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Diptyque Tam Dao fragrance review

Posted by Robin on 17 March 2005 29 Comments

Diptyque Tam Dao perfume label

Diptyque launched Tam Dao in 2003, and I assume the fragrance was named for the Vietnamese hill station north of Hanoi. Tam Dao was established as a resort town during French colonial rule; the town is now inside of Tam Dao National Park and is a popular weekend tourist destination. Diptyque's Tam Dao fragrance was created by perfumer Daniel Moliere, and the notes include rosewood, cypress, ambergris, and sandalwood.

Like many sandalwood-heavy fragrances, Tam Dao gets off to a bit of a rocky start. The top notes smell like a burst of cedar with an unpleasant, almost acrid undertone which I can’t quite pin down. It is close to gasoline, but not quite. It settles quickly to a creamy sandalwood with a distinctly resinous edge. The cypress lends an aromatic, slightly evergreen bite in the early stages, but it is still a very soft fragrance, with little to temper the dry woods.

Tam Dao smells like the rough, unfinished interior of a very old carved box made of precious wood. It is a restrained, almost serene fragrance, and its simplicity gives it a meditative cast; it is the perfect fragrance to wear when you want something soothing and uncomplicated. It is perfection by itself, but its simplicity also lends itself to layering, and it works nicely to intensify the wood notes in Philosykos or to add a woody base to simple florals. It is a unisex scent, and can be worn in any season.

Tam Dao is an Eau de Toilette, and the lasting power is admittedly less than spectacular. Still, nothing else quite replaces it, so why quibble? And I love Diptyque's simple art deco packaging, and I appreciate that the company does not, like some, discontinue half their product line every other year. To my knowledge, actually, they have never discontinued any of their personal fragrances — but please correct me if I am wrong.1

Last year Diptyque phased out their 100 ml splash bottles, and for a brief time you could purchase them directly from Diptyque at 50% off. Unfortunately, it is otherwise hard to find a discount price on their products. On the other hand, they are not as expensive as some other niche lines: a 50 ml bottle runs $58.

For purchasing information, see the listing for Diptyque under Perfume Houses.

1. Update: since this writing they've discontinued several fragrances; luckily Tam Dao is still in production.

Included in...

100 Fragrances Every Perfumista Should Try

Possibly of interest

Miller Harris Myrica Muse, Scherzo & Peau Santal ~ fragrance reviews
Stora Skuggan Moonmilk & Mistpouffer ~ fragrance reviews
Ortigia Sandalo ~ fragrance review

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: daniel moliere, diptyque, sandalwood

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29 Comments

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  1. Anonymous says:
    17 March 2005 at 10:07 am

    That is generally what I spray on at the end of an obnoxious day, to calm me down.

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  2. Anonymous says:
    17 March 2005 at 11:36 am

    Same here, T. It is almost, but not quite, as effective as a stiff drink.

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  3. Anonymous says:
    17 March 2005 at 12:43 pm

    I love this fragrance. I think the sandalwood oil in this helps both T and you calm down.

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  4. Anonymous says:
    17 March 2005 at 3:38 pm

    Hi N, I found one you like!

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  5. Anonymous says:
    17 March 2005 at 4:53 pm

    I love Tam Dao. I find on my skin it's a sharp and dry sandalwood. The lasting power on it is amazing. I can easily apply very little in the morning and by night it's still there. That's saying a lot as I have the world's driest skin and fragrance never lasts on me!

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  6. Anonymous says:
    18 March 2005 at 8:57 am

    Lucky you! On a good day I might get 3-4 hours, and I don't think my skin is particularly dry.

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  7. Anonymous says:
    19 March 2005 at 3:04 am

    Sadly Tam Dao was never available in a splash formulation, and therefore wasn't part of the 50% off miracle — otherwise I might have bought 3 or 4 bottles of it at once =) A gorgeous, gorgeous scent — beautiful, serene, green, ethereal and relaxing!

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  8. Anonymous says:
    19 March 2005 at 8:42 am

    Good point, it was the first thing I asked when I called Diptyque Boston last year during the sale. I did manage to score a bottle of Oyedo.

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  9. Anonymous says:
    23 August 2008 at 4:37 pm

    I freaking LOVE this fragrance. I always have a bottle of this and whilst i don't wear it every day i usually get comments on the days that i do. It's not overpowering and i find that it suits me the best on a really hot, sunny summers day

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  10. Anonymous says:
    23 August 2008 at 8:42 pm

    It is so lovely. I need to get a new bottle & see if it has changed…with the current shortage of sandalwood, assume it has been reformulated to some extent.

