The Great Layering Challenge #1 - Dana Tabu / Guerlain Samsara

I paired Tabu with Serge Lutens' Rahat Loukhoum. The major notes for Loukoum are cherry, almond, honey, and (to my nose) a bit of tobacco. I chose these two fragrances because I was intrigued by the promise of the sweet orange and honey notes in Tabu, and wanted to tease them out a bit.

I found my concoction a little overpowering at first; both Tabu and Loukoum come on very strong, and I wasn't really a fan of the intense cherry cordial and patchouli aroma that resulted from their mingled top notes. The Lutens seems to dominate the blend, so for the first hour, the fragrance smells very much like a slightly dirtier and spicier Loukhoum. However, as it is drying down, I'm finding that the two blend together almost seamlessly. Loukhoum, after its intense opening, drops precipitously into a very mild, sweet scent of honey and almond flour. Tabu, on the other hand, stays strong. So, as the cherry notes fade, I find myself wearing a sweet, dark honey fragrance with a touch of almond and a dusting of spices. I don't think I'll wear this again; it's a little too strong for me, and I was disappointed by the way the Loukhoum overwhelmed the Tabu (I was expecting the latter to be more dominant). Still, I'll wait till my SO comes home from work to see what he thinks of it.

OK, I'll have to wait for my Tabu to arrive, but in the mean time, I've been experimenting with Samsara. I wear the EDT to work as it is fairly light to the other concentrations, and I love sandalwood. By the end of the day, though, depending on my body chemistry, the tonka/vanilla can take over in the drydown, which, while pleasant, gets kind of *meh* after a while.

I like to freshen up by applying a roll-on decant of 10 Corso Como: "rose, geranium, vetiver, musk, sandalwood and Malay oud-wood oil." Others have noted a fruitly plum note in this fragrance, but on me it very, very dry on its own, with the oud and incense predominating. These notes blend with the sandalwood and vanilla in Samsara, giving it a greater depth and complexity, while warming and softening the 10 Corso Como.

I haven't gotten any feedback on this combination, but then I don't get many comments at work, as I try to avoid too much sillage for the sake of others with different taste. (I wore Farnesiana to work once, and people asked if I was burning candles in my office -- I've got enough going on without a visit from the fire marshall )

Wonderful! I can use most of the notes I made yesterday for the combination Samsara + Tam Dao .

First let me tell about the feelings they evoke:

Samsara is me, wearing cashmere and silk, feeling romantic
Tam Dao is me, wearing a suit, talking business, feeling serious

Samsara + Tam Dao: the Sandalwood love child of a businessman and a diva. The child has the genes of both and sometimes you will say: ah, exactly her playful mother. And then the child suddenly changes into a very intent and serious person.
Versatile if you wish, having the best of both parents.

Let me put it this way: I love Samsara (I tested with EDT but usually prefer Extrait), but with Samsara on one arm and Samsara layered with Tam Dao on the other, I know I will go for that delicious combination.
The sweetness that sometimes, suddenly bores me is now subdued. What I get now is a beauty with a bite.

I wonder: the sandalwood in Tam Dao is from Goa but where did the sandalwood used for Samsara came from? And....would it make a difference?

Notes for Tam Dao translated from OzMoz:
Top notes: Italian cypress, Myrtle. Brazilian Rosewood
Middle notes: Sandalwood from Goa, Cedarwood
Base notes: Ambergris, Vanilla, White Musks

Since most of the time I work from home, I have only one very discerning and scent loving guinea pig I can always rely on.
Guinea pig loved it and went to work this morning with a liberal spray of Tam Dao...asking if he could have a "very tiny dab" of "that other scent" (well, I can't expect that he will remember the name of every scent, eh?)

Your Honor, I rest my case. I adore this lovechild

...pant, pant, gasp, cough (clatters late into warmly lit parlor - sinks heavily into a deeply plush sofa, draped with heavy silk scarves)...

OK. So I'm a little late. But here's the thing. Got up this morning still battling the cold and climbed into my favoritest security blanket - Bal a Versailles all orange and spices, roses and jasmine, vetiver and patchouli. A wonderful classic that I've owned off and on for the forty some years since it was introduced. A classy, luxurious frag at home with boot jeans and a cashmere turtleneck as well as LaCroix luxe. (Like I wear either of these.)

