After teasing us with a promise of Spring, the weather seems to have gone for one last arctic-cold winter hurrah. Luckily, this is the perfect temperature to test out Tolu.
Tolu smells a bit like Christmas pudding to me; spicy, rich and a little bit boozy. This is an excellent example of an oriental scent done well and elegantly; I don't get strangled by oily sandalwood, and it manages to be sultry but not dirty-smelling. If you've liked fragrances like Obsession and Opium, Tolu is well worth a sniff.
The base of this perfume is the focus of it; tolu (a peruvian tree resin) is blended with frankincense, amber and tonka bean. I don't smell a lot of the floral heart (orchid, rose and muguet) but I can certainly appreciate the juniper, orange blossom and clary sage top notes that give a velvety clarity to the overall composition and prevent it from being overpowering. While it isn't my sort of perfume (I generally prefer less heady/woody scents), I can appreciate the deftness of the blending, and if I had to wear an oriental, I'd pick this one. ;)
I can't imagine myself wearing this if the temperature was anywhere near double digits in celsius - it works in icy cold weather, and is the olfactory equivalent of wearing a layer of cashmere head to toe, but I would find it too heavy on me in warmer weather. If you live somewhere cold, or have a body chemistry that works well with orientals, this is a lovely one to try.
Summary - a beautiful oriental, but definitely an oriental, which rules it out for regular use for me. I was curious about it from the many excellent reviews, which is the beauty of the Discovery Set; I was able to try it out, admire the craftswork in it, but rule it out as full-bottle material for me.
Disclosure: sample is part of a Discovery Set sent to me for consideration for review.
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So are you thinking that the discovery set is worth the investment? Interested to know. Perhaps you would consider doing some swaps? I'm going to be updating my list of perfume samples to swap over the next few days, so let me know if you fancy trading.
ReplyDeleteHi Signature Scent - if you're interested in Ormonde Jayne as a line and can't get to the shop to sniff, or if you want to wear the fragrances for a few days before deciding, I think the Discovery Kit is well worth the price.
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