Tabu Dana for women

I am wearing and enjoying Tabu today. Warmth , spice, rich animal scent that comforts me when down. I mostly wear this one at home when in a no-nonsense mood ( i be da boss type of thing!). Today, it seems to be more powdery than agressive and I just love. It surrounds me in a haven of intoxicating notes and mossy goodness which remind me of the wet earth after a good downpoor. I also have Tabu Woman... the pink square bottle .. baloon me if u know it please because i cannot find it here xxxx good day dears!

I really want to like this scent, because it's interesting. I do like the smell straight out of the bottle, but I have to be in the right mood to wear it, because the drydown on my skin leaves kind of a black licorice tinge that's a little off. But I have worn this after using Bath & Body Works Sensual Amber body wash and had people telling me how wonderful I smelled. Maybe the extra amber is the key for me.

Where to start??? This one holds a great many memories, not all of them fond. Firstly, the manager of a super fragrance outlet near me has become quite a good friend. She too is a fragrance junkie and has been in the industry for some 35 years. I pop in when I am in the area, as I did today, and we spend some time shooting the breeze and testing frags :o). The topic of Tabu came up (we were talking about Orientals and the demise of the once incredible Opium) and although it's been unavailable in South Africa forever, she pulled out a tester of Tabu from the dim recesses of a cabinet. We both took a spray ... UMMM ...
I started singing at a very young age and by my mid teens still had a very good mezzo soprano going on. My voice coach was an elderly woman of ample propotions, who in her youth had sung Opera all over the world. Tabu takes me back to her placing bricks on my chest and then having to exhale without them lowering ... all flavored with the rich, ripe stench of Tabu!! Even I reeked of it when voice coaching was over LOL.
There is a scene in a movie called "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge" in which a sultry Halle Berry struts into Otto Preminger's office with a red rose tucked behind her ear and declares "I am Carmen Jones". If movies had "smell-o-vision" ... this is what she would have been wearing. This is probably what many a brothel has smelled like :o). Delightfully common and a whole lot crass, Tabu is not for everyone and certainly not for me. I do, however, admire those who can pull it off without coming across as a two dollar hooker or an elderly voice coach :o).

Oh My Gosh. I have only recently begun NOT utterly hating this perfume. Maybe because I associate it with the eccentric on my street as a child--you know the one who had 15 cats and chain-smoked and tanned until she looked like a leather bag...she wore so much of this, you could literally smell her anywhere in the same building. To make it worse, the smell was always mixed with a cloud of cigarette smoke.
Only recently a lady at my job has worn it and guess what? It smells pretty nice on her. She has the right body chemistry, and she doesnt bathe in it. Funny how people wear the same scent so differently. But, to be fair, anything mixed with stale cigarette smoke and cat urine will not smell very nice.
Id definately never wer it myself but then I dont like Opium, Obsession, or anything that could possibly incite large wild cats to a sexual frenzy (civet oil). But for some people, that works. To each her own.

This review is off the current Tabu.

I have nothing against animalic fragrances. In fact, I love them. Unfortunately, I don't really get anything animalic out of Tabu - in fact, I get a putrid, "burnt" lavender sort of note, paired with some cheap head shop incense. Maybe the vintage stuff is better, but the stuff they're currently marketing is, for lack of a better term, horrid.

The way people review and talk about this one I would have thought it was a real stinker.
Maybe on some it is unfortunately.
On me it's very smooth and actually quite pretty. Slightly spicy, warm, even a little sweet, powdery. Definitely very vintage feeling.
While I don't get the "puta" or shock factor out of this fragrance- of what people say, I do get the rootbeer that people smell, but I think the rootbeer connotation is subtle and not in your face. I am happy to find that this is very nice, classy, warm comforting scent.
However; I would agree that if applied too heavily this would be atrocious and choke the air. Sillage is fantastic. So one or two sprays would suffice.
I review the modern -not vintage- version.

I love this one. I have both the modern version and a vintage version, both have their own merits. The vintage version is a little less IN YA FACE.
Tabu is sharp, animalistic, palpable.
I'm a big fan of what some people refer to as the 'Old Lady' type perfumes, less of a fan of modern. If my Nan would have worn it, I'll pretty much be guaranteed to like it.
I wear this one to parties cause it's strong and sultry and it makes me feel confident to get out there and party!
For this reason I don't wear it to work! (for a similar scent, but less sultry for work, i use Bal a Versailles)
I recently had people over who were trying on my perfumes - someone scoffed at the fact i had Tabu cause that was what old people wore. Apparently. But then she tried it on, and stated in amazement it was really good. Well Duh. You don't get to be that old and not be really good!

Smells like an affectation. Insincere, trying to be sultry and mysterious but failing at it. Instead, it's matronly, liquor-like and eccentric. (Well, I once knew a strange man who wore this. Maybe that's why I find it eccentric.)

I have had a small bottle of Tabu for a very long time..... Pretty much since my middle teens, to be more accurate. I've never been fond of it. I've always found it overly spicy and strong.... that is, until today. What a discovery, what a shock, what a (MUCH more than) pleasant surprise Tabu had in store for me.....

Tabu opens up incredibly spicy and strong, MUCH too strong for my liking. This is the very reason why I never gave it a fair shot all these years. However, today was different, because I actually had time to go through many of my perfumes and re-test those I don't particularly care for. Immediately after I applied Tabu, I figured to myself, "Yeah, same as usual.. too spicy. Still hate it." But after about about 3 minutes(I kid you not!), I started to smell something so gorgeous and yummy, much like the strong smell of a rootbeer float mixed with a small amount of spices!

Fast forward 45 minutes later: I can still smell the strong scent of root beer here, so it is here to stay(unlike my beloved Hypnotic Poison, which is such a diluted poor excuse). This is everything I wanted Hypnotic Poison to be. I thought I found my signature in Hypnotic, but due to its lightness, I am seriously re-considering this now.

The ONLY problem I have with Tabu is the very, very beginning when it is first sprayed. It smells overly alcohol-y, very strong, and overall, quite cheap. However, if you can just wait under 5 minutes for the top notes to die down, then this may just thrill and surprise you as much as it did for me.

I love this scent. It's starts out warm and almost like a spiced root beer if you know what I mean. As it progresses the scent becomes slightly more floral with a tiny hint of powder. The dry down is woody. Patchouli, amber, sandle wood, and oakmoss jump out at you. The civet brings it back into focus making sure the more luxurious scents surrounding it dont overwhelm it. Gorgeous scent that lasts a while.

If one consults my perfume wardrobe, they will be stunned to see such a 'dated' frag there: I actually bought the re-formulation today and am very glad I did! It is a softer version of Aromatics Elexir, Opium and Magie noire all mixed together to create a somewhat doubtful yet mysterious potion of pure animalic seduction. Funny I smell none of that cat pee: only patchouli, Nag Champa incense and civet. It could almost be called aldehyde-like for its sharp green opening notes and tart from the orange and bergamot: you can actually imagine smelling those fresh rinds. Then, the floriental quality emerges, full of wonderous incence , intoxicating flowers and musky notes. It smells simply lovely on me though the first spritz is quite harsh. But to my delight, a creamy note harmonizes all the rawness with benzoin and musky woods. I guess it's just my skin chemistry that greatly agrees with the frag: I'm told I smell Classy, elegant, modern and mysteriously inviuting (men) when wearing it. Far from being the slutty scent some expect! I often wear it when in a Shalimar , Cinabar, Opium kind of mood. :D Since the sillage is awesome and the staying power even more so, it is to be used sparingly though it is a cologne (mine). plus, it is inexpensive: if you give it a try and do not like it, you will not feel cheated! xxx

I had this when i was a teen..thought it was soooo sexy. I remember old man in pub smelling my neck and identifying that it was Tabu and how sexy it smelt...i went straight to the toilets and washed it off never to be worn again...bring back some creepy memories!

I bought this as a blind buy. But since it was only 3 dollars (for a mini) I couldn't pass it up. I have wanted to experience Tabu for a while now so I was really excited to try it. The first spritz was harsh to my nose. I am not sure if it is the civet (I am relatively new to perfumes but have been reading up on notes) or what but I almost instantly disliked it. I didn't want to base my final opinion until it developed on my skin for a while. The scent never did change into something I could even learn to like. It almost seemed to be fighting against my body chemistry (if that makes any sense, lol). I am sure Tabu smells heavenly on others though. The only plus (well, it is a con for those that do not like the scent) is it is super long lasting. I can appreciate Tabu as a classic but I can never learn to personally like it, unfortunately.

