Our take
What does Tonka smell like?
Réminiscence handed Tonka to Fabrice Pellegrin in 2013. The perfume makes no secret of its subject. It opens spicy and a little medicinal, with clove and anise studding a bergamot that fades quickly. Think of a cake just out of the oven. The heart is the best stretch. Honey runs over bitter almond, close to marzipan, and labdanum adds an ambery thickness with a hint of leather. Jasmine stays quiet but keeps the whole thing from turning into pure pastry. The base finally puts tonka bean in front. You get cut hay and caramel, then soft vanilla and a musk that blurs the edges. Next to Guerlain's Tonka Impériale it is more direct and sweeter, with less smoke. Sources disagree on its exact concentration, and it is harder to find than it used to be.
When to wear it
Cold-weather scent for weekends or a dinner out. Two sprays on a wool sweater will carry you through the day.
It belongs to the Oriental / Amber family. Tonka is one of 23 creations by Reminiscence in our encyclopedia.
