Tonka 25

Interesting. I definitely like it but I’m not sure I quite love it, however, I could see this potentially being something that grows into a love, especially in colder weather. It has quite a bit in common with some other unique scents that I love, like Roja Dova Musc Aoud most notably, also a bit like Keihl’s original musk, even a slight bit like Armani Privé Myrrhe Imperiale and others that aren’t coming to mind right now. First off, while this definitely contains a good bit of tonka, it is primarily a musk perfume first and foremost. A dark, sweet (in an oriental way), animalic, resinous, chewy, ambery musk. It reminds me most of all of Roja Dove Musc Aoud but it’s softer and of course, lacks the oud (with cedar instead in its place) and therefore isn’t as intensely animalic as that one, but it’s definitely animalic albeit in a cleaner way. Imagine RD musc aoud crossed with Kiehls original musc and a bit of Prada original amber pour homme and you get something close albeit not identical to this. I smell myrrhe in this for sure, quite a bit of it actually, so either it’s unlisted or it’s an illusion created by other notes, most probably the tonka, styrax, and vanilla. I think that’s likely the case and maybe the orange blossom even adds to it by giving a bit of a soapy effect that myrrh can sometimes have. The combination of notes also seems to be responsible for the illusion of an amber note in this. This fragrance is dark and cozy and soft, it’s a winter scent 100% and while it’s dark in a way, it’s not an evening scent to me, or at least not a going out scent. This, like most le labos, is 100% a stay at home cozy type of scent, curled up on a winter’s day, perhaps by the fireplace, wrapped in cashmere, a cup of hot cocoa or chai or cappuccino nearby, or actually more like mulled wine or bourbon is what I get with this scent. Actually the more I wear it the more I like it, which is how most LL scents have been for me so no surprise there. It probably would’ve been an instant love if I’d tried it in a cooler season, right now it’s really heating up here and I’m craving lighter, fresher scents but honestly this is a gorgeously crafted fragrance and I’m going to save the rest of my sample for when fall/winter rolls around again, or at least for the next coldest day. I will DEFINITELY be considering adding this one to my wardrobe when it gets colder. Right now I have too many other bottles to buy. Btw as it dries down more it starts to remind me a bit of Illuminum’s rajamusk, another one I’ve sampled recently and LOVE. Rajamusk is still considerably lighter/more warm weather friendly than this, but odd thing this does is it actually seems to get a bit lighter and fresher as I wear it. At first it was a total blast of resins and animalic musk, but now it’s got more of a cool creamy sweetness to it that almost reminds me of...vanilla ice cream? What an interesting turn and I do wonder if it’s going this way *because* of the warm weather and if perhaps in colder weather it would stay more darkly resinous like in the opening? Or would it be the opposite effect (as it usually is) where it would actually come off even lighter and fresher in the cold, more like how rajamusk is on me now? I guess we’ll have to see. Performance on this is superb as with every Le Labo I’ve tried so far. Overall: unique, gorgeous, dark, cozy, magical, and will definitely have a spot on my shelf this fall and winter. 100% unisex, does not lean either way. If you dig dirty(ish), sweetish musks, you need this. I’ve already changed my opinion from the start of the review btw, this is a love after all. Another masterpiece from Le Labo.

Well, well, well....Here we have another fragrance from Le Labo that totally captivated me. I have learned that you CANNOT judge Le Labo fragrances until you get at least a few full wearings. The scent is different on paper then it is on skin and there is such a journey in every bottle, that you simply cannot review it until you have worn it multiple times. Le Labo has almost ruined designer frags for me. The quality is unbelievable. Anyways onto the scent. Because of the quality and because of the journey in each bottle, I was prepared to give a timeline-review....Here it is..... Initial Spray - Powdery, dusty, woody, old-man, black licorice/anise. Its rather displeasing. I was a little bummed by the initial spray. Im not even sure what notes I got from the initial blast because it was so intrusive and trespassing. 10 Minutes - It becomes less powdery, but still maintains a mature-woody vibe with the black licorice/anise being up-front. Still unattractive for my taste. 20 Minutes - The orange blossom is appearing and its bringing a white-floral-powdery nuance with it. The musk and tonka are just now surfacing. 30 Minutes - At this point the anise is fading into the background. The orange blossom is still bringing the powdery punch, the musk and tonka are still working their way in and now the cedar is saying hello, but still very shy. 40-50 Minutes - The powder phase finally leaves us and now the meat of the fragrance is taking over....The tonka and musk is leaving a semi-sweet woody note similar to what people are saying "nutty." There is now a peppery background giving this fragrance a backbone for the dry down. The Dry Down - Now this juice is absolutely a woody-nutty, sort of sweet, peppery blessing. The dry down is beautiful and masculine in my opinion. It really reminds me of Another 13, but with more sweetness due to the tonka bean which is addictive. This is not a typical tonka fragrance. It's more woody and less sweet than most frags highlighting the tonka bean note. OVERALL: This stuff starts off fairly offensive, transitions into something less offensive, and then turns into a truly phenomenal fragrance. I love this fragrance because of the story it tells. I don't like it in the beginning, but love following it's story. I simply respect it. It's fun in a bottle with a surprise ending! Le Labo does it again. Hats off to you!

