Aromascope

Buttery Smoothness

July 17th, 2007

By Tove Solander

When I first tried Diptyque Tam Dao I came to think of Wickle Chestnut & Vetiver, so I thought I’d do a side-by-side test for a smell-alikes post. They scents have no notes in common – for Chestnut & Vetiver I know of no other notes than the two mentioned in the title, and for Tam Dao I’ve seen rosewood, cypress, ambergris, and sandalwood listed.

Closely compared, the two scents have more differences than they have things in common. What made me think of Chestnut & Vetiver when I smelled Tam Dao is a certain boozy, buttery, smooth and somewhat “perfumey” quality. In Tam Dao I suppose it’s the sandalwood, with a little help from the muskiness of ambergris, while in Chestnut & Vetiver it’s the nutty aspect of the scent.

Chestnut & Vetiver is the stronger of the two scents, easily overpowering Tam Dao when smelling them side by side. The boozy and buttery quality is more pronounced in it, strengthened by a toasted or roasted note and perhaps even hints of coffee. It would be entirely gourmandy if it wasn’t for the vetiver, showing its darkest and most earthy and rooty side. The overall effect is perhaps one of wool: soft, warm and cozy but distinct smelling and even a little repulsive in its lack of freshness.

Tam Dao does have a similar warm, smooth feeling, but it’s also much lighter and more transparent. The cypress gives it a hint of green in the top note but not anywhere near the strong, dark vetiver of the other scent. The “perfumey” quality shared by both scents is more pronounced in Tam Dao, mostly due to the sweet, aromatic, vaguely floral rosewood note. It’s also ever so slightly soapy, which I presume is from the ambergris, commonly used to scent soaps. Overall, it’s a more sophisticated take on a boozy, buttery comfort scent, and if Chestnut & Vetiver makes you nauseous in its intensity, Tam Dao might do the trick.

Image source: luxois.com, ticklemywickle.com

Entry Filed under: Guest Blogger, Perfume Reviews, Smell-alikes