Fève Tonka de Canaima

Another beautiful tonka almond fragrance! Ironically, tonka was never a note I favored as it can be too powdery at times and I only enjoyed it as a supporting note for it's vanillic qualities. The fragrance that turned this around for me is the now infamous and extremely rare Amande Tonka from Elie Saab. Feve Tonka is another one that solidifies by new found love for this note, especially in combination with a good almond note. Here the almond is syrupy, sort of like the sweet syrups used in barista drinks but it is beautifully balanced off by the powdery vanillic qualities of the tonka. Sandalwood brings creaminess to the composition and labdanum, an ambery depth. I can pick up the florals here - a pretty rose blended with a much softer violet. All the notes are anchored together in an inoffensive patchouli. There is something boozy about it, to my nose anyway and while this scent definitely bears qualities that lean gourmand, the florals and the amber make it... darker and more exotic. Dadier and Boucheron knocked this one out of the park! Now, this fragrance does bear some similarity to Tonka Imperiale from Guerlain however, it is different enough to stand on it's own. The floral notes in the former sets it apart and makes it more interesting to my nose. The latter is still a gorgeous scent but the tonka and almond are slightly different - more powdery and combined with the aromatic notes of rosemary and pine, the scent profile takes a different direction. Feve Tonka is also a stronger scent and has more of a presence while Tonka Imperiale is softer, which is typical of this line from Guerlain. Overall performance is moderate to good, lasting about 4-5 hours and then continuing as a skin scent. To sum up, Amande Tonka still reigns supreme as my favorite tonka almond scent but Feve Tonka is a beauty and definitely, one worth getting your nose on.

Fève Tonka de Canaima is an another wonderful new fragrance by Boucheron luxury line with more exclusive and expensive editions! I thought it could be a sweet and Tonka focused gourmand scent, but I was completely wrong. The fragrance is not sweet or gourmand in any way. The main player here is the note of Bitter Almond - powerful, thick, dominant with natural character. If you love biter almond with slide medicine undertone - this is your fragrance. There are some other powerful notes that make the whole composition very rich, interesting and unique. To me, that's the green-mossy patchouli and the balsamic-resin notes. This magic mix of deep and sensual notes gives more mysterious and Oriental touch to the composition. You could ask - and what for the vanilla and tonka??? Yes, they are here, but on my skin they don't give me the typical sound of sweet vanilla or sweet tonka. To me, these two notes gives only power, richness and more creamy, more rounded texture to the whole composition. In some way, the combination of non-sweet vanilla/tonka vibe and the almond, reminds of Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous. But they are not the same. I prefer Fève Tonka de Canaima. Only for the Bitter Almond - slightly it reminds me of L'Erbolario Mandorla, but again Fève Tonka de Canaima is different. The rose note is not playing big role here - it gives only more smooth, creamy and unisex character, but is far from being an important moment. Final words: Fève Tonka de Canaima is a great new brave scent with wonderful Bitter Almond focus! Some people could be disappointed due to lack of sweetness, but for niche heads it will be a very interesting scent. Bravo and excellent work by Alexis Dadier!

Feve Tonka de Canaima is what I would personally liked Velvet Tonka from BDK to be! This is instant love for me! I would go as far as to say that if you’re interested in getting a tonka bean scent in 2024, don’t get Velvet Tonka which smells very vintage and dusty, get Feve Tonka! It’s less than half of the price and it’s a giant (luxurious looking) bottle, very addicting and mass appealing. Safe blind buy even for people who don’t like violent. I am not the biggest violent flower fan, but occasionally, and in Feve Tonka, it’s beautifully blended and doesn’t stands out, mostly just adding some powdery nuances to vanilla, bitter almonds and tonka beans. This is beautiful. Smooth bitter almonds, sandalwood, creamy vanilla/tonka beans, some whiffs of deep rose and clean patchouli mixed with soft, powdery violet and warm, comforting ladbdanum. Simply intoxicating scent! I have never tested Guerlain’s Tonka Imperiale but after getting a bottle of Feve Tonka de Canaima, I feel like I am missing out on an even better (or at least higher rated) tonka bean scent. Performance is not mind blowing on Feve Tonka, it’s a softer, closer to the skin type of scent, but lasts well throughout the day. On clothes clings until washing. I got my bottle from a discount website, so at least for what I’ve paid for, this is phenomenal value for money! If you’re on the fence about it, don’t be, it’s worth it! This entire line from Boucheron, La Collection, is freaking amazing! I own four bottles from the line and as soon as I can find the tuberose, vanilla and rose focused ones, I’ll buy them without even thinking twice.

Very similar to BDK Velvet Tonka but without the texture that makes Velvet Tonka smell like luxury body oil/lotion. FTdC opens with bitter almond, slighty marzipans but nowhere near sweet enough to be. It then moves into the Tonka which is powdery, slighty smoky/leathery with hints of semisweet chocolate; which I believe is coming from the patchouli. I haven’t gotten to the dry down yet but I’m hoping the labdanum makes a heavy appearance. It’s not a beast in projection but the two sprays on the back of my hand keep making it’s way up to my nose. I don’t have to go to it so I disagree with it being a skin scent. I don’t smell the Violet or rose, no lipstick accord here but they could be attributing to the powdery texture. The more I smell it, the more I like it. Just like Velvet Tonka, its not what I was expecting, which was a Tonka heavy gourmand. Edit: I can’t believe my luck but I was able to purchase a 75ml bottle of Guerlain Tonka Imperiale. After comparing the two, I can now smell how sweet the opening of FTdC is- where TI opens with the amazing herbal/ coumarin FTdC is fuzzy black cherry/almond. Now it’s more Marzipane and the labdanum shines more with more wears. I think this and TI are the superior Tonka fragrances- not including Tonka Sarrapia

So, I recently became re-intrigued with almond-centric fragrances. I love Xerjoff Italica. Yet after steadily wearing Italica through 3 x 100ml bottles, I felt I needed a break. Decided to purchase some large samples-decants and/or new, unopened (or tester) full bottles of specific almond fragrances. Feve Tonka is a huge WOW for me, it really is. I love this fragrance! Feve Tonka opens with ethereal, translucent, ephemeral almond-floral notes. On skin, the perfume morphs into a huge vanilla-tonka fragrance with a warm, slightly powdery, floral, vanilla, creamy sandalwood, tonka base. I recently sampled Une Nuit Nomade Chemin d'Amande. And while I like the fragrance a lot, the overwhelming almond-brioche-pastry smell was a bit too dense for me. I felt suffocated while wearing the fragrance. I LOVE beast mode fragrances. But I felt self-conscious walking around with Chemin d'Amande emitting from my skin. Not a great performer, Feve Tonka delivers in a soft, romantic, feminine, ephemeral way. While light and airy, the listed notes rise for a few hours after initial application. Silage is not great. Perfume wears for about 2 hours on skin, So happy I purchased a full 125ml bottle at a great price! Love it!