Tabu by Dana (1932)

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“A velvet boudoir at midnight” 


After leaving the corporate world to realign and recentre, I used my time to dive deeper into various interests that had hitherto been neglected. Since I had always been a perfume enthusiast, exploring that world further happened to be on my list of many, many things I planned to eventually get around to if work permitted. During my online investigations, it was a post I came across on Bois de Jasmin that gave new life and renewed zeal to my interest in perfumery, this time focused on the great classics. As a lifelong history buff who has always yearned to travel through time, I was in hot pursuit of the perfumes of the past. So, happening upon Victoria’s countdown of fragrances that influenced perfume history was like striking gold. Alongside the usual suspects, however, were a few fragrances I hadn’t encountered before. One, mentioned in passing, from a fragrance house I’d never heard of, caught my attention. This was Tabu by Dana.

Its association with Dorothy Dandridge, rumoured to have favored it, served to spur me on (I am a big fan of hers and have one of the original 1954 Carmen Jones movie posters hanging in my living room). To my surprise, it was readily available and I ordered a bottle that afternoon from a local supermarket of all places. I would spend the rest of the day spritzing it all over my arms, trying to wrap my head around it. This only made me more curious to unravel its secrets. After traveling down several rabbit holes of research many, many evenings, getting my hands on multiple vintage iterations, and conducting countless “smelling sessions” on my couch, I am no closer to a full understanding than I was at first sniff. However, I would like to use this opportunity to share what I did manage to uncover alongside my thoughts…

My thoughts…

I continue to be equal parts fascinated and frustrated by Tabu. It is one of the few fragrances in my collection I think about to an unhealthy extent. It is almost like a puzzle I can’t solve. Unlike anything I’ve smelled and certainly unlike anything on the market today besides it, there is an air of mystery surrounding this particular fragrance that makes me restless. My inability to properly describe it or categorize it does nothing to quell this frustration. It is simultaneously heavy and light, sweet and earthy, uplifting and depressing, classic and timeless. I think its refusal to be one thing or to pick a lane only adds to my anguish. Is there a cola note or isn’t there? Is there a “root beer” effect or not? 

It is almost as though so many aspects of this fragrance are fleeting and so quick to evolve that I can’t seem to catch up with it. It certainly isn’t faceless or without character, quite the contrary. And it is distinctive. I’d be able to pick it out of a lineup any day. Yet, there remains aspects of it I have resigned myself to the fact that I will never be able to pin down. Within my collection, I have the current formulation, the 1950’s Cologne and a vintage Extrait. I can attest to the fact that the current formulation, though it may not be nearly as rich or smooth as the original, does do the job of capturing the character of the original. I am not, however, a fan of the drydown which, to my nose, has a less than pleasant faux animalic facet to it. Nevertheless, it will forever hold a special place in my heart as my first foray into vintage fragrances despite its illusiveness and its refusal to succumb to my curiosity. 

A bit of history…

Tabu, launched in 1932, was the inaugural fragrance from the fragrance house Dana, itself newly established that same year in Barcelona. Javier Serra, its founder, who had formerly worked with famed fragrance house Myrurgia, aimed to create a brand that embodied originality and was characterized by a new aesthetic. To do this, he sought a bold and unconventional fragrance with which to launch the brand. He enlisted the help of Jean Carles, the visionary who would go on to create the legendary Miss Dior with Paul Vacher for Dior, Ma Griffe for Carven, Indiscret for Lucien Lelong, and Shocking for Schiaparelli, among others, despite developing anosmia later in life (he is often compared to Beethoven who composed masterpieces despite profound hearing loss). As the legend goes, Carles, who would later establish Roure Perfumery School and train many celebrated perfumers, was given a shocking and scandalous brief — to create “un parfum de puta,” a perfume a prostitute would wear.


Dana would soon relocate to Paris, the heart of haute perfumery and luxury, shortly after its establishment, embedding itself with Parisian elites. However, the German occupation of Paris in 1940 during WWII forced its relocation to the US.  This did not only guarantee business continuity and the survival of the brand during a period of global instability but was also perfect timing as the US was then becoming a dominant force in the global perfume industry. Far from a temporary measure, this would become a permanent reorientation for Dana. The house’s adaptability and Serra’s talent for anticipating and shaping trends set the stage for a multi-decade reign that would witness the creation of several iconic scents including Canoe in 1936, Voodoo in 1951, and, notably, Ambush in 1955 (both Canoe and Ambush were also created by Carles).