Le Labo Tonka 25 is probably the first Le Labo release I can remember (since fragrances became a hobby) being quite excited for, certainly of the main collection, if not the City Exclusives as well. Tonka is a fun note and is central in some fragrances that I love--particularly, deeply rich and sweet gourmand fragrances--so naturally, I was curious to see what Le Labo did with it. Tonka 25 does not seem like it'd be an opulent gourmand, though, from the note breakdown list, and the actual scent confirms this prediction. In addition to the eponymous note of tonka, sweet and subtly nutty, there are strong contributions from cedar and musk, rendering the blend, fittingly, woody and musky. The musk is definitely of the "sweet white musk" variety, not animalic, and the cedar makes a fitting partner for a smooth, easy dry down, an easy partnership of sorts. In the dry down, it's darker, as well, the musk fading with the tonka actually becoming heavier and more enveloping, rendering the fragrance even more comforting as a whole. As with most higher-end brands, Le Labo's increasing pricing makes, with each year, for more challenging decisions of the value and merits of its fragrances. The saving grace is that the main collection (contra the city exclusives) is sometimes discounted by store-wide coupons (at, for example, Saks Fifth Avenue), so there's some relief. The retail pricing of Tonka 25 is $270 for 100ml, $184 for 50ml. Le Labo at least retains the unique quality, among higher-end brands, of incentivizing the purchase of smaller bottles by offering to refill them at lower costs than the juice + bottle original price (exactly how much lower, I'm not sure) in lieu of buying wholly new bottles as replacements. Still, all of Le Labo's offerings now fall roughly into the category of needing to love them in order to buy them. Tonka 25 is an easy one for me to love, despite it not pushing boundaries in terms of scent profile (it's agreeable, unisex, versatile) or performance (it's good, more than just satisfactory, but not outstanding), but this is a clear winner from the house as its scent goes, as far as I'm concerned, and I'll give serious thought to acquiring a bottle. 8 out of 10

A very unique and pleasant surprise. A light balsamic Oriental. This is great because of the unique Tonka/ Styrax accord. What I like most about Tonka 25, as in Santal 33, you get the main note, that's clear, dominant, and natural smelling. I like the tonka smell. Its in many favorite frags, as a secondary note. It's nice to smell it dominantly here, with its unique nutty smell. I can see how other houses, as Guerlain I believe, take tonka into gourmand territory, making it sweet, adding chocolate, vanilla, or hazelnuts. Here in Tonka 25, its a very pleasant and unique, earthy, and nutty smell. I put it in my top 5 for Fall. The styrax blends into an accord with the tonka, that works well, taking the tonka more towards a woody interpritation, rather than gourmand. Although, a sweet vanilla note, makes it creamy and slightly gourmand as well. I did not get the musc for the longest time. There was something mixing into a very bright atractive accord with the tonka. Now I get it, its the same animalic musc or civet in vintage Kouros. I normally dont like that in your face animalic like in Kouros, but it's very discrete here; nucely done. They snuck it in.. The orange blosom is a nice nuance, just adding a vague lightness to the frag, for balance. I think the orange blossom gives it a slight anamalic vib, as its slightly indolic. This orange blosom note does have an orange peel or fruit smell. Its more of a neroli, but hardly noticable. Overall I would put it in a light oriental, woody genre, with a nice tonka, somewhat dominant note. Selfridge dep store sells 15 ml Tonka 25 for $60 on line, Nordstrom $85. Rating: 8.25/10 God bless. John 3:16