So i managed to nab a Vintage mini of this.
Smoooooth Powdery Sweet, Spices blend with the powder seemlessly. Almost Anise/Licorice like. This is complex. Smells like a Trashy European Burlesque House, or the toilet they'd have. But in a good way.... The Anise dries to a bitter Green rooty Vetiver Patchouli. Orange, Cloves, Amber, Benzoin... the Resin gives that powdery dry sweetness. Heck, pure sticky Benzoin resin itself can be a fragrance all on its own, and Tabu has a LOT of it. Tabu is quite masculine, i can easily pull off wearing this....Ha! I was probably a Whore in a past life.
It's Vaguely similar to YSL Opium, i give you that. It is rather dated. Projects like all hell from far away, This cuts through cold Dry Winter air like a knife.
Later... I just keep thinking this is so Masculine.. the Cinnamon SandalWood Clove/Vetiver.. it's like a hotel lobby Cigar Lounge. I'd love this as an Aftershave! The SandalWood gets strong, smelling a lot like... a 99cent store's incense section. Just like sniffing into a package of Sandal incense sticks!
Now the DryDown is the best part...
When trying perfumes, try this, Always sniff the spray tip FIRST. That's the perfume that's been drying down for a long time. Some of my favorites, All have that strangely "beyond sweet" mustiness. That.. is the Civet. "Weasel Grease." That musty Erotic "skin" smell. Tabu, Chanel no.5, YSL Kouros, Antaeus, Obsession, they all have this.
Tabu is for Mature gals. An Independent and bold Woman.
Update: This Tabu reminds me a lot of Jovan Sex Appeal. Except Tabu is more powdery Sweet, while Jovan's has that Jamaican curry powder smell.

Sillage: Tremendous, clear across the room
Longevity: 24hr+, oily male skin

New Tabu is really rather tame - a warm & spicy scent that belies its puny price tag. Imagine Opium, Obsession & Cinnabar & then add some Oscar & you are getting there. If you like oriental with a punchy base the sticks around you may well want to try a squirt. Don’t expect anything amazing but you may be pleasantly surprised. Vinatge Tabu is a whole different lady.

Vintage Tabu is perfectly "puta". The bottle I sampled from is tall, rectangular, with a large plastic lid that screams 80s but the woman I see is very much a war-time gal.

The first few minutes are unpleasant: the spray head squirts like a water pistol....& no-one wants to swim in Tabu. A fierce bergamot, bitter peel & coriander blast tinged with burnt Bakelite & a strange tang of vodka & sour tangerines assaults you with plastic handbags. Ugh!

I persevere.

5 minutes in & she starts to settle – cinnamon, dry woods, powder, & a touch of clove. But then the claws come out. Civet has never been a great friend of mine & here she arrives, paw-in-paw, with an oakmoss overload. The combination of civet, oakmoss, sappy green stalks, patchouli & coriander provide an uneasy scent-impression: dirty, damp fur coats….stale smoke…...waxy red lipstick…..soft face powder……wet cobbles on a dark night.

Tabu is 2 women: a split. She has a daytime job but works nights, too. She is soft & womanly with a warm, homely huggy feel & yet the steely “other woman” is hard & dark….haughty, naughty & definitely not to be trusted.

Tabu’s lasting power & sillage is formidable. She sticks around until the morning ….donning her soft, sweet attire & another coat of face powder & lipstick….back to the huggable, lovable lady.

For me, vintage Tabu is too disturbing & dated but I can appreciate the scent & the story. Wearing it I am out of my depth & spinning back in time. Vintage Jicky I have tamed, but vintage Tabu has her own agenda.

Cheap ? Yes. Tacky? No. Tabu is not to be sniffed at.

I just picked up a small violin shaped bottle, and have just put it on. This doesn't smell trashy at all to me, it smells of spices and root beer ! Of course this is just the start, I will be back a bit later to edit (so far it is pleasant , not outstanding, but not the loud garish scent I was warned about)

A bit strong at the opening, but the blast of spices turns into soft sandalwood (plus civet) scent very fast. I can also feel vetiver amber and patchouli. I like this scent a lot. It is not sweet and there's no vanilla what is a plus for me in fragrances. Nice (versatile) sillage, superb longevity. Best for colder seasons as autumn or winter. Unbelievable price.

I laugh when I think of Tabu. I've loved perfume since I was a little girl. When I was six or seven, my parents got me my first bottle for Christmas and I loved spraying it everywhere. Little did they know, that perfume was created for hookers. LOL. No regrets here. It's too strong for me now, but I can't deny that I loved Tabu.

HAHAHA Just read the story behind Tabu..
I always thought it smelled like a perfume for a hooker or lady of the night....Can't stand the smell!!
Gives me a headache.
I see it in the Dollar store A LOT LOL
understandably ;)

The cat piss comment reminded me of a recent one that compared Bal a Versailles to the smell of animal intercourse. I loled, even though I love the stuff.

People dismiss the idea of different skin chemistry, but I swear by it. How else can one explain the way some skin discolors when it comes in contact with silver or gold jewelry and other skin doesn't? Civet and other animal notes are rank on some, and awesome on others...that's all.

P.S. I'd get the cat to the Vet pronto if his urine was the color of Tabu.

@sexyspice......you must have a lot of experience with cat piss.

I fell in love with Tabu..so wonderful!! everybody tell me hmmm it smells incense! very sexy..even sexual!

If this perfume was made for whores and meant to evoke my inner slut it failed. I can’t stand media hype around a perfume. Tabu isn’t a trashy scent in my perception; it’s a gorgeous reformulated drug store oriental. I’m sure the vintage gave off a more animalistic vibe, but this does not.

I have the violin bottle splash cologne. I love it! Tabu reminds me of Toujours Moi (a favorite) but it’s not as dry. Tabu starts out full of incense, myrrh & spice, with rich red roses and musky Egyptian jasmine. The heart and dry down is very dry and soft with sandalwood and vanilla, it stays close to the skin and just isn’t vulgar at all. I don't relate very well with the root beer reviewers either. Hypnotic Poison smells like root beer, if anything Tabu smells like roses, powder and spicy chocolate ice cream. I’m amazed this has civet in the base, as I just don’t smell it! In fact I don’t think civet is in my little cologne bottle at all.

Confesso que tinha um certo preconceito em relação a este perfume, achava-o ordinário mesmo sem nunca ter experimentado. Aqui no Brasil, muitos tem essa concepção em relação a Tabu. Que erro fui cometer! Mas recentemente pude me redimir com Tabu, quando após ler em um fórum os membros tecendo verdadeiras "poesias" a respeito dele! Decidi comprar um frasco e foi uma paixão arrebatadora e o melhor, por um preço inacreditável! Muitos confundem com Opium de YSL! Ele é marcante a princípio depois de um tempo torna-se sútil, suave... Bem apimentado e amadeirado, adoro a cor do liquido... Acho bem unissex.

Tabu is simply nostalgia. Some want to revisit the old memories and some have moved on, but it is unforgettable.

I think they have reformulated this one because my friend used to wear it to school that is how I started wearing it. Now, there is a cheap smell about it and no my nose has not changed I can definitely detect a difference in this maybe they changed the civet to synthetic so now it smells sinthetic or changed the sandlewood. It used to be very smooth but now it is just musty.

I´ve used Tabu on and off for several years. It is sweet and woody, and makes me feel strong, noticeable. It is one of the mandatory itens in my perfumery.

I had the rare luck to see and touch a 1930's mini-flacon of Tabu. The real deal. The antique.

That happened at a friend's place who is an antique collector and wanted my help to read some obscure..."bottle-labels".

He also had Lanvin and Schiaparelli's perfumes and various ingredient-bottles from Grasse...I felt like handling gems.

I adore Tabu. There's something so exotic and intoxicating about it's fragrance. It's very spicy and warm. It makes me feel good and sexy every-time I wear it. Tabu has always smelled too expensive to be sold in drugstores. The fragrance is similar to Opium. I'm constantly being complemented on how good I smell. So if you want to try a sexy and exotic fragrance I recommend Tabu. Get ready for the compliments! This fragrance is not for the timid.

URGGGHH! I finally got the chance to smell this at CVS today--they had a tester!! At last, I know what it is that makes my mom make a face, that makes fragranticans wax poetic or vitriolic about this scent!