Lurched downstairs to discover I'd missed the bus on the inception of this wonderful project (salaams to Moondeva). Nice long talk with my favorite Hawk and then settled into morning tea (the smoky Hu Kwah) and then oversprayed with my new best friend Tabu. Patchouli, cinnamon, orange, jasmine, narcissus and sandalwood.

Get the picture. Intensification - or underscoring - or echoing of Bal!! It's hard to figure out where one leaves off and the other begins, so well do they marry. Serendipity! (snuggles into the heavy silk - redolent of Bal a Tabu

Did I like it and would I do it again? Absolutely!

Which notes dominated the blend? Probably the orange and patchouli with the flowers crowding up right behind.

Did it elicit compliments? Only saw one person and she is not fragrance-conscious - ALWAYS says "You always smell so good!"

Did it work out the way you wanted it to? Pretty much! :bounce:

This is so fun! Sorry I didn't follow ALL the instructions but tomorrow (today?) it'll be Mitsouko



G

...pant, pant, gasp, cough (clatters late into warmly lit parlor - sinks heavily into a deeply plush sofa draped with heavy silk scarves)...

OK. So I'm a little late. But here's the thing. Got up this morning still battling the cold and climbed into my favoritest security blanket - Bal a Versailles all orange and spices, roses and jasmine, vetiver and patchouli. A wonderful classic that I've owned off and on for the forty some years since it was introduced. A classy, luxurious frag at home with boot jeans and a cashmere turtleneck as well as LaCroix luxe. (Like I wear either of these.)

Lurched downstairs to discover I'd missed the bus on the inception of this wonderful project (salaams to Moondeva). Nice long talk with my favorite Hawk and then settled into morning tea (the smoky Hu Kwah) and then oversprayed with my new best friend Tabu. Patchouli, cinnamon, orange, jasmine, narcissus and sandalwood.

Get the picture. Intensification - or underscoring - or echoing of Bal!! It's hard to figure out where one leaves off and the other begins, so well do they marry. Serendipity! (snuggles into the heavy silk - redolent of Bal a Tabu

Did I like it and would I do it again? Absolutely!

Which notes dominated the blend? Probably the orange and patchouli with the flowers crowding up right behind.

Did it elicit compliments? Only saw one person and she is not fragrance-conscious - ALWAYS says "You always smell so good!"

Did it work out the way you wanted it to? Pretty much! :bounce:

This is so fun! Sorry I didn't follow ALL the instructions but tomorrow (today?) it'll be Mitsouko

Mmmmmm -- sounds great! Same dynamic as my 10CC experiment, but smoother and rounder, I'm guessing.

I can't wait to try this combo -- as soon as my Aedes samples either emerge from the black hole of lost Fedex packages or are definitively judged lost, so I can reorder I just know I'm going to miss SL week either way

And the vetiver (I guess) in Tabu gives it an edge! How exciting that this happy accident may make the A list!!

Just got a sample of Goutal Mandgragore which is great fun and I may try that with Tabu (my new best friend) tomorrow!

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU for this fun idea! :bounce:

It should be - you thought of it!

This evening, however, I've come up with my own combination: Tabu over the original Stella. Stella is mostly rose, with faint hints of peony, amber and bergamot, and I thought it might bring out the floral heart of Tabu.

This is just gorgeous - with each sniff, I think I might faint or melt into a puddle on the floor. I love the deep, rich, dewy rose of Stella, but have always found the base a little thin and sour; with Tabu, the rose still takes center place, but it's surrounded by a dark, mysterious aura of woods and spice. I feel a bit like Mata Hari. I know I'm wearing this combination again, and soon.

OK, I tried Samsara over Tann Rokka (Kisu), hoping that the Sandalwood and Ylang Ylang notes in each would intersect in an interesting way. (TR: Ylang-Ylang and Rosewood on a base of Cedar wood and Eastern musk, with underlying Asiatic marine notes.) In the drydown, they did blend well. TR's marine note is warmed and softened by Samsara's vanilla/tonka, and with that touch of saline Samsara in turn is less sweet, airier, and seems spicier.

Not sure I'd wear this again, though, at least not in the same order, as the top notes clashed (the iffy jasmine in Samsara EDT maybe?) A spritz of TR after the Samsara settled down might have worked better. While the end result is nice enough, it's not really greater than the sum of it's parts unless you are bored with one or the other.


Sounds fantastic -- can't wait till my Tabu arrives!

