To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
таняяна – :
A fabulous sweet tobacco with Tonka of course, intertwined with honey, vanilla, and sensual spices. A scent that keeps your attention all day long. Very beautiful. I find that this scent is nice, but not a real favorite of mine by my favorite house. Dont get me wrong it is beautiful, but for some reason while wearing it, I’m always hoping for more, or for something special to happen. If that really makes any sense. As for performance it’s average.
iodigmaamabes – :
Bitter almond to me has always smelled of Marachino Cherries. Combined with tobacco, and you get a really gorgeous cherry tobacco.
And of course how can one forget that big chewy tonka! Still, my skin dosen’t find it to be all the way gourmand though its sweet.
Supporting notes don’t really show up for me until late in the drydown.
To me this is meant to be worn as a sheer veil. Sillage is close after a couple of hours. Longevity however, is really really good for me.
vyioueamfhk – :
After drydown, its very similar to Brut that also includes tonka.
Curelajek – :
I had a bottle a couple of years ago (based on hype). I didn’t like this one that much. I thought it just opened with a cherry cough syrup type smell. So I sold it. I will add that this was also before I’ve gotten my nose trained to niche perfumes. Fast forward a year or so and a friend of mine wore it and I got this amazing waft of a cherry tobacco scent and asked what it was. When he said Tonka Imperial I knew I had to buy another bottle and try again. It’s obviously not exclusively a tobacco scent but, that sillage I got that day was definitely enough to get me back on board with this one! I do see the similarities with Feve Delicieuse in the opening and that’s another reason why I really like this one even more this time around. I really do need to smell fragrances on other people before I decide to buy or sell. I’m missing out on some real gems!
Lunchik – :
This is my favourite perfume for layering with other orientals, gourmands and wood based perfumes. It’s so versatile it’s mind blowing. It adds that cosy smoky richness to more linear scents, tones the sweetness in those ones that you may find too sweet on its own and goes well with most notes and accords you can think of. Thanks to layering I found my perfect tonka scent when I wear TI together with Feve Delicieuse – tonka heaven indeed! – try and you may love it as much as I do! Highly recommended fragrance.
VenomAssasin – :
I love it. Bought it a girl I was dating and she hated it… It’s not the perfume it’s the woman. Lol if anyone wants it ketchup me know I have it on eBay.
blondin1488 – :
The smoke notes really go wild on me, I find them almost stronger than the tonka and almond. So I guess rather than saying this smells like “smoked tonka” I get more of a “tonka in smoke”. I work somewhere with a strict no smoking policy, and sometimes my boss sniffs around and accuses people if she thinks she smells something. I’m not going to lie, I’m a little worried.
I get a bit of brandied cherry/cherry tobacco vibe which is nice. The fragrance does have a nice classy/sensuous vibe. The perfume itself is not very strong, it was meant to be worn lightly I’m sure, like a luxurious veil. But I am not impressed with a weaker fragrance with this price tag, I could have figured out how to wear it right w/o guerlain diluting it.
I have a decant, but ultimately it is a pass for me. I do think it smells nice, but when you make something this $$ my standards go way up. I do like smoke & tobacco notes, but this might be just a bit too literal for me.
dimas6186 – :
Beautiful almond and sweet tonka. Classy and elegant. Extremely high quality. Pricey but worth it. Comparisons to Feve Delicieuse have been made but they are totally different scents.
svitachev – :
THE BEST tonka ever sniffed.
from one of the most elegant houses of all time.
a winner!!!
Nusneesyjen – :
I know a girl who sprays this on her lace panties.And i’m the type of man that definitely respects that. But this is definitely unisex. Definitly a special scent and luckily for me I own this scent as well. . Very very special.
Scent :10/10
Performance:8/10
Sillage :7/10
Compliment factor : 9/10
samson699 – :
In the very opening of this, I get a licorice note but it’s not listed. Very soft tobacco scent,
I do like it but it’s not as great as Oriental Brulant or Angelique Noire or SDV, all by the amazing house of Guerlain.
And for some reason, I don’t think it performs as well as the above mentioned ones either. I wouldn’t pay the $320 for this one and I don’t mind dropping half my weekly pay packet on a bottle.
