Recently during a little pre-summer shopping spree with my daughter I made a discovery... We have a Diptyque counter at Ogilvy!!! Oh the joy and the sadness... Joy to finally be able to sample their fragrances and sadness for my wallet!
Our last stop that evening, Ogilvy, to Catherine's despair... It was about 8:15 pm and by that time she was done! She had been a good sport and I was really pushing it (as usual) but I just couldn't resist when I saw the elegant Diptyque area! So my daughter took my iPhone and like the good girl that she is, went to the Longchamp handbags area, a favorite spot of hers not because of the beautiful collections but only there is she able to sit down. But all was not lost for her since after we did make another stop just for her, at the Apple Store! :)
I was like a kid in a candy store, really I was and I'm not even a perfumista!
So yes, the candles I've read so much about do smell divine but at $80.00 there's no way I can justify buying one at the moment and I'm not sure I eventually will. I smelled a few of their
eau de toilette and felt a bit of a thrill to finally be able to hold one of their bottles in my hand... how lame is that! I mean it's not like I haven't seen/smelled new and maybe more exclusive fragrances before, I mean I worked for Dior for crying out loud!
...On I went looking at the different offerings displayed on the back shelves and boom! There neatly placed on their respective pouches, what I really really wanted to have a closer look and smell at, the solid perfumes! Now I was truly excited and my nose got really happy to finally have a go at these lovely scents. Of course I could not resist and since my nose was so delighted by it I decided that Do Son, the one that reminded me the most of summer, just had to get in my purse!
Fear not, I did pay for it first!
Diptyque Do Son Solid Perfume...
First, the elegant packaging. After you remove the transparent cellophane paper the box is wrapped in you can already smell the loveliness. Once you open the elegant square shaped carton you are welcomed by the small perfectly stitched velvety pouch that will serve as a protector. Smart, it will be more than useful since I plan to carry this little jewel in my purse.
The waxy mixture is lodged in a stunning black zamak case engraved with the Diptyque oval and it's quite hefty for the size which makes it not only feel more luxurious but gives the impression that it will last years and years. Equiped with a small magnet it's easy to open and it closes with a satisfying "click" that brings a smile to my face every time.
Summer theatre in the park... The name of the play, Do Son...
The setting, a flower shop located in the Vietnamese Resort of the Gulf of Tonkin after which this perfume takes its name, where else? A fresh elegant white floral ode in which tuberose is the star with a lovely supporting cast. There is a hint of rose and maybe my nose is playing tricks on me but it seems to detect a little jasmine. One of it's top notes is orange flower but strangely I can't really recognise it in this blend so for me, for my play, it was left backstage but I do get a bit of timid iris who only has a few lines to say. For some reason like other fragrances I've enjoyed recently, it doesn't quite develop on my skin instead, it ends on the same notes softly. Some have complained about a lingering "minty" smell. This is liquely from the benzoin that is said to come out along with musk as Do Son's base notes show up on stage towards the conclusion of the third act but as with the orange flower, my nose doesn't notice them either. Both benzoin and musk remain elusive characters, in the shadows just like the people working backstage that we sometimes get a glimpse of. Maybe it's for the best.
Do Son is almost a soliflore, a self centered monologue but unlike others who may appear static or false, this one is honest, straighforward and quite expressive.
This fragrance wears close to the skin on me and this translates in faint to no sillage but I'm fine with that since I don't want to knock down any of my co-workers. Do Son is for me to enjoy, for me alone. This perfume does remind me of the fragrance one is welcomed with upon entering a small flower shop, hence the setting of my imaginary play. The experience is usually quite personal. We're attracted by the colors of the different flowers available and usually set our choices on the ones that will offer both beauty and fragrance and when we do smell them up close, only our nose can appreciate their uniqueness.
Do Son is fresh, white, clean. The perfect summer scent. It doesn't last all day, in fact I would say it lasts about four hours which may seem little for a daytime fragrance but for when the weather is hot and sticky, it's perfect. Very feminine, non invasive and intimate, exactly what I was looking for and the beauty of this solid version is that if I feel like reapplying I can do so discreetly (without leaving what could be for some and unwanted cloud of flowery scent in the lady's room) since it has elected permanent residence in my purse making it smell lovely, just lovely.
I've only read a few reviews about Do Son and they were all about its liquid form which seem slightly different then this solid version. I will go back to the counter to sample its juice to see if I get a different experience. I think next time I'll make that stop on my own... Poor Catherine, she's so not into beauty things!
Diptyque Do Son is not the most original of fragrance since it's practically a soliflore but it has a little
je ne sais quoi that makes it extremely pleasant to wear. Not a tuberose fan? This play may be a little simplistic but sometimes it's nice to have a main character that enables us to not overthink things too much and get to sit and enjoy a light straighforward story with no surprises at the end. After all, the star is quite talented and plays her part in a very accomplished manner. Do Son just might make you appreciate tuberose a little more.
One final note...
As much as it is nice to experience on it's own, the fact that Do Son has that strong tuberose note it can easily be worn over other fragrances or scented oils. I've layered it over both Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse and Caudalie Huile Divine and the results were quite pleasant. Today, as I'm writing these lines, it's been enjoying the company of Liérac Huile Sensorielle aux Trois Fleurs Collection Blanche and I can honestly say that they get along nicely together. This is the beauty of such a fragrance, you can truly make it your own by writing your own personal story with the fragrant characters of your choice.
Have you ever layered fragrances, if so, which ones?
She's a rose with thorns, don't mess with her. She's a girl who goes to extremes.
