Tabu Dana for women

I was intrigued by the history and risqué origin story of this vintage fragrance. I bought a new formulation from walmart and tried to like it, because it lasts for days! I like the spice and the powdery smell, but on my clothes it dries into intense straight up cat pee? It can’t be a real civet note either. That tells me maybe vintages aren’t for me, lol

I ordered the vintage version with the Violin shaped bottle. (1950's date)
I can definitely pick up the Civet, Benzoin. Musk, Amber and Clove.
Reminds me of the flea markets and Incense as a kid. Probably unburnt Incense Patchouli sticks.
And this certainly can be unisex.
Did you know that Dana Tabu comes in at least 9 bottle designs? No idea why.
Probably for each time Dana was sold.

I'm getting strong orange sweet cola vibes from this, with some cinnamon too. It has the same effect on my skin as Devotion -- but much more affordable. I really like it, but I also love other vintage ones like Stetson and Chanel No. 5 and Obsession.

Say what you will about Tabu, but I absolutely adore it. I grew up with my mum and dad wearing it, they still love it so much to this day. My mother-in-law wears it too and the first time I smelled it on her I screamed "TABU????", and she said "YES!!" and we both simultaneously started complaining about how everyone seems to hate tabu but in reality its such a classic scent. It its a very "grandma's" smell, its got an invigorating spicey smell but not spicey like Poison, its more floral and lingers in the air for quite some time. Dont wear this if you DONT want to make a statement. If you want something subtle and quiet, this is not the perfume for you. If you're looking for something that almost everyone will recognise, this is perfect. This will not set you apart from the crowd even tho its a unique scent - its so recognisable it wont make you feel special. However, is this an offensive smell? Not at all, its gorgeous, its just that people might have a problem with it because "oh my grandma wears that!" "Why do you smell like an old lady?".

If you like Tabu, but youre looking for a more youthful, subtle, sophisticated version of it, then definitely get "Quelques Fleurs" by Houbigant. It smells similar to Tabu but with a more floral/less spicey twist - its elegant and a very safe blind buy.

I bought a bottle of the new reformulated Tabu on Amazon about six weeks ago. I love Tabu and have several vintage bottles I treasure so much I hate to use them. I was hoping to use the new Tabu every day as my signature scent. The new Tabu is not wearable. It smells of alcohol and cola. The original Tabu doesn't smell like cola at all. I feel sorry for "Generation Z" as the quality of food, perfume, fabric and so many other items has gone way down.

“…citrus peal, dirty ashtray smokiness, peppery and leathery like an old handbag with a pack of ciggs and hard candy.” @ilvthekitties 😄 I love that. The hard candy would be an old sticky root beer candy with the cellophane stuck to it.

I actually love Tabu (vintage). It’s one of the few of its genre that I can comfortably wear for longer than an hour without it becoming tiresome, though I hardly ever do wear it. I have to be in a certain mood. I don’t get cat pee, thank goodness.

I truly want to love this perfume. I adore vintage orientals like Shalima, Emeraude and CV Obsession for men etc

But I think this perfume is pretty bad, I've smelt it on and off from my mums vintage bottle since I was a teen. What I get at first spray is a instant hit of spice, medicine, sickly sweet. Then mellows into citrus peal, dirty ashtray smokiness, peppery and leathery like an old handbag with a pack of ciggs and hard candy.

Its base notes linger on the skin almost indefinitely, sickly and cloying but with that musty animalistic smell of urine, as if the cat had peed in Grandmas wardrobe.

I keep trying to force myself to like it for its Historic significance, but it's definitely not going to become my signature scent.

Edit: I've been wearing this perfume for the past month to try and understand her better.

I also made a scented body powder from my bottle.

It's a lot better diluted, a lot softer and more floral. I think I much prefer Tabu in a soft powdery form. I have definitely grown more of an appreciation of her!

I wanted to smell this out of sheer curiosity, so I got a small vintage bottle from eBay. I like it more than I thought I would! I definitely smell the root beer a lot of people mention. It's warm and spicy. A little earthy. A little powdery. Definite patchouli coming through. There's some kind of floral(s) but they're not strong, thankfully. It definitely smells vintage but it in a good way. I will try this out again when it's cold out because this not a warm weather fragrance.

I have no idea how I came into possession of a bottle of this, but I love the violin bottle it came in. It's one of the first perfumes I was ever exposed to, and I would even say my first fragrance love. I'm a big fan of the sharper / spicier notes, especially the patchouli. But man does this clog up the nose. Trying to escape this is like trying to get a sticky bread dough off your hands. I find myself wishing the formula had something sweet in the back to take the edge off. While I'm still fond for Tabu, for me, it's just a bit too dry overall.

If you are looking for a sugar-and spice-and-everything-nice cookie dough, cake batter, fruit bowl, apples, peaches, pumpkin pie, fruit cocktail, dish soap and such in this perfume, you got the wrong one baby! Tabu was created for (and I'm being PC here) a "lady of the night"
(for u millenials Google that phrase). Think of the song--for those of you who are old enough to remember it-- called "Lady Marmalade" by Labelle, where the "lady of the night" is saying in French "voule voux couche avec moi" which roughly translated means "would u like to come to bed with me". To me, this is NOT a scent for a young woman, nor is it not "old-ladyish" (WHICH IS A PHRASE I STRONGLY DETEST!!! SO STOP IT!!!) Instead, this beautiful Creole woman is from old New Orlean's red light district dressed in black, a bustier with a black lace garter belt holding up black lace top fishnet nylons wearing black patent stilleto heels, posing provocatively in front of her window, a red bulb covered with a sheer red scarf glowing behind her as she calls out "voule voux couche avec moi?" A man gets out of his car and enters the building...

Note wise, I don't get the orange or other notes...just the cloves and other spices, which are pretty much the same notes in Chanel Coco, Estee Lauder Cinnabar, YSL Opium (the original spice bomb), and Calvin Klein Obsession. I also bought a bottle of Tigress (also another spicy favorite of mine) and they all smelled alike, with Coco leading the way. This is definitely a fall and winter scent to be worn while sitting close to your special someone, and as your body temperature rises, so does the scent of Tabu and next thing u know you're both in the throngs of passion whispering to your lover "voule voux Whew chile!!! I need a 🚬 after this LOL

Tabu is not for the faint of heart or anybody prudish. No, she is the seductress with a heart of gold, as u lie on her black satin sheets. Is this unisex? IMHO NO!!!! Not every VINTAGE FEMALE SCENT CAN BE UNISEX FFS! And again, PLEASE STOP WITH THE AGEIST REMARKS UNLESS YOU ARE A TRUE LOVER OF VINTAGE SCENTS, AND CAN APPRECIATE THEM!!!

Now go put those black satin sheets on your bed, drape a sheer red scarf over your red-bulbed lamp, and spray the room with a couple spirtzes of Tabu...and feel the passion arising whispering in your lover's ear..."voule vous couche avec moi...mocha chocollatta ya ya...be your Lady Marmalade..."

Rootbeerrrrrrrr
similar to youth dew but not enough. Youth dew smells like it has ALOT of civet in it

This one is interesting. The Root beer note is okay. The spice note keeps it from being a total throw away, but it's a bit cloying and unsatisfying. A little bit sickly. Maybe the modern reformulation is better than the vintage, but this one is a 3.5/10 for me. It smells like a porto potty fragrance / urinal cake.

I bought this beauty at the CVS. It's obviously the only reformulation there is of it selling today. This opens with a vanilla root beer scent that is absolutely delicious. I'm sure it was not meant as a gourmand but starts off like a gourmand fragrance to me. This beer is spiced up with coriander and nondescript spices and cloves. The way this fragrance begins is very different than anything I've ever smelled before. I love vintages so for me this is a piece of cake but to anyone who wants to change their perfumes from modern, celebrity, gourmands etc Bath & Body Works & Victoria Secret, this is gonna come on quite powerful and a bit shocking just because it's so different, like indie-niche different. But I love it. Then the florals come through but they are vague and in a blender. I think I detect white flowers of jasmine and narcissus, but also a powdery soft bulgarian rose scent and ylang ylang. To me this fragrance is not floral-forward. It seems more about the spices and then the musk. The dry down stage is musky, earthy, a touch mossy-green with patchouli in there as well. I can smell the amber and the vanilla. At one point I was getting Vivienne Westwood Boudoir vibes so if you like Boudoir and haven't tried Tabu you may enjoy it. The scent is head and nostril filling, strong, musky, a bit sweet but mostly spicy as hell in a great way. This smells slutty and sexy. It's classy but naughty. To me it's a beautiful sexy femme fatale in a sexy backless dress showoing one leg and holding her fur coat over her shoulder not wearing it walking into a private detective's office as in a film noir showing him her leg on the desk. She is seductive and sultry. This fragrance is totally Hollywood ladies of sex appeal like Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth. She is confident and always gets her man. Yes this perfume is mature and perhaps suited to a woman who has confidence due to past experience but it can also be worn by a very confident younger in her 20s or 30s woman who knows how to wear vintages and wears vintage clothes. For instance a celebrity like Dita Von Teese would wear this and wear it well as it matches with her kind of sexy vintage style. It's the scent of sex and old money. Seems to match up with the song 'Whatever Lola Wants Lola Gets'. This cologne also would really smell great on a cabaret singer or lounge singer.This is a warm scent that gets powdery-musky so it's best suited to winter and fall. I love it. I wear it from time to time on hot date nights.

While it is quite affordable, and I have nothing against that, it gives a headache-y threat. In fact I have a slight headache right now.
And it isn't that the fragrance is as old as time, because a adore Youth Dew which is apparently the daughter of Tabu.
To me there is little spice and more of a cloying, sweet, powdery, incense smell to it. Very heavy, and normally I like heavy fragrances. This is just heavy in all the wrong ways for me.
It just doesn't work for me and now I get how some people say they just want to scrub it off. I'm two hours in and starting to feel that way.

There’s a scorched black quality of burning pepper and witchy concoctions of anise and clove that I love, but it’s nestled into what seems like two types of musk. I wish roses came forth more and some floral could air out the room a bit. Though this is more like the back of a car, enclosed and dizzy. Not skanky to me, engineered restraint, but boozy.

I read rave reviews of this, and it is an amber-type fragrance, which I normally love. I found it gag-worthy, and I found the comparisons to Obsession for Men by Calvin Klein astonishing. I collect fragrances, and my best description of the difference is that OfM has a smoothness that Tabu lacks. Tabu is jarringly overpowering. It is dated, but so am I, so it isn’t that, and there are excellent fragrances that are even older.

Usually when a perfume is described as “an old lady fragrance” that means I will like it. I’m usually a big fan of vintage scents. That’s why I had high hopes for Tabu but I was so disappointed when it arrived. One whiff and I was reminded of all the half-used, stale perfumes around the house from my childhood in the 70s. The headache was instantaneous.
I don’t know, maybe some of those bottles were Tabu in varying stages of decay but it remains this is a big “no” for me now sadly.

On a confident chap, Tabu, Shalimar, Opium (the original one, not the blokes version which is gorgeous but not why we are here), Cinnabar, Coco, and a few in this genre can smell intoxicating. Perhaps give it an hour, to let the real heart shine. I've got some vintage Tabu as well as the modern version. Vintage is just outlandishly filthy, outstandingly naughty - later versions, maybe not quite so much. There are more dropped knickers per ml than vintage Miss Dior, and that's near to maximum dropped knicker scent without being banned by some boring person.

Oh God, this was my first signature scent in my early 20s. I was a weird artsy goth, and I loved how strong the incense was in it, and how the spiciness gave it edge mixed with a hint of powdery seductiveness.
Most people around me adored it on me and called me a succubus, and I just threw my hair back and laughed at that like a maniac :D

i own this in a vintage "eau de cologne pure spray non-aerosol" bottle i got on ebay for an incredibly reasonable price... this is the perfume that converted me from gourmands to patchouli and amber. it is deep but sweet and simply magical. when i smell it, the opening to siouxsie and the banshees' "cities in dust" plays in my head, and when i wear it i feel like the most goth, witchy version of myself. great for shows and nights out.

Many of us already know the legend that Jean Carles was directed by Dana to compose a perfume that would be worn by a lady of the night, which ended up adding to its cachet. However, after its mid-century zenith in popularity, it would be eclipsed by the harlot in ingénue clothing that would be Youth Dew just two decades later, and would over the decades end up languishing on the lower shelves of the local drugstore, with a cult following, while the younger and hipper dazzlers, the Opiums, Cinnabars, and Obsessions would reign supreme.

Tabu is a fragrance that has seen and smelled it all, sort of like Dorian Corey in Paris is Burning. All these spices and shady resins, florals that read for filth, and an undercarriage of smut and revolt, Tabu could very well have the mummy of a criminal in a trunk yet to be discovered. Herein lies its appeal, it makes no apologies, it's always been in the shadows of Shalimar as "that other one" and Dana birthed it with a scarlet letter watermarked on its fundament. This is what makes it a fucking rockstar in the annals of perfume history.

I feel this captivating beauty could be an introduction to any new « vintage hunter » perfumistas out there. It’s similitudes to some of the most known pop fragrances of it’s time (obsession, youth dew, opium) makes it a good purchase, without putting a whole in the budget.

It’s totally unisex 🫶

Chocolate and spiced patchouli cake you just caught your young gardener trying to steal a piece of. You don't like that.
Yet
You let him 😏

Dazzling and fun.

This is not the sassy girl who tells everyone she's a bad bitch who takes no prisoners, this is the bad-ass boss bitch who actually takes no prisoners, and doesn't need to tell everyone about it.

Youthful, but serious and complex, it reminds me of whisky and diet cokes when I was 18 in terrible dives, but in a charming, nostalgic way.

That said, it's also a cracking spicy, patchouli, sparkling retro amber bomb which stands the test of time. It's unapologetically sweet and loud, but not suffocating or headachey.
And it's dirt cheap.

Love!

I was lucky to acquire a vintage curved bottle (but not violin shaped) of edp that someone found tucked in the dresser of an Art Deco house they had bought and now I can understand the apocryphal story about the "lady of the night" brief because where Opium is the 80's epitome of the intimidating diva wreathed in a cloud of smoke, eviscerating her rivals/ lovers in the board/bed room; Tabu is the cheap and cheerful unpretentious girl next door in an 80's teen slasher movie.

She opens with a huge blast of Coca Cola!! (omg it's exactly like Coca Cola!) and spicy citrus dropping down to a very soft sweet powder after 20 minutes or so. At this point I was ready to write Tabu off as meh but wait! The base is where Tabu really shines. It progresses to a rich resiny amber that's dark and moody in feel. There's hints of tarragon, leathery narcissus, incense, very slightly civety but not really dirty and definitely not poopy nor urinous, it reminds me a little of a sweeter more syrupy Ambre Sultan.