I just read this thread this morning out of curiosity...I saw the previous thread about the layering challenge but wasn't planning on participating, as I don't layer blended fragrances together, but rather layer blends with 1 essential oil that's in the note list.

But my interest was very piqued when Tabu-Opium caught my eye. I own and like both, but they are problematic for me, in roughly opposite ways. Opium always smells a bit too dry and scratchy to me, and somewhat lacking in depth. Tabu strikes me as a tad too syrupy and cloying. But they both have other elements that I LOVE, so I've been trying to reconcile myself to their down-sides. I never thought of layering them, but when I saw the pair on the list I realized that together they might smooth out the edges I don't enjoy.

So I applied Tabu to my wrists, and Opium to the crooks of my elbow, almost 4 hrs. ago. As soon as the combined sillage wafted up, I knew it was a success. And the hours since have confirmed this for me. The Tabu was given more of a sparkling top and it's moist darkness smoothed and deepened the Opium. Oddly, though Opium usually fades too quickly on me, while Tabu lasts and lasts, with this pairing the Opium dominated! I can only slightly smell the Tabu on my wrists now, but when I sniff my arm the Opium is going strong. It smells different now, not really like Tabu, but exactly the way I always wanted Opium to smell, and sensed the potential of. Could the Opium have somehow swallowed and digested the Tabu, thus absorbing new powers?!

I was out shopping, didn't get any compliments on it, but I rarely do without extreme closeness. I don't think I spray enough to have a detectable cloud or trail.

I'll definitely wear often unless my feelings change radically. I doubt that I'll wear either without the other again. Thanks for the inspiration!

Sorry to hear that, dear!! Are you absolutely sure? It will be so much fun to have you in as well

That is worth some more exploring! Thanks for your thoughts on this,MoonDeva.
I think I will try Tam Dao against Cèdre this afternoon, that is, when I have recovered from my (obvious) sensory overload

Not for layering experience, just to compare some notes.

I think I feel a layering addiction creeping up on me

Tried TBS Woody Sandalwood over Samsara EDT tonight. This seemed a relatively "safe" mix to try, as I was going out shortly after I put them on. I used the Samsara first, and dabbed the TBS oil on wrists and cleavage.

There was no conflict between the scents, because Samsara completely devoured the Woody Sandalwood and belched out clouds of Big! Eighties! Sillage! Samsara isn't subtle, anyway, but give it the oil to feed on, and it just leaps off my skin into the air. Pleasant, but the Woody Sandalwood doesn't have the cojones to significantly alter the Guerlain bully. :P

If for some reason I ever decide Samsara is too meek (!), I know what to feed it.

(TOO funny! Hope you don't ever stabilize, dear isotope!)

Carried through with threat of Goutal Mandragore (Top: bergamot, black pepper. Middle: Star Anise, Mint. Base: Ginger, Boxwood, Madrake...."Go and catch a falling star...get with child a mandrake root..." wonder if anyone's still looking...?) with new best friend [b]Tabu[/] (I want to - DID - take her to bed with me!)

Not sure how I feel about the pairing. I bring out the rich sandalwood/flower notes in [b]Tabu[/] with just a hint of the citrus. My first sniff of Mandragore revealed the ginger bergamot sandalwood connection - and especially for a brief moment the pepper. Goutals don't work that well for me as a rule....

But I just poured some more over the Tabu and will test drive it with my Tai Chi guys....

(TOO funny! Hope you don't ever stabilize, Dear Isotope!)

Carried through with threat of Goutal Mandragore (Top: bergamot, black pepper. Middle: Star Anise, Mint. Base: Ginger, Boxwood, Madrake...."Go and catch a falling star...get with child a mandrake root..." wonder if anyone's still looking...?) with new best friend Tabu (I want to - DID - take her to bed with me!)

Not sure how I feel about the pairing. I bring out the rich sandalwood/flower notes in Tabu with just a hint of the citrus. My first sniff of Mandragore revealed the ginger bergamot connection - and especially for a brief moment the pepper. Had thought the ginger especially would pair nicely with the sandalwood/citrus...Goutals don't work that well for me as a rule....

But I just poured some more over the Tabu and will test drive it with my Tai Chi guys....