Upon the initial application, I was greeted with a very musky aroma complemented by a rich, creamy tonka/vanilla backdrop. The primary notes on my skin were these two, which remained prominent for the first 2-3 minutes. After that, secondary notes of green woods from cedar and a softly spiced incense joined the fragrance profile. The scent profile remained consistent after this, creating a linear experience. Overall, these notes reminded me of a luxurious winter soap, akin to something you might find at a Lush store in the mall. In terms of performance, it has a soft projection of about 1-2 feet from the skin and lasted for six hours. So, don’t expect it to be a powerhouse; this fragrance is classy and meant to be discovered over time. For me, this is a very comfortable and relaxing scent. While it is marketed as unisex, I feel it leans slightly feminine due to the musk. However, I believe it is still suitable for men as it becomes more unisex in the dry down.. To my nose, this fragrance would perfectly suit a woman over the age of 30 wearing a nice cashmere sweater while out with friends. Although it may come off as a bit mature, I wouldn’t categorize it as an "old woman’s" scent. In conclusion, while I appreciate this scent, it’s not quite for me. I recommend it as a try-before-you-buy option for any man who enjoys a clean musk aroma.

I consider Tonka 25 to be a hidden gem in the Collection. Everyone talks about the usual suspects. And I'm fine with that. It keeps this one special. My favorite thing about this Fragrance seems to be why other people dislike most about it. The duality of it. It is sweet, but it is not overly sweet. It is soft, but not too soft. It is earthy, but it is also gourmand. Essentially, it is blended perfectly, to the point where it can be found in any genre. It can be whatever you want it to be. That's why I think it is so great and so sexy. Enigmatic. Things like that, in my opinion are the most attractive because you can't put your finger on it. It makes you want to know more. That's why I personally think a lot of women get it wrong when they wear sweet fragrances. You don’t want some fragrance that resembles some construction because you eliminate the mystery. That's why they get bored! I've had this Fragrance forever and I still haven't gotten bored of it. That's a testament. There is a comfort aspect as well, which further develops the allure and the Ultimate desire. If you want to get the job done, put this on. There's not much else to say. Don't listen to the people below that are critiquing this in a negative way. There is nothing negative about it. Especially if you are trying to attract a partner of quality.

Oh my dear Lord... this juice smells amazing!! It’s musky, it’s citrusy, it’s powdery, it’s woody, and it’s altogether fantastic!! The Musk accord is front and center on this fragrance, slightly animalic and really delicious... enveloped in an intoxicating blend of citrusy Orange Blossom and a very restrained Vanilla... important to mention that I hate the vanilla+citrus combination, really hate it, both in perfumes and desserts, who knew it could be done in such a masterful way that even I would love it... but I digress, so let’s continue with the fragrance... it also has a slight sandal-woodiness coming from the Atlas Cedar... a balsamic quality from the Styrax... and finally, it does have a very faint Tonka, perhaps not enough of the stuff to lend its name to the perfume, but who cares what they call it, it smells amazing!! Performance is quite good... longevity is 10+ hours, with projection being moderate for the first five, afterwards it becomes intimate but truly present for the rest of the ride. Completely unisex and wearable all year round... maybe more of a daytime scent but still mysterious and complex enough to transition into nighttime. This fragrance is a must-have for any fan of musk perfumery... definitely my favorite from the brand, and probably one of my favorite perfumes ever!!!

Like an endless swirl, the wood, the musk, and the tonka bean melt into each other, weaving into a soft net. The scent does not follow a traditional pyramid structure, neither does it associate with a specific gender. I'm a girl's girl, I'm a boss in a man's world I can pick and roll, pass, ballerina twirl Skating through the city with my snapback on Still be looking pretty with no makeup on This is the tomboy I picture from the scent. It's a carnal, humid woody composition, in which I can feel the weight of the wood, like a piece of exquisite antique furniture. Wood itself smell asexual because it is indeed a lifeless remaining of a plant. But a bang of wood and musk is game-changing. One step further, the fragrance name, Tonka 25, drops hints that the woody musk also smells resinous, balmy and almond-y. The dry fruit facet is reminiscent of Thé Noir 29, just a tiny little bit. Interestingly, I find so many Le Labo fragrances inherits some DNA from their earlier releases. Such as Thé Matcha 26 and Santal 33 + Bergamot 22. All of them smells entirely different, but a touch of detail reminds the cult followers that these fragrances are from the same brand. Overall, A+ for the creativity and quality. If you want to smell expensive and androgynous, get this one.

