Ormonde Jayne Ta'if Perfume Collection

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

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Ormonde Jayne Frangipani Eau de Parfum

I have wanted to try the Ormonde Jayne fragrances for months. Every time I looked at their British Web site, I sighed. The international shipping was so much money; I couldn't bring myself to order. Suddenly, a couple of weeks ago, I got a free shipping offer. My wish was granted! It always pays to register at sites that interest you.

I bought three Eau de Parfums. The first I've started wearing is Frangipani (about $117 in U.S. dollars). I wore it today, which I think was appropriate for a royal wedding day! I wonder if any of the guests were wearing it too.

I'll let Ormonde Jayne tell you about it.

With its large elegant cream-colored petals, frangipani is perhaps the queen of all tropical flowers. The heart of the structure is a fabulous, heady fusion of frangipani, jasmine, and tuberose absolutes, elevated with plum, water lilies, and green orchid oil. The scent has great foundations and architecture; the notes are soft, captivating, and unforgettable.

The top notes are linden blossom, magnolia flower, and lime peel. The heart or mid-notes are white frangipani, jasmine, rose and tuberose absolutes, water lilies, plum, and green orchid oil. The base notes are amber, musk, cedar, and French vanilla absolute.

I couldn't decide about Frangipani when I read these notes online; I was concerned about the amber and particularly the vanilla. As a rule, I'm not a big fan of fragrances that remind me of cupcakes. Gaia, The Non-Blonde, had told me she thought I would like the Ormonde Jayne florals. Trusting her instincts entirely, I was willing to buy without a whiff. She was right!

Fragrance experts have been in the know about Ormonde Jayne for a long time. Founded by Linda Pilkington, who was asked to create the perfect scented candle for one of the world's leading luxury houses, Ormonde Jayne prides itself on defying convention. The company uses specialty oils not widely used in the perfume industry. They want to be on the "cutting edge of creativity." I like the sound of that.

Ormonde Jayne has a boutique on Old Bond Street in London. The interior looks snazzy in photos. I love the fragrance packaging. The magnetic snap box that holds my new eau de parfums has contrasting colors of vibrant mandarin and ebony. It's timeless, classic yet modern, and elegant - simply stunning. I can't recycle the boxes!

Frangipani sprays on initially with a bit of an alcohol rush, but quickly dries to a fruity floral with a green lilt. I can smell the linden blossom, which makes it unique, and the lime peel. As it starts to dry down, and those heady florals take over, it becomes "even better." The base notes have a nice balance - not too woody, not too musky, just perfect. That vanilla? Almost imperceptible. Maybe it's my nose and spring allergy season, but I don't think so.

If you like sophisticated, clean florals, I think you will like Ormonde Jayne's Frangipani as much as I do. Remember to register at the Web site!

Photo courtesy of Ormonde Jayne

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