It’s lacking something for my nose and I believe that’s ‘depth’.
For a great performing Tonka bean dominant perfume, you can’t beat Feve Delicieuse by Dior! A better ‘light tobacco’ perfume or a cheaper substitute for TI is Volutes by Diptique.
Need more time with it but I don’t believe it’s up to standards with the other Guerlain charnels or elixirs in the same price range.
I’m sorry for the less than positive remarks, but they’re my findings never the less!
The actual scent itself, is lovely and that, I’m happy to admit.
Oblighblothpc – :
I’ve reviewed this long ago and still love it. This is just to address disappointment in the new packaging without the fancy bulb sprayer noted by MadLynne. Over the years those pretty bulbs caused much sorrow and frustration for many as they led to an unacceptable high evaporation rate if left on. We heard it in the forums here and on Facebook, Basenotes & MUA frag board time and again. I really cant believe it took Guerlain so many years to stop it. As for making purse sprays or decants with the new bottles, I have no trouble. I use whatever decant bottle and have a set of decanting funnels, spray spray, all done.
ASSANT – :
Tonka Imperial – a slightly sweet cozy gourmand fragrance yet suitable for both genders. Lovely in cold weather – comforting on a grey rainy day in Autumn. The new packaging – what a pity – tears down the experience because it’s not possible anymore to choose wether to use the classic spray neither as a splash bottle. Now it comes with a clumsy and complicated pump, impossible to refill a purse spray individually with that. Was that really necessary to change the beautiful and practical packaging?
ysi961Negeltzex – :
Tonka Imperiale is a majestic fragrance. It evokes a distinguished, regal vibe that is hard to miss. The quality of the ingredients is the best in here and I think this is the ultimate tonka based perfume.
Some compare it to Feve Delicieuse by Dior… I’d say, this is not so gourmand, but rather balsamic and seductive, more feminine and also has a powdery feel.
The downside is the availability and the price tag.
8/10
max-max33 – :
While I think this is a lovely sweet and cosy, “golden” scent. I would never in a million years pay almost $300 for it when I can have Golden Sand by Al-Rehab for a few dollars. They do exactly the same thing for me in an olfactory and fragrance mood sense.
Sofawed – :
I don’t have much to add to these wonderful reviews but I just wanted to say that this perfume really comes alive in cold air on cold skin. It’s gorgeous all the time of course, but when I step outside on a chilly night, I’m completely blown away by Tonka Imperiale. The sillage increases noticeably. I’m not sure if others around me perceive any differences but I certainly do. This is a winter staple for me.
dry – :
I think this is a perfume that has captured tonka bean in the purest way possible.
I get a spicy-smoky vanilla and also some heliotrope quality, like a vanillic powder cloud. The almond is not that obvious for me, maybe it adds some nuttiness but I get more of the incense part than the almond. I also get something boozy, but that might be the tonka absolute (which derives from soaking the tonka bean into alcohol, rum usually). Somewhere at the background I also get the pine, in the most soothing and not “green” way possible.
I get something extraordinary, elegant and pure, its like the essence of a dream, unreal and floating. Could be the scent of an angel I think.
Only downside: its sillage. Its more of a skin scent although I think that if it had more presence it would lose some of the above mentioned characteristics that make it what it is. My first thought was, why spend so much money if this wont get noticed also its not something bizarre smelling and unprecedented as in the use of notes. But what is unprecedented and unique is the way it’s made. It proves that simple is better.
An exceptionally well made fragrance!
eie474speagoessenda – :
Tonka done right. Pure Class in a bottle and goes perfectly with a suit and tie…. or a tuxedo!
sashgluk – :
*FRAGRANCE REVIEW UPDATE* My initial review wasn’t entirely favorable.. Scroll down to my previous review for T I for reference.. However since that time I’ve had the opportunity to live with a few samples of this for a while, and here are my findings.. Gorgeous!! The Pretty Boy of gourmand scents, Smooth and elegantly sweet yet masculine.. Amber, vanilla, and almonds are the key players and are balanced to perfection by the honey and tobacco so it makes it a complete scent.. Non cloying or overly sweet, in fact it’s a very smooth adult kind of sweetness..very wearable and non synthetic.. I purchased a full bottle, and welcome Tonka Imperiale to my collection with open arms.. Haven’t worn out yet so not sure on performance, but as far as presentation, scent, and overall opinion .. I’m impressed! Very impressed!! I’ve come to realize I truly enjoy fragrances with almond in the note breakdown, two more solid offerings with almond would be ‘Pegasus’ Parfums De Marly, and ‘Pure Eve’ by the different company..
skadmo – :
I finished my sample of this beauty and what I can say about it? I will purchase a full bottle!
