Tamora

[hlemonds]

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

This review is for very well aged Tamora. It's from an amber bottle, but with the old style label, purchased on the forum from the fabulous Stellans. I am so glad I snagged this from her sale page because it smells incredible!

This oil dries down very quickly on me. Wet I can definitely smell the peach, but it back down quickly to blend into the amber and vanilla....it becomes a creamy and gently sweet skin scent. Thankfully this is NOT over-ripe peach, more like a slightly under-ripe peach, still whole, being sniffed just before taking a bite, the fuzzy skin warmed by the sun. I'm coming to the conclusion that, although I'm not a huge fan of eating peaches (except perhaps in cobbler), I do love the scent of peaches. Provided the scent isn't so sweet that it makes my teeth hurt, lol.

Overall this scent is really wonderful when aged. I haven't tried it fresh, so I can not guess at the effects of aging. This is primarily a skin scent, which I think will be very nice for the warmer weather. And it will require some slathering and reapplication, since it does seem to fade somewhat quickly. I think she's worth it though!

[mxtine]

Bottle: A young white peach with a hint of something sugar-citrusy, like a peach Sour-Patch Kid candy. The second time I smelled the imp I got a whiff of sharp cologne.

 

Wet on skin: I start to smell amber and golden sandalwood, then it starts to turn slightly powdery.

 

Dry: Still smell powder, but I also smell the peach and something plastic-y.

 

I started out thinking I'd like this, even though it was too "young" for me. It ended up reminding me of a scented doll I had as a kid.

[ix_tab]

In the bottle: I can't separate the notes, and its a lot sharper then I expected. I didn't love it from first sniff.

 

Splashed on: Oooh this is beautiful. I get a faint sandalwood behind the vanilla and peach. It adds complexity and matures the very sweet smell.

 

After a few hours: Still there, mellowed and soft, like incense smoke, without the smoke! I really like this scent. Sometimes it almost smells honey like, and then goes back to the vanilla and peach.

 

After several hours: All gone! Decent staying power, not super long lasting. Doesn't matter, I'm happy to reapply!

 

Overall, a beautiful, feminine scent that isn't girly. The sandalwood stops it being candylike, and it makes me happy to wear it. A really warming scent, good for summer, or maybe just wishing it were a bit warmer!

[Lorelai1945]

Nom. I may require a bottle of this one.

 

When I first put it on and it's wet, it smells a lot like cream soda or root beer. It's very sweet, but creamy. Actually, what it reminds me of exactly is the syrup they use to make root beer flavored Hawaiian Shaved Ice. As it dries, the sandalwood comes through to give it a bit more sophistication and to cut through a bit of the sweetness. I get the peach, but it's not sickeningly, syrupy sweet like peach can sometimes be. It's warm and golden and...fuzzy. It threatens plasticyness a bit during one stage of dryness, but never gets there enough to bother me. It just smells good. Everything melds together and is hard to describe- it's not really foody or woodsy, but tiptoes around both genres. It's just yummy vanilla-tinted amberyness with a hint of peach. It doesn't have much throw, and my skin kind of sucks it in quickly, but it hovers on the skin for long enough that I can tell it's still there. I can see myself wearing this one pretty much year-round.

 

Yep. I need a bottle.

[grrrlennyl]

Tamora

 

On: Peach and fruity heliotrope with a hint of smooth vanilla.

Half an hour in: Amber and vanilla with some soft, fruity flowers.

2.5 hours in: Powdery, sweet vanilla and amber with a bit of a fruity floral.

Overall: This is pretty, but not very interesting on me.

[Geminirubyshoes]

This is from a really old bottle, a blue bottle as a matter of fact, that someone very kindly gifted to me.

 

Oil in bottle: smells like warm, honeyed sandalwood to my nose. The peach is faint. It certainly does have that "golden" quality to it. I've made remarks before about Beth's ability to make colors have a smell and this is again an example of that.

 

On skin: my word, this is GORGEOUS. The amber opens up on my skin and I get the vanilla too. The peach and sandalwood are in the background. I can't decipher heliotrope at all but it's not a recognizable note to my nose anyways. This is like eating vanilla ice cream while sitting in a sunbeam...sweet, creamy, warm and euphoric.

 

I am afraid that a new bottle may not smell this way so I will have to try to make this go a long way. It is slatherable though so I may fail in the attempt.

