• About
  • Login to comment
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
  • Perfume Reviews
  • New Perfumes
  • Perfumers
  • Perfume Houses
  • Shop for perfume
  • Resources

La Via del Profumo Tawaf ~ fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 14 November 2012 11 Comments

Tawaf is the final fragrance in the La Via del Profumo Arabian series of perfumes. Dominique Dubrana, La Via del Profumo’s perfumer, describes the fragrance as an “aromatic ‘melody’ of the scents that surround those performing the Tawaf” — pilgrims circling the sacred Kaaba in Mecca during the Hajj or Umrah. Pilgrims, stone floors and the Kaaba itself are perfumed with the likes of Jasminum sambac (Arabian jasmine), opopanax and rose water.

Tawaf is composed of beautiful, strong aromas*: a vibrant floral accord of jasmine and rose (sweet, syrupy and possessing an indolic punch); a note that reminds me of musky, honey-drenched hay (no, I’ve never encountered honey-drenched hay in person, just in my imagination); warm opopanax; and buzzing, floral amber — clear and pungent, but not too “clean” (is that a bit of patchouli I smell?) Tawaf’s opening comes close to duplicating one of the most mesmerizing floral scents: the powerhouse perfume of blossoming Cestrum nocturnum (gardeners: if you love flowers that can scent an entire block, investigate this plant). As Tawaf dries down, it becomes sheer with hints of honeycomb, myrrh and residual floral notes.

I try to avoid hyperbole in describing my attraction to perfumes (how can I ‘LOVE’ a non-living thing?); let’s say I ‘adore’ Tawaf. Though I’ve enjoyed all La Via del Profumo Arabian series perfumes, Tawaf is my favorite. One spritz of Tawaf goes a long way…for a short time (two hours); if you’d like the fragrance to extend to three or four hours, apply more perfume in the first place but expect to scent a HUGE space with your sillage. On the masculine-feminine “scale,” Tawaf veers more towards feminine perfume territory, but if you’re the type of man who has no problem with heady florals, go for it.

La Via del Profumo’s Arabian series (Mecca Balsam, Oud Caravan Nos. 1, 2 and 3, and Sharif) is worth sampling in its entirety because the collection presents, to my nose anyway, a more natural and “authentic” take on Middle Eastern perfumery than most Western perfume companies accomplish (brands such as Van Cleef & Arpels, By Kilian, Estée Lauder, even Montale).

La Via del Profumo Tawaf

La Via del Profumo Tawaf is available directly from La Via del Profumo in 15.5, 32 or 50 ml (€47-148), concentration unknown. There is also a Tawaf Custom Blending Kit, with a 15.5 ml spray bottle of Tawaf and 6 ml dropper bottles of the jasmine and opopanax accords (€95).

*Tawaf’s listed notes: jasmine sambac, rose water, narcissus, myrrh, opopanax.

Top images via Wikimedia Commons: left, middle, right.

Included in...

Perfume: the best of 2012

Possibly of interest

Blackbird Y06-S ~ fragrance review
Jason Wu & Ralph Lauren Woman ~ perfume reviews
Gucci Bloom ~ fragrance review

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: la via del profumo

Advertisement


11 Comments

Leave a comment, or read more about commenting at Now Smell This. Here's our privacy policy, and a handy emoticon chart.

  1. Jennifer1977 says:
    14 November 2012 at 1:51 pm

    These sound like heaven.

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      14 November 2012 at 4:42 pm

      Jennifer: yes, good stuff.

      Log in to Reply
  2. Rappleyea says:
    14 November 2012 at 3:49 pm

    I “adore” Mecca Balsam, and had already decided to put LVdP’s sample set (5 mls. each!) on my Christmas list to myself. Your review reinforced my decision. I’m a little surprised that this didn’t last longer on you – Mecca lasts forever on my skin.

    Thanks for reviewing, Kevin.

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      14 November 2012 at 4:44 pm

      Rappleyea: Mecca Balsam lasts ages on me too…this one is much more of a ‘natural’ fragrance when it comes to longevity

      Log in to Reply
  3. Omega says:
    14 November 2012 at 3:51 pm

    I got to try this:)

    Log in to Reply
  4. Sujaan says:
    14 November 2012 at 4:00 pm

    I agree with Jennifer1977! Like “heaven”!

    Log in to Reply
  5. breathesgelatin says:
    14 November 2012 at 4:04 pm

    This sounds unbelievable. I’ve read other good reviews, too. And I love jessamine.

    Log in to Reply
  6. AnnE says:
    14 November 2012 at 6:23 pm

    Thanks for the review, Kevin; this one sounds absolutely gorgeously right up my alley! I have had the LVdP website up in another window for the last couple of days, trying to decide what to place on on my initial order. Now I know at least one item which will be in my cart for sure. :-)

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      14 November 2012 at 7:49 pm

      Annee: hope you get lots of things you love

      Log in to Reply
  7. nozknoz says:
    14 November 2012 at 11:07 pm

    I adore Mecca Balsam and am also very fond of Sharif (also excellent, but I feel like I have to be worthy of this noble perfume when I wear it) and Tawaf (spicy jasmine!). I have a rollerball decant from STC and am sorely tempted by the Custom Blending kit. One could get up to all sorts of layering mischief with those separate jasmine and apopanax accords! :-)

    I also tried the Amber Chocolate recently, and it’s really delicious. It’s interesting how it starts out pure cocoa – basically chocolate milk top notes – and becomes more and more ambery and complex.

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      14 November 2012 at 11:24 pm

      Noz: there are so many fragrances I want to try from LVDP…hard to choose, ESP. Interested in the tincture of natural ambergris.

      Log in to Reply

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Advertisement


Luckyscent

Search

Browse by…

Topic

Perfume talk New fragrances
Shopping Books :: News
Body products Home fragrance
Polls Another subject

Date

January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
Prior months

Author

Robin Jessica
Angela Kevin
Erin Guest Author

Tag

Celebrity perfumes
Cheap thrills
Collector bottles
Perfumista tip series
Video
The complete tag index

From NST at Twitter

  • "She did it again: Britney Spears fragrance sales soar as fans show their support after #FreeBritney documentary" (… https://t.co/MxT9Sc6im3,

Recent reviews

Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus
Moschino Toy Boy
Arquiste Misfit
Diptyque Eau Capitale
Zoologist Bee
Parfum d’Empire Immortelle Corse
Comme des Garcons Series 10 Clash
Frédéric Malle Rose & Cuir
L’Artisan Parfumeur Le Chant de Camargue
Yves Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre
Régime des Fleurs Chloë Sevigny Little Flower
Chanel 1957
Gallivant Los Angeles
Amouage Portrayal Woman

Blogroll

Bois de Jasmin
Grain de Musc
Perfume Posse
The Non-Blonde
More blogs...

Perfumista lists

100 fragrances every perfumista should try
And 25 more fragrances every perfumista should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista should try
26 vintage fragrances every perfumista should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should try
11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love

Favorite posts

The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
New to perfume and want to learn more?
How to make fragrance last through the day
Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn’t smell like it used to
How to get fragrance samples
Perfume for Life: How Long Will Your Fragrance Collection Last?

Upcoming

List of upcoming Friday projects

TBA April ~ freebiemeet

Back to Top

Home
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy

Shop for Perfume Online
Perfume Shopping in New York
Perfume Shopping in London
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Links
Perfume Books
Fragrance Awards

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z

Copyright © 2005-2021 Now Smell This. All rights reserved.