Tabu's opening is like a big haired high schooler in pink legwarmers, snapping bubblegum, wearing Tabu because it's cheap but also because she secretly believes she's a sophisticated adult woman when in reality she's still just a little girl playing dress up but the dry down is when she gets brutally murdered at the prom, with her bubblegum still wedged firmly in her teeth and I guess I'm just a sicko horror buff because the drydown is what saves Tabu for me ;)

This is a huge NO for me. When I was an adolescent/teen, I did not have a sophisticated nose. I was into scents like Electric Youth and Exclamation. I once smelled this at a display during the holidays and almost gagged. It was SO disgusting. Now, looking at the notes, it's something I would tend to gravitate toward. I smelled it again, thinking I would love it, and... nope. Mind you, I was also repulsed by Shalimar back then, but love it now. So, now I'm stuck not knowing Tabu had a formula change (I know Shalimar did), or if I really just don't like this? Sort of hoping I smell it sometime without knowing what it is, then find out it's this, so I'll know for sure.

Even though I think I bought a new formulation, this is still my first vintage fragrance. I like it a lot! I'm not Filipina, but I agree with ronin.jose below that this does smell very, "Old lady at a Catholic church."

My other initial thought: back I when I was a poor college student looking to party, one of my favorite drinks was cheap bourbon and root beer. Tabu isn't a boozy fragrance at all, but it still has that feeling of a more adult take on root beer. Plus, Tabu is exactly the kind of big, going-out fragrance one *would* (and *should*) wear while drinking.

I really like Tabu, but I don't exactly feel like the kind of woman who Tabu works for. I'll keep experimenting.

This fragrance is so complex and has so many things going on in a single blend that there are only 2 ways to describe it. You either spend the effort to write a detailed review that no one really asked for, or just say it smells like an old lady. I find both very true actually.

On my first impression with this scent, it really has that "old lady" vibes going on. If you grew up in an eastern/asian roman catholic culture, you will know how mostly the older generations are so devoted to catholism, the culture of catholism itself is a form of art. This fragrance in particular does remind me of either the typical type of perfume scent profile that older ladies wear who are more participative in church, or the perfume they use to perfume the sacred religious figures and images on altars. Or it could be both. Religion and Tabu is a pretty ironic comparison hence the prompt of this fragrance. Prostitute perfume for religious settings? Blasphemous! Anyway, that description may not be that helpful since that is more of a niche, personal experience.

When i actually spend more time with this fragrance, learning and living with it. It is more than a stereotypical conservative "old lady" scent. First of all, the spices are like lions and tigers in the opening. I'm not really sure what particular spices are in here but when i first spray it on me i get blasted by this piercing citronella-like, orangey, almost camphorous, medicinal, cinnamic, eugenol/clovey spice bomb. Tabu is the original and true "spicebomb". But as it's settling down on my skin, I'm starting to get a sense of that musky, baby powdery, lightly vanillic amber emerging from the back of this spice balm medicine, curing any illness you currently have by just smelling it. I also get a patchouli note from this, with its cool, slightly minty feel mainly giving a further herbal and medicinal feel to this fragrance. I also do get the commonly mentioned cola/root beer note in this, which I assume is coming from the spices interacting with other aromatics like the sweeter resins and the florals.

The overall body of this scent, which reveals itself in the mid to drydown phase, is a classic amber accord. So basically all of these elements, like the herbal, cola/root beer-like medicinal spice, and the vague and ghostly florals all revolves around this classic powdery vanillic amber core with the patchouli note that permeates through the drydown. I can also detect a prominent musk note blending with the classic amber accord, which also creates this feel of a classic musky fragrance that is both a clean and dirty at the same time.

I find it hard to relate to the edgy prompt of the fragrance because I personally can't get my head away from that religious association. Is a spicy herbal medicine, cola/root beer and musky-ambery baby powder sexy to me? Not really, but is it interesting, fascinating, comforting and evocative of nostalgic feelings, enough for me to become a unique and classy choice for a personal scent? Hell yeah!

This is my favorite blind buy ever. It’s softly spiced (not like Opium or obsession), warm, slightly sweet, musky, powdery gorgeousness.

I can see the mentions of root beer. It might be the cloves that read a bit like sassafras.

If you like vintage fragrances like Youth Dew, Cinnabar, Emeraude, etc. chances are high that you’ll enjoy this.

I find it incredibly easy to wear. It feels unique among a sea of today’s fragrances. However, it doesn’t feel dated. Tabu makes me feel confident and sexy and like a bit of a standout. I adore this.

I’m giving this a try in the fall but I do feel it’s suited for colder temperatures.

I’m a bit stuffy from allergies right now so my nose isn’t the most sophisticated at the moment, however o the initial first few minutes on my skin I’m getting a distinct root beer scent.

It reminds me of the old root beer flavor bottle caps candies from the 80’s and for that nostalgia alone I’m digging it!

I’m going to let this sit a bit while the notes get time to develop and then revisit this review.

Fascinating and addictive! Old-fashioned, warm, slightly sharp - but not unpleasantly sharp -, long-lasting. It's exactly that timeless elegance I am so fond of!

When i bought Tabu I probably had too much expectation, I thought was something similar to the "Youth dew" ( an authentic masterpiece, for me), or maybe something more sensual and deep. I was disappointed, instead, Tabu is very nice, but she didn't give any emotions.

So excited i finally got my vintage bottle of this. I knew i was gonna love it somehow but i had only heard about it and read reviews but now smelling it i know ive smelled it many times in passing . To me this fragrance is syrupy intense and empowering. It feels sexy and decadent without being too gourmand. It also feels mature and feminine but in a dominant way. Lets just say its power is internal , carnal , and expressive. Ill probably play around and layer this this with my indie vanillas because i love layering. Make a sorta addictive deep vanilla spiced root beer with a evil undertone you cant quite place....

1932 Vintage Amber-Floral CLOVE-BENZOIN-SANDALWOOD with Civet & Root-Beer Accents. I can imagine smelling this in the lobby of the Grand Hotel, which also came out in 1932 and starred Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and the Barrymore brothers Lionel & John. In the first couple of minutes before the spray dries, I can feel the vintage amber-floral vibe. Once the spray dries and the sillage opens up, I get citrus & spices, but already cloves & amber are swelling through. Quickly the citrus is overwhelmed by the vintage amber-floral-spicy vibe, and ylang emerges along with rose and a Root-Beer note. As it's drying down, the Root-Beer note fades, and in the base there's a gorgeous blend of amber, benzoin, sandalwood, patchouli & civettone. Oakmoss & civet bring a lovely smokiness here, close to incense but more like you've just come from a party, but civet is well blended. In the late drydown, several hours in, there's a flinty, smoky, animalic amber skin-scent. Overall it's a gorgeous vintage amber-floral-spicy-animalic scent with Root-Beer accents . This has excellent performance for year round wear, but I would be most likely to wear this in winter. This only gets better with time, both in the bottle and on the skin.

Contrast to Youth Dew Estee Lauder:
These are different, but there's a similar vintage amber-spicy vibe. Youth Dew is spicier and has cloves & cinnamon more forward with a slightly soapy, ladylike vibe, while the civet is more forward in Tabu. Both have excellent performance.

Contrast to Obsession Calvin Klein:
These are different, but again there's a similar vintage amber-spicy vibe. Obsession has a more forward cinnamon-spice, while Tabu has a more forward civet. Both have a vintage vibe, but Tabu feels to be of an older vintage (which it is). Both have excellent performance.

Contrast to Opium (1977) Yves Saint Laurent:
These are different, but again they have a similar vintage amber-spicy vibe. Opium has a more forward raw, fresh-spicy quality, while Tabu has a more forward animalic-musky quality. Both have excellent performance.

Contrast to Bal à Versailles Jean Desprez:
These are different, but there is a similar vintage animalic amber vibe. The animalics are more forward in Bal à Versailles, while the spices are more forward in Tabu. Both have excellent performance.

Contrast to Cinnabar Estee Lauder:
These are different, but there's a similar vintage amber-spicy vibe. My grade 2 teacher always wore Cinnabar which I love. The cinnamon (true to the name) is more forward in Cinnabar, while the animalics (true to the name also) are more forward in Tabu. Both have excellent performance.

Overall: gorgeous, affordable, provocative vintage amber-floral-spicy-animalic scent with Root-Beer accents from near the opening into the heart. The fact that they're still making this since 1932 says alot. They've been making & selling this while other scents "are coming & going, and nothing ever happens..." - Grand Hotel 1932. It's a love for me. Enjoy!

I wore this fragrance back in middle school, this was definitely too mature for a 12 year old but it just smelled like spicy baby powder. it worked wonderfully with any body chemistry and unlocked a life long devotion to spicy fragrances.

Lol, "The fragrance for a whore (‘un parfum de puta’)". I read that the design brief for one if the later iconic fragrances - Opium or Obsession , I can't remember - was simply "we want the perfume of a whore". So no doubt Tabu created a genre.

Just got this beauty in the mail today. Absolutely amazing. A very successful blind buy! Reminds me a bit of L’heure Bleue..

Thoroughly enjoy this scent from this perfume. However, the projection is not what I had expected which could be because it’s an eau de cologne. I’m sure the vintage formulation had more significant projection compared with the newer one. I did a quick spritz of Boucheron EDP & it made this fragrance have a nice blend of notes and more improved projection. For the cost, this is pretty good.

Simply awesome tons of reviews … please guide what’s the difference in old and new batches? Which one recommend?

I'm probably more amused by this than I should be, that a once prestigious fragrance from a prestigious house should sell for a song. I always turned up my nose (ha ha) at the stuff in the glass cabinet at the local drugstore. I had no idea how good the cheap stuff really is.

Normally, I am reticent to buy a fragrance on Amazon, but an eau de cologne that retails for US$17.99 plus tax is a safe bet, I thought. And I was right. This is a shockingly good fragrance. Based on reviews, I expected a monstrous beast would knock me over. And if I sprayed more than once or twice, it might just do that. But one spritz on my arm, and it's a delightful, flowery spiced juice that makes me smile again and again. It's the hottest day of the year as I write this, yet here I am: almost, but not quite, overwhelmed by this delicious, heady liquor. If I were alone in this world, I would spray more. You who walked by me earlier might think it baroque, but I just don't care.

Ylang ylang powers through as the most identifiable, sweet note. To my nose, the rest take a supporting role. Tabu's sweetness is nothing like candy or pastry, but a tropical garden sweetness. The ingredient list clearly states Evernia furfuracea, IFRA be damned. This is a review of the current formulation, available at Walmart, Amazon, etc. I cannot WAIT to try a vintage decant!

Edited to add: it took weeks for me to smell the root beer other folks mentioned. Now it's the dominant note for me LOL... like an overly-ambitious, flowery craft root beer from a local microbrewery. Still great stuff though. And the musk got raunchier, in a good way.

Despite what people love to say about pungent fragrance, whores do not actually smell like this. Whores smell like they came straight from the shower, with maybe underarm deodorant and a hint of mint from their freshly brushed teeth. It's the attitude that makes it whorish. If the whore's mantra is "fuck you pay me", the Tabu wearer's mantra is "fuck you smell me".

If you need to feel like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman (the night she met Richard Gere), this should be your fragrance.

tried at a Chemist Warehouse. I was a bit put off by the name, but actually it comes across a bit tabaco-ish, not stinky at all. I like the drydown. It's only $15 so I'll probably get a bottle next month.

Smokeandhoney try vintage Tabu! It's worth it! There's enough of it out there. The new reformulated stuff doesn't compare.

I used to really love TABU but I don’t know what’s changed—it’s either my nose or the perfume. I was able to embrace the fierce animalics, bold florals and spices but now, it just smells overwhelmingly p!ssaaay to me. I used to be able to channel the nag champa nuances and the cheapie vintage powerhouse feel but I just can’t do it anymore. Last time I wore TABU was a couple of weeks ago, the weather was good, sunshine but still a little crisp and windy. I couldn’t wait to shower I was so upset, I just don’t know what’s happened. My Mom always says the scent of TABU reminds her of that one older woman at parties, gatherings or pub lock-ins that was never impeccably dressed or well presented but always acted like she was, potty mouth, flirts with all the older men and tries to tease with the younger ones, she would dance the night away and she would smell of TABU. I like the “old lady” perfume vibes. I love vintage. I love old-school perfumery. The animalics, the florals, the spices, the boldness of it all. But that has conjured an image in my mind that I can’t scratch away. Perhaps it’s that too. But in reality, TABU is starting to smell like a p!ssy beer mat to me with a hint of body odour from the groin. I’m sorry to everyone that loves it—I was one of you, too. I guess my nose has moved on. I’m breaking up with TABU 💔

After more than 35 years I can still see rather accurate the woman who used to wear this beast mode perfume as a signature scent. I remember a thick dense powdery smell of flowers, spices and a very strong civet musk blend that gave a certain sweet and very intimidating animalic silage. This perfume was a feromone with one purpose. And that was to lure men (or women) into bed. The woman I mentioned was somehow not very attractive to put it gentle. But she managed to get a guy (not me) that gave her a child and that child grew up in a single parent situation. I lost track of that woman and her son but I can remember exactly how she looked and smelled. That's the power of fragrance. Yes, Tabu smells awful but is nevertheless a very good perfume because it has to fulfill a certain task and does that perfectly. I don't now how the current formulation smells. But when I stumble upon a bottle I will definitely try it. And see if the memories become more vividly.

This is really good, because I didn't like it straight off the bat.

The words 'Vulgar' and 'Pudenda' occurred to me for some reason. All spilled out on some freshly unrolled linoleum, straight from the factory during the depression. If I was watching someone roll out a non-absorbent mat that smelled like this, which it does. A kind of plastic that's probably been banned. I'd be unsure if I was reviled, aroused or both.

It's nuts, but when something smells really off, super strange or bad, what do we do? We cram our face to and inhale deeply, over and over only so we can declare with greater conviction, "Yes! This really does stink!"

That's what I like about a good perfume, it challenges you with a ton of something you don't understand and you're stuck with it for at least a few hours to have a go at figuring it out or whether you'd ever do that again.

A good perfume will only ever be it's name to try to begin to describe its effect on you, not a series of notes to check off to see if you should or shouldn't scold the manufacturer in the comments. Having said that, at some point I have to tell myself that this or that aspect is like something else. Honey, for example. Tabu has a dense, candied honey aroma to my nose but if I went and sniffed candied honey right now, I wouldn't smell Tabu in it.

