Tea

Yesterday I was feeling somewhat inspired to hit the local rack stores after watching Ross on TLTG talking about having found Dark Cherry & Amber, as well as Tobacco & Tonka from Banana Republic’s Icon Collection at a Burlington location. I had been unsuccessful at finding the Dark Cherry & Amber so I figured why not? It had been a while since I’d been out looking for finds in the wild. After finding the ever elusive Dark Cherry & Amber and adding that along with Metal Rain and Gardenia & Cardamom to my collection, I figured why not hit the TJX stores while I’m out? I’ve been watching their apps and have seen new niche selections added and sold out pretty regularly so why not give it a go? I’ve got to say I’m quite thrilled to have found this at TJ Maxx for $34.99! So excited was I that I completely forgot to use my $20 in rewards or it would have been $14.99 before sales tax. This is a really outstanding fragrance imho. Initially I was confused as I’ve seen that there are 2 iterations of Tea by Commodity - one that is a women’s frag and one that is unisex. Luckily after inspecting the notes, I saw that it was the unisex. This smells magnificent. I don’t have much in the way Commodity offerings, just this and Vetiver (which was also a TJ Maxx find several months ago. I don’t have much to offer in the way of a review, and certainly not much likelihood I could add something not already relayed by others below. This is just an initial reaction posting. I would def recommend, and heck for the price, I would say this is a safe blind purchase. I see someone else felt some connection / similarity to Vetiver and I caught that same vibe. Not sure if that’s generally thematic of a “Commodity DNA” that resonates through their line, or several of their releases. I’m not sure if this one came from the original line of fragrances or if this came after the relaunch and/or where on the timeline of this house this falls comparative to the women’s Tea. There is no date on fragrantica with respect to when this was released and I wasn’t able to locate it on their website or any other sources online (though I’ll admit I didn’t look too hard). All in all, a great fragrance. Can still pick up hits of it from having sprayed it about 16 hours ago. Great fragrance, and at the price point, couldn’t imagine nearing being disappointed even if I didn’t fancy it so much on first sniff.

A phenomenal creation. While I’m aware there are currently 2 interpretations of Tea circulating, I was biting my knuckles hoping that the one I will receive will be the Oolong version, and lo and behold my prayers were answered. This was the last sample in my Commodity discovery set, and they truly saved the best for last (I unlike most, was impressed by neither the powdery Gold nor the pickle-juice Book). Tea is masterfully blended, it comprises a palatable quality in which you can actually identify the individual notes; sweet (albeit low-key) tobacco, honey-glazed fruit brewing in a warm cup of oolong, and even the basil adds a unique, slightly herbal and masculine touch. Sweet and spicy, sharing some DNA with Vetiver by the same house. It is definitely uniquely unisex, and I could not be happier that rose does not steal the spotlight here. Despite being sufficient on its own, it’s friendly for layering, either with other Commodity scents like Vetiver or Nectar, or my go-to BR540 Extrait. I truly hope when Commodity restart their production in full gear, they will retain this gem. Besides the mid-level longevity and sillage, I have no reservations about this signature scent-worthy juice. And because it is more soothing than invigorating, Tea speaks leisure, not business. 9/10

Like several of you, I found this at TJ Maxx and snatched it up with hope. As as coincidence I had been looking for a non-minty tea scent for quite a while. This did not disappoint. It's literally like sitting on an outdoor patio bistro, enjoying a cup of tea with a touch of honey added to it, a basil leaf is floating in it, and someone is smoking a pipe around the corner. The oolong and honey dominate, yet all of the notes are subtle and perfectly blended. The dry down is still true to the initial spray with even the orange lingering but absolutely not overpowering anything at any time. Commodity did really well with this one. I own nearly 150 bottles of perfume and this is currently in my top 5. It's office safe, friendly, and sits close unless oversprayed. Get a cup, I mean, a bottle and relax.....

Saw this at TJ MAXX today...$24.99. I grabbed it. This is actually a very nice surprise to me. Citrus/honey/herbal /tea opening....then mid-way thru I get the basil/patch vibes followed by a dry tobacco/powder...and a touch of "soapy". The dry down is musky/cashmere vibe with the citrus/honey still wafting around. Performance is pretty good, as I was expecting it to become a total skin scent, to be honest. And...hmmmmm....???....I somehow "get" the Dior Sauvage-ish touches with this. (?) A nice "everyday" type scent....but it is not,IMO, a typical freshie . The aromatic/herbal/tea vibes do shine thru. Pretty good !

