Tam Dao is the woody Eau de Toilette that Diptyque launched in 2003, composed by Daniel Molière. It draws on the childhood memories of Yves Coueslant, one of the house’s founders: the sacred forests of Vietnam and the sandalwood burned in their temples. Diptyque pairs the sandalwood with cedar, cypress and myrtle.
Robin, of Now Smell This, sees Tam Dao as a creamy sandalwood of almost serene restraint. Grace Lindsay, at Who What Wear, ranks it among the most singular perfumes she knows: fresh, earthy and spicy.
What critics say
Now Smell This, March 17, 2005
Robin notes at the opening an almost acrid, slightly unpleasant note that quickly melts into a creamy sandalwood. The scent seems restrained, almost serene, and Robin judges it “perfection by itself.”
Who What Wear, February 11, 2024
Grace Lindsay, deputy beauty editor of Who What Wear UK, counts Tam Dao among the most singular perfumes she has smelled. She likes its fresh, earthy and spicy character, and makes it a chic everyday scent for every season.