold as the “gold of the sand. “ - Despite the literal name and gold bottle, there is no metallic or “gold” note; the gold is mood and marketing.