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rezeda – :
Strong soapy opening reminiscent of the original Nivea smell. A light almondy vanilla turns it creamier, but it never strays too far from that first impression.
iner – :
Preamble: So in my review of Bvlgari Notte I mentioned if the scent were (re)packaged as niche and priced at $200 people would chase after it like crazy.
Well. PG Tonkamande reminds me quite a bit of Notte, but less exciting without the zingly gin and galanga/ginger note. The almond is quite strong here, and the tonka combined with wheat gives it a discreet sweetness similar to that of dark chocolate and iris in Notte. Definitely powdery. Definitely milky like soy milk, which is NOT the real dairy type of milkiness like that of SL Jeau de Paux. On my personal sweetness scale I rate it as quite sweet (7-7.5/10), but I don’t usually do gourmands. The wheat note becomes more prominent as it dries down and projection and longevity are both good (arm-length, 7 hours). But really, that’s all I got to say about this perfume.
Come to think of it my ambivalence towards Tonkamande is probably due to the “better stuff” I smelled before, and I’m not just referring to Notte. I mean Tonkamande isn’t a bad scent per se, but perfumes like the new Guerlain Mon Exclusif, SL Gris Clair, L’artisan Jour de Fete, are all perfumes with a very similar style that are on par or below Tonkamande’s price point and make a stronger impression to me than this. To each their own I guess. However I strongly encourage anyone who’s interested in Tonkamande to check out at least the three I listed, especially Mon Exclusif if you like the sweet stuff. That’s real creamy gourmand almond done right.
ZOMBIONE – :
Tonkamande is pretty good! It’s a bit of a shy fragrance (not very loud) but it’s very cozy indeed. It’s not overly sweet, because it has green notes which makes it a hot cocoa-kind of fragrance topped with fresh green leaves. I liked it, longevity is super, but it’s too shy/silent compared to what I was looking for. But if you’re a fan of tonka, almonds and vanilla (like me) it’s worth to try out. I would be very happy receiving this as a gift, but I didn’t love it enough to buy a FB for my own money. I have so many other delights to spend money on 😉 But I can see this as an “easy to like” beginner gourmand-scent! A nice alternative for those who are not into heavy gourmands, but wan’t something sweet yet fresh to start out with.
newick – :
When I first read the list of ingredients I figured there was no way this could work. I love tonka bean, but tonka bean with aldehydes? Surely not.
But, it does work and I love it. Go lightly though. The sillage doesn’t get much stronger regardless (it is fairly soft), but this can become overwhelmingly sickly if you overspray. I found one spray is perfect for me, more than that and I start to go off this a bit.
This is a very creamy perfume, but there’s a sharp kick from the aldehydes that makes it all rather contradictory. I can’t say I ever notice much in the way of amber from it, on me this is predominately tonka, aldehydes and vanilla, with a lovely hug of sandalwood in the drydown.
It’s definitely gourmand, but not in the usual way – the aldehydes add an (obviously) inedible quality to all the other yumminess that’s going on.
Definitely try before you buy because this one is unusual and it’s not going to be for everyone.
I think what I like most about this is the contradiction of it. Some days I just can’t decide what I want to wear and this is great for those days because it evokes more than one feeling at once. It’s sweet and feminine, it’s creamy, and it’s also a little spiteful and a little naughty.
Baylog – :
this starts off like a soapy vanilla. not exactly what i was expecting, but that often happens! it’s definitely a milky vanilla scent, but there is something slightly soapy floral, i guess from the aldehydes. this isn’t a super nutty almond either. after awhile the almond comes out more and it’s one of those more cherry-type almonds. liking it better now that the soapiness has calmed down. i think i get some tonka too which rounds out the scent. i know this says it has sandalwood, but i am not smelling it, at least when it comes to my idea of sandalwood. i like this after the soapiness subsides. it’s a cozy gourmand but it’s kind of unique, even if the aldehydes are a bit strong for my tastes.
Witsin – :
Powdery, vanilla, woody almonds. Feels balanced with some little bitter and sour notes. Sometimes I get a whiff of soapy notes.
Nice gourmand fragrance: linear, not too sweet. It’s nice, pleasant, but not too memorable.
CheL43 – :
The notes listed are hard to imagine coming together into any kind of composition until you actually smell this fragrance.
First: Aldehydes, wheat, and almond. It’s a natural smell mixed with a synthetic smell – the contrast is unusual! The tonka is right there behind it, adding a little bit of creamy-ness.
Then: The whole thing gets rather powdery and strange on my skin, sort of dusty and uncomfortable.