Shalimar smells like... Shalimar, for example. So I'm pleased to announce that Tabu smells like...Tabu

Nothing alike, but I had a similar introduction to Shalimar. I just couldn't understand what was happening when I smelt it. I still don't by the way, but when asked about the things I love, it's names like Shalimar that come to mind. And the cats of course. Not people. And maybe like the thing you underappreciated the most, it's the thing you mourn the longest once it's gone.

Definitely composed in another time (1930s). Now, if I'd sprayed the same 2022 bottle I opened today in an art deco apartment or a baroque style sitting room during a thunderstorm in front of a blazing fire. Smoking an unctuous and heady aromatic unfiltered cigarette, would I experience it differently? I believe I would. Could I convince myself it really was a 'vintage fragrance' from another time over a reformulated 'modern' version?

No. but I get the strong inkling that this is a very neatly handwritten version of the original feel of Tabu, I'm guessing. I look forward to hunting for the older or aged formulations.

New bottle 60ml cologne+100ml hand cream of the same for 19.99 $AU (delivery incl. when spending $50). For Australia, that's worth getting in your car for and going for a drive, so I ordered it online. This is great stuff in a world that (as a male) is telling me I have to smell like a piece of wood, a soft candy, or a 'marine' note. 'Melon' or something equally stupid that always smells like the same chemicals they put in food that I can't eat any more either because of it.

Chicken flavor, Beef flavor. F*cking 'Melon' flavor... 'Buttserscotch' was another for me. I get a facial tic every time some even says the word or I see it.

But how convenient if you mass market staple and highly profitable goods like food and fragrance. A generation of people who can't smell anything other than sweet (or insert accord X here), because they've been eating and drinking it their whole life. Their brain chemistry only accepts a certain scent/taste/texture as 'nice' because it's by design.

Nothing to do with original word or thing ascribed to it. But it is always for sale and certainly habit forming to the point of violence in its defense for those under its spell.

1930s people ate and drank 1930s food. Had a different palate/diet and I'm guessing, totally different sniffers courtesy of their own brain chemistry that was adulterated, errr....'enhanced' and their lives made better by 1930s chemicals over say 21st Century ones, which as we all know now, are designed to keep us 'safe'.

Tabu isn't safe though. As another reviewer pointed out, and I'm paraphrasing here: '...I use perfume to NOT smell like this'. Whereas a senator or congressman might find the scent he craves in Tabu without the legal entanglements of literal, enacted perversions.

But the girl who does want to smell like this? And yes, of course she's a girl. She's not old at all either. She's young with smooth, copper toned skin and dark hair. She's maybe too young to be on her own out and about. And way too forward with her thinking to be anything other than the name suggests.

She's everything an aging sinner longs to be again. Maybe that's why older people like it? The impetuous, unreasonable and often offensive, effusive aroma of hormones. Limited personal hygiene that's shackled to an iron rich, almost excretory aroma that really is hard to confuse with anything else except that which we've been told from birth is wrong.

That we shouldn't. That we mustn't.

That it's Taboo.

Way back in 1975 I met the girl who became my wife. She had this tall, skinny bottle of impossibly dark and mysterious oil that could only be administered in tiny drops. We had a, shall we say, sleepover and she was wearing the exotic love potion that lived in that bottle. I would not wash my pillowcases, for the fragrance lingered for days. One week later I could still pick up the intoxicating notes of the elixir that was Tabu. I felt dirty. I felt like a bad boy. I felt good. To this day I believe Tabu was the binding that tied us together and I still tell her that today.

I will always love this fragrance. It’s so sensual and beautiful. My guy says this turns him on whenever I wear it lol.

This perfume has been in my life for as long as I can remember. I'm in my 40's. It was always worn on special occasions by the older generation of my family. It is very nostalgic for me, especially at Christmas time when I would smell it the most. This perfume is comforting, sweet and spicy. It is beautiful and can fill up a room with a few sprays, but is not headache inducing. The longevity is great and it's a good buy for the price. It is nothing like what's being developed now in the perfume world. It definitely stand on its own. It's a classic and i think it could very well make a comeback if it would stopped being classified as old lady, which I don't understand. I personally think this is better than the plethora of headache inducing perfume made these days that are copies of one another and poorly made. The notes in Tabu work so well together and the result is a perfume that's actually enjoyable. That Is why it is still being made to this day. I don't mistake this Tabu for any other. I know this scent well and love it!

OMG I am loooving this (I'm 39yo). I own 1984 YSL Opium formulation and vintage CK Obsession and to me this is closer to the old Opium but if you like both you will not be disappointed with Tabu! I'm obsessed.... I paid only £5 on Vinted for 100ml so if you want a cheaper run-around Opium-like perfume, don't think twice! It's addictive, rich, intoxicating.... I wouldn't say it's grandma vibes but more of a old-school sexy hooker vibes haha For this price, it's a no-brainer... The longevity is decent! I only spray perfumes on my clothes (to minimise toxins absorption) and one spray on my sleeve blossomed beautifully and lasted for maaaany hours. I bought the square bottle with a lady picture on it.
Edit: This also got me thinking about Replica Jazzclub... not saying they are similar but knowing I paid over £100 for such a weak scent and then £5 for this one that is so much more intoxicating and stronger and kinda sends the same vibe - boozy, smoky, spicy, sex in the air vibe... I can't wait to wear this on a night out and maybe even tell people it's some kinda Tom Ford new release and see their faces haha

I'm very young (in my early 20s) and I absolutely adore this, not at all "old lady" to me. If anything, it's a really unique incense like scent that when sprayed lightly is not at all overpowering. I keep finding myself returning to this especially at nights out when I know i'll be enjoying a cigarette outside of the bar, feels very fitting.

Because reviews all said it is strong, I sprayed lightly (current formulation). However, spraying lightly only gives me the notes if I stick my nose to my wrist, otherwise it's just dusty patchouli. If I spray under each ear, each wrist, and the back of my neck, that is when I get the spices and flowers opening up fully. That is when I get the root beer people mention. Wafts around me but is gentle enough nobody comments. I actually don't prefer this in cold weather because my skin is dry and it doesn't open. Modern reform, definitely can't smell much if any civet, and this scent really needs a skin/sweat note to ground it. If I spray before I work out it's beautiful.

I brought this nose-blind. I'd not heard of the fragrance before, but loved that it was so associated with the 70s/80's (despite it being a legacy scent). I'm not disappointed with the scent at all. The bottle is classically reserved, the packaging consistent with its heritage, and the fragrance itself....warm and spicy; herbal/ dried herbs immediately after first spritz, and an almost chocolatey sweetness on the dry-down. There's also a harshness to the scent, bitterness, which certainly helps drive this to being a unisex perfume. I like it, but don't love it, however for the price there's really no cause for compliant in adding it to my collection. For imagery, Tabu definitely suits a windy but warm autumn day, a stroll in broken sunshine and clouds, coming home to a log fire burning....

It definitely smells dated but its not like the typical aldehyde perfume one thinks of, like Chanel number 5. The first spritz it gave me an almost minty vibe, but then it vanished and became sort of powdery, root beerish, sweet, and slightly citrus. I like it! I would wear this in cold weather or at night, I can see this be a bit cloying in the heat. I think if you pair it with a musk or vanilla perfume oil first, then spritz this on top, it will be extra nice. It goes well with the Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille perfume oil from Oil Perfumery, which is what I am wearing today. For the price I would blind buy which is what I did, you can always give it away to mom or granny if you don't like it.

Update: I decided to wear it today given the temperature has dropped, and wanted something bold. My daughter asked me "what did you spray, it smells good" a few minutes after I had sprayed it. She said it smelled "powdery" and I agree, but not like baby powder more like perfumed talc. Its been about 6 plus hours since I sprayed it and I can smell it still on me, and quite strongly when I sniff my wrist. I'm looking forward to wearing this more in the fall and winter.

* * *
"When you get this far into Tabu, there's no turning back" . . .
(from vintage ad)

I reviewed Emeraude (Coty) in my mother's honor (see my review). Here's one about her mother's favorite: Tabu, "the forbidden fragrance by Dana" (launched 1932).

Looking back to childhood visits at Grandma's house I realize whiffs from her bottle of Tabu were my first perfume experience ever. It smelled weird, yet I kept trying it whenever I visited. Granddaddy had gifted her two 1-liter display bottles—more than a lifetime supply—massive, square bottles of deep-amber liquid that sat like statues on a mahogany art-deco vanity.

Fast forward to today: An odd, unidentifiable note accosts me, throwing me back to the same mixed feelings I had about it as a child; other reviewers say it's "root beer." Ahh yes, that's it! Makes sense why Grandma liked it, too, as she loved the similar old-fashioned flavors of sarsaparilla sodas and horehound candies. Simultaneously, an intense, sweet temple incense rushes in and hangs on tenaciously to dominate this deep, dark "amber floral."

I'm surprised Grandma wore such a potent, "taboo" perfume! But the mystique around this scent back then was likely the catalyst for my fragrance hobby now. Even so, wearing Tabu at this moment, I still have mixed feelings about it.✿

Current formulation's longevity on me: long-lasting
Scent family: Amber Floral

It's strong. Very strong. Basically I would describe this as a nighttime sensual caramel-like, powdery, animal scent. 1-2 sprays at most on skin. Any more and it's way too much, you will fill the room and not in a good way. But that one spray for a sexy date night for sure this could be a good choice.

Nice classic! Someone with attitude could still rock it now.

This is a banger for the price- spicy, herbal, amberish. It has been my 90 year old aunt’s signature scent since I was a child so have never bought it, but I got a package of 50ml plus hand cream, shower gel and body spray for $29 which in Australia is good (everything is expensive here).
It smells like a completely different perfume on me than my aunt; on her the musk and rose is ramped up, on me the spices and amber.

A timeless classic, rich, bold, earthy, sweet, musky. It’s the wood, musk, patchouli and amber for me. I absolutely love this scent. My only complaint is that I can’t smell it on myself after a while, but others can. If it’s really “Un parfum de puta” I am a “puta” for this fragrance.

This perfume is truly amazing and does not smell at all outdated to me. Reviews of his perfume are truly strange. A lot of people want to tell stories people they knew I used to wear it. Other people seem to think it smells like an old biker lady.
My rather conservative grandmother used to wear this and she was obsessed with perfumes. She absolutely adored her Gucci.
Smells very different on myself than it does on other people. On others it's more of a loud perfume. Other notes are prominent and it doesn't smell as sweet and honey like as it does on me.
I do smell the root beer or cola note that others are reported. I also understand that comparison to youth dew although they are two very distinctive beasts in my opinion.
Tabu smells very similar to Cobra by a rehab. And Cobra by all rehab smells like the original incarnation of poison in my humble opinion. They're similar but different.
Tabu starts out rather spicy and sweet. Then out comes the cola notes and the honey. I get some citrus and very little florals. I cannot figure out what the honey note is but it's strong on me and I love it. This is what makes the perfume.
It's rather mysterious, witchy, warm and inviting. It has a great deal of throw and lasts for hours. This does not smell perverse or slutty as some people seem to imply. It's not the most clean and fresh smelling perfume. But then again I think Narciso Rodriquez's Musk is rather basic and boring. It's like the basic B version of musk to me.
And my opinion this is a Oriental perfume that means towards being almost gourmand in some ways. Maybe it's the spice, cola & Amber notes. This is one of the few perfumes with Amber in it that does not turn body odor and skanky smelling on me.

When I smelled this, the first thing I thought of was a new age/head shop that was across from the campus of the university I attended. It was the late 90s and this shop had jars of incense sticks for sale. This is what they smelled like. It’s definitely not an old lady scent. Its a vibe.
I’ve read people mention a root beer smell. That smell is exactly like the smell of irises. I love it.

Those who said this smelled like a metaphysical shop are absolutely right. It smells exactly like that. Personally, I’m not a fan of metaphysical shops smell—it’s too “hipstery” for me. But obviously, some like it.

Yeah it’s in the same category as Youth Dew, but they’re still *very* different. I like Youth Dew much more and find it much more complex, with an elegant dustiness and real-smelling spices. It has a dry and elegant amber. Tabu, on the other hand, smells overwhelmingly like metaphysical incense to me.

Another big plus of Youth Dew is you get to sample it at Sephora or Debenhams etc, whereas you have to risk a blind buy with this one.

This perfume intrigued me for a while after reading the reviews, I did an analysis and decided to buy it.
My satisfaction is total, I like it very much.
I find it similar to Youth-Dew in less power but overall good staying power.
It is completely unisex.
The only regret is not having the original from the time, it must have been a must for the time, but it still keeps after all these years, this aura of mystery.
Habanita is not far either.

It really is a beautiful sexy scent. Too many sprays it smells a bit root beer-ish but it will wear off into a great sweet and spicy yet powdery skin musk. It has the sweetness I crave with Opium and projects louder than Youth Dew. I don’t know why I was so timid to try this because it is exactly what I’ve been looking for.

This was on my Grandmother's vanity. That said, it's on mine too, for the past five years or so. This scent has been in every tacky drugstore cabinet for decades, and in many a bargain bin too. I'm sure many people wouldn't spritz it on if you paid them. Nevertheless, I'm a fan. O that boozy musky spicy sweet voluptuous bouquet! If you look at the base notes description, there's a ton of them. Maybe that's why it has champion staying power, and seems to keep on kicking at 10 pm when you gave yourself a couple of brief spritzes before breakfast. I've never tried dousing myself in this. Has anyone? That would be a Liz Taylor "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof" moment for sure. Speaking of cats, my cat likes this. I was wearing Tabu the day I picked her up from the shelter, apprehensive that I might offend, but she snuggled up to me like I was her natural born Mom, and we've never looked back. Maybe it's because there is civet in this scent, before it was banned from perfume manufacturing. I've procured older stock bottles, having heard the older formulas are the way to go. I don't know what the new/current bottles are like, probably more synthetic, nasty and harsh. Isn't that the way of all old/new formulas, that the original/older ones are better? Either way, I'm proudly fond of this beloved 'drugstore' scent!

Noone i know likes this but i do and like the smell and am always open to looking for bottles as its a great smell

A few people have mentioned it smelling like root beer - that's pretty accurate. Does also smell pretty strongly of alcohol at first. All the bitterness of an orange peel. Lasts a decently long amount of time. As it dries down I get the vetiver very strongly. Pretty nice, maybe not my cup of tea.