On my skin it develops into a wonderful tonka bean, surrounded by tobacco, incence and almond. Tonka is the gem here and other notes help it shine in all its glory.
Underneath all the notes I smell a hint of black, rich vanilla, even though it is not listed.
To me this fragrance is very luxurious, deep and slightly on the darker side, but at the same time it’s light enough to wear it during spring or cool summer days. Very versatile as well, could be appropriate anywhere.
Sweet and smoky goodness! Bravo Guerlain!
etentguamma – :
I’ve had this for a few months now, and this is my second review. I was between Spiriteuse Double Vanille and this one as my favorites from this collection. I found Spiriteuse very nice, but linear and it’s just vanilla- i wasn’t going to dish out the cash for a bottle of it. I loved Tonka when I first bought it- it was gourmand, cozy, and luxurious! But, the more I wore it, the more cloying it became. It’s just too thick on the tonka and almond, like heavy and syrupy. It smells “too edible” if that makes any sense. Its like tonka and almond dominate and that’s all I get.
That said, it really does last a long time and I think that the village is perfect – maybe 2 feet away from the body so you’re not overwhelming everyone in the vicinity.
It’s a nice fragrance, I do like it, I just don’t think it’s really worth the price that they’re asking, and that has much to do with my perception. At more than $200 for 2.5 oz, you really expect something that’s going to blow you away, and while this is a nice cozy fragrance for cooler days, it’s not complex and it’s not even a gem in my collection, though it is the most expensive perfume I probably own.
Koljan87 – :
Thanks to Melzy, I have been able to try this today, thank you Mel! On my skin this is warm, cosy and close. I get mostly vanilla, tonic and honey with amber warming the whole lot up beautifully and tobacco giving it a little hit of something sexy. I am not getting any almond, unfortunately and also unfortunate is that my skin seems to eat this one. It lasted maybe two hours and after the first, I could barely smell it. What a shame as it really is beautiful – I am glad to read that it seems to last longer on other reviewers! This does lean towards oriental gourmand. Sophisticated, I can picture this on a sexy librarian or bookish type.
QEVO – :
I tried the sample I have a few times and there just wasn’t anything special; it seemed kind of one dimensional. The other day I tried Dolcelisir L`Erbolario and my thought was, this is what I thought and hoped Tonka Imperiale would be like (and I find Dolcelisir to be more “masculine” than TI, actually).
aleks70 – :
I do like Tonka Imperial, but it’s not a love, which frankly might be a good thing for me since I have a decant and that is the first step to bottlehood. The scent from the bottle is generically vanillic and slightly nutty. The first spritz on my skin is slightly sweet and medicinal, I account this to the lime and juniper, thankfully that disappears quickly. Following right after is a sweet almond citrus note. The heart notes are nice, but not mind blowing to me, this is a warm fragrance and the tobacco and tonka are lovely together. To be honest though the base notes are my favorite, the incense is really beautiful and the tonka hangs around making it really smooth in nose feel. Test before buying because it might be decant but not bottle worthy for you too.
Den4ik19 – :
I think this is probably my favourite Guerlain so far. The tonka combined with almond makes this a stunning gourmand which mellows out into a warm oriental scent with a hint of incense and woods.
I’m going now to bury my nose in my arm.
DmitryND – :
‘L’Art et la Matiere’Tonka Imperiale Eau de Parfum
Guerlain truly makes some of the very best fragrances around.
Simply sublime.