Another recent Le Labo sample that I completely fell in love with! First off, tonka is one of my favorite notes, but it's usually used in a gourmand way in most of my fave perfumes. In Tonka 25, it's nutty, which is actually a nice departure. I get the cedar and vanilla with just a pinch of orange blossom. I get no musk at all on me, which is ok. Easily unisex and wearable for cool spring days, fall and winter and either day or night. I do get a bit of a masculine edge on me, and it's mostly coming from the cedar. Not that I mind at all. This doesn't smell fresh on me; it's got an animalic vibe going on, a little bit of dirtiness, if you will. Again, I'm totally fine with that and judging from the reviews, this one seems to be skin chemistry dependent. Longevity was 10+ hours on me. I put one spray between my breasts before work and I could still smell wafts of it in the morning when I finished my shift. Sillage is moderate; my patients didn't complain, so that was good. I'd say sample it first so see how it reacts with your skin. It seems to be different on everybody.

I am a huge fan of the Le Labo scent profile and this is one of my favorites. It’s a very cedar woody, piney, vanilla bean scent with a slightly amber, powdery musk in the base. Little hint of orange blossom but it’s not a floral fragrance whatsoever. This is a unisex freshie but I personally think it leans more masculine. It wears beautifully on both skin and clothing, and I get A LOT of compliments on it. More than Santal 33 actually, but that might be because of Santal 33’s popularity these days. Good longevity and Sillage, it’s there but not beastly. This could easily be a signature scent (might not work in spring, but the rest of the seasons will give cozy vibes) but it’s also good for a sexy date night. Definitely do not sleep on Tonka 25. Edit: as this fragrance ages, it becomes more dramatically animalic and skanky. I don’t hate it but I thought I’d mention it, because it’s shifts like all of le Labo’s’s fragrances do. I’d recommend only getting a 50ml bottle for this reason.

This perfume confirmed to me that I am a Le Labo fan. I went to a store to test and/or buy Santal 33 or Another 13. While I was waiting to have my label printed for Another 13, I decided to try a few other Le Labo smells and this is the first one I tried. I fell in love immediately. It smells so green, woody and fresh and then slightly sweet at the same time. It's mystic, dark and inviting. It's a complete opposite of Another 13, which is why I thought it would be great to own both, so I added this one to the order and there I was, waiting for my two labels to be printed. I spent way more money than I planned that day since these perfumes are not cheap at all and I could only afford one, but I also knew that I will keep thinking about this until I buy it, so I decided to just do it. I do not regret it.

This is a smooth, creamy, wood scent that is very alluring. I'm very surprised by the 3.75 score of this fragrance! I'm also confused by reviews saying this has a sharp or green opening, it feels like that couldn't be further from the truth. It smells creamy through and through. That said, I suppose Le Labo is infamous for their accords which seem to be perceived in unique ways by different people (see Santal 33), so perhaps this is one of them. It smells luxurious, warm, and expensive. It leans masculine in my opinion, but can certainly be worn by anyone. I normally do not like orange blossom (I actively try and avoid it) but it's blended so well here with the other notes that I didn't know it was in there until I researched it. Love this scent, I highly recommend it.

I went into Le Labo to buy Patchouli 24, but I came out with Tonka 25. My favorite scent from Le Labo is Benjoin 19, and I think 25 is 19 on steroids. It's the same warm spiciness that stays close to your skin, but with a boost in projection and sillage. I've tried layering the two, and the result is a cocoon perfect for winter with the best ambery dry-down. Honestly, this is how I imagine my childhood book crush would smell. Something I haven't seen anyone write about yet is the ginger note that I smell quite prominently, especially at the beginning of the fragrance. I think it's what gives 25 one an extra oomph over 19, which smells much rounder.

Le Labo is new to me, I had heard of the brands Santal 33 but had never tried it. I went to the counter as a major department store and managed to get a sample of this Tonka one. I am blown away, it is so very smooth and comforting. This did however feel very familiar to me, if anyone has tried Atelier Cologne Vanilla incensee then you will know what I mean. I love both though I would really have to justify paying the Le Labo price. This will be on my Christmas and Birthday list combined!

It's beautiful, and so unique among all the endless tonkas and vanillas. Le Labo is officially a hit-and-miss brand for me, but this is in my Top 3 of all their fragrances. It is vanilla that is neither overly sweet nor too simple, like Indult. It is the more grown-up version of Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford. The Le Labo DNA is the star of the show against high quality, long-lasting tonka. Truly unisex, went through my sample in 3 days, purchasing the full bottle

Tonka 25 by Le Labo has been one of my signature scents for years. What I love most is that it never triggers my migraines...it’s the only perfume I can wear even during one, which makes it truly special for me. The scent itself is elegant and understated, perfect for cooler weather but also beautiful for an evening out. It’s refined rather than sexy, and feels suitable for any occasion...effortlessly sophisticated and comforting at the same time.