Upon first spray, it was even more 1980s than Dune (which I know is inaccurate because it originated in the 1920s or so, right?)--it was very in-your-face, overpowering, headache-inducing, and hyper-feminine. And then as I stood there with all those test strips in my hand, chatting with the salesgirl, the CIVET made its grand entrance. PHEW!! Boy oh boy! Cat pee in a gritty dark alley, right where the lovely lady in lucite heels is standing and soliciting! I'd hate to know how it would mix with skin when it mixed like that with paper!

I'd say you need a strong stomach and a tendency to NOT have headaches if you want to wear this. If you are the least bit sensitive, stay away!

this disgusting perfume used to be the favourite of spanish whores - but very little of it addad to a citrus cologne makes an interesting men´s cologne. is that strange?

Extremely sweet and incensey in the beginning...oh how I wanted to love this one! But after it had completely dried down and I was catching wafts of it off my wrist, it began to make me nauseated. There was too much of something in the base, or maybe there was something missing. If I had to guess, I'd say there was too much civet in the base for me, and I was missing the balancing effect of the spices, which appeared in the top notes and contributed to the incense effect, which gradually evaporated away.

I can definitely see why people appreciate this one, though!

It is a classic 20th C standby for so many! It has questionalble morals and an unforgettable nature. The civet was so prominent that is is almost "pissy". It has lot of patcholi and vanilla, that creates this timeless bohemian feel. My sister used to douse herself with it in the 1960s. The spices always made me sneeze.

Oddly, it has been the one scent I used to detect at funerals worn by ladies who wanted attention, along with Youth dew and Opium. Perhaps a bold oriental was the only thing that commanded attention, I guess. It is like a trashy Shalimar or Emerude. Perhaps as time goes by, its so much more. It is a classic and somehow remains intact. With all of the modern regulations, this is amazing!

I find this and Safari by Ralph Lauren are similar for me. I like it. Tabu was one of my first perfumes my Mum got it for me and I used to wear it all the time. I would have people in the street stop me and ask what was I wearing. Tabu also has different editions here in Australia. There is a diamond one and a saphire one and I think a ruby one. They smell more fresh and floral. They are not as easy to get or as successful as the original Tabu. There is a lovely bottle that came out as a special edition which I had but I gave it away to my Nan. This to me is a little like obsession by Calvin Klein too. I use it still sometimes but I only spray a tiny little bit. The perfume is nicer than the edt. I know some people think it smells dirty but I don't I think it just reachs that line and doesn't cross it. It lasts farely well and is cheap and easy to get.

Smells like sex bottled...love it;)

TABU was my mums favourite,was informed that yer couldnt get it any more! Did try few times 2 look 4 it but had no luck,until now!
Cant wait 2 ave my bottle of tabu,B in memoary of my MUM R.I.P XX

TABU is a wonderful old scent, full of pizazz and rich with spice. I have loved it for decades, and I didn't know it had been reformulated. I haven't sampled the "new" version. I have an old bottle that I bought about 10 years ago, and it's still pungent and fresh.

TABU always gets my attention (or at least it used to). I don't ever smell it anymore. I guess women have stopped using it. What a shame, because it's a one-of-a-kind scent, along the lines of YSL's Opium. TABU is rich, spicy, a little heavy, and just smells divine when used sparingly. It's strong, to be sure, so one or two sprays is enough. It lasts all day, and the drydown is superb, smooth, fragrant, and spicy. The sillage is quite good too, and this fragrance doesn't stay close to the skin at all. People around you will notice it, even after only one light application.

Over the years I haven't detected TABU that often, but when someone is wearing it--what a nice surprise! This could easily be a signature scent for the right woman. It's difficult for me to describe a fragrance in words, so all I can say is, this is a true oriental fragrance, spicy yet smooth, pungent yet not cloying unless over-applied. Sweet, yes, and rich in the style of a bag of rich spices from the orient. Just an exotic scent, intoxicating and warm.

I haven't sampled the new version of this classic, but I'll seek it out just so I can make a comparison. Why they would want to change it, I can't imagine, except maybe to try to appeal to younger women.

My first description word would be: vulgar and beautiful. But more than this original, bitter and dense at the same time, sensual and strong. But unfortunately not longlasting on my skin, a pity.

My mom used to wear this, so it reminds me of "mother". I do like the smell but wouldn't personally wear it :)

I tested the vintage EDT of Tabu today - how the memories came flooding back!! I don't find this scent 'shocking'- it reminds me of Bal A Versailles with the added note of Rootbeer. It's actually a very pleasant smell but does somehow remind me of the dreadlocked tramps who live in Glastonbury all year round. I would have definately worn this as a goth teen but nowadays I think I'll get my Nag Champa fix from Shalimar who is a little more 'ladylike'!!
Aside from all propriety - I may still purchase a bottle for reference, after all, it's one of the greats!!

This perfume smells like incense, only with a sweet vanilla undertone. It reminds me of walking into a magick shop, or bookstore. Personally I like it, but it isn't for everyone. Has great lasting power though.

I found Tabu in the other day at a local drugstore. Not the usual drugstore with a 100 employes and sophisticated stuff, but those old drugstores that belong to a 80 years old lady and that have all products piled on the shelves. I guess you all have one of those in the corner of your street...
Tabu was standing there, a pocket version with 16ml for something like 2 euros, I had money in that day so I bought it.
When I was leaving the drugstore and sat down at the subway station, I opened the bottle and putted it in the back of my hand. Suddenly everything started to make sense, I was dressed like a junkie in a good day, wearing too much make up and waiting for a train in one of the most creepy subway stations in the old city of Lisbon. Tabu is the perfume of an easy life, a cheap and easy life, it makes me think in the word "dude". If big lebowsky would wear a perfume it would be Tabu - cheap, easy, not fashion at all...
I remember beeing a kid and my dad used to work in a part of the city that was full of prostitutes and junkies and Tabu makes me think of those toothless, blonde-dyed-hair-with-5-months-roots ladys that used to smoke and drink beer in the bars where my dad used to work.
I like Tabu, and I like it because it is so shockingly easy, so absolutly available...
It might me the perfume of a prostitute, but that is just a problem if you are blind enough to not see the beauty behind the beast.

Sillage: Massive
Longevity: 2 Days on my skin and clothes
Personality: A girl that knows shes crap but makes the most of it ;)

10/10

Tive o prazer deconhecer esse perfume hoje,Que cheiro maravilhoso,é diferente de tudo e tem um preço bem baixo.Começa com canela e laranja, flores e madeiras e no fim musk.Ele tem uma suavidade diferente,muito confortavel ,fixa muito.Meu marido diz que cheira a perfume de baby.Achei ele muito melhor que o arpege lanvin que para mim se torna um perfume muito enjoativo.Muitas pessoas acham Tabu um perfume de vovó,pode até ser mas o que importa é combinar com a quimica da pessoa.Recomendo

Tabu, Have been excited about this little gem for a while. Somebody compared it to Givenchy Ange ou Demon, but I've later came to find out it's nothing like it but rather a dirty strong classical fragrance which got me even more excited. I expected something similar to obsession, vintage shalimar, or kouros. And I finally found a reasonably priced vintage violin bottle. I spray this little baby on, and my nose is met by mild floral notes of coriander, rose, neroli, and other flowers I can't distinguish, on top of an oriental background. Though I really HATED something about it. I was trying to figure it out, is it the floral notes? No, they're too weak. Is it the typical vintage make-up note? no I detect no powder or iris in it. Is it the Musk? this is hardly musky. Is it the Civet? No, no pee or poo notes.

Then, it finally hit me. The root of all evil notes, the sinister goblin that ruined so many orientals for me, the sacrilege of so many supposedly ambery or musky fragrances that I would've purchased otherwise.

PATCHOULI! How could I have not thought of this before? But why? And why is this considered a classic from the 1930s? I thought patchouli's hyped started in the 70s? but maybe my bottle is from the 70s, I'll never know or care to know. I hate patchouli and this fragrance was disappointing. The top notes did have a classic floral blend in them, but they were light and fleeting. You end up with a typical dusty patchouli past the first 10 minutes. If that's your thing then great, but I can't grasp why this fragrance is a "classic" or how it ever became a top seller, it smells and looks cheap. And did I mention it's a sticky fragrance? It is very sticky.

