She's as sweet as...a sample drawing

I have trouble asking for freebies. This particularly applies to perfume samples. Usually I just suck it up and order them like everybody else. Not free, but guilt-free, if I don’t like it. 

I’ve always ordered and paid for my samples from Tauer Perfumes, because I believe that a niche perfumer of Andy Tauer’s reputation probably gets a zillion requests for free samples. I’ve never wanted to be one of Those People. Weird timidity? Maybe. Anyway, I dutifully ordered a sample of the new Zeta, behind the curve as usual, and got four samples and a nice note saying “just e-mail us next time” and so I guess I’m on their radar. 

This is my favorite Tauer of all, so far, and I’m not just saying that. For some odd reason I started thinking the song “Tupelo Honey,” by Van Morrison. Odd association, since this is not a honey fragrance. But who knows where these associations come from? I try to accept them, never suppress them, ride them like a surfer rides a wave. The song, a favorite of mine, is playing in my head right now.

I haven’t loved all the Tauer fragrances. With some of them, mostly the earlier ones, I’ve wished the perfumer had used a slightly lighter hand with the “Tauerade,” that incensey resinous thang in the base. But I can also see a brand developing here. A link between in all the perfumes. That’s smart. Admirable.

“Zeta” is lighter on the Tauerade than any of the other fragrances I’ve tried. It’s there, but just a whisper, just enough. This perfume shows, more than anything, the perfumer’s increasing skill. Subtle is tough.

 I’ve been messing around with oils and absolutes, making ambient scents, realizing how difficult this art is, how expensive the good natural ingredients are (and how cheap, therefore tempting, the synthetics are). My mother used to say that if you want to see how a dress is constructed, learn to sew and make a dress. It’s true. Make a dress -- not that my efforts have been anything but laughable --  and you’ll never look at readymade clothing the same way again. 

The notes in “Zeta” have, of course, been discussed already, in all the major perfume blogs, so I’m not going to get into long discourse about them. The fragrance opens with citrus, but it’s not sharp; it’s a little orange-y. Then it slides seamlessly into the florals, led by our old friend orange blossom -- which can be as heavy as an anvil but here is uplifting -- how did he do that? -- and neroli, the slightly different take on orange. 

I’ve only smelled linden trees in bloom once, while walking down Linden Drive in in Beverly Hills during their bloom. I don’t remember the scent specifically, only that it was beautiful. I lingered next to my car, breathing it in, until the inevitable Parking Police approached and I had to flee. The linden here is subtle, arranged with a rose called “honey yellow,” a trace of vanilla and then, after awhile, a bit of orris, then the suggestion of the Taurade base.

Some of the Tauer scents have  been brilliant conceptually, but not always completely wearable except by those with enough knowledge to appreciate the ingredients and the perfumer’s artistry. “Lonestar Memories” comes to mind as an example. Zeta, which Tauer calls “an ode to summer,” is completely accessible, and could be worn by anyone who just wants to smell good. In the modern perfume marketplace, this scent is reasonably priced, too, at around $150 U.S. Dollars for 50 mls. 

So am I tempted to keep my other three  samples? Yes! Am I going to? No! I’m going to give them away to three lucky commenters. Step right up: the drawing, for generous spray samples, ends a week from today, which is to say Tuesday, May 16^th, at 9 a.m. Eastern U.S. Daylight Time, at which time I will pick the three winners.

Good luck, everybody!








Full Disclosure time:  I bought my sample and received the three extras from Tauer Perfumes. 


Leave a comment to enter the drawing for a generous spray sample of Zeta. The three winners will be chosen using random.org.






Rainbow-in-hand photograph by Pat Borow, all rights reserved.