WHAT I SMELL: Velvet Tonka opens with a soft and silky orange blossom that’s riding on top of a thickened wave of almond. The perfume starts off big and very rounded with what seems to be a taffy like glaze. It’s sweet, but more buttery almond sweet than sugary sweet. As the perfume begins to develop it radiates greatly and it reminds me of my mother’s confectionary kitchen cabinet where smells of vanilla, almond, paste and frosting created a veritable olfactory sugar rush. Continuing on, the addition of tobacco absolute helps to tame the perfume from growing out of control. However, the almond is still front and center and rather hard to resist. As the perfume continues on its journey, the almond melds with the tonka and vanilla. Here, the perfume softens oh so lightly along with a dash of wood just to even it out. It’s much later where I believe Velvet Tonka hits its “sweet spot” when it quiets to an ambered gourmet delight. It’s pretty, slightly sweet, lightly warmed and quite delightful.
From the BDK Parfums website:
Tonka bean is an ingredient full of contrasts, sometimes reminiscent of vanilla leather, sometimes of almonds, sometimes even revealing chocolatey facets. Velvet Tonka is characterized by its trilogy of tonka bean, orange blossom and almond. When worn on the skin, it coats it like an oriental delicacy dusted with icing sugar. The balmy tonka bean is adorned with almonds and rose petals for a velvety touch, and with a hint of tobacco absolute to give it a honeyed feel. In the base, addictive notes of milky amyris wood unfurl, enhanced by ambroxan and vanilla absolute for an unparalleled velvetiness and sensuality. Velvet Tonka is a tribute to the Moroccan origins of founder David Benedek and to the iconography associated with the region through its flavors and its landscapes, like a sweet, indulgent breeze coming straight from the Atlas Mountains.
Top notes: Orange blossom, Almond
Heart notes: Rose absolute, Tobacco absolute from the Balkans
Base notes: Tonka bean absolute, Vanilla absolute from Madagascar, Amyris wood essence, Amber woods
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Frosted almond cookies.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE VELVET TONKA: sweet, smooth, familiar
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT VELVET TONKA: The Candy Perfume Boy, Colognoisseur
BOTTOM LINE: Velvet Tonka is a perfume where a little can go a long way. It’s confectioned almond goodness can be wonderful; just ensure that you keep your spritzing to a minimum otherwise you’ll create a sugared forcefield that will be too much to handle for you and those in your wake. However, if you love gourmand fragrances, this might be a good fit. I’m not a gourmand lover and sweet perfumes can be challenging to me. But I found a little Velvet Tonka can be quite nice and rather cheery to wear.
- Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Floral Gourmand
- Nose: Alexandra Carlin
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: Starting at $215 for 100ml eau de parfum
WHAT I SMELL: Fleur Japonais opens with a soft milky magnolia that is quickly greeted by lilting cherry blossoms that are seemingly caressed by a light breeze. The perfume is intoxicating in that it’s full of body, yet light in presence. But there’s also a hidden strength in the blossoms in that their beauty is full of passion and power with the promise of rebirth. As the perfume develops, the soft and beautiful florals even out in consistency creating for a blanket that’s silky smooth. And along with that beautiful blanket is just the right amount of light incense that dreamily floats above the blossoms. Here, Fleur Japonais feels as if it is creating a passage to an ancient Japanese temple. In the end, a light powder with the incense and a soft sandalwood residing underneath, makes you feel as if you’re walking along a quiet path laden with freshly fallen pedals; pink above and pink below. Beyond gorgeous.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Dreaming in a sea of pink.
WHAT I SMELL: Mixed Emotions opens with a beautiful minty fresh cassis which moves ever so slightly to the evergreen in a rapid manner. Almost immediately, the perfume feels as if it resides on the edge of the forest where the green and the fruits seem to beckon all living things to commune with its ripened juice. After a short while, the fruit begins to quiet and soften, but the blackcurrant sweetens with the addition of a hint of violet while a soft tea note begins to enter. Here the perfume becomes more contemplative. Did I say contemplative? In a very short time, the perfume starts to move towards the semi-funky when wafts of light sweat come into play. For non-perfumistas that may sound like a horrible thing, but for those in the know, it can be enticing; and in this case, it’s exactly that. As the perfume continues to develop, a light violet begins to occupy the space where the blackcurrant resided along with the lightest of tea and incense. Here, the perfume is once again contemplative, soft and engaging and to me, very, very pretty. In the end you’re left with a quiet, lightly sweet musk of a perfume. Mixed Emotions is pretty and rather intimate in just the right kind of way.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Mixed emotions? Maybe. But to me, it’s sweet emotions. (And to clarify further, that means sweet related to love vs. sweet related to sugar!)
The Scented Hound 