Norell II is an obscure vintage fragrance that has not yet been added to the Fragrantica database. (Edit: I just noticed as of September 2023 it is now in the database.) The first time I smelled this latest iteration of Tea: I immediately thought about Norell II, a gem with honey and herbal (tea) leather effects. My mom had a bottle. Even way back then I thought it was incredible. When I used a bit of my 10 ml Tea today, I had the same reaction. More than nostalgia, THIS specific (most recent) iteration of Tea is a gem that the new owners of Commodity should consider bringing back.

Aromatic, floral, fresh and minty (that'll be the basil?) on my skin. Dries down very pleasant and a tad salty. I can see how so many ppl think it leans more masculine, if I smelled this on a man I'd be putty 😬 but I love it on me, too - I can't stop sniffing my own arm. Pity there's virtually no sillage. It's pretty much a skin scent now and it's not been much over an hour yet. Must be my skin's chemistry though, as most claim it as "moderate" on that count. New personal favourite. I'd wear this to smell myself. My nose would be permanently glued to my fella, if he wore it.

This is a tale of two teas. Commodity released two formulations of Tea which share nothing but their name. The first one was a screeching, industrial cleaner citrus-lily-of-the-valley combo, barely tea-like unless off-brand Lipton's in lukewarm tap water water counts. This reformulation is an entirely different scent, sharing only sandalwood and musk (neither of which are particularly detectable in the first formulation), and nixing the citrus entirely. It's divine. Here I smell tea, unctuous honey, florals, spices, and woods, all beautifully blended. While it's composed of typically dense, heavy notes, there's a lightness to this fragrance that makes it easily wearable, even in the summer. It's effervescent but not watered-down. There tends to be a bias against reformulated fragrances, but this is one case in which the first version was a weak trial run. The two labels are slightly different, and Fragrantica's images correctly reflect the reformulated version's label versus the original - the "Commodity" brand name is above the fragrance name in the improved formulation, as shown above.

I blind bought a 10 ml travel spray of Tea off EBay without realizing there is a female version in a different formula. Mine has main notes of honey, Egyptian basil, tobacco listed on the box. At first spray it seemed like a simple tea scent but then it dried down quickly to be a slightly sweet honey and tea with hint of spice. Zero rose or musk shows up on my skin. It faded fast in 111 degree weather as a skin scent for 3-4 hours. Glad I bought it since I love tea fragrances but may try the other formula for women if I can find it on EBay for reasonable price.

Warm, spicey, yet fresh and vetiverish feel to me. Unisex to my nose though I can see how some might feel it leans slightly masculine. I love it so much. Average projection and staying power. I'm sad it is discontinued. I find myself reaching for this one the most during fall for a freshie type feel and Wulong Cha in the summer/late spring, even though I have quite a lot of tea scents. I honestly cannot understand the low reviews and wonder if some people were mistakenly reviewing the other version.

Like a few others I bought this at tj maxx and idk what is wrong with my brain but to me it smells like Alien Musc and Marc Jacobs decadence Sensulle had a baby and this perfume is it. 😂 I like both of those smells so its not a problem. Ive never tried the brand but after reading the notes hear I was excited to try it as I love unisex fragrances. This IS a lovely unisex smell. My partner likes it except the tobacco which I dont even pick up. So...probably not a safe blind buy. Lol

This was a TJ Maxx find! The first time I saw it, I walked on by, regretted it - and found it again at a neighboring store. It was a bit of a surprise to find this niche brand there. A spicy, honey lemony mix with hints of tonka bean and tea coming through, and drying down to a beautiful sandalwood. It’s not a perfume everyone is going to like, but it is unique, well made and sits well on the skin. It’s also unisex, and when I say that, androgynous.

I think this one leans masculine as it smells more like a glorified shaving cream. I can’t tell whether there’s any tea note. In general, I am not a fan of Commodity, and this one didn’t change my mind. But my partner likes this one. I might like it better in the summer.

