Tawaf by La Via del Profumo 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

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Post by Portia

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Hello Independent Perfumery Lovers,

Yes, the Indie stuff is the most boundary pushing, interesting and challenging fragrance section for me. I find the perfumes exciting, edgy, sometimes raw and often a little rough. It’s edge of your nose sniffing. Not all the Indies get it right for me but that’s the point, they are making their dream for people who share it. That also doesn’t mean they get an automatic Get Out Of Jail Free Card from me though. I still need to enjoy the ride, be swept up in the fragrant fantasy and moved on some level. La Via del Profumo is a brand that often delivers in the most outrageous and spectacular ways. Today let’s look at a bottle I bought after falling madly in love with and using up a sample size.

Tawaf by La Via del Profumo 2012

Tawaf La Via Del ProfumoLa Via Del Profumo

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Jasmine sambac, rose, opoponax, narcissus, myrrh

Jasmine and narcissus together open Tawaf, It’s a green, viscous, aggressive opening that has little to do with sitting in a field or by a fence with either of them growing nearby but the powerful, astringent, shrill uncomfortableness that you get from the purest absolute extract (is that even a thing? You get it though, right?). 15-20 minutes of over the top fragrance that pretty much sends me into raptures of sniffing.

After the initial blast the richness and forcefulness drops back to a dull roar. Still fully fragrant yet there seems to be more oxygen in the room. Suddenly Tawaf becomes friendly, archetypically feminine and very sexy. Still radiant and effusive, excellent wafting in sillage and with good projection: I get about an hour of this warmer heart before the whole fragrance slides slowly into a light resinous hum around me. Very nice, quieter, less remarkable but still alluring. It sits closer and closer to my skin before finally giving up the ghost more than 4 hours on.

Tawaf La Via Del Profumo Ka’abah Turki Al-Fassam FlickrFlickr

From La Via Del Profumo site: Tawaf is the name of the ritual consisting in circumambulations around the Ka’abah, the cube shaped building in Mecca, adorned with black silk. The Ka’abah is the geographic center of the Arabian soul, of it’s spirituality, culture and civilisation. The Tawaf fragrance is the aromatic “melody” of the scents that surround those performing the Tawaf.

Further reading: Non Blonde and Perfume Shrine
La Via Del Profumo has a range of sizes from €18

What is your jasmine scent?
Portia xxx

15 thoughts on “Tawaf by La Via del Profumo 2012”

  1. I have a teeny ‘Freddie vial’ of this somewhere – courtesy of Freddie indeed – and must resniff. I remember liking it, and it being a big number. Hadn’t clocked the myrrh, so that is interesting.

    I don’t think I have a jasmine scent as such, but I might just have forgotten, knowing me!

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    • HA! There are quite a few jasmine fragrances around here, I get so excited when I can tell the jasmine in a frag that I often buy it just so I can search the jasmine out.
      Portia xx

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  2. Hi Portia! I would love to try this one day and see how it works with my skin. I am much more a tuberose fan and have yet to find a favourite jasmine. Have a great weekend. Sandra xo

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    • Hey Sandra,
      Yes, tuberose is king. Jasmine brings me so many happy memories of my childhood though, there was a vine over our fence. Loved it.
      Portia xx

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  3. I adore AbdesSalaam and his work, talk about flying under the radar!

    So glad you loved Tawaf, it’s really great. I also love Oasis and Tasneem, but the one I reach for the most is Holy Water, especially in the warmer months. So smooth and gorgeous. Top of my bucket list is to attend one of his perfume making week-long workshops in Italy. Well…one can dream!!

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    • Hey there Robert H,
      Yes, interesting that La Via del profumo is not more talked about. There are a few I love but Tawaf is the only bottle I’ve bought, the rest are sample size, Mecca Balsam will be my next purchase though.
      I’d love to read your review of one.
      Portia xx

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  4. My favorite Jasmine may be Lutens Sarrassins though the most realistic jasmine I have ever smelled is Lutens A la Nuit

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  5. Hmm… California Reverie *has* jasmine, does that make it a jasmine scent? I sure do love it – it’s like the beauty of summer in a carefree fragrance. I used to really really like the white florals, but more recently I realize that I love the way they smell, but I don’t necessarily like wearing them as perfume, so I haven’t found as many white floral loves lately. 😦 That being said, this sounds lovely – and now I’m intrigued by the Holy Water scent mentioned above by Robert! Thanks for the review!

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    • Hey Sun Mi,
      I have a few scents like that. Call me mental but I like to use this as bathroom scents. If you spritz your hand towel every time you use it there will be a happy burst of fragrance so you get to enjoy the scent without having to deal with it on your person.
      Portia xx

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  6. Hi gorgeous.
    Tawaf sounds really lovely. Love reading about Indie perfumes but haven’t ventured too far down due to time, money and being in OZ.

    I have a few fragrances that have jasmine as a key note: The Pour Un Ete by L’Artisan, Jasmin et Cigarette by ELdO, Jasmin de Nuit by TDC and A La Nuit by SL.
    I am almost certain you’ve either tried them or have them all already.

    XXX… T

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    • You choose lovely Jamines Tim. One day you must come here for a sniff of the independents. They are mind blowing.
      Portia xx

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  7. I adore jasmine! Tawaf is great, and I also love the two he did for STC: Cold Water Canyon and Surrender. My most recent jasmine thrill is the Diptyque Essences Insensees 2015.
    xo

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    • Those STC fragrances were OTT Holly. Surrender was my favourite of the pairing.
      The Diptyque? Interesting, I’ll follow that up.
      Portia xx

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