[Ishtar]

Wow, I've had my imp of Tamora for years, yet I never got around to reviewing it? Must remedy that! (also, what's with all the vintage Tamora reviewing going on on this page? )

 

As other have said before, the peach has become quite faint with age. Once the initial burst of fruit dies down, I think I would actually have a hard time identifying the peach as such. Rather, the fruitiness I am getting seems to be coming from the heliotrope and the amber.

 

This is a warm, gentle scent that stays close to the skin. Much less sweet and summery than I remembered it to be when it was fresh, which is probably a good thing as it makes it more wearable in all kinds of weather.

 

The drydown is almost pure golden amber and sandalwood, a winning combination for an amber lover like me.

 

Tamora fades rather quickly after complete drydown, at which point it reminds me of a less assertive Brisingamen.

[Incendiare]

Peach and sandalwood in the imp. The sandalwood is dry and it dominates. Wet, it's the same. The amber is coming out a bit but I'm much too distracted by the dry sandalwood. I like how it's slightly morphing as it is drying. The dry sandalwood is calming down a bit and the sweetness from the honey is coming out a bit. It's definitely a honeyed peach and sandalwood on dry-down. Nice but nothing I'd ever reach for.

[mari4212]

Wet: The sandalwood is coming out strongest, with a hint of something floral, possibly the heliotrope.

 

Initial drydown: sandalwood and amber, the florals are disappearing. I can already tell that this is going to be a skin scent, one I have to be up close to to really smell well.

 

Drydown: As it drys it sweetens. The florals never really come out, but they, plus the vanilla and honey, are adding a soft creamy tone to the sandalwood and amber combination. This is a warm, golden scent, good for combating a cold and rainy day like today.

 

Keeper, but I don't think I'll need more than my imp.

[Deceitfuldescender]

As a lover of sandalwood, I thought Tamora would be a bit better received by me.

However, as it dries down, I get none of the sandalwood, only peeks of the amber amoungst floral... with a hint of peach. Luckily this is not cloying, not has it (yet) gone to the powder that amber usually gives me. It appears my skin may be eating it and the general vibe I get is just "meh" and the occasional and very unfortunate diaper-like scent that I got when it was wet.

 

Not a keeper for me.

[lejlkwiet]

This has become one of my favourite perfumes to wear for spring, it's beautiful and light, warm peach with a delicate floral scent underneath, very feminine. Strangely it's not the kind of scent I usually go for but I fell in love with this as soon as I tried it on (so glad that I have a bottle!). And in spite of being a very light and airy scent it lasts for absolute ages. It's lovely.

[angelamaria]

In decant: nutty and sweet, also rather candy-like--and then I went, "peanut butter!" I like peanut butter (to eat). So, I like this (but I can't eat it, obviously). It's not TOO peanut buttery, but I was suddenly reminded of it as I was sniffing.

 

Wet on skin: it's not as nutty on my skin, it actually feels rather musky for me. I'm getting a bit of amber, as well as traces of that Trident smell, but not too much--more like an afterthought. I wish I knew what exactly was doing that! It's getting ticklish to my nose, and getting dustier...

 

Dry: well then! It's turned into dusty vanilla. It's a yummy and foody vanilla, but not like when I sniffed the imp. Definitely not peanut buttery, but that's okay, I'm not too sure I want to wear nutty perfume, I've never liked them on my skin.

 

Verdict: definitely nice, but it's more of a "meh" thing for me, so I'll let this pass. I might give it another dab (I did give this a second test) but I'm not wild about it.

 

(I think I'm the only one who's getting a nutty note out of this? o_O I have no idea what's up with that...)

[Rho]

On me, this is deliciously sweet, warm peaches. I absolutely adore it!

 

The peach is the main note from application to dry-drown for me, and it's warm and sugary like a peach cobbler. I was expecting more of a floral vibe, but it's really foody on me. That's okay; I think it's spectacular.

 

I can tell the vanilla bean is grounding the blend, and the amber and sandalwood help to keep the warm peachiness from smelling "mushy."

 

The heliotrope element is barely detectable; if anything it's just a nice glowing quality helping take Tamora to 5/5 stars.

 

In case you couldn't tell, Tamora is pretty much perfect for me. I love foody, fruity, and vanilla blends, and this is my favorite BPAL that fits that description so far. Just really, really wonderful for my tastes!