Last: The drydown fades away pretty quickly, but it has a very ‘breadlike’ feel to it, and a little bit of a chemical aftertaste. I have never smelled anything like this before, and I doubt I will again!
Aldehydes are a no-no with my skin chemistry, so if this is a family of scents that works for you – it could be fabulous! It starts off promising, but this will hit my swap list shortly.
Dgon.xoxlov.524163 – :
Aldehydes with a milky, wheaty perfume seem to curdle unless properly handled. I have to agree with Roge here this comes across floral in the opening and not at all what I was expecting. The base is creamy but not really almond like in my opinion, there’s sandalwood and a hint of tonka that’s it for me. Not very balanced for me but not unpleasant and another thing Roge points out this fragrance is supposed to be aimed at women so my comments are pretty redundant. Put it this way I wouldn’t wear it!
Some positives are that Tonkamande dries down nicely and does reveal a yummy creaminess of vanilla but it’s too little too late. It projects well for the first hour or so but the longevity was poor on my skin.
KriptoKai – :
The longer selfish people are in the room, the likelier they are to ruin the party. The same can be said of the flowery/perfume notes in Tonkamande. Just a sledgehammer of florals that overpowers the other ingredients. Very perfumey and not as much tonka as the name may suggest. Not a fragrance I would recommend you to wear on a subway. Since this is a woman’s frag, maybe I’m not qualified to give my opinion…
Xeroxweulw – :
Tonkamande is very much a wood scent. Not so sweet, as I expected it to be.
The well mixed blend of notes give me a little freshness but the woods are very dominant.
Almost no almond and very little aldehydes.
I like it and I think it may be a new love.
lawyer-mbm – :
I was able to try this today and although the dry down is really good powdery vanilla-ish and somewhat nutty, the beginning smelled a little like sweat, lol. The sweaty smell lasted for about 3 minutes and then it started smelling nice. Worth a try because it does end beautifully specially for vanilla fans. It also lasted for a whopping 8 hours.
tele-sergej – :
Sample before trying! Most of the reviewers here loved this, but it soooo didn’t work on me! After a horrendous blasting pasty onset, it faded quickly to a soft powdery vanilla with a wheat bread note that didn’t blend at all. It stayed synthetic the whole time and dried so sticky sweet I had to scrub it off. I do love vanilla almond hawthorn type scents, but this one never blended on my skin and just stood out as a mess. It was never sickening, but it kind of came close.
zbd724InsuffBooni – :
Too little almond that’s gone after the first hour, too little sillage and no lasting power to speak of (around 2-3 hours). Too bad the scent itself is actually very nice, comfy and elegant at the same time.
miha4v – :
I was really looking forward to sampling this… As a lover of “almond-balmy-vanilla-nutty-sweet-powdery” (as in the description above), I was thinking that this must be IT! My beloved almonds! Vanilla, Sandalwood, Tonka, Amber! This must be THE FRAGRANCE for me. And it is very pretty, really, but on me also very, very light and the whole thing is gone in a fleeting moment. Half an hour later I really struggle to smell it and an hour later it’s gone. Completely gone. Is it my sample? Is it something about my chemistry? (Some of the others don’t seem to experience this). I don’t know, but at $100 per 50ml I would expect much better presence and longevity. Sorry, Tonkamande, I have tried.
SvetlanSehjt – :
Nice, very very nice. I have been sampling lots of powdery almond perfumes lately, and this one stands out to me as at least somewhat unique from the rest. It’s not nauseatingly sweet, nor is it overly powdery. I definitely smell aldehydes because the first thing I noticed about it when I put it on is that it smells like “perfume” in the traditional sense of the word–not gourmand in any way, despite the almond and vanilla notes. While other similar perfumes smell edible like Turkish delight, this actually smells a bit sophisticated, like powdery almond mixed with a traditional French perfume. I can take it more seriously than perfumes that smell like candies. I don’t know about wheat…but the fragrance does smell warmer and richer than others of its kind. I’ve considered Gourmandises, Loukhoum, Loukhoum du Soir, Heliotrope, and Sweet Oriental Dream, but I couldn’t bring myself to purchase one of those. I would think more seriously about Tonkamande.
em_forever – :
This fragrance is like being wrapped in a warm, cozy, cashmere blanket. Tonkamande is one of those perfumes in which everything is blended seamlessly together, such that you don’t really pick up on distinctive notes. It has a soft, warm, enveloping feel. The almonds, vanilla, sandalwood and wheat are blended very smoothly together, making this delicately creamy and powdery. It’s milky, nutty and slightly sweet, but not overtly gourmand. Tonkamande is an unusual scent, but if I had to compare it to anything I would say it reminds me a tiny bit of Lolita Lempicka L’Eau en Blanc. Not because it smells the same, but it has a similar feeling to me. L’Eau en Blanc is sweeter and has a fruitiness that Tonkamande clearly doesn’t, but they share a satisfying coziness that is both smooth and creamy.