The dry down isn't that terrible though, very similar to naga champa, but I don't want to smell like that either. Montale's Patchouli leaf and PG L'Ombre Fauve are much better takes on Patchouli, and I'll gladly pay the price difference for them despite my dislike of Patchouli.

---//

Presentation: 4/10
Uniqueness: 4/10
Value: 4/10
Longevity: 6/10
Projection: 6/10
Scent: 3/10

Overall: 3/10

I tried the new formulation a few years ago and didn't like it (used it as a bathroom scent a few times), so I sold it ("root beer" note was strong and irritating). Recently I was able to obtain an old bottle of the EdC, which I think is from the early to mid 1960s. It's really nice, just strong enough, and the projection/"sillage" is right on as well. At first, there is an odd, but pleasant note which I thought was oakmoss, some floral element, and perhaps some amber, but oakmoss isn't listed so I'm wondering what that is. Anyway, the great thing about this fragrance is the dynamism. Notes come and go, and seem to almost swirl around. None are too strong and there is no "synthetic" quality to it. If you consider yourself an aficionado or "perfumista," and can get one of these (vintage) at a garage sale, do it !

wonderful fragrance, everybody I know love it !

if you love aromatics try Tabu!!

The problem with (new; haven't experimented with vintage) Tabu, on me at least, is that it simply *is.* It's just a unilateral smell without discernible notes. It's a powerful smell and not an unpleasant one (nor particularly "whorish" - if I had to stereotype it, the "old lady" label resonates more strongly, but of course that's because of my memories). At first, it only smells "like perfume" (like the cheap perfume I remember smelling since years ago, specifically) and "like Tabu." It does evolve over time and improves. I notice the cola/root beer scent others mention. But it's not a note I can pick out, distinct from the rest of the Tabu scents; it's that the whole concoction morphs into something more closely approximating cola.

Tabu is also a distinctive scent; it's widely available and has been around forever, making it a nostalgic scent for many. I personally associate it with one of my old ballet teachers and my neighbors' mother, both of whom may or may not have been quintessential Tabu women in their own ways: the former was a strong, visceral yet classical artist, and the latter was sort of brash yet fabulous. Both were heavy smokers, not subtle and somehow not exactly "modern," and both were sources of fascination to me in early adolescence. The neighbor's daughter and I were friends, and we would try on her enormous earrings from the '70s and '80s in her bathroom, where a residual Tabu smell had permanently taken residence - this was when we were in middle school in the late '90s, when huge earrings and loud scents and "big hair" (which her mother also had) were decidedly out of style. To us, they were "so out they were in," and everything over-the-top was a source of fascination. Tabu is burned into my memory alongside memories of these times: pleasant impressions of growing up.

All things considered, I'm going to keep trying to make this one work somehow. I like the idea of having a favorite widely-available drugstore Oriental. I almost hope the issue is that the bottle I picked up at the drugstore is an inferior reformulation; that it's not that my skin chemistry doesn't agree with Tabu in general. I'd love to try vintage Tabu sometime.

I love this fragrance. Its a spice bomb and i've never smelled anything quite like it. The top notes are strong but for me, not overwhelming. After about an hour its a lovely floral spicy smell and the dry down is fantastic - lots of sandalwood on me. Its spicy, strong and sexy. Truly a fantastic fragrance if you are bold enough to wear it.

i like it. its woody, smokey, musky and exotic. all those wonderful scents dry down to a nice powdery fragrance of the above notes. i think its pretty timeless.

Ah my lovely Mum wore this, so long ago. She bought it in Jersey I think. I remember that I did love the smell, warm and soft. Not one I would wear myself but I will always love this one.

I would LOVE to meet the grandmas who wore this--they have to have been incredible women. I just snagged a vintage bottle and am having more fun than a well-behaved person should. The vintage version opens with a lot of spice and neroli. Almost immediately the musk and amber comes up--warm and elegant. About 10 minutes later the civet shows up, and make no doubt about it, there's civet. About 10 minutes after that what I swear is a sweet vanilla comes up and I'm currently enjoying alternate waves of ambery civet and root beer of all things (the combination of vanilla and spice).
Half an hour later: this has now settled to a warm amber-sandalwood glow with definite oakmoss and civet; there's a soft powder note that seems to pull the composition together. I'm enjoying it very much but I could easily see someone absolutely despising it and I can't imagine wearing it in an office. If you're adventurous or enjoy a bit of scandal you should try this perfume. I can't speak for newer versions but this is an undoubtedly unique perfume.
Sillage: medium to close
Durability: 4 hours and counting
Fabulosity: all the way to awesome
Whore factor: Courtesan not streetwalker
Price to value ratio: very good

So this was made for prostitutes?... I am laughing so hard. My best friend in high school wore this. She always stole my boyfriends. And I always thought it was her winning personality!!

We wore it as teenagers and it brings back old memories. I purchased a classic bottle with some original fragrance still in it. My collection is coming along quite nicely I think.

Yes....I wore it too. Matter of fact I'm going to shop for a vintage bottle. I can't help it but I love the spicy, oriental stuff.

Tabu , 2 words....my Mom. Anytime I had friends over , male and female it was always "Oh your Mom smells SO GOOD". My Mom is a blonde and back then had a butt that looked like well J'Lo's so in retrospect she was a blond bombshell but demure. I have told her over the years she has worn it so long that I believe it is IN her skin permanently. It smells like a million bucks on her. Very soft , warm , sexy and a tad powdery. I cant wait to go tell her it was made for hookers , lol. She'll flip. If you are into spicy , sexy , warmth try it. BUT a lil spray and walk through it. I always thought it smelled like Toujor Moi but better ? Ode to Mommy !!!

I have been waiting for ages to smell tabu. You know, it is not sold in Europe and I had to wait my sister to have holidays in ny to get my precious bottle. Finally this evening I sprayed it for the first time. I wasn't disappointed and this is rare for me, I get disapointed very easily by scents. I wanted tabu because of the prices it won, for the animalic description and the potent longevity. A very strong and original opening followed by a spicy patchuly. A classy old style parfume. It smells expensive and it's one of the cheapest bottles I own. I had forgotten it was initally designed for a prostitute ... but it maches even this image. How can it be? I don't know but I like it. Now I'm so happy it isn't sold in Europe as I'll be the only one to wear it around my friends.

I'v used Tabu for about 35 years and I love it, and it suits me, some of my friends have tried it but it not the same on them, it must be the chemical make up in our bodies, so I was lucky with it.
Like some of your other ladies I find it hard to get as well.

I like Tabu even though it isn't my favorite perfume. I find the history of its creation to be intriguing. I had always thought that it had a nasty edge to it. I prefer to wear heavy fragrances, and Tabu is certainly one of those. It must be one of the heaviest fragrances around. Tabu is inexpensive, yet it doesn't smell particularly cheap. That is because when it first came out, it wasn't cheap perfume. Another reason why I like it is because it's really old. Because of that it has an old-fashioned smell to it. A lot of people hate Tabu, so to each his own.

truly the best smelling perfume/cologne ever ever ever ever..this is the smell that I love on my wife, even though she isn't fond of it, generations of woman in her family have worn it and I adore it

NO disrespect to anyone on here but this has got to be one of the most horrid perfumes I have ever smelled not a fan of this one. I know someone who wears this and when ever Im around i starting gagging.

I see it all over here in Michigan, MOF, There is a box set for Christmas right now that has a huge bottle and a mini-bottle and a lotion for only 15$ the regular bottles ware i'm at are only about 14$

why oh why is tabu becoming so hard to obtain,its the only perfum ive ever worn since i was 16 yrs old x

ive used tabu since i was 16yrs old,im finding it harder & harder to buy these days why is this?????i cant believe such a popular perfume is so hard to get hold of?

What is that distinctive smell? Could it be the trail of the civet cat in heat I hear howling in the distance? No, it's Dana TABU.

With all of the lively controversy circulating about, I've been wanting to try TABU for quite some time. Happily, nyoka sent a sample my way. What can I say, really, that has not already been said in one way another by both fans and detractors alike? The designer really did manage to produce a "let's get down to business" brothel-ready perfume! I'm impressed, in some sense.

Thick, brash, and in your nose, there's no beating around the bush with TABU, an animalic oriental much more blunt than Bal à Versailles, which in comparison seems like a genteel Victorian perfume perfect for prudes!

I cannot say that I dislike TABU. On the other hand, my civet needs will be covered for the foreseeable future, and certainly this lifetime, by a 2.5oz bottle of JOY edp, which sits undisturbed, in all its beauty, in my armoire.