I randomly smelled a perfume in a crowd of people that smelled like root beer so I started searching fragrantica for suggestions. Tabu was one of them. Everyone keeps writing so much poetic stuff about it I thought surely it must be good if it's been around so long. It's priced very low and was on sale so I thought it wouldn't hurt to blind buy it. The box lists all the notes and let me tell you I can smell them at different times so it's a decently complex perfume, but the smell just isn't for me. I can smell the citrus notes strongly at the beginning but it also gives off the dually outdated stinging citrus and powdery scent that was common among the very past generations; I have an old bottle of Lancome's Magie Noire from the late 80's that is probably older than I am that belongs to my mother and it has those same outdated notes but Tabu dries down to a soft powder and patchouli scent that is very strong in this. It does have the root beer note and it's not a bad smell at all, I am just not a fan of wearing perfumes that smell like incense. The scent reminds me of some of the Shrinivas Sugandhalaya (BNG) incense that me and my boyfriend burn sometimes. If you like the way this smells and like lighting incense in the home you should buy the BNG version of "Buddha's Blessing" or even their popular Nag Champa incense-- make sure it's the one from the BNG company and not the other one from Mumbai. The smell is kind of on that level but not with so much patchouli. They do make a patchouli incense but I never bought it. This is probably just going to be used as a room spray because my boyfriend does like incense scents.

I’ve had different bottles of Tabu in my collection since the 80s. Definitely makes an entrance and is impactful. If you’re into subtle scents or “smelling like everyone else”, this isn’t for you.

I remember smelling this perfume a lot back in the 80's and I really enjoyed it on other people, but I thought it was a bit to grown up for me at that time in my life. When I got married Red Door and Opium became my signatures. I bought a few perfume birthday gifts and threw in a bottle of Tabu Rose and Tabu into the mix. I was disappointed in the Tabu Rose but I'm happy to say Tabu smells much the way I remembered. I wish it was in perfume strength again and not a cologne, but it is still that same powdery, spicy, sweet orange sexy scent I remember. It reminds me of Creed's Vanasia which I own. It has that same coco cola vibe that Vanasia has but for some reason I enjoy it more in Tabu. I never got that from Youth Dew or Cinnabar. I just sprayed some more of it into the air and man it makes a first rate air freshener. So, powdery, sweet, softly spicy. There is something comforting and seductive at the same time about Tabu. I think it would make a wonderful bedtime perfume. I love powdery scents for bedtime. I plan on spraying my blankets w/ this quite a lot and as cheap as it that will not be a problem. I wish they would make this in perfume form again. These older fragrances are just so gorgeous, and they don't make them like this anymore.

Beautiful and mysterious fragrance reminiscent of art deco era, classy amber, citrus and floral, and everything spicy and warm as it dries down. Simply, a perfect fall fragrance. Definitely another vintage classic masterpiece from Jean Carles.

If I wanted to buy this how can I tell the vintage from the reformulated one? Is there a difference in the packaging?

This is my favorite perfume for October. Its spicy. It's dark. Its sexy and so different.

As a man I pay homage to this frag as the matriarch who started me on my frag-centric journey I'm still happily traveling through today.

Aramis
Aramis 900
Obsession
Bel Ami
Zino
Antaeus
Mitsouko
even Quorum
& Grey Flannel
......& dare I say Poison.

My love for all the above; I can trace back to childhood memories of Tabu.

Imprinting, association, luxe-heady contradiction to the season & the excitement of gift-giving all spring to mind.

Christmas falls in summer in the Southern Hemisphere & this is relevant & centric to what followed.

As a small Kid, memories of women in my family receiving gifts sets of Tabu & the subsequent opening of boxes containing glass-flask bottles & soaps in cases, abound.

And then the smell !

I won't go into notes as theses are well covered by all & sundry herein, but the "contradiction" of this rich, decadent woodsy-amberey-incense-power-bomb, cloying & grabbing at all those present, being sampled in the summer-heat, was a sensory overload in the most intoxicating, beguiling & 'memory-staining' way.

Yes....I say 'sampled' 'cause after the festivities of the Christmas period, this frag was shelved & then brought out again much later for regular runs through autumn & winter.....it's sensible & native seasons.

But the "damage" was done!

That hedonistic luxe-ness; the genie was out of the bottle & it was otherworldly to a small child.

So yes.....every time I enjoy Obsession, default into Aramis when winter beckons & savoy a rationed spray from my vintage Bel Ami. Every time I remove the cap of a faceted flask of Quorum & open the accompanying soap-case from that gift-box. And every time I incur that simple, quiet & satisfying sense of personal indulgence when I buy a new frag....I can credit it all to Tabu.

vintage amber. spices and syrup. animalic

I finally got round to purchasing Tabu after many months of putting it off, due to it's comparisons with Youth Dew, which I simply can't get on with. I bought what I think is the most recent formulation (gold neck and small clear cap), so cannot be sure how this compares with vintage versions. It is strong!!! I get the rootbeer thing.... minus the sugar (does rootbeer have sugar? I'm not sure). This smells very medicinal, like when you open a first aid box and get hit with the smell of Savlon, plasters, TCP and deep heat. It's not unpleasant, but it is weird and difficult to know what kind of occasion would call for a spritz of Tabu. I don't find it deep, dark and sexy as many people have suggested. I was not expecting sophistication, but I was expecting something fun and naughty. I keep sniffing my wrist, waiting for a warmer, sweeter note to appear, but it doesn't. I feel this needs an injection of vanilla somewhere. I'm glad I bought it though, it didn't break the bank, and I have a perfectly serviceable room spray :D

Tabu has been my signature for many years. It’s deep, dark & mysterious. Cheap as chips and great value. I go through a few bottles a year and always have back ups for when I run out. An absolute classic that’s withstood the test of time. I’m careful if the weather is humid and I sweat, as it becomes a musty and unpleasant smell in my clothing, rather than my body. I’ll always have Tabu on hand.

Upon my first sniff of this after blind-buying a bottle of the version shown in the photo, what promptly came to mind was the scene of a 1930s brothel. This is what I imagine any standard room in said building would smell like, and this was before I read that Jean Carles created this perfume for the everyday... ahem...whore. Incense, civet and amber spiciness is what I get in the drydown. Just pure sex in a bottle, he did a great job. At first spray, I get orange blended with root beer, but it doesn't last too long until it turns into its powdery form with all the notes listed above.

This is what I picture Miss Hannigan (à la Carol Burnett) wearing. The woman who wears this doesn't answer to nobody, and will certainly not be toyed around with. She is strong-willed and comfortable with her sexuality, she will never shy away from her lover but will tell them exactly what she wants, because she is completely in control. She is one badass bitch.

She definitely smells vintage, which can be expected as this fragrance is 90 years old. But this is by no means what some would consider a "mature" fragrance (don't understand that concept anyway, wear what pleases you at any age! Who cares!). I would've worn this had I known about it at 18yrs, and in my late 20s it's in my top 5. Love to wear this with a leather jacket and boots in order to feel extra sassy.

I prefer this for nighttime wear, but you could get away with daytime use if you spray minimally. Practice at home before wearing her around as she can be sneaky and end up overpowering you. They did her dirty with the new bottle design though, it feels kind of cheap and the cap is so plasticky and doesnt stay on well; my babe Tabu deserves so much better.

I had never purchased this before but have smelled it many times growing up.
When I smelled this, it was an intimidating smell, not in a fearful way, but as I knew this was an adult, a young FUN adult.
My way older brother's longtime girlfriend wore this, the teens who use to play ball with us young'uns up the rode wore this, and even the nice nurse at my childhood doctor's office, as I remember from the scent, wore this.
It never gave me the EL's YD vibe, even though it has most of the notes, as where when I smelled that at Nana Helen's house, and she wasn't too fun, either as she always said when we visited.... 'Either sit down on that chair or go outside as kids are seen but not heard'.... lol.
It's a vintage alright.
I smell juicy orange right away, followed by root beer, amber, and into a light powder and ever so mild civet. Not heavy but blended nicely.

And yes, I do notice that on MOST perfumes, it's good idea to spray them at least twice away from you(preferably outside) when new. It's almost like letting it breathe.

I just bought this again after having thrown away the little violin sample as I just disliked it. But, I decided to retry this in the spray version. That is the best way to experience this perfume. It must need aeration to bring out the notes. To me it is warm Dr Pepper or Root Beer but maybe without sweetness (I almost want them to turn up the sweet ). It lasts a good while and I'm gentle with the sprayer as I'm giving this a chance as I feel it would overwhelm me otherwise. Tonight I'm trying it out before bed to see what is remaining by morning.
I'm just so glad I have tried this again. I love the idea of it still being sold after 90 years!!!!

A dusty bottle of cola-flavored medicine sitting a witch's cobwebbed cabinet. Sweet incense burning in a hundred year old apothecary. Melted licorice candy stuck to the lining of your glamorous great aunt's leather handbag.

I don't typically wear this during the summer, but today I woke up craving this spicy sexy-cozy elixir. If you have a vintage bottle (I do), you only need a dab or two on the wrist. In cold weather, you could add a dab behind the ear or at the nape of your neck. Tabu is not afraid to make her presence known. Occasionally I layer with Tom Ford Rose Prick, Gucci Memoir d'une Odeur, or Tokyomilk Dark Bulletproof.

In my opinion every perfume lover should have a bottle of Tabu in their collection.

Pair with: smeared satin lipstick, buttery brown leather accessories, unfiltered Pall Malls.

my bottle, which i use nearly every day i leave the house, belongs to my grandma who died maybe 4 years ago. my yuppie, yuppie grandma. it's so signature to me, it's that certain amber stink that women who button all their buttons crave. it makes me feel like venus in furs. it makes me feel like a candle. it makes me feel like a cobwebbed boswell sisters records. mmm....dusty

Straightforward but not vulgar.
On a sensual level, Tabu is less personal than the magnificent Bal a Versailles. It smells good, durable, flamboyant and full of style.
The depth of the fragrance depends on the composition and quality of the formula.
The Tabu is mediocre, yet intricately constructed, and is an excellent argument that greatness comes from mediocrity.
Jean carles boldly used 10% patchouli (excessive) and eugenol as the core of Tabu, surrounded by walls of cinnamon, myrrh, and civet, forming a warm and spicy oil with rich floral (rose) and woody aromas liquid.
One of the best examples of oriental tunes, the formula is simple, rich, soft and brutal, Tabu has personality. A good fragrance has a soul, Tabu - an incredibly strong presence, I feel it.
Refreshing basil energizes patchouli, which is complex and ever-changing, and becomes more vivid and vivid when contrasted.
Dip a drop of Tabu into your fingertips with a rich reddish-brown aroma. Apply evenly on your wrist and the place closest to your heart that day. The temperature encourages the Tabu to fully diffuse the aroma.
Patchouli burst, the heat wave swept through, and the red swirl was huge and deep.
The powder particles that were not carefully crushed spun rapidly and collided with sparks.
Simple Youth Dew had to bow down to it. The graceful Tabu is the predecessor of the Opium faction.
This amber balm is different from Youth Dew, approachable, and even if you're not crazy about patchouli, Tabu is unrestrained and enthusiastic, and belongs to the type of oriental fragrance that does not bring the fear of aging.

I'll never be able to write a beautiful review as many others shared in here. I can only say Tabu is a masterpiece, a very well constructed perfume and I'm angry (but also happy) it's sold for such a cheap price (in Brazil we find the classic Tabu and its flankers in local markets for US$ 2.00!). Tabu is worth much, much more.

It smells like sexy witches, drinking Friday nights at decadent downtown pubs, motherly baked goods (yes, those spices...), passionate love-making. All of this, all together, not sophisticated nor modern but still timeless. It's human, perfectly and earthly human BUT it's not for everyone. It's for those who enjoy scents and can go beyond appreciating only bottled fragrances to smell "nice" at parties.

I slept with two drops on my wrists last night, 10 hours later it's still lingering. From all fragrances I have, Tabu has one of the most amazing performances.

Where to start with Tabu. She’s not a woman of wealth and taste but she’s a woman that demands respect. Not in a “Katherine Hepburn”sort of way but in an “old hide that’s been behind the bar for 30 odd years at the local biker haunt” sort of way. The person who wears this has seen some things. She lives in a house with green shag carpet and wood paneling. Harley t-shirts and fringed shoulder padded leather jackets are staples of her wardrobe. She’s had the same Leather Tuscadero haircut since 1979. She smokes Misty’s so she can feel even a shred of a softer feminine side she had to sacrifice years ago to survive. If Aileen Wournos had a signature scent, this is probably it. Resilience in a bottle. I love her.

I wanted to like it so much, I've ordered it and it smells like a dentist office on me:/. Just smells really heady and made me nauseous. I wanted to love it, with the pretty and simple classic bottle design and that canonical story, but no.. really not working on my skin

I swapped for an older bottle of this, it's glorious, and worth the effort to seek out vintage, especially since it's not yet astronomical in price to purchase. The aromatics are much louder and balance the sweetness and spice more perfectly. I like this in summer despite its heaviness.

this is a shot of pure nostalgia: the incense syrup, musky/musty yellow flowers, and bee pollen take me back to my childhood.

you might have forgotten what Tabu smells like. i’ll tell you what Tabu smells like. it smells like love, home, comfort, and safety. it smells like rural East Texas in the 1980s.

it smells like listening to Jim Reeves on the hi-fi… soap operas and westerns on the tv… riotous laughter and delicious food… a picture of Mormon Jesus on the wall, being a sentinel… trailer-house windows blacked out with tinfoil… ice chests full of caffeine-free Coke (it actually does have something of a cola scent to it, if you tilt your head just right)…

it smells like sleeping with my grandmother and knowing she had a pistol between the mattresses. it smells like the sound of her bedroom fan. it smells like her bouffant hairdos and rock-turquoise jewellery. it smells like all the good things about her and none of the bad.

musical accompaniment: “I’m Not Cool” by HyunA
“who’s pretty to you?”

/retro edc probably from the 1990s

Sweet and sassy Tabu. Rebel child and beautiful classic. Drugstore price for a fragrance fit for a queen-- or a motorcycle queen in black leather. Totally warm and alluring. The blend of spices is totally unique. Longevity and silage are golden-- incredible for a fragrance at this price that beats out so many of the higher priced scents. Perfect for the autumn and winter months. I love you, Tabu. You will always be in my collection.

I never understood the cola comments in relation to Youth Dew, but Tabu definitely gives off a cola impression, especially in the opening.

It's mandarin dominant uptop with warm holiday spices like clove and cinnamon, a lot of myrrh, other ambery notes, sandalwood, and benzoin. After the mandarin goes it doesn't smell as convincingly of cola. The drydown is a warm, softly spiced, creamy, powdery amber concoction.

