Okay, I have to admit that Diptyque was always a house that I kind of let drop below my radar, even though it was founded in the year of my birth. I always considered them basically a candle company, and I am not a big candle person. As a matter of fact I used to be somewhat anti-candle, having an irrational fear of them burning down the house. Of course, then someone gifted me one and actually showed me how to use it effectively: light candle, let it get a decent size pool of wax then blow out and enjoy the scent. This way I get a candle that lasts forever and my visions of my little hovel going up like Manderley at the hands of the demented Mrs. Danvers are quelled.
So anyway, FacePlace was running a promo where if I sauntered into the Diptyque store on Beverly Drive in BH I could get a 1ML spray of one of their scents,free. Since free perfume is only slightly less desirable than free suitcases of large denomination bills in my opinion and I was going to at least there BH City council campaign kick-offs (free food being high on the list as well…) I wandered in to give them a whirl.
It wasn’t a long visit since I had stopped at Bouchon Bakery and got pastries (No, I had not gotten enough to eat at the events. So there) but that was only part of it. They had three scents available in the complimentary samples: one I forget, one was a lovely tuberose that I would never wear but was on the phone with three friends about on the way to the car and the one that I chose, the Oud.
Now Oud can be a difficult scent for some; sometimes it can be almost overpowering which is usually the way that I like it. I am after all the boy who thinks Fermez Tes Jeux is something that should be worn to church while quite a few people think it’s more of a Church of Satan sort of scent. But Diptyque manages to keep the Oud more on the skin-scent side of things and tempers it with a truly lovely rose and vanilla. Dypique insists that the village is “intense and hypnotic.” I will give them the latter certainly, but I am not quite so sanguine about the former. Maybe upon first spray, but I had a co-worker smell it on me and she basically had to bury her head in my polo shirt to get it, which she happily did repeatedly. Lord knows what passers-by passing the picture window in my office thought, but hey, the door was open so it’s on their imagination, not our actions.
Would I buy it? Maybe not at this point in my life when I think I pretty much have Oud covered by about three other scents, if not more. But if I didn’t I would be right there in line. Lasting power of the punchy opening isn’t very long, but the warm spicy dry-down with the hint of roses and Oud last quite a long time. I would think that it is also fairly unisex; I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to a female friend. I recommended to my coworker that she run into the store and get the tuberose for herself and then send her husband in to get the Oud. Then steal it without compunction.
Oud Palao Eau de Parfum is I beleive anyplace that Diptyque is sold or online at their website. $150 for 2.5 ounces. My 1ML spray was a freebie from the store. Image is from Diptyque website.
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