Very spicy, warm and woodsy. Can't imagine why it would be for "whores".
I love the sultry spices and woody notes. There is clove in this which gives it a very distinctive smell. Very aromatic. It's something I would like to wear while hiking in the woods or exploring a redwood forest. Perhaps a wood nymph would wear this.
It has very good strength, you will smell this all day. I am never without a bottle.

Horror in a bottle!
I do admire the history behind it, the lasting power, the longevity of its existence. I keep my mini just because, but I would never ever wear it.

I don't mind if it is considered a perfume for whores. I love it. Very rich and intoxicating . In my opinion, this is the way perfumes should be.

I am a fragrance lover/"expert". TABU is my signature fragrance since 20 years now. I love it. It's a masterpiece and very special and borderline feminine/masculine. That's the tabacco smell. The sumptious fragrance is not very sweet. For a well trained nose it smells NOT cheap,ladies.
Unfortunately it seems to me that the new bottles I bought in the last months via Ebay have a "reformulated smell." Not the same as it was twenty or ten years ago.
I miss something. Can't describe it...
It lacks the WOW-effect and the depth now.

I just bought a vintage bottle and the first spray almost drove me to washing it off. However, after a short amount of time,it mellows out to a classic oriental. Perfume does not stay around this long that is without merit. As Sissi says, this is no shy girl. I just love the spices. Actually, I think this is the most classic oriental I own. As this to me is a Winter fragrance and an evening scent, this is going on my Winter evening roster. Good for you Dana!

buonissimo

This smell like a light and glamorous version of an incense stick. The type of smell Cleopatra could have used.

Tabu is a fragrance so underestimate, people must realize this parfume has over 70 years in the market, just incredible!! and this is the reason why we should give tabu a chance, forget prejudices and the old lady tipe thing, we are talking about the fragrance that later will inspire Opium, Youth Dew, Obsession.

I liked a lot and people need to know this is a cologne, tabu doesn't smell as overwhelming as I read in some comments. I think is Soft, powerful and lasting.

¿Perfume para una Puta? Al fin alguien se atreve a decir la verdad. Es mas que sabido, que las fragancias muchas veces apuntan a lo mas animal y sexual del ser humano. Tal vez la palabra puta es muy fuerte para las sociedades, pero todos somos seres de deseo y sexuales, de eso no cabe duda. Me parece muy original inventar una fragancia a raiz de ese pedido, es mas, muchas mas se hacen en funcion de esa idea, pero no se dice.

I really do try to find something good in everything---but all this ever evokes is an unwashed Eighth Ave hooker (back when NY had hookers on 8Th). I'm sorry. I tried.

This is a great fragrance that gets a bad rap. If you are not a fan of oriental scents, I can see how you would not like this. With the civet, spices and cloves I would suggest this as a fall/winter fragrance. On me the clove and spices are very prominent without being nauseating. Please keep in mind that a little goes a long way with this one & its very easy to over do it. It is such a great buy!

I just bought a vintage black bottle of Tabu. It smells different from a new bottle of the same stuff. Not sure you can find a bar of Tabu soap from the 60s that still has any fragrance, but those were thick, creamy, and the smell lasted for a couple of days. I like Tabu because of the sweet edge and, on my skin, it reminds me of no other cologne. It smells warm and spicy sweet. The vintage Tabu smells better than the new. Never knew it was made for putas. Mom would never have approved. Morocco here I come.

Poor Tabu. Perhaps it's inevitable that a perfume (allegedly) created for whores would be mocked and reviled: the mother of all sillage, brash and loud. An "old lady" fragrance, the one our grannies wore when they were young, it made them feel so naughty! Tabu has lost it's shock value but the old whore is still one hell of a lady, one of the greatest orientals. From it's citrus and spice top, to it's heady Asian flowers heart, to it's warm sandalwood base it's still a mysterious and sensual scent that says,"I'm here!" This is not a perfume for the timid, it's for the woman who will not be ignored.

I used to have a cute violin shaped bottle of this . I remembered the ads with the lady at the piano and the man with the violin embracing. The ads were great and the violin shaped bottle was a great way to sell this at Christmas.
The problem was that I could never wear this stuff. Just deadly on me. Some say that the vintage is better and I wonder if maybe it ages and improves over time. Tabu has been around forever so someone must be able to wear it . Tabu is truly taboo for some of us !

If you really think about it, creating a perfume known by the masses to be the domain of prostitues is a marketing disaster. All of a sudden, wives and mothers everywhere have olfactory proof that thier husbands and sons are consorting with ladies of the night. Tabu by name, taboo shouted from the rooftops.

This is potent stuff upon opening, very brash and alarming however it quickly settles into a quite linear, very dry spicy mix. This is clove-rich, patchouli-strong mixture with a sweet backbone. It is quite pleasant with monster sillage. It is sexy in a very earthy, smokey way. I can definately see this being quite scandalous back in the early 20th centuary. It holds no punches and makes no apologies. It is hot and dirty and on the right woman it would sizzle.

For my part I find that Tabu is still very wearable in modern times yet while it doesn't have the same shock value that it once had, it still has the power to make me feel quite uncomfortable about wearing it out of the house.

But the real question is: Does Tabu kindle the fire in an economically viable male's pants? I really have no idea so I ran it past an expert XY witness (ie Mr Catbiscuit). He started making polite noises about buying me Chinatown to wear instead...

When it was first released in 1932 it shocked and 78 years later since it's
release it stills managed to shock it achieved immortality in a roster of classics like Chanel no 5 L'air du Temps
Joy Shalimar L'Heure Bleu & youth Dew.

If you want a perfume that makes you want
to stand out and take control this is the one this is not a shy meek little
wallflower of a scent it's Assertive
Loud Demands your attention in a dry spicy and smoky kind a way of if your a
person who is or likes perfumes that does not want to make a wave skip it!.

when first sprayed to my skin i find a
lot of Patchouli in a spicy fragrance
which is a bit interesting and makes it dry and smoky but i really like is the
Sandalwood mingles with orange and spices with the dry down of coriander
for it's powder texture and of curse i can smell Mr Civet with all his Animalistic Glory. i bet June Miller
wore this while seducing the Authoress
Anais Nin.

the drydown becomes more earthier with the presence of orris patches of musk and mossy undertones of Oakmoss

but i admire is the design with it's
noirish deco goth Logo TABU Channels
Bogart to it finest the flacon simple
and elegant i love the color of the liquid it reminds me of a evening sunset
over Los Angeles in the 1940's.

this perfume is rich & luxurious But i
don't understand why is it so cheap on the price and made it in to a Drugstore
scent this perfume deserves to be expensive.

this is a good perfume for the price.for those who love a true oriental.not for the shy dont want to be noticed kind of a girl.i have a big bottle of this an it will be always in my collection

I will only wear this beautiful intoxicating fragrance. My husband loves it and is always complimenting me (and that's after 42 years of marriage). I am constantly getting questions, "What is that wonderful scent?" or "What perfume are you wearing? I'll bet it's expensive" They are amazed when I tell them Tabu. Pay all you want for those expensive bottles, when I get these comments constantly, I'll stick with a winner.

A few years ago, my step mom bought this unsniffed at a boxing day sale. We were so not prepared for how horrid it smelt to us when we got home and tried it out.
Not wanting to waste it, we tried to pass it off to relatives, but they said they wouldn't even spray it in their washroom. That spoke for itself. Ultimately, this landed in the garbage. However, everyone does have different tastes, and just because we didn't like it, doesn't mean everyone doesn't.

TABU fue un perfume muy usado en España...en un principio DANA fue una marca española,o eso dice la leyenda.Hoy pocos españoles y españolas usan este perfume sin echar a correr..yo prefiero no opinar al respecto...solo dire,como español,que TABU huele muy parecido a VAL A VERSAILLES,mucho...asi que dejen de compararlo con OPIUM o SHALIMAR,entre otros,por favor.

At fisrt I didn't really have the guts to wear it as it seemed too strong and out of place on somebody who wears jeans and band t-shirts all the time. Yet, having actually applied it, I felt so right and started wearing it every day, regardless of the occasion.

Speaking of the smell itself, I wouldn't be a surprise to say it's spicy, but not the foody or perfumy kind of spice. It's just the kind of smell you feel when entering an ethnical shop selling Indian goods (those who live in St Petersburg - think of Gang in the 90's). Insence, cloth, spice and a little dust. Beautiful indeed.

