FRAGRANCE | Vial trial: Diptyque Tam Dao EDP

halfwhiteboy - diptyque tam dao

Last year I started reviewing sample fragrances given out by sales people from various department store purchases. I playfully called it Vial Trials, and the first one I wrote about was a review of Boss Bottled Night by Hugo Boss. Although it took a while, I'm following it up here with a review of Diptyque Tam Dao.

First off I like how Diptyque's samples are packaged. Unlike most fragrance samples that come in tiny vials with thin plastic applicators, theirs are sturdy little 2ml spray bottles. No hassle at all!

Tam Dao strikes me as a subtle woody scent. Because the floral notes are very faint, and the musk and all other elements aren't prominent enough, this fragrance appears very linear. There's barely any noticeable difference from opening till dry-down. Instead, it's the wood that lingers, however softly. Oddly enough, I smell pencil shavings in there—and I kind of like it. Weird, I know.

Projection is a bit weak and longevity is moderate but close to the skin. It's not a fragrance that screams at all. Instead it's something that requires an intimate setting for it to be discovered. Playing coy, this one.

In hindsight, Tam Dao is just fine. Although I like the subtlety of its woody aroma, its linear impression and rather weak performance may hold me back from getting a full bottle. Unlike Volutes, which I love, I'm not fully convinced about this particular Diptyque creation just yet.

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