Though Dana would undergo several shifts including ownership changes — its acquisition by Renaissance Cosmetics, its reorganization as New Dana Perfumes, and finally Dana Classic Fragrances as we know it today — new strategies for heritage preservation, formula alteration and mass market positioning have meant that Tabu remains one of the few classics still readily available in a form that captures the spirit, if not the exact characteristics and complexity, of the original. 

The Fragrance

Jean Carles was noted for his remarkable ability to achieve outstanding results even with simple formulas and inexpensive ingredients because of a willingness to break conventional blending rules. The Jean Carles Method, still largely the foundation of perfumery education today, marked a dramatic shift from a trial and error approach to perfume composition, artistic yet haphazard, to a methodical arrangement of materials according to volatility (top, middle, and base notes) and systematic blending to study the effect of one material on another. This controlled, experimental creation of accord combinations and calculation of evaporation rates to guarantee the successful evolution of a perfume over time meant that creating a revolutionary character for a fragrance was not contingent upon rare or prohibitively costly materials. 

A testament to Carles’ blending technique and deep knowledge of scent architecture, Tabu was a complex and impactful fragrance that was also accessible — innovation and artistry that transcended material cost. In the 1930s and 1940s, this allowed Tabu to be marketed as a luxury product though accessibly priced, helping to democratize perfume beyond the elites. With a dare from Serra to defy contemporary norms, towing the line between taste and transgression, Carles set out to develop a fragrance that was anything but subtle; overtly sexual and the basis for a brand identity that was cohesive and memorable. As the lore goes, Serra was walking around Nice when he spotted then-new Freud book “Totem and Taboo,” in a bookshop window. A nod to the themes of the forbidden and subconscious desire, the name Tabu (a direct translation of Taboo in Spanish) was chosen, striking a provocative tone from inception. 

In a world dominated by powdery florals, aldehydic bouquets, and understated Chypres, Tabu was a pioneer of the emerging Oriental family. Deliberately heavy, deeply animalic, with pronounced balsamic and spicy facets, it marked a bold shift towards richer, warmer, spicier compositions. Though there is some debate regarding the specifics, given the various formulations over time, the following are the most commonly cited notes:

  • Top: 
    • Italian Bergamot
    • Lemon Oil
    • Orange
    • Spices
    • Coriander
    • Neroli
  • Middle:
    • Bulgarian Rose
    • Ylang Ylang
    • Jasmine Absolute
    • Cloves
    • Narcissus 
    • Clover (via a Carnation accord)
  • Base:
    • Civet
    • Benzoin
    • Sandalwood
    • Patchouli
    • Musk
    • Oakmoss
    • Vetiver 
    • Cedar
With Patchouli at a whopping 10% concentration — extreme proportions, and unorthodox choices — Carles set a new standard for intensity and warmth in a fragrance in a deliberate move to create a distinct olfactory signature for Tabu. This established what would become a signature characteristic for the nascent Oriental family. At its launch, Tabu was considered one of the heaviest scents in the perfume world. Described as an “exotic oriental,” it was said to have embodied, “the very essence of sensuality and passion,” via a complex, multifaceted composition. 

In terms of the roles played by key materials, Patchouli gave Tabu massive projection, earthy mystery, and longevity. Clove, via a Carnation accord, delivered peppery warmth, connecting the spicy and sweet elements of the composition while bridging the gap between its brightness and balsamic intensity. Benzoin grounded and sweetened it while blinding the bouquet and the animalic notes lent an erotic, forbidden undertone, violating social expectations. Oakmoss served as a fixative and green foundation upon which florals like Ylang Ylang, Jasmine and Rose were able to provide a counterbalance to uplift its heavy base. The result was a, “dark, opulent, clove-studded amber enveloped by creamy florals, shot through with an animalic whisper and resinous melt,” — “a velvet boudoir at midnight.” The fragrance came to be known for its strength and excellent projection, significant sillage, and staying power, key to achieving its forbidden allure.

The Marketing

I would be remiss if I did not dedicate a section of this post to the marketing strategy adopted for Tabu. Pioneering and far ahead of its time, I have to admit learning about it was just as fascinating as learning about the fragrance itself. The US relocation mentioned earlier also meant a unique approach developed around Tabu’s marketing, melding European artistry with American commercial sensibilities. Though much of the groundwork had been laid by Serra in the brief and the naming of the fragrance and Carles in crafting a fragrance in line with an overtly sensual brief that danced between empowerment and scandal, a cohesive and memorable brand identity would be solidified thanks to pioneering visual merchandising. This would create a synergy between the fragrance itself, the narrative, the art, and the packing design that elevated the product beyond its functional purpose.