A gorgeous medley of tonka bean, almond, tobacco and incense. The first spray is bergamot with a faint herbal aspect. The almond is so warm, faintly bitter, soothing, balsamic, powdery. On my skin the almond is prominent with soft incense. The tonka bean is heavy, full-bodied and gorgeous. I can still sense the bergamot from the beginning, it is noticeable yet subtle. Tobacco is my favorite note, here it is a gorgeous, heavy and dry tobacco. The rosemary is faint yet noticeable. After a time on my skin, the tobacco is softer, it supports the tonka bean. Longevity on my skin is about 6 hours and it is a skin scent after a few hours of wearing. Tonka Imperiale is very elegant, appealing, effortlessly sultry, versatile for both men and women to wear.
When my decant runs out, I will purchase a bottle of this beauty!
Maria999 – :
Received a 10ml Decant along with Cuir Beluga. Its is a pleasant sweet woods and vanillaish tonka incense scent. The incense only starts becoming prominent after an hour or two and gets stronger. Reminds me of my hometown and incense sticks dad burnt as a kid. Does smell modern though. It does have a sharp synthetic edge to it which is very annoying but I only get that when I press my arm to my nose and sniff it, in the air it is really good, but not for the price in my opinion. I have better options for woody vanilla incense scents.
anni2609 – :
I smell this and my nose screams with joy in the deepest and most viscerally elated way possible. It is 24kt gold, fine silverware, Limoges porcelain, the highest of high end bourbons, and all things luxurious in a bottle. It is THE ultimate and definitive sybaritic gourmand of all fragrances. Both the king and the queen. Yes, the sillage leaves something to be desired, but even this foible is not enough to knock it from the precipice of the highest. It is sweet, warm, sexy, and nearly edible in its decadent nature. The tonka, almond, and tobacco here form an inimitable holy trinity of notes. It is beyond amazing. If you have yet to try this, try it. It may be the scent to end all others for you. Hardly an ominous notion in the face of this scent, really. I’m smelling it as I type this and I can honestly say that smelling anything other than this with my last breath of life would be a travesty.
Scent: 11/10
Longevity: 6/10
Sillage: 5/10
alexpn21 – :
Tonka Imperial is the other big hype machine of Guerlain’s Niche line but unlike SDV, this one sadly didn’t do it for me.
But it’s certainly not bad and definitely ‘the scent’ for the people who like more ‘perfumey’ powder take than vanilla. Fine-powder.
Actually, it is an extremely difficult perfume to even review because it’s scent profile details comes off as so varied between people but anyway, we all know perfumes can be one of the most subjective lifestyle items.
In short what I get is a Semi-pungent opening of some type of ground nuts (almonds?) and bitter rosemary – all clashing with very honeyed, sweet powdery vanilla that is a bit too feminine for me but that is belying it’s opening (and the sweetness) which is pretty different.
The opening did put me off; it can be seen as ‘blue’ especially as it starts off with a herbal rosemary.
It is not all overbearing and chypre-fresh but it keeps in line with the perfumes ‘soft’ theme, everything has a rounded and powdery vibe to it.
The sweetness also starts with it, 1st a soft ‘powdery sugar sweet’ that accompanies the strong herb (blue-green), then I really found the powdery-whiteness of the tonka setting in.
Then, coming back to that point on the sweetness; it seems almost ‘dulled’ or ‘different’ here. A sort of ‘hayed up’ one (but this could also be the rosemary).
Interesting comparing it with the hyper-sweetness of SDV but there, I’m not sure how they did it but the genius at Guerlain somehow managed a ‘smooth dark’ type of vanilla – separate to a ‘sweet sugar’ accord that is too sexy and addicting. Maybe it’s the booze and spice hints or underlying cedar; I’m not sure. But it creates an amazing dual ‘sweet’ accord and contrast.
Here, the sweetness very much reminds me of Dyptique’s Volutes and even SL’s chergui; hayed and simply different – but still for me, better than those 2 scents. Hm.
From an hour onwards, it really takes off to what I was expecting but still the ‘wow factor’ notes seemed too blended in maybe, I didn’t get the amazingly clear blonde tobacco of SDV but more a dampened, softened whisper here. No smoke at all, just powder (which is good and not so good).
But there’s lots of honey for sure. Nice and very high Quality, this is possibly even higher level than SDV (if that’s even possible).
