Tamora

[lmaunu]

Amber, heliotrope, golden sandalwood, peach blossom and vanilla bean.

Source: Frimp from the TP

As others have mentioned, this is a light scent that is perfect for spring or summer. My skin isn't picking up on the vanilla and amber as much as it usually does, so on me the peach and heliotrope stand out. The peach is a lovely, muted peach, and not too fruity/artificial or strong. I really like this one, but will probably not get a bottle since the throw is so light.

[forspecial_plate]

Right away I thought of Snake Oil. I get the same 'play-doh' note that I pick up from Snake Oil, which I guess is the amber, perhaps? And by the way, it doesn't turn me off the scent. I actually like that note. Anyway, I don't get much peach from this scent, just a hint of it. I mostly smell the amber, vanilla, and soft sandalwood, with the suggestion of fruit. This is one to hold on to.

[donnatron]

Imp: Heliotrope and peach. True, fruity, luscious peach, none of that gummy candy stuff.

 

Wet: Peach sweetened by a swirl of vanilla, heliotrope and amber.

 

Dry: So lovely. The amber, heliotrope and vanilla create this rich, warm close-to-the skin scent that is just so sexy and inviting. The peach floats over top of it adding this great effervescent note. This is the type of scent that compells someone to touch your arm when they lean in to smell you.

 

Throw: Good. The vanilla amps the most, which then draws you into the layers of the scent.

 

Overall: I love this scent. It garners me lots of compliments all the time and it seems to be a general crowd pleaser. I'm so glad I was frimped it, because I thought that peach=death up until this point. If you're nervous about trying fruit scents that have done horrible things on your skin previously, try this one.

[VioletChaos]

in the imp: amber and very light peach

 

wet on skin: the vanilla is coming out, but it's subtle.

 

dry down:the peach is winning now.

 

in all: this is very light, very fleeting. i'm thinking good for those that need a light touch with their scents.

[smallvoice]

I do believe the sandalwood is the sole problem with this scent on me. If I ignore it; don't huff it, rather, it smells light, flirty and fitting for Spring, and maybe Summer. I do like it, and could see myself wearing out the imp in the coming months... but I don't think I will need a bottle. I've been wrong before, though. It smells lovely as it dries, don't get me wrong, but when I smell it, there is this overwhelming feeling that I'm also wearing powder. The sandalwood and the amber have conspired to bring about this powdery scent. I can usually wear amber beautifully, but the sandalwood has corrupted this one. There are enough other scents that I love that are close to this blend, however, that I'm not too sad.

 

Scents with a similar feel: Fae, Aglaea, Katharina, Brisingamen, Et Lux Fuit, Imp, La Vague

[sionnac]

Ordered a 5ml from the lab - it is LOVELY - peach mostly on me but with the vanilla under. The throw is not too wide and I can wear it to work and on a crowded subway. Got a few compliments too!

[ryokokoro]

At first, it smelled strongly of amber and vanilla but once it dried, it quickly faded into a nice amber behind thick, sweet honey (there's no honey in this so maybe the vanilla crosses with something that makes it smell like that) and accented around the edges by like a peachy sandalwood. Very relaxing and I may claim a bottle of this one.

[stardreamer]

In the imp and fresh on: Pleasant, lightly floral.

 

Drydown: Now the amber is coming up, and so is the vanilla. This is a nice mix.

 

Long-term: The florals drop out almost completely, and the spicy sandalwood becomes more noticeable. It's a light sweet amber-based fragrance, not overpowering, with excellent staying power -- still quite noticeable after 12 hours.

 

Bottom line: Definite keeper. This should work well in warmer weather when other amber scents can be too heavy.

[gypsysingleton]

This is how I feel that Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Vanille Abricot should smell.

 

This is a lovely creamy subtle peach.

 

I wish I didn't over-do peach in the 90's (both in scent and color) because I really like this. I usually can't stand the smell of peach because of my over indulgence, but, I'm keeping the imp and I'm going to force myself to wear it this summer, it's just that nice!!!

[lainevierge]

This reminds me alot of Poisoned Apple without the intense apple tartness. I think I prefer it to Poisoned Apple, but I don't exactly get peach from it. It's more like a faint vanilla fruit scent.

