Monday, February 12, 2018

Tauer Perfumes: Attar and Solar Engineer Bar Soap


I have sung Andy Tauer's praises in the past as an incredibly talented perfumer and I am here to do so once again. 


I believe it was early last year that I purchased a small sample vial of Andy Tauer's Attar that he released as a tiny sample only and in very limited quantities. I did not review it as I was not sure if it would ever be available again. Fortuitously, Mr. Tauer did indeed release his stunning Attar again and this time in a slightly larger 5ml version. I fell deeply in love with this fragrance the first time so I gifted my sample to my sister who was enamored as well, and purchased the new 5ml version for 89 CHF (Swiss Francs). Thankfully the Swiss Franc and US dollar are pretty equal so no hefty currency exchanges and Tauer ships free to the US. I want to say I spent $90 in all. Keep in mind 5ml is a small amount but the liquid inside is a pure perfume oil without any alcohol or filler oil of any type. It is brimming with exotic woods and florals. Basically, it is liquid gold. 


Traditionally, attars are composed of florals that are steam distilled to capture their essential oils and then combined with sandalwood oil to created a concentrated perfume oil with which to delicately grace the body. A few drops will do, warming on the skin to create the most stunning aura of aroma. 

Attar AT- Notes: Mysore sandalwood, Arab wood accord, Egyptian jasmine absolute, Javanese vetiver, Spanish black cistus oil.
I recommend not judging this scent in the bottle or even on immediate application. This one blooms after settling in the skin after a time. This one smolders. Charred agarwood, a touch of guaiac wood and lavish sandalwood all ignite on my skin. Slivers of the most precious woods kindled into incense sticks. Dark, raw and intensely intimate. I love this scent. If using a few drops it holds close to the skin and lasts ages.  


Andy crafts highly fragrant and generously lathering glycerine soaps. Currently he has four aromas in soap format for $15 each. This one came free in my order. I believe he was generously including a free soap in every holiday order of a perfume over the month of December.


It comes shrink wrapped in a sleek box. The soap then lies in a thin sheet of paper.


This vegan glycerin soap includes activated charcoal, which provides a soft exfoliation, nootka tree oil, lavender oil, nutmeg oil and rosemary oil.

Solar Engineer- Notes: Fresh spices, bright herbs, ambergris and warm, dry woody musks. 
I am almost at a loss for words on how splendid this soap smells. On one inhale it smolders like a green smoky guaiac wood with undertones of sepia musk and sandalwood. The next inhalation brings sage and rosemary and a whisper of steely lavender to the nose, along with leather and woods. It is warm and bright. Vivid and complex. I cannot stop breathing it in while I shower with it. It lathers beautifully and cleans without a hint a of tightness. The charcoal feels amazing on the skin. My whole bathroom is fragrant after I use this soap. I am eyeing up the other scents to use in the future, furthermore these would make excellent gifts.


Tauer Perfumes offers beautiful perfumes, luxurious soaps and body oils as well. I like to pop over every now and then to see what Andy is up to over there in Zurich. Follow along on his blog to get great insight on what it is to be an artisan perfumer. 

6 comments:

  1. Both sound amazing! I always wanted to try his flash series along with a couple other scents. As for now, I am curiously into vintage perfumes- the more I experience the more I love. Have a great day, Ellisa

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    1. They are very evocative and sensual scents for my nose. I drawn to these deep dark woodsy scents. I am curious about his tuberose soap and the leather one too. I will probably end up getting them soon.

      Vintage perfumes are great fun to hunt down. Like treasure hunting. I had an old Shalimar that I enjoyed for a while there but I wore it out. Then my friend Kate gifted me a vintage Diorella and YSL that I wore. Which ones have you found?

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  2. Love reading your reviews for perfumes I have not yet heard of. Your descriptions usually lead me to trying things out and this is definitely one I will. Thank you.

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    1. Thank you Brenda! If you decide to order from Andy you will certainly be getting a treat in the mail. I highly recommend his soaps, body oils and his Discovery sample set of perfumes. He has a Tauerville Flash perfume line too that is affordable but high quality as well. Thank you for stopping by! It is nice to chat with you.

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  3. Wow!! These scents sound so darn wonderful! And That perfume bottle is so pretty. Oh my!

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    1. I love the bottle too, and how it comes in the sleek tin. If you love smoky, warm dusky woods you should give this soap a go! The perfume is fabulous too but I know the price can be a but much but I find it very much worth it.

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