Vintage formulations might have the skank, stronger woody notes, and bitter oakmoss that I was hoping to smell. The current stuff has very little of that. I don't see myself ever opting for this over Youth Dew, Cinnabar, Opium, or Shalimar. All of them are more distinctive.

Score some vintage from the 1970's-80's if you can... it was more nuanced and layered back then. My only regret is that TABU is not available in an EDP or Extrait strength.

This is one that REALLY changes based on body chemistry and time of year! My mom wore this once and it smelled sweaty, spicy, and heavily animalic on her.
On me it was a warm, rich, spicy smell that softened to a mix of woody spices and powder.
This is long lasting, has a decent sillage, and is DEFINITELY a cold weather perfume.
Phenomenal for me, but try before you buy or get somewhere you can do returns.

It’s really nice on the family member who wears it, but mannnn the animalic base notes are real. I never really knew what things like “civet” meant as a base until I encountered THIS. Between that and the patchouli, I used to just think it was the relative’s wild, musky scent - but no! It’s this perfume. I wore it one day and was horrified to smell like Animal Cage Kevin, or a nesting weasel all freshly gorged on nubile rats. No, no, no! I’m a nice girl, I tell you! I work hard NOT to smell like this!

Warm spices. Vintage oriental. Sexy like the song that whails "It's a maaaaann's world" which makes sense in a way since this is a 1932 creation inspired by French prostitutes. Glad I tried it and happy to pass it on to someone else.

Skin test from a vintage splash bottle in a cool room. Opens strong. Fades to skin in 4 hours.

This perfume has been a journey. There are so many different formulations of it, and buying the vintage bottles is a gamble because some of those bottles have not held up well over time and smell like a rusty can of root beer.

I'll start with my favorite version of Tabu. This was a vintage bottle, very large, wide and rectangular in shape. It had a black ribbed screw cap and it said "Colonia". You could see a batch number on the back of the label. It came in a box with a lady's head on it. So it was a vintage version of the cologne. This bottle had held up wonderfully over time. It smelled like all the delicious incensey mystery that makes people love Tabu. It smelled animalic and defiled in the most elegant way possible. A beauty, but with claws. A lynx in an evening gown. I loved it. I have not been able to find another bottle that smelled like it ever since. I see bottles of this particular version on ebay for around $300 but sometimes you can luck out and find them for less, but it's always hit-or-miss as to whether they will still smell wearable. The closest I've found in scent to this super-rare pricy version is the tall, narrow, rectangular glass bottle that looks like it's from the '70s with the long black cap and "Tabu" in white letters written on it.

On to the vintage edp-- it was a squat rounded spray bottle with a long rectangular black top. This is the bottle that used to come in a gift set. This smells like a sticky root beer stain that has been left in an attic with an inch-deep layer of dust on it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, at least it's evocative. But it smelled big on syrupy soda and was not sexy or animalic at all. I waited for the incense too, but that never surfaced. Just musty, dusty stickiness from this bottle. Perhaps it was not properly stored.

A note about the cello-shaped/violin dab-on cologne bottles--some are vintage and some are not. Some of the vintage ones smell pretty good. The vintage versions usually have gold labels and come in the box with the couple kissing and the guy holding the violin.

This brings me to the readily available modern version of the edc spray sold in stores today. It smells like diluted root beer. No incense, no civet. Despite being weak, it somehow manages to smell heavy and thick, but it only lasts on my skin for about a half hour.

I think I will continue on my journey to find another good bottle of vintage Tabu. That experience with the vintage cologne/colonia was too rewarding to give up on recreating. I want Tabu to seduce me again.

I have reviewed this way back but just have to say Sweetjhane got it right. It was meant to go from steamy nights to virginal morning afters. That was apparently the challenge of the developers and I think they succeeded. Just a drop behind each knee so that it wafts up in a hot sensual embrace....and the next morning one awakes on a soft cloud of sweet memories.

Best drugstore fragrance of all time other than Ciara. It's a beautiful woody amber fragrance with a little spice and powder. It's in the same family as Youth Dew, Opium, Royal Secret, Interlude, Tuvara, Cinnabar, Coco. These are my favorite types of fragrance. Mmmm.

Tabu is a classic for a reason. Warm, rich ,sultry ,with amazing depth and there's a root beer note ! People say it's dated but I disagree. It withstands the test of time.

This is dated, but also smells SO good, like an aged wine. Very spicy non-carnation floral that’s timelessly attractive, and bold. Tabu is more spice cabinet than cola for me, cinnamon incense without myrrh. It reminds me of a smokey jasmine incense stick, but without the harsh contrast created by green indoles and burning resin. Spices and wood smooth the transition, and make it warm without a trace of anything herbal.

I expected a cheap fireball whiskey cinnamon, so am pleasantly surprised by the complexity and subtlety of this blend. Still, this is a white floral for a woman who knows what she is doing; it goes either femme fatale or motherly, depending on demeanor and dress. With generous application it can be loud and come-hither as it was designed, but I think this has been around long enough that the French prostitute connection no longer holds. With one or two sprays, it settles down to a quieter but still mysterious feminine ideal. A real classic, and I can see why it has stuck around so long and spawned many iterations.

Honey, incense, skanky florals and musk. Classic for any vintage lover and for the price, most people who love perfume should own this.

I, too, love Tabu as a bedtime scent. It’s a joy to wake up to the powdery, ambery sweetness that develops overnight. It’s my favorite part of Tabu. As others noted, Tabu can be quite sensitive to weather and humidity. When it’s really cold, I get an oud note for some reason about three hours in. Not a big fan of the way the spices behave in the first 30 minutes - very barbershop-y and confrontational raw alcohol. Then they warm and open up to become an incense and opium den cloud in Morocco with a flower and fruit vendor outside and an Indian restaurant next door. Sticky hashish, sweet curry, exotic teas, star anise, a basket of oranges, and musk, musk, musk. Tabu actually doesn’t have enough patchouli for me (I know) but a dab of the oil on my chest before I spray works perfectly. Tabu is a familiar, warm comforting companion, a time traveller, a glamorous, unique old friend.

The lightest, most approachable take on a (spicy) amber floral fragrance. The spices are sweet, the cloves are lightly smoky, and the sometimes-challenging civet is tempered by a very agreeable amber-benzoin-sandalwood trifecta. All other notes swirl around in the background, content to play supporting roles.
Intoxicating and persistent as all else, that perfect balance of sophisticated lady and cheeky little rebel. No relation to Obsession, that one is an animalic amber face-slapper, definitely not like Tabu.
Lasts for well over 12+ hrs with a major scent trail that draws everyone in.
Major compliment getter, an absolute staple in anyone's collection.

The reviews stating Tabu has a strong cola note aren't exaggerating. That's the first thing I sensed, and it drowned out almost everything else until I held my nose directly against my wrist for a few seconds. I wasn't expecting that, given the association with sensuality and even indecent sexually charged muskiness. That's all behind the rather sweet cola, mixed with the spiciness, but it's there. The eau de cologne formula fades quickly with a lingering, delicious trace you can still smell if you get close enough. Great for a date.

After about two hours, the cola and spice notes started blending to smell like dark chocolate with vanilla. Now I officially love it.

Tabu is such an underrated GEM! My very first impression was, "Now THIS is a perfume! My gosh!"! Following the few hours after the first spray, I could still smell this beautiful coco-cola/antique shop/incense vibe swirling around me. Intoxicating, beautiful, sexy, and confident! Definitely not for the shy woman! Even if you're on the fence, given the very low cost, you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain from experiencing this one-of-a-kind scent!

I don't get the comparison to Obsession, these are two entirely different fragrances. Tabu thankfully lacks the heavy handed slap in the face Obsession carries and surely won't choke out a room like Obsession either. Not to mention Tabu predates it by a long while. Tabu is light and powdery with an airy warmth and mild floral/spice notes, maybe a dash of something resinous. The fact this was created as a "fragrance for a whore" is odd because I find it tame and classic. Something an older woman who's dignified and motherly may wear, or something you may have found wafting around an old dance hall or jazz club. It almost conjures images of girls dancing with their men in uniform before they shipped off to war. Perhaps that's simply because it's from the era most of our grandparents grew up in, who knows. I can see this being unisex if you have the vibe for it, I'll wear it without shame.

Oh Tabu, you skanky, just got fucked, glorious, wonderful slutty whore; I love you. If Tabu was a person she’d be a high class sex worker, she’d charge what she’s worth and have a waiting list. She’d be in charge and if anyone tried to dicker a deal, a spanking would ensue and you’d thank her for the abuse. Sorry not sorry for the graphic nature of my description but, you know I’m right. Give me your boozy, sleepy eyed wink, give me your raw animalistic RAWR! I have worn her for two decades, I’ve adored her in all her forms, from the beginning of her creation to her current form and have appreciated it. This is not for little girls, keep your sugar garbage and try Tabu. Be unique, and find your own path to become someone who doesn’t follow the masses into the boring crowds of cotton candy and caramel….you’ll surly get lost.

I have always worn the body spray until now.
I bought the EDC in the rectangular shape with the grey plastic lid for $15 and it is well worth the money. It smells lovely 😻 It will definitely be repurchased in future. Will be buying the soap and deodorant to match.

Edit: Also picked up a Tabu set with talcum powder and the swirly cylinderical glass bottle for $15. Smells very nice, maybe a bit stronger scent and more citrus than my aforementioned bottle. Both worth purchasing.
🐱👍

This reminds me of Obsession. Definitely a unisex scent leaning more masculine. I laughed when I saw they sell a dusting powder. I forgot about dusting powders. I still prefer Obsession, but this smells great.

Dana Tabu is an old-school spice bomb, the precursor to iconic scents like Estée Lauder Youth Dew and Cinnabar, the original YSL Opium, Stetson and CK Obsession. It is now available very cheaply, so I blind-bought a full bottle in addition to other more considered scent purchases. Infamously, Jean Carles was instucted to create "a perfume for a whore" when given the brief for Tabu. Given how tastes and trends evolve, such an assignment today would be more likely to produce something akin to Pink Sugar, but I digress. Tabu is unisex, even masculine-leaning by today's standards, and I'll admit that it is not for me, except to be kept as a reference. I admire scents like Youth Dew and Coco, so I thought I'd like Tabu, but it is too bitter, heavy and masculine for my taste.

Tabu is a strong, old-fashioned (even dated) scent, and opens with a balsamic blast of cola and spice. The citruses temper the opening, giving some semblance of freshness, and perhaps thanks to this, I find the opening quite pleasant. However, it quickly becomes bitter and dense, slightly unpleasant to my nose. There is something medicinal about it, conjuring up images of blue glass cork-stoppered bottles.

The florals emerge as it develops, with big, indolic jasmine and carnal, waxy ylang ylang taking centre stage. The rose is evident, but is stifled by the white florals. It remains spicy, Dr Pepper-like, and becomes resinous as it develops further. It is earthy and dirty, with patchouli and mossy vetiver evident as it dries down. Woody notes creep in, bolstered by the spices and a smoky incense note. There is a leather note in there too. It fades (eventually) to an animalic, ambery skin scent with spicy notes remaining until the (bitter) end.

Tabu is an enormous, bombastic scent, with strong sillage and longevity. Best worn as a night scent during autumn/winter, fifty years ago. It is a complex, trailblazing scent and I appreciate its role in fragrance history, but I just cannot bring myself to like Tabu. However, I must try a vintage sample for comparison. 2/5.

Dana Tabu (1932) - amber cola - legendary #jeancarles who founded the Givaudan perfume school is a must in everyone perfume collection. At the top, I get a spices: Cinnamon, Clove, and coriander intermingled with Orange and Bergamot. It transitions to a ylang, rose, jasmine heart yet the star of the show are the amber resins: balsamic Benzoin, Vanilla, Labdanum. Accord is balanced by Sandalwood, Patchouli, Oakmoss and animalic Civet. Reminds me of spicy cola and vintage leather bags.

Bought this because of the coca cola vibe. The first spray was headache inducing for me. The dry down is better. There were times that I hate it, and there were also times that I like it. I dnt knw. It smells like coca cola, incensy, medicinal, sometimes like an old cabinet, and outdated... It's a 50/50 for me. In my opinion it's not a safe blind.

Tabu has made me nauseous since I was a child. It’s the only perfume that makes me want to be sick. I can smell it at 10 paces and it’s one that fills an entire room. If you are using it for the love of whichever god(s), please do so sparingly. I think the warm spicy woody musky combination is too much for me. It’s a completely dated scent in my opinion - reminds me of overly made-up old ladies chain smoking in closed rooms. Ie for me it has no redeeming features and I’m actually shocked at how many reviews are positive on here! Lol.

Tabu is my ultimate comfort scent! It's spicy, sweet cola syrup with decadent amber and musk. There's a candied citrus fruitiness, but enough spice to counteract the sweetness. Tabu reminds me of the clove-studded oranges that decorated my mother's dining room table in the fall. It is homey and dry, cozy with a sexy tease. Don't be fooled by the "cologne" concentration; this is quite potent with great sillage, even on my scent-devouring skin. I often seek out Tabu when I'm in need of comfort, when I want to be soothed, or anytime during the cooler months. It is perfect for an evening in with your honey, sharing a blanket by the fire, or on a candle-lit date - whenever you want to draw someone near. This reads as a unisex scent to me, despite the sweetness. I will never be without it!

Every year when the weather cools I find myself digging for my Tabu. It is such a shame that some people don’t understand the importance of this fragrance. It is silky smooth and warm like no other fragrance I own. If you love sweet white florals, this is your baby. This can be sultry but if your a school marm this won’t sully your reputation. You’ll just have a bit of mystery, like, that miss Janice is such a bookworm but I bet she can get wild sometimes, lol. This on me is not spicy like my Opium or Red, this is in a league of her own. If this was chocolate it would be 98% cacao. Smooth, a little sweet slightly sensuous. A beautiful creation, I’m so happy this in my arsenal. Last note, don’t be discouraged if you can only find new bottles. I don't even have to over-spray and you won’t believe the longevity. It’s understated, not in your face like Youth Dew, but it lasts for HOURS, try it you won’t regret it

I want this so badly. I too would love to smell like cola

What a beautiful, gorgeous fragrance! To me, it starts off with that cola-like note which so many others have mentioned, along with some vintage makeup notes, then it settles down into a wonderful spicy, incensy, citrusy, honey, rosy, animalic, pleasant patchouli scent. It's strong and bold, but so elegant, classic, and timeless. Lovely lovely lovely!