 

Associations:

Color: Gold (of course)

Mood: Simple delight.

Rating: 5/5

 

ETA: This is my favorite BPAL now. It's perfect for any occasion, and I feel just blissful having it on.

Edited October 5, 2011 by Rho

[sparkleyturtle]

This imp goes on like sweet candy. As it dries down, the amber comes through a bit more, but the peach and vanilla are still stronger, which has it still smelling like candy.

[milo]

Wet, a not-too-sweet refreshing peach. I normally don't like peach scents, I find them too sweet and cloying, but this is really nice. On me, the peach doesn't last all that long, and we're left with a lovely musky amber sandalwood. I all these except for the peach, so I never would have ordered on my own, this was a frimp from the lab. I really adore this, it kind of reminds me of the sweet woodiness of Tombstone, and the vanilla of Lyonesse. I even get a bit of Underpants, though it's not as foody. I'd say this was a foody scent for non foody lovers, which is definitely me. I love surprises, and this is going on my next order in bottle form.

 

eta: Whoops, after an hour or so, this goes uber sweet and cloying on me. The peach is coming out again, and this is way too much sweetness. I wish it stayed the musky sandalwood goodness.

Edited July 10, 2011 by milo

[Circaea]

This one is so bad on me that I wonder if I just got a bad batch, but I've tried it from two different imps. On my skin it goes on like a mildewed peach, that dries out to burnt fruity plastic. At no stage was it anything like the fresh sweet amber peach that others have noted.

Edited July 16, 2011 by Circaea

[Chanter]

I got this as an unexpected frimp as part of a decant circle. Thank you!

 

In the imp: That could almost be cherry! There's no cherry in here, but there's definitely something similarly sweet... maybe that's the peach blossom. Something a bit sharper in the background as well; could that be the vanilla bean? The sharpness reminds me of Dragon's Milk, though I much prefer this initial sniff!

 

On skin: The cherry-ish note lingers - I'm going to guess that is the peach blossom, maybe mingling with the sandalwood, though I don't smell sandalwood specifically. The sharp note lingers too, not quite anise and a little chilly. Definitely the vanilla bean, though I like it much more than plain vanilla. When everything combines, I'd almost say there's honey in here, though I know there isn't. Thankfully whatever's giving me the honey ipression doesn't react on me the same way actual honey does.

 

On drydown: The same notes are still here - honey-ish but milder, something sharp, an almost cherry-ish hint, a pleasant touch of amber that wasn't evident earlier... and oh crud, this goes a little play dough-y as it dries fully. Not entirely, but a little.

 

I think I'll keep this one for a while, possibly wear it to work as it's a fairly gentle scent; it's not going to overpower anyone. At the moment I'm not entirely sure it's for me, but I don't have an ick! reaction either. Hmm.

[arrow]

I have to declare my love for this blend.

 

Tamora is that delectable, bubbly-warm peach syrup that oozes out of a freshly baked peach pie, or a just-picked peach that's been ripened and juicified by the sun. The golden sandalwood adds complexity, and vanilla is a welcome addition to any blend for me.

 

Though my nose isn't yet aware exactly which bit of this is heliotrope, I will say that though flowers tend to give me headaches (particularly rose, jasmine, etc) no blend with heliotrope has given me any problems-- I love Lolita and the only reason I don't like Eclipse is the cinnamon! So I would tentatively suggest to other members of the Anti-Floral Brigade that they give Tamora a whirl if heliotrope is the only thing giving pause.

 

I also get pretty decent throw from Tamora-- I was death-matching her against a couple others and consistently smelled the lovely peach warmth wafting up to my nose. She also seems to last reasonably well. Wouldn't mind slathering myself in this either way.

 

I'm 99& certain this is going to be a big bottle for me when I order later this week. Particularly because I've read good things about her aging process.

[Aingeal]

I received this with an order as a frimp before I went on vacation. I rediscovered it in the box and decided to give the imps ago. I wasn't too hopeful about Tamora -- amber is notorious for going horribly wrong with my skin chemistry with one exception (Hi, Torture Queen) but it was a pleasant surprise.

 

In the imp I get mostly heliotrope, but on my skin I get the peach and vanilla, ground out by the sandalwood. It reminds me a bit of a Wallaby Darned at Outback Steakhouse. I don't know whether I'll get a big bottle of it, but I'm definitely keeping the imp.

