The romantic description of Ormonde Jayne's Ta'if fragrance tells it all.A damask rose from Arabia. Ta'if, a town rising 5,000 feet above the shores of the Red Sea and overlooking the Arabian desert, is renowned for its plantations of Ta'if rose.
Ta'if by Ormonde Jayne is an intoxicating and audacious rose scent. This perfume dislikes daylight, preferring dusk, the night, parties, promises, and assignations. It is an opulent composition that makes a bold entrance and is confident enough to sweep everyone else to one side - a real belle of the ball. Ta'if is flamboyant, but also sophisticated - a torrid blend of saffron, pink pepper, rose, dark sappy tree resins, and broom, It is dynamic, daring, and madly in love with life.
I really can't describe Ta'if (varying prices) any better. While it's sultry, it's also perfectly acceptable for day wear. I received a sample of this incredible fragrance from Ormonde Jayne and fell in love instantly. Had I only had an entrance to make!
The top notes are pink pepper, saffron, and dates - all refined culinary pleasures. Combined, they enter the scene with a zippy contradiction between sugar and spice. The heart notes take over quickly. Some of my favorite florals edge the top notes out of the way. Rose oil, freesia, jasmine, and orange flower absolute are blended to emphasize the rose, but with a strong suggestion of the white flower essence. As Ta'if dries down, many hours after application, it becomes a soft memory, laden with broom and amber - both as comfortable as lounging on a lazy day.
Ta-if is a fragrance that will enchant floral lovers, making both rose lovers and white flower lovers swoon. It should be better known in the United States. Sure, all the fragrance gurus know it, but those of us who are just awakening to the pleasures of Ormonde Jayne and other European fragrances have much to discover. The first day I sprayed Ta'if on my body, I was stunned by its appeal - and that I had never tried it, based solely on its notes. I had bought several Ormonde Jayne fragrances earlier this year. One of them was Frangipani, a current favorite.
Ta'if is available in parfum, eau de parfum, bath and shower products, candles...you name it. I know of no U.S. source, but if you register at Ormonde Jayne's Web site, you'll find there are great special offers, including free shipping now and then. I am testing my way through several new-to-me fragrances in the line, and I'm having a blast.
Photo courtesy of Ormonde Jayne
Love Ta'if...it's got a hint of an incensi-ness to it, which makes it not a smoky rose, but a thorny one, to my nose. I have the edp, but would adore to try the parfum.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you love it too!
Really enjoying reading your thoughts on OJs so far....
Have you tried OJ Man yet?
Not yet, Lovethescents! The company kindly sent me a sample pack of all the fragrances. I am slowly working my way through them, plus your beautiful samples, those Liz sent, and other new ones from NM. It will be my undoing, money-wise, once I start buying again.
ReplyDeleteTa'if is definitely a rose with hint of mystery, not like the Red Roses bouquet I like so much. Ta'if is sultry to my nose. It transmits the message, "There is a lot to discover here." I think it's a man magnet.
Hi Charlestongirl!
ReplyDeleteHave you ever tested Nahéma by Guerlain? Some people who love rose fragrances adore it, some don't, I can't tell you why...When I wear it, I spray it directly on my skin after my daily body cream (not on my clothes)so that it's not too present but just a touch of rose all day long:-)
Hi Clarisse! I have some Nahema, and prefer the parfum to the edt. The edt has something animalic in it that I don't do well with. Even the parfum is a bit too vintage for my nose, so I can only do it in the winter. It's a glorious one, though, and so well-loved! I'm happy you love it :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Clarisse!
ReplyDeleteI've never tried Nahéma. There are so many Guerlain fragrances I haven't explored. Sounds absolutely lovely.
So many fragrances, so few days...
:)
Hi Lovethescents,
ReplyDeleteThanks for offering another first-hand response. I should have known you would have tried it. I'm beginning to wonder if there's any fragrance you haven't tried!