[butcherbaby]

i am not a particularly big fan of fruity scents, mostly because 99.9999999999999999999999% of them smell fake & disgusting and nothing like the real thing (real thing = awesome- there's nothing like the smell of a fruit heavy farmers market, on a blissfully sunny day where the warmth brings out & blends the ripe juicy nectars of ~everything~)

the labs fruit notes are quite yummy though, at least in the imps- they do not always do well with my odd skin chemistry that makes civet & musk smell like baby powder and roses smell like screaming chemical ass.

and if there's one fruit i really just can't resist it's PEACHES. if they serve food in (pick your version of) paradise then peaches surely must be on the top of the list. i love everything about them- the way their colors blend when they have that perfect blush of ripeness, their utterly sweet yet slightly tart flavor, the velvety touch of their skins, the feel of sinking my teeth into the soft but firm ripe flesh, & the juices running down my chin no matter how daintily i bite.....i love them completely and absolutely. and i hate most peach "flavored/scented" products i have ever tried or sniffed beacause they usually are putrid or chemical or vomity and never smell anything like peaches at all.

ok, now that i'm done waxing euphoric about fruit (come to your own freudian conclusons) i'll get to the review.

being that the lab has about 96576279524509 squared scents that i want to try, it took me a while to get to the "illyria" section. what have i been missing out on! the description of "tamora" instantly caught my attention. peach blossom? YUM!!! amber & sandalwood? total no brainers. vanilla? sometimea a little too sweet but never actually *bad*. heliotrope? well not too familiar with the scent note but i like them in real life so once again, super.

so i got an imp from another forumite and.....well DAMN. make that double dutch DAMN. it smells even better than i imagined...and i imagined it would be GREAT. it smells just like honey soaked peaches on me (and i know honey isn't in it, but that's what i get. the only note that stands out as it's own is the peach.) honey happens to be second only to rose on my favorite scent list, and the peaches smell REAL, ripe, sweet, and juicy. so you can only imagine how happy this fragrance makes me feel!

 

now the downside.

 

my skin must think it tastes great too, because it sucks it down faster than a wino does free thunderbird. well, at least the first time i tried it it did. slather, reapply, slather even more, reapply again. where is my lovely fragrance going? COME BACK, OH SCENT OF PARADISE IN A VIAL!!! it's gone in less than half an hour, and i want to cry. (queen mab did this too, but that's another review.)

well....that's why i don't wear lighter scents very often. no matter how much my nose likes them, my chemistry just doesn't want to let them stay. but then again. it *is* almost a certain time of month, and my PMS is extra raging right now (in other words, out of control hormones) so i'll give it another chance. i try it again a few days later. Hmm, still doesn't last worth hog's liver. well DRAT.

try layering it with "O". ooh, that's nice....REALLY nice. i could get a bottle of this for that reason alone. layered with Gypsy queen? no words, just, no words....once you've already found nirvana how can you decsribe a place that's even BETTER?!?

thrid try? well, almost the charm. it stays recognizable for at least an hour before it starts to fade. i'll try again at other times of the month, and also, as the weather warms up. despite the frustrating lack of staying power, i *really* like this scent and can't seem to let it go.

 

final verdict? i love it- conditionally. not on the "must urgently have NOW" list but i'll use up my imp and probably end up with a bottle despite it's elusiveness...it's just too good to pass up.

and i am more than happy to adopt anyone else's unloved bottles or imps. ;-)

Edited May 8, 2008 by butcherbaby

[martiangurll]

In the imp: Wet and peachy, smells like fresh fruit with a touch of vanilla.

 

Wet phase, top notes: Vanilla peaches, with a hint of floral--maybe the peach blossom. I am not sure what heliotrope or peach blossom smells like, but they compliment the peach and vanilla well.

 

Drydown: Amber and vanilla with a touch of peach, not candy or synthetic smelling at all. After about 3o minutes the sandalwood becomes more apparent with the sweet amber which thankfully doesn't go powdery on me, as it is wont to do with some other blends.

 

Impression: I will horde imps and try to score a big bottle or partial to store the imps I have. Feminine and flirty without being sexpot or too girly-sweet. This should be great for summer, although I would describe it as a warm scent, the peach and vanilla with summer florals go best in the summertime for me. Although I can't promise I won't wear it in the winter when I am missing that summer feeling.

[taramarie]

I tried Tamora on without remembering what was in it except peach. I expected it to be more like Fae, but I didn't realize that Tamora had the blossom instead of the fruit. On my skin, all I can smell is the peach blossom. It's lighter than the fruit and definitely not as strong. Still, this is a pretty, delicate scent.

[veronicafranco]

hmmm. i tried this because i am exploring lots of amber blends - knowing that fruit sometimes surprises me in a good way, but i rarely like vanilla in perfumes at all. of course, it's therefore mostly the vanilla that i smell. ("vanilla bean" does smell a lot nicer on me than the "smoky vanilla" in defututa, which is too strong for my taste.) after it dries for a while, the amber comes delicately out, which is nicer. i never get more than the faintest hint of sandalwood - too bad, as i think i would like it in this blend - and after several hours, i finally get a peach note which i like.

