Oha (2005)
by Téo Cabanel

Looking at the notes, l really should like this, but something here doesn't like me, & l think it's either the tea or the cardamom. Sorry, but to my nose there is something absolutely vile in this fragrance. lt's strong, peppery & makes me want to sneeze, & it has that stale note that reminds me of Youth Dew, which l also cannot stand. l do get hints of rose & jasmine, & some tonka, musk & woods in the base, but for me that unpleasant, headache-inducing note remained throughout. lt took a supreme effort not to scrub it off! Definitely not for me.

3rd February, 2011.

Have you ever sat and flipped through channels at night, stumbling upon PBS where Charlotte Church was on stage, singing a pitch perfect operatic song, afterwhich everyone clapped politely?

That's Oha.

But I prefer it when Mariah Carey or Celine Dion take the stage and belt it out. And this is my problem with Oha.

It's subtle. Pitch perfect, but subtle. And as a chypre floral it is competing with some grand divas in my boudoir, like Caron's Or et Noir and Guerlain's Mitsouko pure parfum; and they are outsinging this one.

Nevertheless, I like this fragrance, it is indeed beautiful, and has all but three of my favorite notes. I will order a sample in the pure parfum to see if it kicks it up a notch, becuase htis is one I'm not ready to write off just yet.

8th February, 2010.

Ok, this is how you get (visual) perfume heaven: go to Fortnum's, head for the beauty department (heaven in itself) set up camp in front of the Teo Cabanel display - then worship! You don't even need to sample this stuff - just gaze at it longingly.
What does it smell like? Honestly, I don't even have an exact memory - I know I preferred it to Julia. It's vintage, a bit woody, a bit oriental, floral spicy - I'm sure it is created to make you feel like the most expensive jolie Madame in Paris!

7th May, 2007.