LATER: Which didn't happen....got to the end of the driveway and felt light-headed so headed back to the couch in the TV Room and stoopid tee vee. Soooo

Did it work the way I hoped: Somewhat. Was hoping for more of the ginger/citrus...
Did it elicit any compliments? Didn't have the opportunity to check it out close up - although later the checkout guy in the supermarket smiled!!
Would I try it again? Nah. But on second thought - maybe. When my smeller is more reliable.

Tomorrow: Figue Amere Thinkin' figgy/salty with oranges/sandalwood.....

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS POST ENDED UP APPEARING TWICE SO PLEASE DON'T ASK ME....(sob)

Moondeva, I would like to thank you for starting the most fun, by far, thread or game that I have seen yet and it is extremely educational as well. I bought a little bottle of Tabu last night and have rediscovered a True Classic. This has so much in it that I thought I'd try it with my favorite note almond. So I combined it with CSP Vanille Almond. I know my tastes are not for everyone, but I happened to love it. It works for me. I have not worn it out in public yet, but would not be afraid to at all in a very light dose. What has happened is that the almond has calmed down the patchouli and made it a much smoother wear. Yes, I would definitely wear it again.

I'm in on the SL challenge for the 2 days my Fumerie Turque sample lasts, and I'm leaning toward ordering more samples tonight, just to have Borneo 1834 and something with frangiapanni for the book club challenge.

Oops, 1834 is non-export :-(

Thanks for the welcome!

I've decided to participate further....with Tabu-Amarige de Givenchy. I like Amarige, but find it a bit "high-pitched", as you said about Cabotine. I may not try it too soon (I'm on a Tabu-Opium kick at the moment) but will report back with the verdict when it's in.

I'd like to try KL....anyone know if there are likely to be testers of it in dept. stores (such as Macy's, Dillards) these days? I know there would have been years ago, but I think it may have become more of an obscurity...it's widely available online, of course, but I'd like to test.

Note to self: when the Queen of Layering says: "Guerlain Shalimar is such a complex, multifaceted perfume with such a distinct and recognisable character that I think it may overwhelm most perfumes that it is combined with".......for heavens sake, Riannon, stubborn woman, just listen for once!!

Moondeva, you were absolutely, completely right!! But still, I am delighted you gave me the chance to make my own mistakes

I am wearing Shalimar extrait on the wrist and Samsara on the forearm. I smell delicious, that is a fact.
The postman delivering a parcel smiled at me with flared nostrils, so let's say that is a compliment.

But still I am not happy. In fact, I am deeply disappointed because I expected this to be a great combo and what do I get? Two soloist's!!
Shalimar is indeed a scent to be savoured on its own.

Somehow I get Shalimar and Samsara apart, not bonding. No, they are not enemies either but they are very much holding their own ground. Then there is a whiff of soft delicious Shalimar, then there is Samsara, bold and strong. "And never the twain shall meet".

Notes for Shalimar taken from OzMoz:
Top Note: Bergamot, Mandarin, Cedar, Lemon
Middle Note: Patchouli, Jasmine, Rose, Orris
Base Note: Vanilla, Benzoin, Peru Balsam, Leather

I don't think I will try to join these beauties again. What is the use? But maybe one day I will find that very special, maybe simple scent that drastically, but in a beautiful way, will add 'something extra' to Shalimar.
Give me hope......

The search continues!

loving this experiment

Oooooh. I gotta try this! Thanks T! :bounce:

First and (so far ONLY) niche frag I've found FBW has been Miller Harris' Figue Amere (and that only because I found a good deal on EBay!)

Thought this fresh, weird figgy, censer-y sea nymph might be at odds with Tabu's lush warmth - very yin yang - but maybe in a good way.

So far (an hour in) it's working really well! The sandalwood in My Best Friend and the incense note in Figgy are harmonizing nicely. The slight sea breeze is not at all at odds with the flowers and orange.

Will report further! :bounce:

Later: Whadda great idea. The slightly briney incense and the warm amber sandalwood have settled down in happy harmony! Surprisingly there's no clash and each support the other. I waft nicely!

Did it turn out as I expected? Better!! Would I do it again? Absolutely!

Did it elicit compliments: Yup. Both my new masseuse AND the desk guy commented favorably if not explicitly. ("Gosh you smell good")

AND my smeller is not 100%!!!

