Tam Dao

I read a lot of reviews saying this is a sandalwood heavy fragrance but I get a ton of the cedarwood in this. Which is fine by me because I love cedarwood just as much if not more. This is gorgeous honestly. It smells to me like a wet forest after it has rained. It's obviously really woody, and earthy. I almost get a wet dirt scent from it but in a good way. The spices, cypress and musk are also very present for me. It's such a transportive, meditative and spa like scent. I find it to be perfectly unisex and could work year round. It layers well with many other fragrances I own but also shines solo. My only issue with it is that it has pretty weak longevity for me. Out of all my Diptyque fragrances I own this one has the weakest longevity.

I'm pleased that, despite my usual preferences, I opted to explore Tam Dao. The intriguing selection of fragrance notes has artfully uncovered a profound dimension within the typically flat scent of sandalwood. This has prompted me to consider delving into other compositions featuring this note, like Serge Lutens - Santal Majuscule or Sandalo by Lorenzo Villoresi, in the near future. Until then, whenever I'm asked about captivating woody fragrances, I'll continue to extol the virtues of Tam Dao. It offers a supremely comfortable wear, unrestricted by time or season, and unmistakably exudes a masculine character that becomes evident from the very first application. Just mind the splinters!

EDT: A little medicinal at the initial spray, but that goes away when it dries down and the sandalwood comes through. The sandalwood is airier, drier, spicier. Leans toward pencil shavings. The EDT is more herbacious as well - the myrtle comes through more prominently, so the effect is slightly camphorous. I suppose for some people that might come across as "refreshing" in warm weather but it gives me aftershave vibes every so slightly. The EDT is the more masculine of the two for this reason. I don't get any rose at all and honestly do not understand why it is listed in the notes for the EDT.

This fragrance is remarkable to me for a particular reason. I'm a certified Iso E Super hater, and am often frustrated by its presence in woody fragrances I would otherwise like. Tam Dao is the one fragrance where I'm unable to distinguish it even if I know it's there and am actively looking for it. Somehow they've blended it so well that it doesn't stick out to me. The exception is at the very far end of the drydown when everything is gone but the Iso E, and then it's easy to pick out, but by that point the smell is faint anyway.

still my favorite dry aromatic sandalwood. i bought a 100ml bottle in 2020 and nursed it until mid 2024. it’s now a year later and i think about it from time to time and miss the coziness and aromatic touches that it had. i’ve smelled many other sandalwood dominate fragrances since that time but in the end, i find them not worth their price, too creamy, or it goes pickle-like on my skin. this is the one i always come back to - it might be time to get another bottle for the fall season.