Now the rosemary takes on a remarkable effect, seemingly there but all ‘melted, dissolved’ and powdered up in a luxury vase of honey, hints of blonde tobacco and tonka soup.
It’s great here but I would still go with SDV, as it’s vanilla is irresistible and TI is more ‘perfumey’ than SDV’s ‘gourmandy’.
Another thing is lack of fruits (or citrus) to lift the whole thing so this can be very cloying in the summer and even cold winters in an odd way, like when wearing a stuffy woolen coat!
I wanted to slam it for yet another herbal opening for a $260 scent but it can be tolerated if you like sweet and especially Guerlain’s take on powder, they really do it the best. But herb-haters beware, it never quite goes away and the theme here is certainly ‘powdered honey’ over ‘smooth vanilla gourmand’.
Cedar and a spicy pine(?) creep in towards the end, and are sweetened up so it’s really amazing here.
It can be seen as Guerlain’s chergui and for me it’s still a heck of a load better than SL’s pungent-powder bomb, so I prefer it to that one definitely.
My rating: 5/10.
Quality: 10/10.
Thanks to Selfridges for the testing.
xpjmogfkpd – :
This is definitely in the top ten best perfumes ever created! I’m not kidding, since I’ve sampled hundreds over the years. If you’re lucky enough that your body chemistry likes tonka, vanilla and tobacco, then you need look no further.The quality is outstanding, and worth every penny; longevity and sillage are also excellent! This is not only a perfume, it’s an experience, and is the reason why, in my humble opinion Guerlain is the Mecca of perfume houses.I live in the Toronto area and recently found out that the Guerlain boutique in Toronto ships free all over Canada and the northern US. Hope this info helps more Fragranticas have access to this incredible juice, since I find the EBay sellers ridiculously overpriced.
Константин1984 – :
This is flawless. It is such a gorgeous gourmand scent that is just cozy, warm, and sensual-not at all too sweet, not overpowering, but it lasts for a long time.
I was between Angelique Noire and this one, so I tested them both. Angelique Noire has a lot less of the gourmand feel to me. It is more floral, softer, a little more “classically feminine” perfume. This is a perfect fall/winter smell. I’m so glad to have it now! Beautiful!!
manrs6 – :
I was surprised to see I haven’t done a review for TI yet. I think I was waiting for cooler days before judging it.
This a gorgeous gourmand that starts out a little roughly and then becomes smooth as dark silk.
After waxing lyrical in my review of Gourmand Coquin the other day, I have ran out of words to praise this Guerlain with. I am sitting with one on either wrist, trying to decide which one I would choose if I were to invest in a fb. This is really hard. Tonight I will say Tonka Imperial but tomorrow I may go the other way. Both have that lovely geurlainade simmering away. Both are heavenly to have on. TI seems to calm down a bit sooner whereas GQ is still smelling like something i might want to sip on after dinner.
rostik32 – :
I love it. Tonka, incense Heaven. Enough said.
FlaseCape – :
This is an absolute stunner of a tobacco perfume. Immediately you get this sweet, damp tobacco with autumn spices, crisp, red apple peel, and hints of herbs or evergreen so subtle that I thought it was my imagination until I saw the notes and notice it contains both. Reminds me somehow of Costamor Tabacca but so much finer (as it should be for the multiplicity of price).
The heart is where the almond really starts to bloom. Mixed with sticky tonka, I start coming up with silly names for it like “Hypnotic Poison Tobacco Absolue Intense” or something equally goofy.
I love how this perfume does not go the Tobacco Vanille direction of dark and brooding and instead has more of a transparent, light-hearted feel to it.
Tonka Imperiale is so wonderful, I want to go on about it, but there really is no need. It’s straight-forward, well-executed, and has possibly replaced Odori Tabacco as my favorite tobacco.
Sillage is monsterous. Three sprays on one of my wrists with the old-fashioned, fine mist atomizer was far too much.