At a time when ads for women’s fragrances had emphasized demureness, Tabu’s strategy encouraged women to embrace their own desire rather than to passively wait to be admired, focusing on risk, sexual agency, and fantasy. Though linking a fragrance to such concepts was scandalous and attention grabbing, generating immediate intrigue and conversations, a counterbalance was provided by the intellectual angle presented by Tabu’s narrative. 

From the Freudian inspiration for its name, which tapped into the era’s growing fascination with psychology and subconscious desires, to the use of The Kreutzer Sonata which, despite depicting a violinist overcome with passion and thereby alluding to transgression and sexual climax, was a piece of classical art inspired by a controversial literary work, itself based on a Beethoven composition, the theme of the forbidden was elevated, making it more compelling and less overtly vulgar. “A masterstroke in brand building,” high culture references were leveraged to imbue a mass-market product with a powerful, lasting mystique and a unique selling proposition. 

To this day, few fragrances are as indelibly linked to their ad imagery as Tabu. From its slogan, “the forbidden fragrance,” to the prominent use of The Kreutzer Sonata, an artwork for which the rights were secured by Dana for their advertising, a remarkable consistency in core themes built a deeply ingrained, recognizable brand identity centred on sensuality, passion, and transgression.

The Impact

As one of the first in a then nascent family of Oriental fragrances, Tabu’s fingerprints can be seen all over several subsequent classics. While Shalimar by Guerlain set the template for luxury Orientals, Tabu’s intensity, spice, and “dirty” side gave it an edginess — a more confrontational, less demure take on sensuality. This demonstrates how a single innovative fragrance can shape industry trends for decades. Of the fragrance’s in Tabu’s debt, Youth Dew by Estee Lauder (1953), Opium by Yves Saint Laurent (1977), Obsession by Calvin Klein (1985), Samsara by Guerlain (1989), and La Parfum by Lalique (2005), are just a few notable examples. 

“Providing a commercially viable blueprint for rich, sensual and opulent scents validating the demand for bold and complex compositions,” Tabu influenced the entire trajectory of fragrance development towards deeper, more evocative profiles. The “clove-patchouli-amber axis,” on full display in Tabu, set a standard for intensity, sensuality and complexity in perfumery. Beyond the fragrance itself, Tabu taught advertisers and generations of women to embrace depth, to wield sensuality as power, and to find beauty in the bold, the complex, the animalic, and the truly unforgettable.

Tabu Today

As many will know, the combination of regulations, commercial incentives, and changing consumer tastes and preferences means that very few classic fragrances are what they once were. For Tabu, this means that before the 1970s, the fragrance featured natural civet, higher levels of oakmoss, and real balsamic resins. Since the 1990s, cleaned up musk has been used instead of civet and aroma-chemicals have largely replaced oakmoss and balsamic resins. As such, a smoother animalic drydown, noted for its smokier and earthier undertones, has been replaced by what many have described as a cruder, sharper, less smokey, less sultry drydown missing depth.
 

In terms of Tabu’s positioning, by the late 1990s, it had become a ubiquitous drugstore perfume priced under $20 with the company strategy prioritizing volume and broad distribution. While many loyal fans continue to purchase Tabu because of the nostalgia associated with it, younger consumers have described it as a “old lady scent” or worse, a “sexual grannies nightmare.” While it gave rise to several flankers like Tabu Red Heels and Tabu Rose among others, none have managed to achieve the legendary feats of the original. It continues to be produced by Dana Classic Fragrances and, despite shifts in ownership, it remains one of the more widely accessible classics that has maintained the spirit of the original demonstrating incredible resilience. 

References & Further Reading:

Comments

  1. Karen SAugust 21, 2025 at 8:17 PM

    What a fascinating history! I might have to pick up a bottle.

    Have you seen the other iterations of this? In both lotion and powder? Do you think the smell will hold up the same?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TalalAugust 21, 2025 at 9:11 PM

      I have come across them online but haven’t tried! I assume the concentration of fragrance oil would be much lower given regulations that govern the use of specific materials in perfume vs cosmetic products but probably capture the same character. If you’re a fan of layering, I tend to sometimes buy the accompanying products and use them all before the perfume to give it a little bit more staying power and projection! I find this is especially true with lotions.

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    2. Karen SAugust 21, 2025 at 9:21 PM

      What a great tip!!! Thanks 😊

      Delete

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