I love Samsara EDP and have tried layering it with many things over the months. Last night and this morning, I tried pure essental oils: Jasmine, sandlewood, orange blossom, & almond, separately of course, with the Samsara. Unfortunately, they only ended up making a mess. I have tried it over Gucci PH and other woody scents, but it ended the same way, just bad. So from here out, I will have my Samsara strait up and work with Tabu the rest of the month. Good luck to you all.

This is such an interesting thread and I'm learning so much! I hadn't expected to participate, so hadn't bother reading this thread, but all the talk about Tabu must've gotten to me by osmosis.

Today I bought a Tabu gift set, not for layering but just because I'd heard it mentioned so much here in previous days...but now I am game to try this game and there's no time like the present!

I have CdG Kyoto in my purse because it's my SoTD. So, before I set off to meet my friend for a drink, I'm going to experiment. I'm thinking Tabu as the base, with the cedary Kyoto dancing on top. Two strong scents...what will happen when they layer?

I will report back later. Thank you Moondeva for your awesome knowledge and always entertaining posts

Besides being lots of fun this thread/experience has been SUCH a welcome education!

I am thinking of starting a thread for the Over 55 Crowd BECAUSE...
... this is exactly how I felt and smelt when I first tried Tabu about sixty years ago in my late teens. Today it is a rich, sumptuous beauty on me - and I check it out with my best, highly critical friends ages 32, 37, 50 and 52 respectively for reaction. They love it on me too. (The 52 year-old's favorite is Love's Fresh Lemon so that will show you where she's coming from!)

Mochi obviously has a good nose and (to me) excellent sensibilities and hers is not the only "jump back in horror" reaction to Tabu and I'm wondering if it is not an age thing? Less estrogen? Less stress? Drier skin?


They sound terrif'kick and I'd love to try - for example - Tabu together with one from each column! A menage a trois!! (Or quatre, if you inlcude me.)The only one out of the whole bunch I've got is L'Eau d'Issey and not much of that, but I'm making notes!!

But for today it's one of my long time Best Friends Mitsuoko (she has languished neglected for many months now) and New Best Friend Tabu.
As I mentioned in today's SotD The Cold is lingering on and so my smeller is not fully functional until I've been up for a half hour - so either I spritz/dab/roll on right away and awaken to the fully developed scents, or I wait and then spritz.

Today I did the former and slowly awoke to THE most heavenly blend of roses and fruits and honeyed woods! Thanks for this suggestion Moondeva this is another winner.

Until now I've secretly felt that layering was somehow - impertinent. After all - these great noses have labored long to create perfectly balanced compositions, so who am I...etc. etc. etc. But now I see it more as an hommage - and for SURE a great fragrance experience.

I'm going to do this one over and over and over....:bounce:

Taolady, with greatest respects to you (love your posts and depth of knowledge, not to mention passion for the subject!), I did not "jump back in horror" at Tabu. I thought that "big teased out hairdo" might have too many negative connotations and might not get my message across correctly. On second thought, how would "big hot-roller set voluptuous 'do" sound? That may be closer to what I sought to express: that Tabu is big and dramatic (nothing necessarily wrong with a teased-out 'do, just a different aesthetic!) and the "razor cut" I'm going for is modern and minimalist. That's really the juxtaposition I was seeking.

I do like Tabu. I'm not in horror at it, however, since it's my first time with it, I'm learning her. I love big orientals. I am NOT afraid!

I will report back on today's combo which was FAR more successful: Tabu + Jicky!

Also, thank you for the compliment. I feel like a total newbie here and I know I have tons to learn. I'm happy to be in the presence of people with so much knowledge. I am soaking it up like a spongue. So nice to be in the presence of smart people on the internet...I'm sure we can all speak to the other side of the internet message board experience. Quel horror!

Mochi the Jicky/Tabu combo sounds great (LOVE the visual) and is a good excuse for me to re-invest in Jicky which I haven't had for a while.

Grazie!! :bounce:

Just in case you are wondering if I have abandoned you, my dear Moondeva, the answer is: clogged up nose!
So this is not the right moment for serious layering (that experiment of Vicks, Samsara and nosedrops does not really count, eh?)

And on Saturday Lady_in_Black and I will start a Lutens diet for seven days. Lord knows how I must recognise those.
From memory, I suppose

So, goodbye for the moment, but....I'll be back!!
You have a mighty good thing going on here, dear!!!

Last day before The Lutens-In!!