Korston – :
Smells insanely good. A spicy oriental with decadently gourmand facets. I’m surrounded in a delightful scent all day – complex, smelling alternating notes of tonka, vanilla, cinnamon, amber. A fireworks of a scent. Yummy! Another compliment today as I gave someone a hug. A must have for cooler weather and worth every penny.
arcarseOpepsy – :
I have no idea where any of those basenotes are that they list as being in this, but all I smell is tonka, incense, and tobacco (not that I’m complaining). Longevity is awesome and sillage is a few billowy feet behind you. A very lovely smell.
rjurikovich – :
Very well made tonka/almond based scent.
It is hard to distinguish a real tonka bean smell from almonds – since both have that comforting sweetness, and this perfume has both in its composition. It is sweet but not annoying, tho.
Not a masculine scent, but i can see myself wearing it on cold weather. Nevertheless, I can imagine a woman wearing it too.
It can be used equally on formal and casual situations, but i cannot see it as a signature/daily basis fragrance.
Buy/pass: Buy, if you love almonds (and don’t care for the price).
P.S.: For a better bang for the buck (and equally well-made) tonka, try Midnight in Paris from VC&A.
Overall: 9 out of 10.
мила – :
a Haiku for tonka imperiale:
tonka bean harvest
gorgous gorgous fall in love
never be the same
артем20 – :
Tonka Imperiale is among the most-hyped contemporary fragrances so it’s difficult to manage expectations. I find it pleasing but not overwhelming in terms of projection, and very agreeable in that it walks the sweet/masculine balance very well, making it effectively unisex.
Tonka, vanilla, and nuts are the main notes, with some subservient tobacco and incense in the base. Beyond that, opinions vary on which notes factor in most, lending credence to the notion that it’s a complex fragrance that goes in many different directions. I get incense, and a little tobacco, with the herby notes evident throughout (like jasmine). Apart from the more citrus-heavy opening, I didn’t experience a lot of evolution on my skin, which isn’t bad, since the scent is quite pleasant.
The sweet incense aspect reminds me of Imaginary Authors’ Memoirs of a Trespasser, though Tonka Imperiale rings more formal, perhaps due to the sharpness of the bergamot and jasmine.
Projection is good but not great for an EDP (the Guerlain name, and price at $260 for 75ml, make me yearn for a little more, even if not up to the Tom Ford power house stratum), but longevity is pretty strong at 8+ hours, hardly weakened by a shower in the middle.
Certainly worth of much of its attention (though I’d argue not all), Tonka Imperiale provides a great balance that, while leaning toward cold weather slightly, seem so to me to have year-round and both formal/fun versatility.
9 out of 10
RiDeR-Z – :
It smells like vanilla, tonka, almond, shortbread cookie, combined with the faint scent of nondescript woods in the background. It is beautiful and pleasing to the nose without being overwhelmingly sweet. It can be utilized by both men and women easily and is for all occasions and seasons. An addictive, alluring, and nuanced scent that will never offend anyone. I personally enjoy more complex and inspiring scents, but it is amazing for what it is.
7/10
allexia1234 – :
I ordered a sample of Guerlein Tonka Imperial last week, and I was so excited to try it due to everyone’s raving reviews. I received it yesterday and ripped open the package to put it on- and I disliked it immediately. Although I didn’t like it then, I had to give it a shot since so many people are in love with it. I put it on and let it sit on my skin about 30 minutes before I finally had enough and had to scrub it off with rubbing alcohol. While I did get a slight whiff of tonka (or vanilla), it was more in the very background, while these unknown old lady type scents completely overpowered it. Perhaps I’m too much of a gourmand lover and expected it to be a little more along those lines, but this just screams stinky old lady to me. So sad it didn’t work out.
lehas – :
@mrolfhus, I think what you’re after is perhaps the ‘Spiritueuse Double Vanille’ rather than the Tonka.
Xeroxicwtt – :
Oh my god this is so exquisite! A true work of art, with so many layers and facets.
This is why Guerlain is my favourite perfume house.
leviophan39 – :
Either I got a bad sample or it just doesn’t like my skin. I am looking for an insane, obnoxious vanilla, and I love Guerlain. This should have been a match made in heaven, but I barely smell anything at all, then it is gone. The thing is, I don’t smell much in the vial. I half think I got ripped off in that trade. Maybe I will make another attempt. It sounds from the reviews like something I should love and the bottle may have a watered down sample.