As others have said, the lasting power and sillage are both minimal. However, this is the type of scent that seems suited to a close-to-the-skin level of projection. It’s a definite comfort scent. While I don’t apply perfume before bed, I imagine this would also make a relaxing “bedtime” scent for those who do.
sarametvlad – :
Got this as a sample, so it it’s lightly sweet, soft confectionary almond, (not marzipan) musky, honey & powdery, …. more like a Skin note. I would like to actually spray quite a bit on, and see from there. On my friend this smells incredible!
MgNasty Donal – :
On first sniff, Tonkamande smells very much like SL Louve minus the heaps of sugar. It’s bitter almond, like an Amaretto drink, but very soft and cuddly. An hour later there’s hardly any almond left on my skin; it’s a milky, comforting scent, a blend of sandalwood and musk, barely sweet at all but still yumiliscious. Fragrance lovers looking for something in the spirit of Bois Farine (soft, relaxing, calming & cuddly) but on the more feminine side, should definitely try Tonkamande.
However, I’m not into fragrances of the “just like your skin but better” kind and Tonkamande has zero projection. While lasting power is ok (~6 hours), I refuse to pay that kind of money for something that only I can smell. A small decant though, is not completely out of the question.
Update: Wore it again yesterday and could barely smell it myself after a couple of hours. It’s such a pity that such a beautiful scent is so faint and non-lingering:( Perhaps a liberal spraying from a bottle woull make things better, but I won’t risk my money buying a FB of this, only to not smell it later.
mvm03041951 – :
This is pure deliciousness. The kind of perfume you put on before bed so you can sleep with your nose in the crook of your arm. There is *almost* a feeling of florals in the top notes …gentle aldehydes. They don’t scream, they whisper. Finally got my full bottle, and I will enjoy each drop.
imarshag – :
Ohhh so so warm milky comfy and sweet. thhis is a realy cosy treat.. not very sophisticated or a perfume you wear to impress( imo). but a treat for your self .
it so delicios to smell on the skin , sweetend milky, slightly honey like , i cant say it is so much almonds, just a tiny bit. and the aldehyds makes this fresh and sparkely. im so glad i got to try this..
fisher-34 – :
This is good, yeah. An elaborate, classy, feminine thing, a ladies’ scent done to perfection. I smell no food in there whatsoever. I *think* it reminds me of Chanel’s Allure and of Desnuda. The kind of smell that makes friends with everybody – it is a bit non-descript – but still very likeable and good to wear to any occasion.
miron1984 – :
Exceptionally pleasing to my nose… right from the first sniff. It is indeed a comforting and soothing scent of milky, almondy vanilla with a very soft amber base. Not too sweet, Easy to wear, and quite long lasting too. Nice job PG!
were12 – :
oh my. surpised to see i was going to be second reviewer on this gem. i have been looking for milkiness so long – and now i got it – a dream come true!
i can’t stop sniffing on my wrist – and before saying anything i must pin down that i am not a fan of cloying or foody gourmand scents (i am a predator after all – i don’t wanna smell like food 😉 )
and yet this… the strongest i get is the almond milk and something nutty (guess that is the tonka bean but i never smelled them directly so i will not make assumptions).
I could imagine a big mug of warmed milk with a little roasted almond bits stirred into could smell like this.
I could fiddle around and say i can smell the rest of the notes. But honestly – even if they are there, they only provide a supportive role – as Kchild said – they might tune down the sweetness.
All in all – i do not find it cloying but it is definitely on the sweet side.
Seems i am going for a full bottle next time! Especially now that i could read it is limited edition
DotSootte – :
Tonkamande is a secret powerhouse. You look at the notes and she appears to be all innocence and light. She’s not. She’s like applying that rich, thick creamy dessert to your skin and then finding out that it has a bit of a dark side. It’s the sandalwood & the tonka working as a team that gives off this wooden smokey depth.
She’s a dense compositon~she feels heavy to me. The aldehydes do their job beautifully and give her a bit of sparkle and lift but the creaminess even weighs down these efforts to a large degree. Their usual effervescence is minimized by the weight of the sandalwood.
I truly like Tonkamande but I use it in very small doses. Just like that dessert if you indulge in too much you’ll wish you hadn’t.
The almond really doesn’t show it’s lovely face until the drydown approaches and even then it’s a very brief appearance. At the risk of being redundent I have to say that this is a Sandalwood and Tonka Cream creation. Spray lightly friends…..