Hi Lovethescents, I agree with you totally: I prefer the parfum to the edt and Nahéma is definitely a "winter" fragrance! I mentionned it only because I know Charlestongirl loves rose fragrances. But in Summer it would be overwhelming(not sure the adjective is right for a perfume!)
ReplyDeleteYou know, I didn't like "Nahéma" at all when it first appeared (80s)neither the classical Guerlains such as Heure Bleue or Shalimar every one was mad about at the time, I much prefered the Saint Laurent's Y or Rive Gauche or the Balmain Mademoiselle: but I was in my late twenties then(early thirties) and the first Guerlain I fell in love with was "Les jardins de Bagatelle" (I think I liked it because of the Gardens which are really magnificent) and that lasted until I was expecting my daughter...then I wouldn't like it at all...
Later I did fall in love with Chamade and recenly with Nahéma: in my late fifties I must have become vintage myself:-)
Hi Charlestongirl! It seems we are all very busy writing about fragrances:-)..I'll have to get you some Nahéma to try then!
ReplyDeleteI'm laughing, Clarisse! I never thought of calling myself vintage. It's perfect! Like a fine wine, we get better with age. I will have to mail you a few little fragrance sampler gizmos. I can mail them...empty. :) You can use them when you go shopping.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Oh no, Charlestongirl, there are loads of frags I haven't explored yet. I read about several here on your blog that I need to sniff soon :-) Clarisse is so right, though, you really do need to sniff this one. I hope you're making a "To Sniff" list and Clarisse and I will do what we can. With all the samples you'll get, we might be able to keep you from buying full bottles for a while, no? :-)))
ReplyDeleteClarisse, you smell wonderful, I'm sure :-) Yes, I would definitely use the word overwhelming to describe several fragrances. There are too many vintage fragrances that I don't do well with, as much as I want to. Most pre-modern Guerlains fall into that category for me, except for the stunningly beautiful and lost Djedi, and Vol de Nuit. Shalimar is a major scrubber. Do you like that one, Charlestongirl, Clarisse?
(I've hijacked your article! eeek!)
No prob, Lovethescents! We love talking about fragrances, even if it's not the feature on Ta'if. :)
ReplyDeleteYou will be my undoing - both of you. Clarisse got the Floris you hooked me on and is sending it over the Atlantic via her son. I'm so excited!
BTW, Clarisse, I asked at Art with Flowers today if he had any of the Dauget left in storage. Bill said he had given me the last cans.
I need to do a little more Guerlain exploration. We don't have any of the special or vintage fragrances here. I'm pretty much limited to what's at NM.
Oh, and...
ReplyDeleteI absolutely hate Shalimar. I am NOT an oriental gal (so many are overwhelming to my nose), although I will admit to a fascination with it when I was in my 20s.
Interesting that Ormonde Jayne calls Ta'if an oriental. I guess, but that's not the vibe I get.
I adore orientals and Shalimar is on my top-hated list. It's the cat's anal glands, aka civet, I'm sure ;-)
ReplyDeleteHi Charlestongirl!
ReplyDeleteHi Lovethescents!
I was fast asleep when you wrote your last posts yesterday:-) I agree with you both, I can't bear Shalimar and never understood why it was so popular, it's not nice at all on my skin. Among the Guerlain fragrances, I love Chamade, Jicky, Chant d'Arômes, Vol de Nuit (very old ones these 3), Nahéma and that's all. I dislike the new ones created when Bernard Arnault and the LVMH group absorbed Guerlain, they are almost "cheap" for Guerlains. And some oriental are wonderful (I'm thinking of OPIUM Fleurs de Shanghaï (YSL)which was gorgeous...but a limited edition)
Where did you find free shipping offer? It shows me 9 pounds shipping charge even I was registered on web site.
ReplyDeleteHi Sikkim,
ReplyDeleteThere is no free shipping right now, but if you are registered, you'll get an e-mail next time. They pop up relatively often.