 

overall - this is pretty, sweet and gold and soft and girly, just not especially me. if you tend toward the sweet and foody, i think you'd really enjoy this one.

[jiggahava]

Mmm, this is a comfort scent. It's warm and cozy, with the amber, vanilla bean and heliotrope combined. It evokes a golden, warm feeling. The peach blossom gives this a slight fruity kick to ofset the sweetness. This is very much a "me" scent. May be my favorite of the Illyria collection. I'm definitley ordering a bottle.

[inurbanus]

Since I've heard such great things about Tamora, not to mention the description contained some of my favorite notes, I was so eager to try this. It didn't work out, though.

 

There was something "off" about the peach that made Tamora unpalatable. It was musty, and I'm wondering if this one isn't a particularly good ager. Or, maybe the sandalwood threw it off? I definitely think my skin chemistry had a role in it not working, since it has so many favorable reviews. I guess I'll have to stick with Fae for my peach needs.

 

2/5

[miri]

I really love this scent - it's all golden-warm! Really beautiful - primarily amber and vanilla, with wafts of sandalwood every now and then. SO pretty!

 

Quite often, I reach for spicier cousins of this, but in all honesty, I could small like Tamora all the time very happily!

[quigza]

Tamora

 

Imp: Heliotrope and peach. And not the peach that’s sickly sweet. Just a light whiff of the fruit.

 

Wet: The amber & heliotrope stick out more than the peach (which is still non sweet & yummy)- there is a light swirl of vanilla.

 

Dry: The amber and vanilla are doing that rich dessert thing on my skin, but without the sweet- if that makes any sense at all. This is gorgeous, with the peach note over it, it’s like a sunset cloud on my wrists. The heliotrope is getting slightly powdery on me tho. Please don’t let this go to baby powder!

 

After 2 hours: Gone. It never became very powdery though.

[Indigo78]

In the imp this is mostly true, bright peach. I want to taste it, but know better.

 

On my sin the amber explodes initially, followed by a slight waxy smell. This only lasts a minute or so, then the Heliotrope and Vanilla begin to control the direction of the scent on my skin. The Peach languishes in the background just enough.

 

Tamora's subtle nature is a total departure from more prominent blends that I normally prefer. Like Black Opal, however, the delicateness of this one is balanced by the utter beauty of the scent. A bottle is on the way

[sprocket21]

Wet: Peach and vanilla.

 

Dry: The amber starts to show itself, and it's got a powdery-ness to it. There's still quite a bit of vanilla, but the peach is mostly gone. I like this though - there's something very delicate and pretty about it. I like it, but not enough to purchase a bottle. I'll try to have an imp on hand though for when I need a dose of amber/vanilla.

[goblinshark]

This was a free gift from the lab. I had really wanted to try Tamora because I am interested to see if I can find a fruit scent that will work on me (I typically hate fruity/foody scents but I like certain specific fruits if they play a minor role and if they smell like an actual piece of fruit). I am...on the fence about this one. It definitely smells a lot stronger and more complex than I had anticipated; it doesn't smell like a single fruit note, so that's good, but there's so much going on there that I am having a tough time deciding whether I like it or not. It's definitely sweet, but not cloyingly or boringly so...I don't know. I am going to have to give it a few more tries before I make up my mind.

[Andrea912]

At first it's nice: peach and vanilla. Then, that fades and the lasting notes are sandalwood, amber, and heliotrope. Yucky.

[Lyrical]

In bottle: warm, golden, fruity, creamy, yet light.

 

Wet on skin: soft, creamy, floral, golden. I can smell the characteristic creamy warmth of heliotrope over the amber, peach, sandalwood and vanilla. Nice!

 

Dry on skin: heliotrope is a note I'm on the fence about. I used to think I liked it, but now I'm not so sure. Lots of the scents that combine amber and heliotrope with red musk are ones that I love at first sniff, but I find I don't like them after a while. However, heliotrope and amber seem to work nicely together combined with peach, sandalwood and vanilla! Anyway, if you like Beth's heliotrope, you should try this! I find it rather bland, though.

[bryghtrose]

At first it smells like Aglaea's more sophisticated older sister, the one you want to steal clothes from, and look up to for taste in music and men.

 

Then she throws baby powder at you when you go to borrow a sweater.

[rosebud]

Tamora smells a bit like cough syrup at first, but softens quickly to a warm, golden peach. Not much throw and seems to fade fast, but very pretty, and the softness makes it great for work.