[Balame]

In the Imp: I didn't realize this one was so popular. Here's hoping it cooperates! I get sandalwood leaping out at first, backed by just a slight whiff of peach.

 

Wet: NICE. I've been waiting for a peach like this from BPAL, one that wasn't juicy to the point it became candy sweet. Think I've got it right here. So innocent and yummy. Soft vanilla peach perfection. Like a tart, almost.

 

Dry: Okay, shampoo? Not in terms of funky chemicals, just fruit shampoo. Something about this reminds me of a shower scrub. Light and watery but grounded by the warm sandalwood. The amber amps up a bit as well.

 

Overall: Sort of a tough call. Became too much like wet, freshly shampooed hair on the drydown for my liking. It's not at all unpleasant, but more generic than it was initially. I can pass this on, but I'm keeping this sort of peach in mind for future reference.

[whataboutprom]

Lovely! Wet this is a bright, golden scent. Sun kissed peaches and vanilla. I can't pick out the individual notes of heliotrope or sandalwood, but I can tell they are giving the blend depth and keeping this from being a foodie scent, which is great for me. I love sweet foodie perfumes, but they hate my skin chemistry.

 

As it dries the notes aren't changing much, but they are getting more difficult to pick out individually. I definitely need a whole bottle of this!

[orata]

Tamora is very warm, mildly sweet, and well-blended at first; nothing jumps out immediately as a primary note. (I find the scent of sandalwood kind of iffy, so I was glad it didn't dominate.) Sweet peach and vanilla emerge as the victors as it dries down, very pretty. Gentle, pleasant, overwhelmingly warm and golden; sweet, feminine, pretty. It lasts a long time on me. In my initial notes, I wrote "generically sweet and girly, almost like almond extract on drydown" but the second time I put it on, I fell in love with the drydown I'd dubbed "generic" at first--a muted vanilla-peach-sandalwood sweetness on an amber base, very comforting and an excellent bedtime scent.

 

I find it softer, warmer, less musky, and more well-rounded than Fae--if I were comparing them, I'd say Fae was more like a white nectarine and Tamora was more like a golden peach. The peach note here isn't very juicy or crisp-fresh, which may be good or bad depending on what you're looking for. I can't pick out the heliotrope note. I think it's playing in the background, rounding out the corners of the blend.

[Klolly]

In imp: sugar and subtle fruitiness

 

On wet: This is super light when wet. The peach sneaks to the fore rather quickly. I faintly smell the sandalwood as well. It keeps this from being a childish smell the same way the patchouli in Eisheth Zeninum grounds it's peach scent. In fact this reminds me a lot of Eisheth. Tamora is like her younger, more innocent sister.

 

Dry: My body heat warmed this quick and now I'd say the throw was medium. I've been wearing it a few hours now and I love it! It's definitely a new favorite and possible bottle for me. It reminds me somewhat of Mouses Long Sad Tale because of the vanilla sandalwood combo only Tamora is more playful and interesting to me. It's gorgeous and if I had a bottle I think I'd wear it constantly. The peach is strong but not too strong, the vanilla softens it's tartness and makes it more innocent, sandalwood grounds it just enough to keep it from being to childish or foody, and any other notes are unnoticeable to my nose. This is a great blend! I'm so happy I found another scent I love!

[TheFrenchWaffle]

Tamora is now my favorite illyria scent!

In the imp: Smells very sweet with a hint of fruit, like a peach hard candy

wet: The peach stays around which worried me a tad as fruit tends to be iffy on me but I should never have doubted, the peach mixes wonderfully with the heliotrope and vanilla

dry: The peach, softened with sandalwood and a hint of vanilla is a nice soft scent with a delightful throw

Final verdict: This works perfectly on me, absolutely amazing. Bottle-worthy for sure in the future

[Lanolin]

Loli.Goth is one of my favourite BPALs, and every time I wear it I look at the diminishing imp and know I'll probably never be able to get it again.

 

Tamora is very, very similar fresh. The candied peach note balanced by wood is very similar in both. As it dries, Tamora distances itself from Loli.Goth to become its own scent - a woody warm vanilla-peach blend. It's fantastic, and I'm so glad to have found a worthy replacement.