Smells like that store 10,000 villages, like incense patchouli and sandalwood

Always curious about orientals, I ordered a bottle of the new formula. Old-fashioned and dated are the words that came to mind when I first sprayed it. Transported me be back to my great grandmothers room and made me think of her old wooden wardrobe and Singer machine. Incense-y and spicy with very tiny bit of orange, noticeable cloves and overall woody feel. Reminded me of Emeraude a little bit, not sure if it is the spiciness or just general old fashioned feel. I would never wear this, but I would keep it and spray on days when I remember my grandmothers and want to feel close to them again.

Love Tabu it never gets dated. First time coming across this was in 1976 was in awe & still am.

This is for vintage, which seems to still be pretty inexpensive in the gray market.

This came out in 1932 but this is my first time smelling it. The first thing I thought of was an attractive, statuesque model-type in a 1980s power suit. It's very evocative of the 1980s, in my opinion.

Now normally, I don't like oriental fragrances. But Tabu is very inviting and comforting. I can't see it being an easy fragrance to pull off, but I can definitely see it working on the right woman. It's a formal fragrance but there's some seduction in there too, making it kind of sexy. It's a bold fragrance that needs to be worn by someone with confidence.

I'm surprised how much I like it. Definitely a classic women's fragrance that may even be considered timeless.

8/10

It's nice, spicey, oriental.
I like the Dry down, sweet, ambery, resinous, powdery, slightly dirty.
Men can wear it.
I wear it.
People ask.
It's Tabu.

I’m in love with Tabu, I want to bathe in it. Rose, honey, oranges and incense. So beautiful and lush. It makes me think of all things cozy, warm, luxurious. Hot chocolate, whiskey, velvet, fur coats, beautiful hardcover vintage books. Smokey jazz clubs, dinner by candlelight, old libraries, the backseat of a lover’s car.

It must be the orange, but Tabu also reminds me of Coca-Cola, a less glamorous association.

I do detect a slightly plastic, synthetic note, but it doesn’t ruin the experience for me. If I’m this enchanted by the cheap drugstore version of this classic, the vintage must be heaven in a bottle.

This smells like Salem, MA… that lightly sweet amber, powdery incense, old books and beautiful wood floors… vintage

Oh my goodness! This is not fabulous, it isn’t stunning, it isn’t classy, I guess maybe it could be, but this to my mind is exquisite. The richness, the depth it’s divine. I first smelled this as a little girl in the early 80s my grandmother worked at the Goodwill and would bring home all kinds of goodies and luckily for me she would have perfumes on her counter. She would say “no me esculques” Which means don’t rummage through my things, but I couldn’t resist. I’d always be there like a stubborn little moth to a perfume flame. This one I remember thinking I didn’t like, it smelled inappropriate and rude even then to my tiny snobby nose lol! Now, this is pure ambrosia to my nose. It starts out like root beer for sure but it’s the dry down, utterly divine. Warm, sweet, so comforting! I will never get rid of this! So beautiful! Made for a prostitute, whatever! It’s absolutely gorgeous!

Note: I am shocked at the performance on this. It dries down softly but it lasts! I don't even have to over spray, worth every penny

Sniff testing vintage Tabu on my right arm, newer formulation on my left.. the Vintage stands out.. I smell incense! The newer formulation faded more quickly. (I am 57, & used Tabu most often as a teenager.)

Alisha10, try Kouros or Aramis and think again.

Most filthy powerfully disgusting scent I have ever smelt in my life.

Tabu has been my signature scent for 48 years first started wearing when I was 14 I have got a litre bottle of vintage from the 60's plus several new ones. It has changed with reformulation but it's still Tabu I've got several different perfumes all vintage but there is only one Tabu I get compliments all the time from both men and women they all say I smell so good x

I have worn the body spray form of Tabu since my high school days. It exudes goddess vibes. I imagine Louise Brooks, Claudette Colbert and Cleopatra smelt like this. An intriguing, mysterious scent. Well suited to a darkly elegant person.

The fact this has gained the (dumb and offensive) title of “old lady scent” is a tragedy. This is a masterpiece.

This is my favorite bar/club scent. It fits perfectly and let me tell you, people go crazy over it almost subconsciously. Men of all ages. Also the name is just so perfect and iconic.

It's a cold, rainy day in May, and because it's chilly, I am allowing myself to indulge in one of my favorite scents, a perfume I love but usually restrict to cold weather: Tabu.

When Tabu and I first met, it wasn't a love story. I was cooking dinner, and the box I'd ordered arrived in the mail. I was so excited to test this notorious legend of a scent that I opened it immediately, spritzed some on, and went back to sauteing my garlic and onions.

Big mistake. The combination of Tabu and garlic-onion-olive oil, plus the steam wafting up from the pot of water I had boiling for pasta, literally made me nauseous. And that never happens to me; perfume has been known to give me a headache, but Tabu is the only scent that has made me feel sick. Dismayed, I scrubbed as much of the Tabu as I could and managed to cobble together a respectable bolognese.

So how did I go from nauseous to adding Tabu to my favorites shelf? Well, I put Tabu away in my closet for several weeks, until I was ready to give it a proper try. Freshly showered and dressed, I steeled myself, and gave one tentative spritz. And Tabu bloomed into something beautiful that I have loved ever since. The initial blast of spice does remind me somewhat of Obsession, but where Obsession is dry and woody, Tabu is orangey and sweet. This morphs into a sweet amber floral with strong cloves, and then into a wonderful musky-powdery incense that retains hints of spice.

Tabu is not a classy lady; it is, after all, "un parfum de puta," and it's not easy to wear. I have a new bottle, not one of the vintage ones, and one or two sprays are all you'll need. And, as I mentioned, I find it best suited to cold weather; summer heat and humidity would create the nauseating effect I experienced by testing it over the stove. I know better now. Treated carefully and with respect, Tabu is a reward in itself. I am so glad I gave it a second try.

Update: I've noticed that sometimes this stuff can smell like dried pee. Well, dried pee plus perfume, or PEEfume, if you will.

Original review: I like it. I received an order in the mail which included Tabu about three weeks ago. I have used it a number of times. One thing that throws me is something that to my nose smells like mint or maybe a minty mouthwash, even. Does anyone else smell that?

Full Disclosure: My sense of smell is, to say the least, sometimes weak, and evidently wildly out of whack with what others smell.

In fact, I quickly become anosmic to plenty of fragrances. Which is why I began my fragrance hobby, and it is also why I am attracted to perfumes and colognes that are notoriously strong.

Someone gave me their discarded bottle in the 70’s when I was a little girl. I would spray it on and my dad hated it. He’d throw it in the garbage and I’d fish it back out. I’d love to get my hands on a vintage bottle.

I've passed by this perfume in Walmart a ton of times, never really giving it any thought. That's until I started doing research on dark, earthy, and obscure smelling perfumes. Someone mentioned a goth girl could wear this, and I agree. It's my aesthetic and I like this a lot. When I first sprayed it I was a bit worried because it had that "vintage" perfume smell to it, but that went away quick. When it starts drying down though, oh boy. That's when the dark root beer/cola smell comes out that other reviewers talk about and it's sooo good. It does remind me of a dark and boozy root beer float. A few also mentioned they find comfort in this perfume at night and I couldn't agree more. I love falling asleep to it.

It has great projection and lasts several hours on my skin, for the price I paid I'm actually shocked it's that good. I've paid a lot more for perfumes that don't last half as long or have the projection this one does. I put this as a winter/fall night smell because I think most would find this too strong for a spring/summer day scent. It definitely has that cold autumn night vibe, but me personally I'd wear it all year.

Such a beauty! Bought this recently, the square transparent 100 ml bottle, with grey cap. I totally understand why this was a beast. I am jealous of past times. Fabulous, glorious, polarizing scent. Such giant of a fragrance deserves to be made better, even if it means a higher price. On me, goes straight to skin scent relatively quickly ( maybe it is just me), and I have skin used to bombs like this. BUT, to be fair, it stays for a few more hours with intimate, powdery sillage, but still! This deserves to be made better! I get around 4 hours in total, which is very good for a cheapie. I am not complaining, it is still very good and you get what you pay for this version, just wish Dana to step up and give this beast the glory it deserves, even if it means paying a bit more. Dana, don't give up on this one ever!

To me, this is the quintessential 'grandma' fragrance, and that's not a bad thing. It reminds me of my late Nana, this was her signature scent. Fond memories!

Sadly, it seems like many folks have tried the new reformulated bottles. I have a vintage and it's absolutely amazing!!! Makes me sad to think the new bottles are made so horribly because the vintage is so damn good!!!

Ladies: If you can get your hands on a vintage, it might make a HUGE difference as to whether you like it. I'm pretty sure my bottle is 20 years old and it's still glorious.

Something similar to Tabu is Moschino as many stated. I don't smell any comparison to Opium, Obsession or Youth Dew in the vintage. But I do sense a tiny bit of Moschino, which I have and also love.

Try the vintage if you can. :)
Happy March everyone!

I completely dislike it in my skin. Please message me if you want to get it, I wanna get rid of it.

Smells like some sweets I ate as a kid.

Then my chemistry decides to turn it bad.

If you can pull it out please free me from this bottle.

@Beccyb95 In my opinion they aren't men if they hate it lol. Jokes aside I'm also younger and get nothing but glowing compliments from menfolk when wearing Tabu. And even if they don't like it, who cares. In my experience women tend to dislike it more, be prepared for either surprise and delight or backhanded comments from older women. Most people are indifferent as long as you don't overspray and choke them though, which leads into my next point..
I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of people who dislike Tabu have either abused or misused it, or had to deal with someone else who did lol.
New Tabu can be bathed in and it won't bother anyone except the very whiny or those with asthma. Vintage Tabu is a beast though and needs one (or 2 max) spray or dab. It works best at or below freezing temps and low humidity.
It can take some trial and error cause Tabu seems particularly fussy when it comes to temp, humidity, and individual chemistry. Especially for people who have a menstrual cycle since it can smell different on a person's skin day to day depending on the point of that cycle. All perfumes can do this but no other frag I've used is as different on me day to day and even every bottle I've owned has been slightly or even drastically different on its own. New and 1940s parfum and all in between, distinctly Tabu but all unique.
Tabu is a real work of art so anyone who can wear it is blessed and we should wear it in 2021 with pride. It may not be as pricey as Shalimar for example, but it is just as beautiful and important in the history of modern perfumery. It doesn't have fancy packaging or a hot celebrity endorsing it but it's still good shit. Any fragrance can smell terrible and cheap if oversprayed, used in an attempt to cover BO, or used in less than ideal weather. The price tag and marketing aren't everything and without a doubt this would fetch a pretty penny if any hip indie or niche house released it today.
Fly that freak flag, eat the last slice of cake, tell your dickhead boss to get fucked, and wear 90 year old perfume. Carpe diem.

@Beccyb95 - the men of your age or any age will not hate it. They will suddenly be overcome with a strange desire to suddenly need a rootbeer float; you will be the recipient of many ice cream and premium coffee dates. ; )

This smells like nag champa, churches and old ladies. I LOVE it. I suspect most men my age will hate it. I don’t care. I’m going to live my best, loud, musky, powdery-spicy life.

An Elegy to Tabu
Tabu is that perfume that has everything. Look at those notes! That's a perfume. It has so many moods. It's warm, cool, cozy, funny, sexy, young, mature, in control, outta control, mystical, witchy, familiar, sweet, skanky. I love the opening juicy citrus, the cola with lots of ice on a hot day, the rootbeer float, incense and resins, cuddlely animal scent. It has modern daring with a nostalgic quality of hard working working-class grandmothers who treated themselves with this for the most special occasions. I have had many bottles of this. It's a go-to when nothing else in the wardrobe pleases. It kept me calm and able to sleep at night during the darkest days of the pandemic and quarantine. I needed a new bottle, so I ordered a bottle and a gift set for myself (with lotion and body wash - was so excited) from Dana directly.

Then came the distress of what they did to the legend. I spayed, expecting the blast of citrus and waited for the glorious unfolding. It didn't happen, it was watery, thin, and fell apart to leave some weak wood smell. It lasted 10 minutes and poof, gone. I emailed the Dana Co. to express my horror and sadness. They didn't have the decency to get back to me. I actually purchased a knockoff perfume oil that is my beloved Tabu. Please, people don't buy the newest iteration of this once amazing scent. It's a ripoff. I can't believe they had the nerve to bottle and sell this garbage and call it Tabu.

This perfume is so pleasurable i gotta write my 2nd review about it. The dry down is paradise. Powder, spices, coca cola, incense smoke, the expensive church type real resin and herbs incense. It's not even a perfume i swear it's a drug, maybe there's a secret note of heroin or cocaine. Cus I will get withdrawal symptoms without my Tabu fix. This is my night time cuddle, comforter and a piece of heaven at bed time. My very fav bed time scent. My main signature scent is hypnotic poison as I've been wearing for past 20 yrs but now I've discovered Tabu amongst hundreds of other perfumes in my collection i can honestly say Tabu is my second signature scent. I have 2 vintage back ups and two modern ones, I love them... i want to collect a few others to see the difference in reformulations. Yes the vintage ones are stronger but I'm just as addicted to the modern ones of today.... I have a bath gel set and can't wait to try that out. I need a vintage bar of soap too and my bathtime will be heaven on earth. Those that get put off on first spray, you need to wait for the dry down when the base notes ooooze out. This perfume is super strong and lasts for hrs and it's a steal cus truly it should cost the earth for the true gem it is. ❤🌠

Habanita's more spicy older sister. Vintage in the same way with incredible performance. Powdery, powder puff but a bit more spicy. Cooler weather appropriate. I purchased a current formulation and it is vintage enough for me. Much like Habanita, I enjoy Tabu as a bedtime scent.

This was a blind buy (at the very affordable price, it was worth a risk) but I can’t even bring myself to put it on my skin! The smell when opening the box put me off immediately. I couldn’t place it straight away, but the medicated quality was very familiar.

I sprayed it, cautiously, onto a card and put it aside, as I could almost taste the top notes and it was not at all to my liking.

When I came back to the room later, the smell was overwhelming, and I realised that I recognised it as a dog shampoo.

Clearly we all have different tastes and preferences (hurrah!), but though I love big, heady scents, I just couldn’t get on board with this one. Like any fragrance, I’m sure on others it could be lovely. Sadly, not for me.

EDIT: -

I felt uncharitable writing this off without even trying it on my skin (and I really *want* to like it!), so sprayed some on the back of my hand.

It was very licorice-like first up, and has since mellowed into a sweet, powdery scent.

I stand by the dog shampoo comparison when on paper. On my skin it’s different. I wouldn’t want to be known for it, and I won’t be keeping the bottle, but it’s less offensive on my skin.