From the back of my collections: Coeur de Parfum/Parfum Rare
* Top Notes
* Bergamot, Rosewood, Jasmine,
*
Middle Notes
* Cardamom, Geranium, Carnation, Coriander, Orris,
*
Base Notes
* Vetiver, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Labdanum
on titties, legs and ears. Tabu on arms and wrists.

(Thank you BN Directory) Almost an encore of Tabu - just worked differently! In PR the bergamot and Vetiver and Labdanum are more pronounced. Each settles into an alto and mezzo version of amber hued luxury. The Forbidden Heart!! :bounce: Perfect!!

Did it work as I had anticipated. BIG Yes!!
Did I like it? BIG DITTO.
Did it elicit compliments? Don't know yet - going out into the world shortly.
What notes dominated? None really dominated - smooth blend
Would I do it again: Absolutely! Great fall/winter/sexy combo for this dry-skinned blonde-ish lady "d'une age certaine" living a casual life at the beach.

I'll be absent on this thread for the next two weeks - first the Lutens-In and then a computerless week in the mountains - but I'll have my eye on you and hope to sign in again at the end of the month!

Many thanks Moondeva for introducing me to the world of confident layering!!

Funny you should mention Rumba ' cause I wuz gonna try that next!

But en route to lunch stopped in at Marshall's and they've got Cabotine gift sets for a PITTANCE....(credit cards scream and run for cover...)

I feel remiss in not trying more layerings this week, but every cedar tree in my area has decided that now is the time to reproduce, and I can't smell a thing.

Enjoying reading about it and taking some notes, though.

Chanel No. 19 edt and Tabu -- 19's leather note cut the syrupyness of the vanilla/amber notes in Tabu and the chypre notes brought Tabu's spiciness into better focus. I'm not sure Tabu did much to improve Chanel No. 19, though. But Tabu + leather has definite possibilities.

With that in mind I tried Tabac Blond edc with Tabu. This was a better blend overall. The mix of spice, woods and leather reminded me of Christmas. It doesn't beat Tabac Blond alone, though (what does )

Disclaimer: The Layering Challenge was a great opportunity for me to try Tabu, glad I did, but the top notes give me a flash back to some department store ladies room every time (which probably says more about air freshener trends than it does about Tabu). It's a shame, because the Tabu drydown reminds me of the spicy vanilla finish of some of the classic Carons, but it's too long in coming.

Amarige certainly is potent, but on me it doesn't have the power you described. As long as I stick to a judicious 1/2 spray of the EDT it stays civilized. But when I first discovered Amarige (around the time of it's launch) I was wild about it, and customarily sprayed 3-4 full hits! In retrospect, I must have been guilty of olfactory assault on an almost daily basis.

So I went ahead w/ the experiment on Sunday.....Tabu on the wrists, Amarige in elbow crooks. I don't feel it was a success, nor was it a disaster. It was pleasant enough, but the scents never melded. Sometimes I'd catch the sillage of unadulterated Amarige, sometimes of pure Tabu. Neither was altered in any way, even when I directly inhaled from the anointed skin. And going from one to the other was not a smooth enough transition. I guess I'd have to say that Amarige dominated, only because I seemed to catch more of it's sillage...but it certainly didn't devour the Tabu. So, all in all, it wasn't what I'd hoped (for the Tabu to be brightened and the Amarige to be darkened) and I won't wear it again. I guess I'll continue layering Amarige (until the bottle's empty, I won't buy again) with neroli essential oil to cut it's artificiality, though that doesn't really lower it's pitch.

I didn't get any direct compliments on the scent, but I was stalked by a guy at the grocery store, and recieved mpre than my usual quota of amorous looks from assorted men. This sort of thing has often happened with straight Tabu...I'm not sure if they find the scent itself that stirring, or if they just think that it smells ...uh..."willing". Perhaps a bit of both. So I usually reserve Tabu for someone that I am willing with...not the general public.

Tabu and Kiehl's musk...not very adventurous, but a very good combination.
The combination adds more dimension to both scents and tones down the Tabu sillage. It has a nice retro 60s modern feel and DH liked it!

Be looking forward to this challenge when I get back on the 29th! :bounce:

Don't have any of the above and would ask you to take a look at my wardrobe and see what you could suggest as the basic Oriental for me. Haven't got any more room for new frags right now!!

Thanks, Darlin'!!! :wave:

Nu would make a great layering scent!

I can imagine it with zesty florals or with something spicy...