Some of these comments cracked me up and seemed ridiculous. One person's opinion (everyone has one!) does not necessarily guarantee that will be your own. This perfume is a vintage MASTER-PIECE and everyone should experience it at least once. It is absolutely a mature perfume. I don't mean that it is for the older crowd, but for those who understand and appreciate French type Vintage scents. The creator of this fine timeless scent also created the beloved Ma Griffe and Dior Miss Dior as well. He is a genius! This is a true aesthetic pleasure. You only need a TINY amount, because granted, it is potent. If you over apply you will not get the smell of the scent as it was meant to be experienced and appreciated. (As in it is not like the modern day aquatics you have to drench in and then re-apply shortly afterwards to garnish any scent from ). It is in the league of Chanel No. 5, Joy, or Opium, and I take those scents as seriously as God's law! It is fetching and provocative to be sure, but is so ladylike and dreamy I can not imagine it being correlated with carnal concubine lust or bawdy women. Think more over ripe fruits about to turn that are heady, intoxicating warmth, resinous incense burned at the Orthodox type tabernacles, or the inordinate, sumptuous gifts that the wise men traveled from afar to bring to the newborn Jesus! I guess Tabu is only for women who can handle it. Cheers!

Tabu strong and sensual, very powerful and sexy. It is the scent from my high school years.I still love it.

Come on people, this one is made by the genius Jean Carles, how can you resist??
Action

This is what it was designed to be: for whores which means, blatently sexual.

I noticed it first when I was in highschool in the 70's and it was the scent the whores in school wore. It didn't fit my profile, but I loved it on them. At a time when patchouli oil was popular with hippie girls like me, I suppose it is why I liked Tabu. I never did wear it though, because I really didn't want the whore label in highschool.

I recently purchase a bottle of Tabu in at Pamida. My first reaction is the same as most - it is strong and cheap smelling on top. But these days, there is a time to smell ready for sex, so I keep the Tabu for late night rendezvous. I do recommend cotton ball application. It is so easy to over do.

Mature, desperate, horny smell of older woman in the local bar trying to lure someone into buying her a drink. Much too strong and cheap smelling. Look up the word "obvious" in the dictionary--and there is Tabu.

Whoah! Cheap and nasty - vinegar and incense and not much else although it does eventually dry down to some musky notes but still that ugly overdone incense. I use it for air freshener in the toilet only. I am sure it used to be better than this...

Tabu is my favorite. It was the first perfume I picked out myself as a teenager and it still suits me. I just use a dab or two but it never seems loud on me. It turns into an ambery, spicy, vanillic, woody skin scent, a little exotic and mysterious. I've only had complements on it except for one woman who associated it with someone else she knew. I have a couple vintage bottles that have lasted forever and I hope the new juice is as rich as the vintage bottles. I find it a comforting scent.

I like sniffing Tabu but I wouldn't want to wear it. Dana's Tabu reminds me of my grandfathers smell. He used to smoke cigarilos and always had cough drops in is pockets. I remember him offering the small cough drops from wrinkled folded plastic bags. The drops had become glued together from the warmth and there where always some tobaccoflakes added as well, which I thought was kind of disgusting. Also, his body odour was quite prominent from a close position. Anyway, I loved my grand dad with all his interesting odours and as he passed away when I was a young girl it is a strange and joyful coincidence that a fragrance can bring fourth so close memories of him.

However, what I get from Danas Tabu reissue is an a bit dirty fruity oriental with eucalyptus on the top and a base of sour woody cigarilo tobacco. Still, I would love to try the original concoction, which I presume is much more wearable.

I bought the new version on a whim so as to test for myself what the whole fuss is about. I wore it only twice and then gave up, as i could not detect that wonderful spicy frag everyone is talking about. It even became annoying, as after drydown I would exude a powdery amber which reminded me of grandparents' smell, of something engulfing you own body odour and creating a new, disgraceful one. I tested it on my husband and noticed the same effect on him, so... i give up.
My advice: only buy vintage Tabu if you want to test something worthy.

There is something about this scent, i love yet i hate????!!
Weird as it seems, i think because i associate it to a good time in my life (when i was very, very little) yet it was soooooo strong i seem to remember. But i still loved the smell??????
I need to try this again, just to see if i still like it.

This smells cheap and loud! not for me. I would be embarrassed to walk around with this perfume.

Seriously, if you love orientals/sweet orientals, then you must have this in your collection. It is nostalgic and necessary...and a bit naughty in a good way. For the price you can pick this up at Walmart, you have no excuse not to own this treasure. This one should be had by all, because of it's warm spicy vintage style. It is a heavy-hitter so go easy on the application. I think it will be a staple in my collection. If I had known, I would have tried this a long time ago!!!

In the southern hemisphere we are leaving summer behind so soon it will be time to cautiously unleash Tabu.

I love its spiciness, tenacity and smouldering amber. It is velvet.

I would argue that Tabu was a forerunner to Youthdew and Opium, a contemporary of Rochas Femme. Like these heavy hitters, Tabu can suffer from overkill.

I tried Tabu Pearl and Tabu Diamond which are available in a tripack with the original. They are less puta and more princess.

I leave a cake of Tabu soap in my favorite suitcase but avoid the body lotion which is unpleasant.

Not age specific and not old-fashioned, a classic.

I had the little violin bottle when I was really young. I think I bought it for next to nothing. I've always had a love hate with this scent. But now that I am into collecting fragrance, it has won my permanent respect. I believe it did a loooooong time ago, what many nitsch fragrances are trying to do now with all that heady incense and over the top spices. I get a harsh blast at first, but then later it dries down to a sublime vanilla-cinnamon-patchouly with a dusting of powder. I think there may be some tobacco somewhere in there as well. Love.

Tabu. It's tacky, cheap, trashy, cheap, tempting, cheap and Oh did I say Tabu is so cheap? Is it good though?
Surprisingly, Yes! Why? Because its kitschy and tasteful at the same time. A controversial vintage scent that will never go away because its what a girl wants, well sometimes that is. This come hither spicy oriental sends a message of a woman who's been around the block a few times, literally! When worn in the appropriate atmosphere and applied sparingly, this scent can be simply the best, well almost. Is it better than all the rest? No not quite,
but certainly give it a whirl as it does have some magic attached to it. Beware of the initial spritz though, it's like "WHOA Nellie"! Quite biting to say the least, but don't be dismayed yet, continue on and enjoy the ride!

With a somewhat overkill of sweetness, Tabu an enigma encased in a simplified bottle, is a strong, powerful, spicy oriental with lasting qualities that will permeate your skin as well as the air around you. It has an unforgettable aura that will portray you in an innocent way or in an uncouth way, whatever way you work it.From beginning to end the 19 notes in this down and dirty scent will have you and your significant other mesmerized to the 9th degree.

Experiment the possibilities of this fragrance with enthusiasm as this could very well be "The Sweetest Taboo"!

Hi Geegee,
I do agree with you once more!!
Good luck!
Action

Ive had this perfume for a while now & i despise the first couple of hours of it. Then it settles into a really beautiful & subtle powdery glow & smells nothing like it does on initial spraying.

Its such a shame that it is so rank for a while because the dry down is a total dream & it lasts a very very long time too. Ive worn it all day & my fella can still smell it on me when he comes home.

If you want to wear this & will be mixing with other people i suggest you spray it at least two hours before leaving the house.

Great review SNS - the lipstick-on-teeth city lady sums it up for me, too ;p

The first spritz: toxic.
Drydown: reminds of Bal à Versailles.
But while BAV makes me feel like an insouciant naughty girl lolling in a tangle of rumpled sheets, Tabu transforms me into a preoccupied, sleep-deprived woman, dressed for work, unaware of the lipstick on her teeth.

1 word: beautiful!

One life of history beneath this name "Tabu"... a mark in Perfumery History!

My grandmother had this perfume. She actually gave me her little violin shaped bottle and I kept it on my dresser for years. This scent will always remind me of her and my childhood.

oh and another thing- for those of you who think the scent is to strong or heavy- I spray it on my stomach and lower back- smells great when you rub against your guy and it lingers lightly on his skin

I love this scent- I use it daily as an inexpensive perfume and also as a very expensive air freshener. When ever someone walks into my house- they compliment how great it smells!

Odeio esse perfume tem um cheiro muito pesado e sujo no calor então é tiro e queda !!