Finally a true incense that is not overwhelmed by citruses and focuses on the cola-spice and jasmine! The jasmine peaks through and really gives the incense a stingy bite, making it the most realistic representation of a pack of incense. Tabu really smells like the LUSH store. In the mornings before leaving the house I would burn incense around me with the hope that it would carry through the day but the incense usually would depart by the time I got to where I needed to go.

While it sounds chaotic and sacrilegious, I spritzed pink sugar as a base to layer Tabu on top of, and I have to say Im digging this.

Tabu, while a complete showstopper on its own is an opportunity to provide an "edge" or a "i burn incense in my room" vibe to any perfume you choose to wear. Which is what I have been searching for! This is an original indie-banger.

Edit: Ahhhhhh that forsaken civet makes this challenging. Be forewarned...

So I've had a bottle of Tabu for a few months now.

It's certainly something. It's has this lovely dark, smoky and spicy scent that makes you feel like a femme fatale sitting in a classy bar in a film noir.

That being said it smells like a boozy night at a classy bar, to me it smells initially a bit like whisky and cherry coke and slowly turns into Disaronno.

It's very very enjoyable if you don't think too much into it.

This review is based on the current formulation of Tabu by Dana.

I so wanted to like this after reading the reviews and the notes but I can't say that I do. At first I get a strong spicy opening which reminds me very much of Opium. I picked up on the cola scent others mentioned. Not a regular cola but a natural herby one. After the initial opening the earthiness starts to settle in and there's something in this that I don't like. Narcissus perhaps? It reminds me of Karma by Lush but not as fresh and citrusy. I was happy to see that others had also sniffed this similarity! This perfume ends by giving me vibes of Blue Grass by Elizabeth Arden with a kind of floral and herb mix, but blended with damp earth and powdery urine which gives it a stereotypical "old lady" vibe. It does not smell sweet to my nose unfortunately.

I do think that this is a perfume that would be different for everyone and that on someone else's skin this might smell nice. For the price and for experiencing a piece of perfume history it was definitely worth the risk of getting a bottle! :)

This is glorious! Some folks have compared Anne Klein II to this but no way! AKII is very powdery and I'm not fond of the powder stuff. (I just received my sale purchase from Macy's today and not loving it at all -- ugh.).

I pulled out my Tabu to see if there was a comparison. Nothing! Not even close! Tabu is sparkly and vibrant! It's pretty darn good I must say! I don't know for sure if I have a vintage but more sure than not, and if this version were to hit the market today, it would be a hit! It's THAT good!

An oldie but a goodie for sure! Tabu should have a category all to its own. Seriously.

I like this sarsaparilla scent a lot.

Sweet, incense-y, fun. I can smell the Coca-Cola and it makes me smile. A keeper. Got it at Walmart. The spray is really fine, so you get a nice cloud mist when you spray yourself.

@gin42 if you can get your hands on a vintage (preferably the PARFUM) you'll be in for a out of this world treat! Simply DIVINE ;-)

A week or so ago, I was on Fragrantica and I ended up on the Tabu page for some reason🤷🏻♀️. I have seen this perfume before, but never had even the slightest interest in smelling it. I figured it’s probably stinky, old, outdated. I read some reviews out of boredom though. It supposedly smells like a French prostitute, but that doesn’t really say a lot because that could be said about many perfumes. One reviewer however, said it smelled just like the incense/oil smells of a metaphysical shop. That particular review is what peaked my curiosity. I looked at the notes, all of which I like. This perfume actually sounded like it might be wonderful.....

I was at Wal-Mart today, and saw it for under $13, so I had to get it. I was thinking this is going to be awesome or horrific. For the price, I thought what the hell. I got in my car, spritzed it once, twice, three times...

All I’m going to say is, OMG, where has this been all my life?!?!?! It smells EXACTLY like a metaphysical store! Heavy on the incense and patchouli! I see that some people have compared it to Karma by Lush, but I don’t think they smell alike...Tabu is definitely in that same strange family of fragrances though. I think it smells more like Sikkim Girls. There is a retro weirdness that they definitely share. For the price, this seriously puts many of Lush’s fragrances to shame. This is the perfect signature scent for a woman with a cool, alternative style (my favorite). I get the French whore vibe, but to me it’s better described as sexy, strange, intriguing, different.

I gave myself a headache at work because I couldn’t stop taking heavy whiffs of it because I enjoyed it so much! I’m tempted to give away my KVD Sinner perfume because I can’t imagine ever choosing to wear it over this one!! This is a treasure hidden in plain sight!

Can I just say I howled at the previous comment of " I quite enjoy smelling like a 1940s French whore". This is how my dear sweet grandmother referred to this fragrance when my mother bought it for her as a Christmas gift LOL. For me this fragrance reminds me of a spicey female version of Old Spice. I love the spice and incense vibe of this old school fragrance. A goth girl or naughty grandma can rock this fragrance, it's a raunchy classic!

Sexy, dirty, classic and chic.
The price charged for this is a joke, it is very Cheap!!!!

Really surprised at how much I liked this one. Have been into vintage fragrances this year and this is just a wonderful find. Its got the right amount of fresh, spicy and creamy aspects and just melts into my skin into this lovely fragrance cloud that is discernible but not pungent. I do have to spray quite a large amount so its definitely not as strong as I think it used to be, but I've never smelt the original formula before. It is so cheap here where I live so I really don't mind moving through the bottle quickly

I have a vintage bottle of Tabu, sprayed 5 sprays and I choked everyone had to change shirts. I guess my bottle is vintage bec it’s Uber strong. Smells like a makeup bag that has tons of makeup spelt in the bottom. Loving the vintage vibe I get from it. Beautiful smell!! Love it!!

I am new to the world of fragrances, so I'm not sure if my review is worthy. I bought this for my grandmother, and my wife. Needless to say, my wife was horrified. Therefore, this may not be a choice for women in their 30's.

I, on the other hand, fell in love! This is a beautiful feminine fragrance. I smell amber, sweetened with honey, a bit of vanilla, licorice, cozy spice, light floral, musk, and very unique notes!

I would describe this perfume as being complex, sophisticated, and elegant. I honestly think this would work for a woman of any age! If this low cost perfume was repackaged into a modern bottle, and given a French name, then it would sell at an expensive price!

Smelling this as a child in the 1960s, it made me gag. But tastes change and now in my late 50s I quite enjoy smelling like a 1940s French whore. Hate can turn into love, if you give it time. I don't wear it every day - but once in a while it is nice to take my nose on a time-travelling journey to a place where smelling like a whore was scandalous and taboo! Definitely belongs in the arena of Obsession/Opium/Youth Dew. I was able to buy a spray bottle and also a tiny violin splash bottle. The little violin was three dollars at a warehouse sale, and makes a great gift for little kids who enjoy cute bottles. Who knows, you could be planting the seed of future fragrance fans. For those of you who want to try it, start with a small spritz, and keep trying over time if you don't like it. Eventually you will appreciate the sexy spiciness and vintage vibe. Enjoy the journey!

I bought this today on a whim and to me, it smells like freshly washed, still slightly damp, warm, naturally perfumed skin. It smells so naturally skin-like but is so distinctly oriental at the same time, it's absolutely fantastic! It makes my skin smell as if I naturally had a residue from my perfume, that was warmed up by a shower (the skin-like effect). It's wonderful!

I would also like to note that it smells like "older" oriental perfumes, with a distinctly vintage vibe but I think that's part of what makes it timeless, as it still smells great.
Also, as a strange but nice combination, I tried a spray of each Tabu and Aramis combined and they smell nice together!

I bought a decant only.
Wow, this is indeed animalic, sensual, warm... It is timeless and still wearable today, even if it was released in 1932.
This doesn't resemble any other scent mentioned below, nor Obsession, nor Opium, nor Youth Dew. This one lacks the harshness and bitterness that those have.
Well blended composition, I can smell the spices, but (unfortunately) the dominant floral notes as well, especially jasmine. This is a hidden gemstone, yet for me, it's too floral.

This is my Mom's all time favorite perfumes. Yves Saint Laurent loved Tabu so much that he created Opium in homage to Tabu! It is a lovely spicy fragrance. I buy it every Christmas for my Mom. Opium is her second favorite.

Tabu Tabu Tabu you are raved and hated in equal measure. Unfortunately I fall under the latter camp. I bought it inexpensively online for research purposes. Straight back to the box. The stench of an unwashed person who stinks of weed sitting in church on my skin! Is this a joke perfume? No root beer/coca cola/exquisitely blended spices on my skin I was repulsed.
It smells cheap it costs cheap I'm so annoyed. Definitely not a safe blind buy!

Ava Gardner wore this. And really, that says it all.
Incredibly seductive, smells like a 1940s nightclub siren. Also strangle cozy which is certainly part of sex appeal, no?

I'd seen this perfume about all my life and never thought to try it, until my daughter picked it up.
It was on special at a local pharmacy and I will be going back to get another bottle - I love it.
It has all my favourite elements and the musk and amber comes through very strongly for me, while my daughter picked up on the woody notes first.
It lasts well for an EDC too and has great sillage.
Definately a new favourite.

Tabu has a strong scent. I first tried this in Japan last year (expensive there). It was made for prostitutes, French courtesans. In today's standards, it is more masculine unisex imho. It could be labeled a cologne for Gigolos. I wear this for partying with smoking around. Inexpensive classic cologne. It will stay in my wardrobe.

Delicious cola root beer. All the depth and spicy warmth of those quintessential Caribbean drinks, minus the lime. Amber spice cozy comfort to wear for pure pleasure.

Oh my god! I was expecting a difficult , overly complex vintage (come on, I'm not the only one who thinks "oh lord" as soon as the little civet cat picture pops up!), skanky thing, but instead I get a warm, sweetly spiced headshop aroma! This smells just like the incense they burn in metaphysical shops and expensive yoga studios. I will absolutely be purchasing a full-sized bottle as soon as my sample runs out. Just like with my precious Aromatics Elixir, I don't necessarily know if other people will love this aroma emanating from me, but I will be wearing this alluring, beautiful fragrance for my own pleasure.

P.S. this doesn't smell anything like Youth Dew, which is beautiful in its own way but is indeed that difficult, animalic perfume to which I was referring.

I finally bought Tabu after it kept popping up next to all my favourite perfumes on Fragrantica, all of which are pre-1985, and most of which are pre-1950. To be fair, I do like a Big Gun of a perfume like Femme Rochas, and Tabu is only a cologne, but unfortunately I find it very underwhelming. I don’t dislike it; there is nothing in it that bothers me; I enjoy its vanilla, spice, leather elements; it just doesn’t do much for me. I am glad I only paid $15 for it. But I do appreciate an original fragrance which, at its time, would have been a groundbreaker, and am proud to own a lovely piece of history.

Tabu is my Holy Grail. Such that, I don't know where to begin or end this review. This is the scent that started it all, both for my personal perfume journey, and inspiring the countless other perfumes that I would grow to love (Youth-Dew, Obsession, Opium-- they all have Tabu to thank).

I understand that Tabu has been through countless reformulations, to the extent that whatever I may be purchasing in stores here may not at all resemble what it was when it was made nearly 100 years ago. Nevertheless, I enjoy modern Tabu.

I understand it as a hallmark oriental. Even through the various formulations (and noticing differences even in the couple years that I've been buying it regularly!), Tabu always smells like comfortably warm root beer in the bottle. It's both sexy and familiar, the coquette-ish tease of a root beer float while playing footsy. Upon spraying, it opens with a strong lemon that's already been zested with spices and cloves. The rose and patchouli dance together, but forever preserved in a hard case of amber that's been dusted with allspice. There are notes of both vanilla, cinnamon, and incense, though none are listed; I interpret this as a delightful combination of the benzoin & spices. Tabu brought to mind smokey bars, the linger of a lover's whiskey-filled breath. Tabu is licentious, sacred libation to remind the wearer of both class and controversy, and how sexy it is to not worry about judgment. Tabu is Lilith, who refuses to be subordinate to Adam, and fully embraces its gender-bending power of sex and sensuality.

My first experience was a blind by in my mid-teens (circa 2014) at WalMart. I had never really purchased a perfume before, aside from some Bath & Body Works mists, and even though it was only a $10 purchase from the drug store, it felt like a foray into the world of perfumery for me. Upon bringing it home, and spraying only twice, my step-father complained that I had "overdone" the perfume, and that he was becoming nauseous. An hour later, he was begging me to stop spraying, even though I hadn't done any further. The next time I would attempt to wear this, I would spray it outside, only for my neighbor hanging her laundry to comment that I "smelled good" from a good 25 feet away!

At 16, I did not understand perfume notes, and I was not able to discern what about this new, apparently powerful scent, was doing. This bottle would last about a year, but literally no other purchase has ever matched the sillage of the initial buy. The scent brought to mind bakeries to me in the bottle, but upon spraying, I was nearly overwhelmed with the lemon & neroli, until it comfortable sizzled and settled into a licentiously spicy blend of cloves, amber, and patchouli. Tabu would merge with my body's natural odor in a way that didn't disguise it, but actually cooperated with my body in a way that gave Tabu an even stronger muskier edge, while diminishing the unpleasantness of raw B.O. To this day, it still does this better than any perfume (save for Youth-Dew).

Now, 6 years later, Tabu is my signature scent, and the only perfume I will panic if I run out of. Tabu It still has commendable staying power and strength, but I find I either suffer from olfactory fatigue, or it's simply not as strong as my first impression (from an already-newer formulation). I carry the bottle in my purse with me, and while my first few bottles would be able to be smelled from the recesses of my bag (even with the cap on), the last couple I've had are surprisingly well-behaved in public until I start spraying them.

I just purchased a new bottle last week, once again from WalMart. The bottle still smells like root beer when I sniff it. Lemon is stronger in the opening here, but the dry-down is the ultra-familiar combinations of all things warm, cozy, and controversially alluring. This newest purchase doesn't seem to last as long as even the previous; I'm under the impression that they continually weaken the scent with every new production. Regardless, Tabu brings to mind gun molls, Lauren Bacall in The Big Sleep, burlesque shows, and the hedonistic night clubs that I called home before the COVID-19 pandemic.

I hope to purchase vintage bottles at some point or another. I've had my eye on some sets that contain both the perfume and dusting powder, from various years. I am content with Tabu as it exists now, but I look forward to fully understanding what a journey this scent has been on in its century of a legacy.

