Name: Patchouli Holy Grail : TEMPO by Diptyque (2018) - fragrance review
Uploaded: 2025-01-12T11:20:20.000Z
Duration: 13 min 42 s
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Hi, my name is Iga and you're watching Pixie in the Notes.

So I've been looking for my Holy Grail patchouli scent for a long time and I think I have finally found it.

So for those of you who are not familiar with the patchouli note or simply those who don't know how it's represented in fragrances, patchouli belongs to the mint family.

So it is not surprising that sometimes in fragrances it adds this minty, mentholated, almost cooling effect, almost camphor-like, like in Vicks Vaporub.

And I must say this is my least favourite facet of patchouli and I don't enjoy fragrances that smell like this.

But the most prominent feature of patchouli is its woody, earthy and musky character.

Sometimes especially when paired with other ingredients it can add a little bit of that chocolatey nuance.

Those who don't like patchouli find its earthiness overpowering and sometimes people say that patchouli smells like musty old basement, a wet dog or unwashed hippie.

My issue with patchouli fragrances was either the patchouli was too in my face or it wasn't playing the first role.

The fragrances that I personally found overpowering and too much were Eldos Un Amorette Roland or Straight to Heaven where patchouli is very camphor-like or looks patchouli or patchouli intense from Nikolai.

I love patchouli but it usually plays a supporting role and acts not as a main player but more like a background for other ingredients.

So sometimes it can be blended for example with rose, like in Volure de Roses from L'Artisane

Parfumere or Peurs de la Lique or Noir de Noir.

It can be blended with beautiful resins and white chocolate like in this delicious Coromandel or it can be paired with fruity and floral notes like in Elle by YSL or with pralines and delicious stuff and everything but a kitchen sink in Angel.

But still patchouli is not the main player here.

So I was looking for something that would be a well-balanced, toned down, patchouli centric fragrance and then I have found Tempo.

So in the next part of the video I'm going to tell you why Tempo hit the right spot for me as a patchouli scent.

So from the very first spray, Tempo is undoubtedly a patchouli scented fragrance but what I value the most about patchouli in Tempo is that it's extremely well balanced.

So all the facets are in perfect harmony.

So the woodiness, mintiness and all those parts are in perfect harmony and that hits the right spot and ticks all the boxes for me.

So if anything, it's the woody and earthy character that are the most prominent but they are not armed up.

I would refer to Tempo as a comforting woody patchouli with an earthy soul and a warm heart and that seriously hits the right spot for me.

It is a very stylish, well calibrated patchouli and the thing that I appreciate the most is that it's how other ingredients are incorporated in the blend and that's what makes this perfectly simple yet extremely nuanced beauty of Tempo.

Another thing that I really love about Tempo is that it has this very airy and spacious feel.

Another thing that is super cool about Tempo is that by nature it's dark but it carries a lot of brightness so this duality, this dual character is what I really really appreciate.

So the magic factor of Tempo for me lies in this very clever and masterful way the other ingredients are incorporated into the blend.

So we have clary sage and mate tea here and they add this other type of airy and translucent greenness to the composition.

Then we have some bergamot which, yeah, I think it's responsible for this brightness that I mentioned before.

We also have pink pepper that adds a little bit of that also airy vibrancy but I left two ingredients that I want to discuss at the end because I think they were the deal breakers for me.

Looking at the note breakdown you'll think there's only one left, what's going on?

So then we have the violet leaf and I think the violet leaf steers the composition into a slightly leathery territory and then what I absolutely love about Tempo is the underlying dry vanillic sweetness and we don't have anything that would indicate that when we look at the notes.

So I went to the DIC's website and I checked the ingredients and they list coumarin.

And coumarin is very often associated with tonka bean which is very often used as a substitute for vanilla so I think this might be the culprit.

But this leatheriness and this dry vanillic character, this is what is my favourite part of Tempo because they are not served in a straightforward and direct way.

So they're almost at the skin surface and they drive me insane in the best possible way because they keep playing hide and seek with my senses and that's what makes Tempo so extremely appealing and intriguing for me.

And one more thing that I would like to say is that this dry vanillic part kind of slightly reminds me of the vanilla used in Oduelle.

So yeah, maybe that will give you a little bit of direction what I mean.

So this was the more analytical and discerning part of the review but what's the most important is the feel of the fragrance, the mood that it evokes.

So Tempo has this quite distinct airy and outdoorsy character and it almost feels like you are in the open space filled with the earthy smell of autumn leaves and it feels like a cool breeze playing with your hair while diffused warm sunlight is warming up your face.

Tempo feels mysterious and misty but it also carries certain type of refined coziness.

So this kind of mystery is not grim or sombre, it's rather moody.

So it has this certain Edgar Allan Poe's romantic edge.

So you feel that slightly dangerous thrill but deep in your heart you know you're safe.

It also feels almost like sitting in this huge leather couch filled with pillows and blankets and looking through the window where you admire the spectacle of those yellow and brown leaves shrouded in autumn mist and rain.

So Patchouli used in Tempo adds this refined yet cozy depth to the blend and it goes incredibly well with good quality thick fabrics and accessories.

So it's classy and edgy without trying too hard.

And finally there is a certain sensual vibe about Tempo and for me in general Patchouli adds this sensuality to any fragrance and here it's also very present.

But this sensuality is not like an outburst of eroticism.

It's rather like a whisper or a gentle caress but it's definitely there.

So the colours that I imagine are the rusty browns and muted greens.

So all the colours here look almost as if they had that dark filter put over them.

So they are rich and deep but they are devoid of this saturated vibrancy.

So what season or what weather Tempo is most suitable for?

So all the images that you just saw it just implants autumn in your mind and that's really the case.

I think that Tempo makes a beautiful autumnal fragrance perfect for a misty rainy day.

But once I sprayed it on a rather cool summer day and then the day turned into a pretty warm sunny day and I was pretty terrified that Tempo was going to choke me out.

But this leather and vanillic part when hit by the sun like 20-22 degrees made the Tempo bloom.

And that was the moment when I freaking lost my mind for Tempo because it flourished.

A totally different dimension was added to Tempo.

And I feel that sunny yet 20-22 degrees summer days are also an amazing weather to wear Tempo.

Performance wise I feel that Tempo has really good performance.

Unfortunately I don't own a bottle I only used it from samples.

So two sprays from a sample are perfectly fine for me.

I got complimented, I was complimented twice when I wore it at work.

But after like 3 or 4 hours it becomes a little bit closer to the skin which is okay I really like it.

But you get those beautiful dry gorgeous whiffs from you throughout the day.

So I would say the performance of Tempo is really good.

So these days Tempo is my number one position on my wish list.

My second sample is going dangerously low so it will definitely join my collection at some point.

Let me know if you like patchouli scents, what's your favorite type of patchouli and thanks for watching.