Have you ever tried all the hyped up scents from a particular brand and thought they have nothing else to offer and then you try another one and you got struck down with amusement This is exactly what happened to me at the opening it was sweet mostly and at the mid and base it changed dramatically It was fantastic sweetness is mixed with some faint animalics definitely musk + styrax I was and still am surprised with this what a fragrance !!

This is exactly what I didn’t know I was craving! First time I wore it, I actually wondered if there was something off with the fragrance I got as reviews and description suggested something much darker, and to me the orange blossom was most prominent (and styrax). And then the musky, tad sweaty, and really really sexy dry down was what got me hooked. Easily one of my favourite fragrances of all time, just unreal.

Has it been reformulated or something? Because I have no clue what older reviewers are talking about with this animalic note! Zero animalism, zero butt hole smell, zero urine like or beaver like smell!!! This is really clean musky cedar with slight hints of tonka! And the one I like the most from all the le labo fragrances! Definitely a masculine scent but I can imagine some women could wear this as well

Wow! I received a sample of this with another purchase. Tonka 25 leans distinctively masculine upon opening the sampler however softens on the skin. I get a musky, woody scent yet there is something so irresistibly fresh and clean about it. Living in a sub-tropical climate, I would even be tempted to wear this in summer...there is a damp coolness about it. Incredibly sexy but pretty expensive.

It's very linier, which is the only drawback. The heart accord is Tonka, musc, and vanilla. It feels like a high quality, nutty tonka note, that packs a Punch, and smells great. There is no citrus here, but it is fresh. Yet very uniquely woody, with a little sweetness from the vanilla. The orange blossom is way in the background, just softens it up a bit.

Tonka25 just smells like a Korean traditional beverage made from cinnamon, 수정과(Sujeonggwa), but served hot(which is mostly served cold)with sweetness beneath the whole fragrance. I personally like this, but the poor performance disappointed me. It only lasts on my skin for about 3 hours, while the perfumes I have last 8-10hours on average.

I got this as a free mini sample from Le Labo when I ordered several samples of other fragrances I wanted to try. It is a really yummy, sexy, spicy and woody scent. Not at all for me, as I find it 100% masculine leaning. But it will go to my husband and I will love smelling him when he wears it. ❤️❤️❤️

Warm vanillic tonka with a hint of sweetness. Smooth but has a touch of the Le Labo pepper which I'm not too crazy about. Not overly complex but a comforting, inviting scent for the Fall and Winter. Nice with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee by a fireplace. Scent: 8.5, Sillage: 7.5, Longevity: 8

It's hard to describe but I adore it. It smells like luscious resin, like it could be the flavor of some delicious fantasy tree gum. It's mildly sweet, woody, velvety smooth and it kind of reminds me of bubblegum gelato... elegant bubblegum. It's not sugary or cloying, and it's firmly unisex.

I got a sample of this, and I dearly love it so much. It has this earthy sweetness to it that I just couldn't get enough of! Sadly, it had very little longevity to it, as it was barely detectable after about 90 minutes. For what it costs, I'd expect it to last at least 3 times as long.

I liked tonka 25. It's gorgeous. It's beautiful, light, cozy and comforting. It's just beautiful. I can feel the amber and woody cedar. Tonka however, takes stage for me. It's has a beautiful vanilla-like sweetness to it. I agree it's very intense but still beautiful.

I agree with most of the people in the comments: it’s a very unique tonka scent. It’s powdery, musky and a bit skunky (but it the nice way))). It’s very sophisticated: you can get both sweet and dry savory notes from this scent. Definitely a very niche scent!

I like this fragrance way more than I thought I would! It's perfectly unisex but I'd for sure find it especially sexy on a guy. It smells like a sweet, woody, coca-cola fragrance. This may be my favorite from Le Labo that I've tried so far :)

I wasn't getting the musk for the longest time. Its well blended into an accord with the tonka. But now I get it, its actually like the amamalic musk in vintage Kouros. And I think it's why it has great projection, not as strong as Kouros.

Musky, warm, and sweet, but gets a little sour as it ages. It reminds me a lot of Penhaligon’s Halfeti, but more experimental and less mainstream. While it’s not for everyone, I still think it’s one of my favorite fragrances by Le Labo.