It’s not very strong, but it’s lasts a very long time. When I first spray it I smell citrus, neroli, and coriander, and maybe some other spices. Then after about 5 minutes I start smelling amber, vanilla, and a little bit of woodiness. After that it doesn’t really change very much. I really love this stuff. My grandmother used to wear it in the ‘60s, so I got her a little mini cologne bottle of it from an antique store. Nowadays she mostly wears Avon, which I don’t like very much. I think most of their fragrances smell too musky and way to similar to each other. She literally sprays one spray and walks through it, which I think is weird because the Avon fragrances she has are very weak. She doesn’t want to affect other people’s allergies. Just wanted to share this story.

One of the first perfumes that was gifted to me when I was 13! Argh, what an iconic perfume! Unfortunately it’s been reformulated and doesn’t smell the same.

IS the newest youth dew better then the newest tabu?

Tabu is simply delicious-spices, amber, patchouli with a lovely sweetness upon dry down. It has always been among my favorites and I am almost never without a bottle. The longevity is not quite what it once was, but it is still quite strong. As other reviewers wrote, it smells very comforting and calming. And, for the price, it is a steal nowadays.

LOVE! What a delicious retro vintage scent this is. It's lot of powder, Sweet, oriental and amber. This is a powerhouse scent and i find IT divine. It's old fashioned without being old lady like. Most of today scents are not more than body mist tot me. All water with a snife of aroma gone within a minute. Not this one. It's long lasting and remains strong. Big love

i get incense like when in a catholic church and amber. New formula doesnt last super long

Edit 10/16/20
I'm sad this happened to my favorite fragrance. I got a new bottle of Tabu today and it was disappointing, the cap is a textured plastic now (it was smooth and shiny plastic before) and the juice is watered down! It's been reformulated again and it is not a change for the better, it starts like Tabu and then fades into a weak faintly sweet powder.. no spice, no rose or other florals, and barely a hint of musk. The drydown really sucks and smells like watered down vanilla Pepsi and the longevity is one hour tops with minimal sillage
.. Lame! Buy older ones if you can, not necessarily vintage but older than 2019 to be safe, or open the box to check for the textured cap which is to be avoided if you want the better one, because the ones I bought new a couple years ago smell just fine and aren't so weak and thin. Sometimes you'll find that textured cap in the older looking box so again make sure to check.
This newest formula should be renamed Eau De Tabu or Diet Tabu lol.. What a crock of 💩

*OP*

I need a bit of help from someone with more knowledge.

Recently I got my hands on a mini vintage bottle of Tabu, it's pretty old and smells awesome but I would like to know how old.

It's a little square bottle with a plain gold cap that screws off, has the Tabu Dana Paris France label and only says "France" on the bottom in the glass. It came wirh no box and has no indication of what concentration it is.

Upon application it's a very animalic honey/civet with some of that older perfume smell and oakmoss, then it dries into a very rich skanky and deep version of the Tabu we know and love. It's amazing and makes me feel glamorous as f*ck. The juice is extremely dark even with the tiny amount, very oily, and I can tell it was not always stored properly, and it has definitely gone off a bit but it's still perfectly good after a few minutes left to dry. The top notes are looong gone.

Anyone who might know the approximate age of this mini I have, please reply or message me! Shot in the dark, I'm guessing late 1960s or older.

I have a larger rectangular bottle of the EDC splash from maybe the 80s, it's nice of course and I love it but it does not wallop me in the face with civet like the older one does. I mean as soon as I remove the teensy golden lid from that one It's POW! Right in the nose with warm sweet civet. It's lovely 😍

I like this, but sadly this just does not last at all. Half an hour tops. I only paid $20 for it so I'm not too broken up about it. Reading the comments, I wish I had a chance to smell the vintage or original formula, but in Canada the price for me to obtain it would be prohibitive.

I’m a little confused because all I could smell was vanilla, spice and powder. However I can see vanilla does not feature in the pyramid. I wasn’t expecting this scent to be quite so sweet.

This definitely smells very familiar and my aunt was happy when I told her I’d brought this home. I think we’ll share this one. One or two sprays is enough and you’ll smell like a warm ( slightly naughty) cinnamon pastry. I keep thinking I can imagine this scent sprayed on top of the smell of cigarette ash. It’s definitely a rebel scent and I’m keen to try layering this with different scented lotions.

I had the body powder of this and freaking loved it. I loved that it was designed to smell like a 1940s prostitute.

hidden among the chanels in my mother's collection was tabu, the forbidden one. tabu rocked my world. it was everything an intoxicating fragrance should be. dark, resinous, spicy.

i finally got a vintage eau de toilette and it is as remembered.

tabu is "cheap" and sexy in a silky underwear way. i think this might set off some psychological alarms for catholic boys. it is not like the nuns at school, it is not like fancy smells of tailored women at the downtown department stores (well i am of that era!) it is a night on the town. lots of drinks. smeared lipstick. wooden dimly lit bars. guys maybe with ties even, at least, a jacket. clip on earrings. lots of swirling scents and smells of warm scented bodies. ladies "glowing."
.
these smells may not evoke much these days where "clean" sweet or chemical sharpness divide the scent world, and airiness battles with metallic. trendy tar, ash, kerosine, acrid industrial waste abound.

tabu sucks the oxygen out the room. it is kryptonite to iso super e.

lava handsoap, vitalis, and hairspray, tabu. a language of scents almost as dead as latin. but the memories, oh the memories!

I don't get the comparison to Lush Karma at all other than these both have an incense vibe and patchouli. Karma actually makes me squeezy and really lacks the depth and warmth this has. This scent right here is a beautiful blend of spice, incense, warmth, and seduction. This is for no wall flower but rather a strong, confident woman. It is unbelievable that they sell it at that price point; it puts so many kitschy niche and designer fragrances to shame. Love, love!!!

This is such a great scent. Rich, dark, spicy, warm and easy to wear. This was so common in the 1980's that I avoided it like the plague. I've loved adding this to my collection - in 2020. I understand it now. Inexpensive but wonderful.

lush karma is almost a dupe of this. in a vintage version: slightly skanky patchouli head-shop. wonderful.

A very comforting scent . Like a fuzzy blanket.

I've been wanting to get my hands on this legendary fragrance for a while, however I've been scared that my idea of it could be shattered. I got it in a beautiful violin bottle for £14, so absolute bargain; to be entirely honest, as music is my greatest passion, I really wanted that gorgeous bottle in a shape of violin in my collection even if I didn't like the juice.

First impression: spiced Capt. Morgan's rum with coke! I'm positively surprised; it's warm, spicey, ambery and woody with a touch of sweetness. For today's fragrance audience, I'd say it leans slightly masculine due to spices; it reminds me, albeit only very slightly, of a cologne my grandpa would wear which was very spicy but also had tobacco in it. It's a very comforting scent, and isn't overpowering.

If you are into vintage perfume, and like the spiced boozy smells - check it out. The cheapest I found smaller 68ml bottles was about £8!

The current version of Tabu is but a pale impression of its former glory, I've learned. But since I've never encountered the original, the modern version has to do. And modern Tabu does fine for me, a lover of spice, resins and other heavy notes.
Lasting power is good, sillage is decent. Not overwhelmingly feminine, T. should work well for men, too. Some of the notes remind of good Old Spice, before that fragrance was watered down.
T. wears well in warm weather - I'm writing this end of June. The scent is probably best in cool temps, and I will surely test that theory. :)
Some say that T. is too dated, too old fashioned. Well, I'm no spring chicken and even if I were I'd like Tabu.
Hopefully one day I'll experience the original, until then the current version remains a personal favorite.

On the same day a bottle that cost me over $100.00 arrived, I also saw Dana Tabu on clearance at Walgreens for $5.00. Funny how life works.

First things first, the love of my life is a patchouli hater so I won't get to wear this as often as I would want to.

It is patchouli patchoulu patchouli for the first hour, with sandalwood, benzoin, amber, and orange slowly taking center stage. Huge sillage and very long lasting. To me this is devoid of floral scent, and I don't detect cloves or civet. The liquid is a shocking orange, even when sprayed on the skin but doesn't stain skin. I wouldn't spray this on white clothes to be safe, however.

This is shockingly good and complex for a drugstore classic. I agree with many of the commentators here that if you put a Tom Ford label on this and renamed it, people would pay much more for this.

I know the legend of this is that it was designed to be like a perfume a prostitute would wear, but it smells more like a lingering mix of cologne and perfume after a man and a woman have 'coupled'. Definitely unisex, and definitely worth the pittance they charge for this scent anymore. Get it, get it, get it.

I blind bought this because of the price and I heard it was different, I was not disappointed. I paid about $7 with shipping for a 1.2oz bottle and kinda wish I bought a bigger bottle. I get a lot of rose, spices, patchouli, amber, and cedar. Up close it does have a little bit of a “grandma’s” perfume vibe when you put your nose to skin but in the air it doesn’t smell dated and is more unisex- less floral and more amber, spices and woods. Makes a great room spray since the low price, longevity, big silage. Kinda just smells like really good exotic incense.

this is the gorgeous spicy cozy underrated gem that started my vintage fragrance journey. Absolutely stunning.

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Kay Lovesperfume

I did a video on tabu and other vintages that young people should check out

Although Tabu has its own originality, I never liked it.
It has a strange combination of something cheap, yet something different..Perhaps cheap as in 'a whore' and different as in a 'good whore'..

I think it's a fragrance best suited for mature women who live a life full of excitement, doing always what pleases them, living the present without any regrets and without looking back..

Last week, I reviewed a vintage Tabu EDC that I stumbled upon. I ended my comments saying, “the search for a vintage Tabu extrait is afoot!” Well, the search is over! My paws have gotten ahold of an extrait that I’ve dated to somewhere from the ‘60s-‘70s. And it is DIVINE.

Upon the extrait’s arrival in my mailbox, I giddily tore into the box. Inside, a still-sealed bottle housing a deep brown, ambery elixir. I carefully snipped the black and white threads, removed the onion-skin baudruchage, uncorked the stopper from its bottle—untouched now for decades. Immediately, I was greeted with the patchouli, benzoin, and spice that Tabu is known for. Dabbing a little on skin, the scent profile is quite similar to what I smelled and loved in the vintage EDC. But here, everything is plusher and deliciously skanky. The extrait, even dabbed judiciously, lasts most of the day and projects respectably. Though be careful! I can easily envision a heavy application turning this beauty into a beast (at least to other noses nearby).

If Tabu was made with whores in mind, well, then I’m a total slut. A hopelessly intoxicated slut enraptured by this vintage concoction. You can leave those coins on the dresser...! Thank you!

I've long admired with curiosity those violin-shaped bottles of Tabu, forever stocked at my local pharmacy, always in the corner of the perfume counter's bottom shelf. Words like "oriental" and "skank" normally light up my eyes, but other descriptors like "smells cheap" kept me from acquiring, as Dana marketed it, "the forbidden perfume." Anyway, I recently stumbled across a vintage bottle of the EDC—from my research I've dated it to ~1980s, but I can't be certain—and snatched it up for a few dollars. At that price, why not?!

And...

Color me surprised! I am enamored with Tabu! Imagine the vintage ads. This little bottle might as well be the debonair violinist, while I'm the swooning debutante whose senses have become totally intoxicated.

My nose mostly detects patchouli, benzoin, and spice. There's little skank in this EDC. With spraying, Tabu can be a bit abrasive at first, so I prefer to dab. It opens in a more "settled" way on the skin, if that makes sense. In the dry-down, my mind goes to the American South, as Tabu begins to smell like a powdery version of sweet iced tea.

What a great find! Now, Fragrantica, I must depart—the search for a vintage Tabu extrait is afoot!

Tabu..not for little girls into tooth decay scents, but grown women, bold enough to wear red lipstick, everywhere.

Vintage..strong spice, amber and civit..very powdery drydown still spicy..but more mellow.

New version...weaker & sweeter overall..mostly rootbeer/cola and old spice :)

Update: Brought this bottle back out when the weather warmed up and it smells different to me this time around! I now get a lot of rose, powder, and spices. Not getting the soda scent anymore. I've been wearing this a LOT this past week. Loving it!

Original: On me, this smells like head shop and cream soda, or maybe Dr. Pepper? Sounds weird, but it’s actually quite pleasant.

The first thing I noticed after I sprayed was the smell of cloves, but soon after I really smelled like I bathed in church insense. Horrible. Even after I took a shower I could still smell it. Not for me. All I could think of is that I smell like I am embalmed.

church incense...if you like that get it and spray alot of it as the new formula is weak

I wasn't sure what to expect with this as I don't remember anyone in my family ever wearing this. It reminds me of a combination of Opium, Youth Dew and something all its own. It is definitely lighter than YD or Opium and has a sweetness that neither of them have. I really like this scent and it definitely smells more complex than the price point would lead me to believe it could be. I love the story behind this scent and I think it is something that I will wear when I want to feel a little bit sexy but also a little bit dirty and naughty. It just has a primal sex smell to it that is hard to describe. It reminds me of sweaty skin mixed with fruit and spices. Sweet and sensual with a musky undertone.

Blijkbaar bestaat dit parfum al erg lang en ik kende het niet eens.Toen ik een parfum zocht met geurnoten die ik lekker vind,kwam ik hier op uit,( en op tweed, van Taylor of London) chypre,pittig.In eerste instantie valt me op dat de vloeistof , Tabu,op mijn pols oranje is en een beetje vettig lijkt,geen dunne waterige oplossing.Eerst ruik ik sinaasappel en cola,vreemd.Daarna wordt het aardser,pittiger,vetter,dierlijk...ik ruik ,wat ik ook in Tweed rook,de geur van mijn flesje black musk olie,een geur waar ik erg aan heb moeten wennen,want het doet me denken aan circus dieren,stro,stof,urine van grasetende grazers in hooi....een merkwaardige combinatie en nog vreemder dat ik dat nu heerlijk vind in de geur black musk olie.En dat ruik ik in Tabu!! Oh wat een genot deze geur, misschien is het maar goed dat ik de geur niet kende want veel mensen vinden het oorspronkelijke parfum veel beter,daar heb ik geen last van,waardoor dit een nieuw juweeltje is,mijn flesje muskolie ,6 ml,was net zo duur als 88 ml Tabu, waarschijnlijk zal deze geur niet zo lang blijven hangen...maar dat is dan niet anders

I purchased a 100mL bottle in mid 2016 and, while it's mostly full and I rarely wear it, this is a magical scent and a total favourite. I have no idea how to explain the smell apart from dusty incense, dark booze cocktails and something... something I can't quite put my finger on. This truly is not like anything else on the market. It's so bizarre, so forward thinking and fascinating. Plus, for a cologne... boy does it last. I got around 12 hours with 3 - 4 liberal sprays. Very yummy, but almost like an uncanny valley effect. You're smelling it... it's so close to something you know but an unidentifiable factor offsets it from reality.