Terrível. O pior perfume que eu já vi.

I wouldn't be caught dead waring this stuff! But one of the cashiers at Tower Mart wares this scent and one morning when I went in for my soda, all I could smell was this beautiful soft scent permeating the whole store and it dawned on me it was her Tabu-how surprising was that? I still won't ever ware it but love the smell of the room when some else is waring it.

Tabu Perfume has a special place in my heart. it was the first perfume I wore as a 16 year old girl and now am a woman turning 56. strangers comment on the beautifull scent when I walk past. It was the perfume of my youth, of first love. it is probably the first scent my son knew me by as a baby. I wear it daily, my one indulgance. I am an artist who lives on a ranch so I don't do nails and spas. but I 'Do Tabu'. It's more than a signature scent for me it evokes all the rich memories of my life.
I truly love it and was heartbroken to hear that you are discontinueing it in favor of a 'New Tabu' fragrance lacking in quality. please don't discontinue the original scent we love it.

That`s one chameleon of a fragrance.
I`ve been very lucky to try a vintage version, and as almost all vintages, it is softer then the contemporary version. Starts off so strong that can easily knock you off you feet!My favorite part is the heart notes - it`s a flowery abundance,a little arrogant, may be a bit too pushy, but still you can`t help liking it. It`s like a whore with a golden heart!would not be surprised if Mae West wore smth of this nature. Surprisingly, the animalistic notes were not so pronounced on my skin, but flowers definitely had their say!
I think I will end up getting a bottle for myself and use it as a time machine in the golden era of silent movies.

After reading the reviews, I desperately wanted to know why this perfume is so popular.

Sadly, my tester experience was disastrous! I'm sure it suits some women well, but I recognised it as the fragrance that the grandmothers (guests at the hotel) tend to wear at my workplace.

It's not an 'old lady' fragrance; but it's certainly favoured by them. Perhaps they wore it in their youth.

Anyway, the mystery of it's popularity still remains.

I noticed that the Tabu brand by Dana Perfumes has recently released other limited edition fragrances in a more modern line - Sapphire, Diamond, Black Pearl and Tabu by Day as well as Tabu by Night in immaculate white packaging of EDP strength.

Bravo to them for remaining so popular among mature women!

I have seen this and never tried it... after seeing reviews I wanted to try it and was intrigued as I normally love orientals. I tried it not once but twice and both times there was something about it that really bothered me and actually gave me a headache, which I never have an issue with fragrances... and I left it on to let the scent develop, but still I just couldn't stand it. Something about it reminds me of some sort of car air freshener that it must share notes with. How I wanted to love it based on the reviews as it sounds like such a diamond in the rough, but me and Tabu just do not work at all... :-(

I would have to say I love this fragrance. At first try I was taken back to a childhood time when my mom would buy me rootbeer barrell candies. And my brother woudl burn inscence. I absolultely love the orential spicy sexy/sultry scent. I do admit I love to wear this at night with a little extra sandalwood and cedarwood oil. For those who like just a little scent spray in the air above you and walk under it letting it dust you in the fragrance, it is much easier on you that way. I love all three stages in this fragrance. If you like Tabu try Tigress by Faberge'. If you want some adventure and sultry experience try Bakir by a drop or two, then stand back and watch out for the complements from not only men but women too. One for winter and Christmas time. Love love love these three.

I recently purchased a large vintage spray bottle of Tabu, having heard too many negative comments about the newer versions.

It smelled familiar, and at first, it did not smell pleasant on me. Tabu had a pronounced synthetic rubber/tuberose scent upon application that I have since learned will dissipate in about 15 minutes.

After the horrible opening disappears, it's a beautiful oriental scent that is hot, sweet, spicy and full of patchouli, but ultimately stays close to the skin.

A bit too much for day time and a definite no-no for the office, but I'll save this one for the chilly winter days and nights at home, when I want to curl up under a blanket with a warm, sexy scent.

What is going on. I just purchased a gift set. The product was just horrible. I wear nothing but Tabu. So for Christmas did you do something different to sell the 3 piece set cheap at walmart. I have worn Tabu since I was 14. I am not 59. This was just terrible. I hope when I purchase the cologne alone it is not like the gift box. I just can't believe what I was smelling. I should know what to expect from Tabu. The cologne was like alchol and the loting was well I had to take a bath it was just that bad.

I have worn and loved Tabu since my late teens/early 20's. My husband likes the perfumes I wear, but absolutely loves Tabu. It seems to be the only one he can identify, in spite of the others that I wear so often, which all seem quite unique to me. So, whenever I want some attention from him, I know just what to wear. It helps that I love to live in this warm, exotic, sweet-incense fragrance myself.

This is one of my favorites , it really works well on my skin, rich, warm, spicy, very sultry, especially the dry down , give it a chance to work with your skin ,Very , very sexy ...

Not a fizzy , girly scent (Nothing against fizzy or girly ofcourse) instead this is full and voluptous .

For those who like anything retro, check out the old Tabu print ads from the 30s' 40s' and 50s' on the internet - very vampish, very suitable for this perfume!

I was given a bottle of Tabu by a friend in the '70's in a beautiful black bottle that looked like a long black dress. I loved it, used it, threw the bottle away (how I wish I hadn't!) Years later I discovered it again and have bought it many times since but have never found it in that bottle, Shame!

I just did a side by side comparison between Tabu and Magi Noir by Lancome. 14 notes shared. only 4 different notes. I always loved Magi Noir and nice to know how Tabu is so similar to such mysterious scent.

My grandma used to wear this. I loved my grandma very much, but ... Grandma, please don't be offended ... that Tabu stank something fierce. Tabu is tabu to me, folks. Ugh!

I love this seamless fragrance. So many big names copied this original. YveSaintLaurant made Opium, then there is Estee Lauder Cinabar and finally Calvin Kline's Obsession. If you do a side by side comparison they all share identical notes. About 11 of the notes are the same!! Yet Tabu remains humble and unassuming. It is better than all 3 for different reasons, mainly it is more wearable. The dry down is fantastic. It is a must have for fall and winter. The perfect Bohemian style of fragrance. It is like having a comforting cup of earl gray tea and something in it really smells like earl gray tea.

OH dear, this scent just doesn't do it for me. I can appreciate that it suits some people. Definitely not my taste. I don't like to give bad reviews, and crush anyone's favorite perfume. But definitely an acquired taste. Much too woody and spicy and quite masculine. Has an 'old spice' quality.

One morning several months ago, I took the advice of several posters in this forum and tried Tabu, which they had touted as a good, inexpensive scent.

"It smells like incense," said one. "Like an Indian bazaar," said another.

The scene was the basement perfume counter of the Herald Square Conway -- a sleaze palace of a store, if you've ever been there, but a good place to buy cheap cosmetics. The guy behind the counter let me spritz my arm and...

Yow!

I felt immediately assaulted by a note that smelled like cheap whores. Like cheap whores in the Bronx, even! (I get to diss the Bronx. I live there.) This was an Eau de Hot Sheets Motel, if there ever was one.

Repulsed, I fled the store with the stuff still drying on my arm.

Then, a funny thing happened. It dried, and whatever note had so shocked my nostrils disappeared. By the time I got to work, all I smelled was this rich, spicy scent. I enjoyed it so much, I kept sniffing my arm all day. That stuff lasts.

Which just goes to show, I guess, that you shouldn't trust the top note. So, to those who touted Tabu, I say: I think I'll buy it

This always reminds me of dark autumn days & nights. Burning leaves. My mom always wore it when it got cold. She wore the oil I think. Bewitching smell.

He walked away from her place, his heart still racing with excitement. The moments of pleasure now floating away, but her scent engraved forever in the corners of his memory: a wild jungle animal, strong, dominant, confident; a warm embrace of spices with a precious bouquet of flowers. An alluring scent into a forbidden world of pleasure he wanted to revisit eternally.

Ah! long time no see...

I used to see Tabu on chemist countertops being sold very rather cheap prices.
Its fragrance is very hard to wear appropriatly, so dont wear this to the supermarket unless you want the entire check-out line in a sneezing fit.

Still a real attention getter that is easy to overdo. I still wear it, usually in the winter, usually at night. It reminds me a lot of Fracas.

You need to get the perfume instead of the cologne for the spray and less strength. Tabu is not a cheap perfume.

The best thing about Tabu is that you have to use very very little and it lasts for hours and hours.