Of the four that are mentioned first, I only have Black Cashmere.
But, like Taolady said: please rummage through my wardrobe to see if there is anything that would be suitable.
As long as it is not a Lutens!

After SL week, I'm definitely in the mood to experiment, but I'm afraid I don't have any of the suggested scents on hand either. If if substitution is allowed, I could probably come close once you settle on a fragrance family. Maybe L'Instant if you go with amber/florientals?

Tabu was a great choice because it is so cheap and available just about anywhere, but I suppose we can't be that lucky every time.

I would prefer to go for option #2 with Black Cashmere. I have that scent so, no problem.
Option #1: runner up. I could go on experimenting with my Samsara. No problem either.

I can be very easygoing. Sometimes

It will take a good week after the decision is made for me to get a decant from eBay, so I'd best sit this round out and enjoy from the sidelines.

I tried the scents mentioned and will stick with my Samsara or something entirely different. I saw the news last night, with the storms and power outages and I hope Moondeva is ok. Will be waiting to hear from you.

personally I'd like to play with Nu

the only fragrance I have out of the ones mentioned is Obsession - so, I could try this challenge (my first layering challenge!!!)...don't know what I'll layer it with, but i'll figure something out...or someone may wish to help me with suggestions (please?) lol

I'm a little behind, here. I plan on playing a bit with Dana this week. I bought some partly for this challenge, but then I joined the Lutens week...
Today I'm doing Tabu/Amarige. I expected a battle royale between these two sillage monsters, but they are playing nicely together on my skin. In fact, they've joined forces, are now on the same team, and will fiercely face any other odour brought before them. This is definitely a heavy blend, but quite nice. I'll try to post more about my impressions once I've had it on for a bit.

I guess I just HAVE to get a bottle of Tabu I like the idea of Tabu with Amarige. Sounds nice!

ok, moondeva, here goes....

What did you try?
combo #1: dana tabu + jo malone black vetyver
Did you like it?
tabu is a little on the sweet side, so the black vetyver adds a non-sweet element that tames the tabu a bit, while adding earthiness. the black vetyver maybe too "weak" for the tabu.
Do you think it works?
well, not for me, but i think it's the tabu's fault. it's a little on the sickly side.
Did it elicit compliments / comments?
my boyfriend said, with no prompting, as i walked in the room "dana tabu" and i thought for a second that he actually KNEW what i was wearing. (the most i've gotten out of him was a compliment about bois farine smelling like woodshop.) but he was READING over my shoulder on the list of combinations for tabu that you listed, moondeva! then after i "caught" him he goes, "well, it smells strong."
Which notes dominated in the blend?
the clove or coriander i think.
Did it work out the way you imagined it would?
i honestly didn't have much in the way of "knowing how it would smell" but it wasn't as scary as i thought it would be.
Would you wear it again?
no. i think tabu is not for me, though the notes tell me it is. it's just too sweet in the wrong way. maybe this bottle is just old?

What did you try?
part ii: guerlain's samsara with ava luxe film noir.
Did you like it?
when i first put on the samsara, it didn't smell like it usually does. it smelled almost cherry-ish, a note i really dislike. but then it calmed into its usual yumminess. then i put on film noir, which i hadn't tried yet. it smells so much like bulgari black, i was surprised! i thought it was supposed to smell like coffee? oops - got it confused with cafe noir. here are the notes, according to the ava luxe website: Black Leather, Suede, Hemlock Spruce, Ambergris, Mousse de Chine, Morrocan Rose, Black Amber, Green Grass, Civet, Olibanum, Bergamot, Coumarin, Tobacco, Tonka Bean
Do you think it works?
yes and no. bulgari black and its ilk seem like perfect layering scents (e.g. rtamara's lolita noir). the leather is a really interesting and funky thing to add to something so feminine. this one might work better with a smaller amount of the leather.
Did it elicit compliments / comments?
no. boyfriend playing video games and ignoring me now.
Which notes dominated in the blend?
the black leather really jumped out. it did not obscure the more sparkly notes of the samsara, but it sort of stole samsara's thunder and prettiness.
Did it work out the way you imagined it would?
no, because i thought i was layering the samsara with coffee notes, not leather.
Would you wear it again?
probably not. my next experiment with samsara, i will go for something really woody, maybe like riannon's tam dao.

this is fun! thanks for the encouragement, moondeva. i will play again soon.