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  11. Anonymous says:
    24 August 2008 at 9:22 am

    Really? I didn't know that. I'd be curious to hear what you make of it – whether it has been re-formulated

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  12. Anonymous says:
    24 August 2008 at 8:17 pm

    I still have 1/2 a bottle so might be awhile, but I'll check it out eventually!

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  13. Anonymous says:
    22 October 2008 at 1:04 pm

    I am in love with this fragrance. I just received it last night from Aedes. I can't quit smelling my arm. I tend to lean towards anything with Sandalwood or more “earthy” smells. In the beginning the Cypress is too strong for me but within 5 minutes it melts into the Sandalwood that I love. I recently also got Etro's Sandalo. I love this on in a different way, but only stays on my skin for maybe 90 minutes. Any other Sandalwood options that last a while on the skin? I ove both creamy ones and clean ones.

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  14. Anonymous says:
    22 October 2008 at 8:14 pm

    You might try 10 Corso Como, if you haven't already.

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  15. Anonymous says:
    23 October 2008 at 10:55 am

    Great idea! Sounds wonderful, except for the “fart”! I will still pu this one on my next order. thanks.

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  16. Dorothy says:
    5 December 2010 at 5:13 pm

    Does anybody else get any menthol out of this? It’s reminding me a little of Vicks Vape-o-rub. Oddly enough, not in a bad way.

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    • Robin says:
      6 December 2010 at 9:46 am

      I call it gasoline, but Vicks is probably about the same thing.

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  17. mjr says:
    23 March 2013 at 1:55 pm

    Robin, I love re-visiting your old reviews. To me the acrid opening of Tam Dao smells of turpentine, and has virtually the same affect as the real thing: “oof..unpleasant…but not unbearable..and hey, wait, maybe even somewhat interesting!”

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    • Robin says:
      23 March 2013 at 8:46 pm

      Ha, I know what you mean! Last time I smelled a new bottle, thought the opening was a bit smoother — either I’ve just gotten so used to it, or they’ve toned it down a notch.

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  18. Marsha says:
    20 November 2013 at 10:07 pm

    I just tried this, and I like it. A lot. But my first impression was… Snickers bar! Peanut and chocolate! For me that’s good.

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    • Robin says:
      21 November 2013 at 8:13 am

      Glad that’s what it smells like for you then 🙂

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  19. KellyC says:
    10 February 2017 at 2:43 pm

    I ordered a sample of this and of 10CC from LuckyScent. Going to put one on each arm tomorrow for comparison purposes. I’m a newby (about 60 months into my little obsession) and have found that I do love sandalwood. I know this is an old post but I have no one else in my “real life” to talk to about such things haha.

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    • Robin says:
      10 February 2017 at 3:35 pm

      You will have to let me know how they compare — I hear 10CC is quite different than it was when I reviewed it.

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      • KellyC says:
        10 February 2017 at 4:25 pm

        Unfortunately, as it will be the first time I’ve sampled either, I won’t be able to compare it to the original. However, they both are consistently mentioned when discussing sandalwood fragrances so figured I’d give it a shot. 🙂

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      • KellyC says:
        10 February 2017 at 10:47 pm

        Have spent all evening with each on a wrist/forearm. I honestly think I enjoy Tam Dao better, though I like both. The 10CC dries down more dense and a tad sweeter to me and I actually really love that sharp evergreen bite at the beginning of Tam Dao. I will say that the 10CC is more present after 3 hours or so. I feel like I may want to reapply the Tam Dao. So ultimately, I could see myself buying a FB of the TD (and adding to my regular rotation) but probably not the 10CC.

        On a side note, in my comment above, I meant I had been into my perfume hobby (or obsession if you’d rather lol) for 6 months not 60. Just now have the guts to comment here and some of the other blogs.

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        • Robin says:
          12 February 2017 at 1:34 pm

          Just realized that there’s the added wrinkle that Tam Dao is now in both EdP and EdT. I have the original EdT. Presumably the EdP lasts a little longer, but longevity is not usually something I care much about.

          I used to have the 10CC body lotion, it was fantastic for layering. I would like to have another, but have never bought the fragrance itself.

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  20. Zhuzhu says:
    27 January 2018 at 6:16 pm

    HI Robin! I struggle between Tam Dao and Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule. How would you characterize their differences, and how would you advise I go about making the choice? Many thanks!
    Z.

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    • Robin says:
      27 January 2018 at 8:37 pm

      Hi Z,

      Originally, the Serge was a much sweeter, spicier, and richer scent; the Tam Dao was more focused on the woods, and was an airier, drier fragrance.

      But both have been reformulated since their respective reviews were written. I don’t have new samples of either, so I really can’t give you a decent answer, sorry!

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      • Zhuzhu says:
        27 January 2018 at 11:00 pm

        So helpful to hear of your thoughts on the older versions. Thank you so much!Will report back after I get a chance to try them out!

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