Will update when I secure a new sample. Also, I welcome any suggestions on a new vanilla! Right now, Parfum de Nicoli Vanille Intense and Tonk Vanille are the best of an extensive collection. Shalimar Ode a la Vanille is also wonderful.
Update: Although I bought this looking for love, I followed up on MeThePerson’s advice and got ahold of the Spiritueuse Double Vanille, and there it was. I have not tried a different sample of the TI, though I may just to see if it was the sample or the perfume itself I had an issue with. But the SDV is the gods! (Also it arrived amazingly fast, having ordered it on the 7th and received it today, the 11th!)
Phetenani – :
Very nice gourmand. It comes off as almost cake batter. Vanilla, Tonka and a smoothness that makes it settle onto your skin quickly and hang on tightly.
My Score 8.5
vova BOSS – :
Paradise in a bottle. This is what heaven must smell like.
Vika_Tori – :
I tested this at Neiman Marcus today, and… I can barely smell anything. When I first sprayed it on a strip, I got a VERY faint hint of smoke and woods, but nothing else. I sprayed a couple sprays on my arm, thinking my skin chemistry would make it smell like SOMETHING – if I push my nose up against my arm it gives off a little sweetness, similar to Prada Candy, but still not much of anything. This is a dud for me.
serjglift – :
Marco Chau, your descriptor is perfection. I spent the afternoon Saturday at the Guerlain boutique in Vegas with the most wonderful and patient SA. As I commented on the notes on paper of each of the epds, we poured over the official book of notes and chattered about how one developed over another, etc. This scent is heaven. On my skin it is complex and interesting without being overbearing, it is sweet without being like candy and it is bolstered by traces of wood and smoke. I can wear this for everyday, or for a special evening. Extremely versatile, much more so than some of my other high end frags which seem to be a little more situation specific.
Ripdelulp – :
Tonka Imperiale opens with a warm, dry blast of sweet almond, creamy tonka and a delicate, barely-there peppery back-note of rosemary. The overall impression is one of warmth, sophistication, and luxury. If ever a frag actually smelled ‘expensive’, this one certainly does.
Although gourmand, this is quite a ‘grown up’ frag. No shrill almond-vanilla essence here – this is honeyed, rich and complex. The middle is where the pale tobacco comes into play, dusty and light. Shifting over a bed of rich tonka and a hint of smokey incense.
Tonka Imperiale is relatively linear, but by no means simple. It’s an incredibly rich assortment of notes and chords weaving in and out and between each other. Completely unisex, perfectly wearable and inoffensive. Much like being wrapped in a huge, plush and expensive blanket.
My only criticism can be aimed at sillage. The longevity is astounding – easily on par with some of the more nuclear Montales – however for me at least, the projection is rather muted. Made worse I think by the very nature of this juice – diffuse, warm, glowing and dusty. Once the sharper rosemary note bows out there’s very little ‘punch’ left to this frag. It becomes difficult to find any one note for the nose to cling to and one is left with a diffusive, barely-there cloud of warmth.
Certainly not a deal-breaker, but for the hefty price tag, I’d have liked this to fill a room.
slot77777 – :
English:
For me it is an honor to write about as acclaimed perfume, desired and longed for a large majority, the portentous Tonka Imperiale by Guerlain. Perfume launched in 2010 designed by the talented Thierry Wasser who is also father of Shalimar’s and La Petite Robe Noir’s and its flanker’s. So let the coveted … It opens in my nostrils very medicinal, with the same aromatic ring noticeable in syrups used to fight colds, but only for the first minute and anything that does not give to support, you can feel the slightly Rosemary and citric of Bergamot, however, bitter almonds are in concentrated doses than other delivery orders possibly combined, make me associate it with the flavor syrups widely used during colds. The middle of Tonka Imperiale is the beginning of a daydream that only feeling to know a Tonka Fava samba married to a delicious and smaller doses of Almonds Tobacco, creating a combined aroma medium sweet, semisweet what time brings us the honey or something else resinous pure quality. Its base has my respect for the Cedar presence which for me is noticeable from the exit, but in a subtle way, without meddling in the evolution of other notes, their growth will printing the fragrance its imposing rusti