This Tonka is more for men .I fell deep inside of this fragrance a male musk..it is very erotic, beautiful , seductive parfume...it is like: “.if you are man and you wear this- you dont need more and I want you:))!”

Mesmerizing fragrance. Deep woody, musky notes that linger into the next day and wrap you with warmth. I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful this fragrance is. One of Le Labo’s absolute best.

I love this perfume for its industrial quality. Besides its floral and sweet aspects, I'm getting wood, bricks, concrete, steel, rust, and dust... It's just my first association when I smell it.

@Dylan Hart do yourself a favor & follow the rules & keep your misinformed political opinions to yourself please. This is a place to share in the love of fragrance. Not a place to feed your ego.

I love this! I wore it a lot this summer and it made me feel really great. It's clean, spicy and sophisticated. An hour after I have spritzed, I would say that it becomes a skin scent (on me).

Tonka 25 is the hidden gem of Le Labo. It’s unisex, leaning slightly masculine, and you don’t need much, which is just as well at this price point. You’re in safe hands with Tonka 25.

Loved it! Used to be my signature scent. I would say it’s a unisex leaning female scent. Lots of Tonka, Wood and Musk with the subtle vanilla sweetness to it. A very cozy fragrance!

Mmmm, yes! Finally a tonka fragrance that doesn't smell of cake! Very nice. Vanillic, woody, masculine yet sweet enough. Very elegant scent. Wintery somehow.

I love the creamy and powdery vanilla in here. I will layer this fragrance with Guerlain Tobacco honey or Cherry Oud for the perfect colder winter night.

This was love at first sniff. The performance & sillage is above average and worth every damn cent! Scent stays with you all day! Give this a try!

Beautiful beautiful heavy autumnal fragrance. Woody, musky and spicy sweet. Lasts forever on my skin, smells sexy on any gender.

Tonka 25 ✽✽✽✽ Airy, clean, sweet woodsy with the loveliest opening. Shame it dries down to pretty basic cedar wood.

I really like this. Unexpected, spicy and woody. Thought I was getting Tonka but what I did get I like a lot!

Spicy, woody, soapy. Like an old fashioned, french milled bar soap.

To me it smells like expensive, classic soap. Very fresh

I love this balsamic, vanilla, gourmand and woody scent

pretty perfect, like smelling good

I've worn this fragrance 2-3 times a year for the past five years via free samples from Le Labo. I thought I wrote a review but turns out I didn't, so here's my take. This is easily the most challenging Le Labo for me. I've nearly gotten a bottle several times, only to pull back because it is very temperamental. Labdanum 18 is this way as well, but only in the heat. Tonka is normally nutty, creamy, sweet and smooth, a very easy note to like when used in moderation (Gucci Alchemist Tiger is a great example of a perfect tonka for me) but this is a very different take on it. This one is an extremely musky and almost savory version. I think it's got a hefty dose of galaxolide in it. This musk can go animalic and oily, and it's very finicky. Sometimes it plays nice, and other times it doesn't. I need to be careful with it and I never over spray. Conclusion: a temperamental situational fragrance. When it hits right, it feels perfect and like it was made for me, but when it doesn't, it can make my stomach turn. I would never wear it enough I don't think, to warrant a full bottle. But I might get a 10ml and see how that works out. This is a hard one for me to rate. Your mileage will vary. Perfomance is good like most LeLabo. ------------------------------------------------------ Scent 83/100 Performance 83/100

A Le Labo minimalist take on a fougère with high levels of aromaticity and a brisk, cedar-woody ambery heart. The name feels a bit like a misnomer—the sweet, spicy, warm, smooth, coumarinic hay-like impression we come to expect from tonka is replaced by a cool-toned, dry, prickly beast with notes of woodsy crushed lavender stems. It feels clean—too clean to be a dried tonka bean—but with a touch of civet-like animalic urinous nuance to give it some body. I wish there were some more spice here, some more sun-baked, leathered, coumarin-crystal-laden nutty tonka bean in here to give it a direction away from what I read as a more typical, ambery-modern atlas cedar-laded fougère à la Bleu de Chanel. Despite my misgivings about expectations with a name like "Tonka", it is a nice, clean alternative to other similar aromatic fougères, giving me the impression of a very chic barbershop, which I guess is kinda Le Labo's thematic forte. I have this one in my gym bag and dab when I want to feel a little more put together than I actually am, but also don't want to make too much of a statement, either.