Tomboy

So glad to finally see this in the database! I adore this fragrance and it is an absolute steal for the price. Very leathery opening. The vanilla is strong, but this is not a saccharine scent in the slightest. It’s sumptuous, smooth, and therapeutic, and doesn’t come across as gourmand or childish at all. Bourbon is a prominent note that is not listed in Tomboy’s Fragrantica entry. Extremely well-blended, the fragrance’s notes of rich leather and boozy bourbon are perfectly swirled into the vanilla base. This combination of notes lends itself to the imagery of a butch dyke in a well-loved hand-me-down motorcycle jacket just coming home from a night out with her friends and enveloping you in a warm embrace. Tomboy is a perfect gender-neutral cozy and comforting scent. I primarily love to spritz it on myself when I go to bed, but it has also earned a spot in my rotation for daily wear. Performance is great. If I wear Tomboy to sleep, I can still smell it on me when I wake up the next morning.

Wow—this was love at first sniff. As someone who appreciates everything from sweet gourmands and bright florals to deep, sexy tobaccos and bold leathers, I have to say: Tomboy checks all the sexy tobaccos and leather boxes. MDA makes some of the best tobacco and leather-based fragrances I’ve ever smelled, and Tomboy is no exception. The blend of vanilla, bourbon, and vetiver creates an addictive opening—warm, slightly boozy, and perfectly balanced. Then the leather rolls in, rich and unapologetic, softened just enough by tonka, labdanum, and that signature MDA depth. The olibanum adds a touch of smoke and mystery, giving this a cool edge without being too sharp. This is a true unisex scent, but on my skin, it leans warm and a little sweet in the drydown—which I absolutely adore. Tomboy is confident, cozy, and effortlessly cool. I’m obsessed.

Opening with clean suede and a dry, sweet vanilla, it skips the preamble and goes the polish without being precious, distinctive without demanding attention. On skin, the leather and vanilla dominate comfortably, never fighting each other. The listed white flowers and incense stay quietly in the background, which serves Tomboy well. This isn't a fragrance that wants to be flowery. It wants to be the person in the room who turns heads without trying.

This definitely isn't a super girly, toothache sweet, candy gourmand vanilla, but it is sweeter than I anticipated. I didn't get a ton of leather from this. I clearly get vanilla, olibanum, and tonka. It smells like a warm but pretty basic vanilla. Nothing at all wrong with it. It's safe and inoffensive. I found Aurate more interesting and more unisex.

Tried a sample outside in the afternoon heat and then again inside in the AC. Outdoors it was very barbershop, probably the vetiver being most prominent, and I also got that "vegan leather accord" mentioned in the brand quote. Unfortunately for me it was not "a leather accord" that is made in a vegan way but rather an accord of "vegan leather" which means plastic. Indoors it became very vanillic but still giving me that fake leather barbershop scent. I'm picturing a row of stools in red fake leather and gleaming chrome, trying too hard to do boujie and retro at the same time and not succeeding at either. I liked the concept, the name, and the note list, or I would not have ordered a sample, but this just isn't doing it for me.