A perfume that is not as strong, which is also made by Dana, is 'Ambush'. It's also a very long lasting one, but not quite as strong.

I have worn Tabu for years, have switched and tried different perfumes which were alright, but I have never ever gotten more compliments continually over the years than I have when I wear Tabu!

I'll never stop wearing it!

A strong amberine, patchoulesque, vanilla and caramel combo dating from a time perfumers worked almost exclusively for women. Things changed and by the end of the 1970s and much of the 1980s these kind of oriental scents were offered to men: this let Karl Lagerfeld's for men and CK's Obsession make their grand debut - CK's Obsession for men becoming a success. Surprisingly for someone who did not live in the 1930's, Tabu reminds one of these two.

Please, don't think Tabu replaces some of 1980's classics like the ones before mentioned. Simply a remark on the fact that it is quite interesting to notice a strong family air among them.

I have been suggested to try Stetson as a male counterpart of Tabu.

I always had prejudice about this one: when I was a teenager, I used to mock about Tabu, saying that it was smelly, cheap, and so on.
But yesterday, after reading the positive reviews, I decided to give it a try.
Bought it at a drugstore (where you can find a great sort of cheap perfumes - it costed me about 2 dollars for 60ml - 2oz) and tried it at my skin.
Incense. That´s my very first impression of Tabu. And it was kinda pleasant. I just tried a little on my hands. Later I´ll try it fully on my skin.
(I don´t know if the perfume produced here in Brazil smells exactly as the one produced outside or if the concentrations are the same. Also there are three new versions of Tabo for sale: Tabu Romance, Tabu Flores and Tabu Segredos - Romance, Flowers and Secrets, respectively -. I don´t know if these versions only exists here in Brazil).

Updating (14/05/09):
Today I tried it fully on the skin and I have to say: it is very strong. The impression of incense/esoteric store only happened at the first time. Now that I have it well aplied on my skin (the bottle don´t have a vaporizer, I have to apply with my hands), it is kinda sweet and something on it annoys me. Could it be the Civet?
I´m still trying to get used to it, the fragrance is not bad but it´s almost like a bright sign, screaming "Hello, I´m here!".
It´s been 4 hours since I applyed and the smell is still intense. I don´t know it leaves trails as I walk, but I´m still engolfed with it, exaling it.

The best word to describe this is VERY. VERY spicy, VERY rich, VERY oriental, VERY loud and VERY long lasting.

It's extremely difficult not to overdo this one - even one spray can be too much for most social situations. I use the cotton ball method: I spritz the cotton ball with Tabu, and then dab the cotton ball on my wrist. Even when I apply it this way, Tabu is still almost too strong for me to wear.

Used with some serious moderation, this is a warm, spicy, beautiful scent. I get lots of cinnamon from this, plus amber, oakmoss, and loads of musk, of course. I hadn't thought of it before I read tessture's review, but I think she's right: Tabu does remind me of rootbeer. Spicy, musky rootbeer. I also get the comparisons to Shalimar, but Tabu is far heavier, muskier, and not nearly as classy. Still, for a tenth the price of Shalimar, you need to try Tabu if you like heavy, spicy orientals. (I paid $1.99 for my little 15 ml bottle and I can honestly say it was worth every penny.)

I wore this as teenager, usually when I wanted something VERY strong that could survive bars and discos, which may be part of it's rep as a perfume of the night; it can take the heat.

It also has that sweet heavy oriental overall structure that many men seem to love. But be warned, if you don't like it, it can make you feel sick and you will be desperate to wash it off, as it's so pervasive. But for its usual price it is a hell of a bargain -think of it as cut price Shalimar for those on a budget

It's strong and spicy. Remindes me something between Guerlain Shalimar and YSL Opium.
Nice in few drops, but for me I think will be to strong in few spray.

This is a fragrance which I happen to see quite often while I'm out shopping or browsing through the stores. With its distinguishable black, white and red bottle and the matching talcum powder in its box not far away, this is one inexpensive fragrance many seem to avoid.

I was surprised to find this fragrance in my mother's room, covered in dust and pushed to the darkest part of her closet. It was obviously my father's attempt at buying my mother a fragrance, but trying to do it on the cheap. I found myself reaching for this bottle and dusting it with a tissue, only to spritz a small quantity onto my wrist.

Seconds later I was met with a wonderful and totally unexpected, warming scent. It took me to a place where I had visited so many times as a child; a quaint, little store filled with incense, tiny trinkets, tie-dye saris and colourful wind chimes. It had such a carefree, quirky and unique style. Such a sensual and warm fragrance.

I promptly asked my mother to give it one more try, to which she discovered what had captivated me only minutes before. Never again will I judge a fragrance solely on its price tag. This fragrance is a true gem in the world of scents.

I too remember my Mom wearing this! To my baby nose, she smelled warm and rich and soooooo grown up. I should buy a bottle, just for the memories.....

I've always liked Tabu. It was one of the first scents i bought for myself, a tiny little bottle. I had already commandeered my mother's bottle of Shalimar, which is still one of my favorites. Both are spicy and oriental, but Tabu is heavier and darker, almost oily, while Shalimar is a bit brighter. I still like Tabu, but it's definitely not a scent to wear to the office. And i wear Shalimar more often.

After reading so many controversial opinions about Tabu, I finally had a chance to try this famous fragrance myself (thank you Belle de Sud!).

From the first sniff I find it very oriental, like Indian market:) It is rich, spicy and colorful. Then animalistic notes come into play and remain till the very base. Those animalistic notes are somehow airy, light but sultry at the same time. It makes the fragrance smell sexy and alluring.

Strange but when I first tried this fragrance I somehow remembered the adult movies of the 90s :) You know, the ladies in satin underwear, a lot of hair spray, bright make up, pearl necklaces:) I think they could have used Tabu.

Still I was sniffing my wrist, thinking what this scent reminds me of. There was something very familiar, not the movies :D And then suddenly I remembered (do not laugh!) - it smells exactly like my dog after bath when I wash him with the flowery dog shampoo! The smell of a clean lovely smelling animal.

It is really a must try fragrance for anybody who's into oriental-flowery-animalistic fragrances. The staying power is very good!

I want this perfume, it's so spicy and exotic. It is very strong though and it lasts for ages.

i used to own this but gives me a headache and stinks. i have to say this is the worse scent i have every bought.

A real power scent. On me the patchouli dominates, followed by the spice of cinnamon. Tabu lasts and lasts on me, a great feat, and a testament to its initial strength. In small doses, this is a sexy fragrance.

My grandma used to tell me that when she was young that only the happy ladies of the night wore this scent. Later in life she often wore it and thought it was still racy and "taboo". I think its a fun rather sweet scent and wear every now and then.

A very strong, very oriental fragrance. I get powdered rootbeer/cola notes that are very strange, but not bad. There are definite incense notes and some spice, but reminds too much of another woman. It's just not my style and you must try it on before buying, unless you can get the really cheap bottles now available at discount drugstores. To me, it's dated and really, really smells like rootbeer. To others, it's sex in a bottle.

I have always adored this scent on my Mom. It's just so sensual and feminine that I was always jealous that she got to wear it. But it's definitely a scent for grown-ups ;-)

Ahhh..my moms signature scent. She smells so good when she wears this and always gets positive reactions to it as well. I love it on her ;)

This parfume very resembles to cacharel's Eden.if you like it,you will like this..very powdery scent.

I tried this yesterday, and did *NOT* like the bottle. There was no way to get just a little bit of spray. It was either "deluge" or "nothing" even though I sprayed it a couple of times in the air to try to figure out how to get a LITTLE bit. So I ended up with my wrist drenched in Tabu.

This meant that the topnotes were absolutely unbearable to me! It smelled like road tar mixed with cinnamon and florals.

So, I walked around the store for a while, holding my wrist at arm's length, waiting desperately for it to dry down. It still was very caustic to me.

But when I finally stepped out of the store, and into the breezy night air, I realized I smelled a lot like my maternal grandmother. I think she may have worn this on occasion. And from a distance, it's powdery amber drydown is kind of nice.

But to me, Tabu is a Rules girl. You can't get close to her in the initial stages. She has dirty secrets that only those close to her know, but she wants you to follow her, fall in love with her first, so you can overlook her faults when you finally discover them. (Up close, it still smells like road tar mixed with cinnamon.)

I like it, but won't buy it. I already spent a buttload of money this month.

Wonderful and soft