Essence No. 10 Amande Tonka

Amande Tonka is in my opinion a masterpiece, by Francis Kurkdjian (I believe all of the fragrances from this line up are his creations). Some reviews have described this as slightly masculine and honestly, the only part of this fragrance that leans in that direction, if at all, is the opening but it is very fleeting, only lasting for about 5-10 minutes, after which it is squarely unisex to me. The almond note here is like marzipan but mixed with the most beautiful rendition of tonka. Tonka for me can sometimes become very powdery which, I don't care for but not here! Here, it is THE most delicious chocolate-y vanillic and slightly cinammon-y magical note. There is also a smooth creaminess, I believe from the sandalwood. So to my nose, this is just a gorgeous, creamy, chocolate marzipan with a woody finish to it. I know my description makes it sound very gourmand and that is doing this fragrance an injustice, I am afraid because while there are very strong gourmand facets to it, to me this fragrance is unique because there is a quality about it that elevates it beyond being just a classic gourmand. I do find it quite similar to Feve Delicieuse from Christian Dior but Feve is more powdery and strangely, softer on me whereas Amande Tonka is deeper, darker and richer to my nose. The performance on this is above average, lasting about 6-8 hrs and projection is moderate. This is a complete love for me and one that shot up into my lifers almost instantly, I just can't get enough of it! Highly recommend!

There is only a tiny resemblance to Feve Delicieuse as this is not as sweet, strong or with as big a sillage. This is a very grown up, almost reserved tonka and almond scent. It has a little sweetness and smells natural. I think the fresh amyris note adds an edge and prevents too much sweetness. It would be great on man or woman. The Tonka dominates closely followed by the nuttiness off the almond. It settles and you become very aware of the dusty sandalwood backed by a little amyris. Curiously after an hour or two it seems more sweet. The more I wear it the more I love it. I smell classy and expensive. I get low to moderate sillage but it hangs around for a good few hours.

Love Love Love! Blind bought this whilst it was on sale, with the intention of layering it with other scents. I knew I liked tonka in my perfumes, but I was completely taken aback after spraying this. It's rich, warm, sweet (not too much) and creamy. The almond note in this is just so good, it completes the fragrance perfectly. I can't get enough of it - smells like the best baked dessert. Such a cosy scent, it wears very close to the skin, so it's great for those jumper days and duvet days. Any gourmand lovers who see this going for a good price, get it. you wont regret that you did!

My goodness this scent is amazing, this is not your typical Almond - Tonka sweet bomb combo. This is blended to perfection, the tonka is really high quality, the almond gives it sligthly more bitterness but still remains sweet to the point that it isn t overboard, the sandalwood adds some creaminess and the Amyris a little more depth and the drydown gets a slight cinnamon feel, performance is through the roof, 10/10

How is there no cinnamon listed in the notes above? The most prominent note in the dry down is most definitely cinnamon... Accompanied in a cosy way by soft almond and vanilla in an almost hot cross bun way. I can see why someone saw a resemblance to feve delicieuse but I think this might actually be nicer! Lovely for gourmand lovers. It is not sugary sweet.