Quite masculine to me, yes, I also get that mysterious liquorice note that isn’t actually listed, but I think what I’m actually picking up on is tobacco. It’s incredibly unique. I really like it. I gave it to my stepbrother because its not for me.

Not a safe bling buy unless you like tobacco and dry fragrances. I wish I had read these reviews before I picked it up at TJ Maxx. When I sprayed it, I really only got honey, tobacco, and maybe some tea (but not in a pleasant way). I like honey but because this fragrance is so dry and heavy, the honey is not a light sweet honey. Instead, it's suffocating. It's one of those fragrances that you smell and feel like you can't breathe. I've seen a couple people say this is a fresh/refreshing tea scent and I have to argue against that. Definitely going to unhaul this one

I just got this and I guess it’s the older version but my bottle looks like what’s in the picture. This smells like nothing that is listed on the product box or here in descriptions. This is the other version I suppose which is the heavy citrus, screeching freesia, artificial “fresh” notes and industrial cleaner all mixed together. The opening had some potential with crisp bergamot but it soon turned into industrial cleaner scent. Bad blind buy! I must stop blind buying. Big no on this one.

If you, like me, see this in a TJ Maxx and buy it just because it is a deal and you're surprised to see the brand there - be cautious. It is NOT a safe blind buy. Very strong, very masculine, and I don't pick up on the individual notes. Just a spicy mishmash. Smells like a well formulated early 90s men's cologne.

This stuff is gorgeous. It wasn't quite what I was expecting at first, I'll be honest. I was expecting a straight up black tea scent. This hits you with the honey and the herbal notes and the citrus right away and the honey is a very florally honey. Together it all ends up smelling very Elizabeth Arden-y, and much more feminine than I thought it would be. But it was also immediately thirst quenching. At first it smells sort of like if you added a lot of honey to a jasmine green tea. On the drive home with my windows down I could smell it all over me, fresh and sweet and warm all at once, slowly drying down to a drier oolong tea sort of smell. The tobacco is there the whole time, but you don't recognize it until halfway through the wear. On the spectrum of green tobacco leaf still on the plant to cigarette ash, this is way more towards the leafy end. In the initial spray it just serves to boost the tea leaf note, and as it dries down it becomes a very soft unlit cigar tobacco. I don't detect patchouli at all but I assume it's there to add to the greenness and make the scent last longer. 5 ish hours later Tea has become a sweet, comforting skin musk. I even took a nap and the smell stuck around, usually whatever I'm wearing will rub off all over my sheets. Overall I really like this. As my preferences change from gourmand-y sweet perfumes to more masculine woody greens a lot of my current collection just doesn't scratch that itch, and I'm really glad I have this now. It's a great daytime scent that can transition to a cozy night and despite the initial floral honey blast I'd call it a true unisex.

As someone who loves tea scents but avoids overly sweet fragrances, I was hesitant to try Tea by Commodity. I ended up enjoying it more than I expected :) the sweetness is just a subtle, honeyed background note that pairs perfectly with the initial floral, tea-scented, and slightly dry spray. The dry-down is what sold me, settling into a soft, woody, oolong finish. It’s a very cozy, unisex scent, not too clean or musky, that I find leans slightly feminine on me. It's perfect for spring and fall, especially for picnics :) I also really love low sillage fragrances so this was perfect. It's not a fragrance that smells exactly like tea, but I feel those who enjoy tea scents would enjoy this.

Now I love dry spicy tobacco!!! I bought mine at TJ Maxx also and I love this fragrance. On my skin it’s a black tea with honey nothing else. It’s definitely a late summer fall scent, but I’m wearing it in the heat today. Longevity doesn’t seem to long I’d say about a good 4 to 6. sillage seems it will be better in the cooler weather. I do like this but would I run to get again, no, but for the price it’s nice. I’m usually not a negative reviewer, I find on here there’s a lot of that! I feel everyone has different taste so I try not to be to negative! Recommended if you like non floral fragrances suitable for both men and woman.

Bought it on a whim and.... Wow! Perfectly unisex without having to conform to the CK One archetype. Is it just me, or is there a bit of a black licorice steeped in with the tea?