Wow. What a week it was. Last Monday was our first really big rain and wind – unnamed storm – coming through. I guess that was the beginning of rainy season. Another year and again earlier than the previous one. So, onward to flooding.
But that wasn’t the big thing. Along with the rain and gales Monday, in the middle of the evening I went out to check the crossroads for flooding and there were two ambulances in front of a house a bit north of us. Wondered about it. Four days later my neighbour came round to say her husband had died. He’d been very unwell for a long time. I really feel for her. They’d been together for 40 years.
Then, again on Thursday, the neighbour on the other side came to say she had news – of a completely different, and much happier, sort: she’s six months pregnant. She knows it’s a girl and she is due in January.
Death and life. I try to be open eyed and really pragmatic (but also still astonished) by both.
So, I chose last week to test the two samples I’d gotten with my Diptyque candle in Paris. As today’s title notes, I ended up with Tam Dao and Benjoin Bohème, one that’s been around and I’m sure I sampled years ago, the other much newer and definitely new to me.
Tam Dao. Released in 2003, notes include cypress, myrtle, rose, sandalwood, cedar, rosewood, spices, amber and white musk. I tried this when it came out and wasn’t impressed. I don’t know why I agreed to it as an extra – I think I was tired and wanted to get back to the hotel. This is not sandalwood on me. Rather it’s cedar, like those little tourist boxes you get in the south of the US – or used to when I was a kid on family holidays. I no longer have those boxes but they were a fave as a souvenir. On me, Tam Dao is scratchy cedarwood. It’s not terribly long-lived. Apologies to those who love it but it’s apparently never going to be something that does much of anything on my skin.
Benjoin Bohème. This is from 2015 and notes include rockrose, patchouli, benzoin and Peru balsam. On me, it starts off cinnamon and balsam/pine. It loses the pine fairly quickly and we’re into amber-sweet. There isn’t much depth to this on me and there’s a pine/patchouli aspect a ways in that definitely does not sing on me. The drydown is generic amber, soft and sweet.
So, two strikes. Also, BB is stupid money – even for Diptyque – at £215 for 75ml of EdP.
I have a lot of time for Diptyque, especially some of the candles. And Philosykos has to be among my top 10 perfumes ever (interestingly, it’s £153 for 75ml of EdP …). But I’m afraid both of these were fails.
Are there Diptyques (perfume or candles) you love? I’m hoping the sweet Xmas candle release will come in the small size, though I was gifted a pumpkin and vanilla candle for Halloween that should more than do me regarding seasonal sweetness.
Pics: Pexels and mine
What Tom said — cedarwood. Nice, but not me. However early on in my fragrance addiction I remember how much fun it was to sniff all their interesting scents! The only one I own is Philosykos which is wonderful.
It was a mistake on my part to give away L’Autre. I’m not sure I would have worn it much but it would have been interesting to smell now and again.
The Tam Dao is the edt and this is quite different to the edp.
What is the EdP like? Certainly for me the EdT was pretty wan.
Do you know, I have never owned a single Diptique item! Sampled some, Tam Dao & Do Son are my favourite of the bunch I’ve tried.
Floods! We live on the side of the hill, yet the field, protected oaks & hedgerows at the end of our cul-de-sac are flooded already. The water table even this high is full already!
This does not bode well for the valley this winter.
No, things regarding rain/water here are not looking good. We’re supposed to be mainly dry now through end of October but who knows what happens after that. The only Diptyque perfume I currently own is Philosykos, which as noted I adore. I did have a bottle of l’Autre years ago but Lutens Arabie works better on me. Some of the candles are lovely, especially Feu de Bois. The small sized ones aren’t completely stupid money.
Hey Cinnamon,
Yeah, I get you on Tam Dao. I loved it when sampling and purchased but never spritzed at home so it got moved on.
Benjoin Bohème on the other hand is AMAZING for me. Did it originally come with a puffer? I think after the epic fail of their rose one in the black puffer bottle I didn’t buy it because of said puffer. Now it’s priced at the very far end of my reach and I have more than enough ambers. Oh well.
Portia xx
I don’t know on the puffer. The pricing on the fragrances is all over the map. I’m relieved Philosykos is still within the ‘reasonable’ range. I vaguely have my eye on one of the Xmas candles but I don’t think it comes in the small size so that’s unlikely to happen.
I kind of agree with you on Tam Dao. I wanted it to work but I just got a cedar chest. Not bad, but not me.
And I got that body cream Musette talked about. Divine, wonderful, delicious, and that freaking jar threatens expensive suicide ever time I look at it cross eyed.
Oooh on cream. I wonder if whoever designs such jars thinks through what happens when you’re distracted putting it back. But anyway, luxurious cream is a wondrous thing.
I’ve yarked on (and ON!) about the Diptyque body creme – not the creme itself – that’s lovely! but that STUPID jar.
I still hate that jar.
Love the creme, though.
My bugbear is the droppers in serum bottles. I have to really concentrate getting them back in after use so I don’t tip over the bottle. I seriously love my current serum. Full of peptides which my skin seems to adore.
I love Tam Dao. Years ago I would wear just a tiny spritz to my yoga classes to inspire me and put me into a zen mood. I smell the cedar, but I get the other woodsy notes as well. In the past I’ve had some small Diptyque candle votive candles, lovely little freebies and gifts with purchases. I don’t remember what scents they were. But they were really good quality.
I have generally had trouble with sandalwood but sadly Tam Dao isn’t even that on me. If it works on you I could see, based on the notes, it being quite zen. Sigh. The age of freebies seems to have passed. Indeed, I did get those samples with a candle purchase but I’m finding that skincare companies that used to throw a couple of things into every order no longer do. A bit annoying.
I agree on the total lack of samples nowadays. Also wanted to add that Olivia Giacobetti did Philosykos AND L’Artisan Premiere Figuier Extreme, both gorgeous fig scents. I have the PFE. One of my very earliest purchases in my perfume hobby, and I still love it.
I’m glad you wrote about Tam Dao. I get what you got! It’s meh at best. I do want to try Diptyque candles though. I keep meaning to and never get around to it. The coming colder weather makes it a good time to fix that.
Meh definitely. I wouldn’t buy Diptyque candles blind. I did that with Tea and it turned out to smell of soap. As noted above, I rate Feu de Bois highly and it comes in the smallest size. Fig and Jasmine are good too. I didn’t like the one that gets all the press … Baies.
Good to know. Thanks.