Tea Tonique

This is nothing I would have sought out on my own, but someone send me a sample in a swap. What a nice surprise it is! Ice tea in the two classic flavors of peach and lemon, with a hint of bergamot, mixed up and served in a wooden cup. It's higher quality ice tea, not as sugary as the typical Lipton/Nestea/store brand stuff, but still quite sweet. I love any kind of ice tea, so this is great to me. The woody note in this doesn't reminds me of birch, but of cedar, specifically of the little pieces of cedar wood you can put into your wardrobe to repell moths. We had those when I was a child and I remember I liked their scent, it's different and much better than the typical cedar note in modern fragrances. So, this is not an average boring green tea fragrance. Refreshing, mouthwatering, original and easily unisex. I don't find this particularly smokey or spicy. Miller Harris is sometimes available for cheap at TK Maxx, and while I wouldn't pay full retail for it, I will definitely pick up a bottle of Tea Tonique if I ever see it there.

I'm writing this during a May heatwave in the UK - when I received a few samples of this through other MH orders, I was a little unconvinced. In cooler weather, it did present to me as, well, a little bit of a damp teabag. Then the sun came out, the temperature rose and any notion of heavy perfumes suddenly seemed immensely unappealing. On cue - I tried my sample again and it was a glorious, sparkling citrus iced tea. Refreshing, light, pleasing and a little herbal through the later stages. I could catch faint lingering wafts into the early afternoon after applying at around 8am, but I would expect to need to reapply it for the evening. As a side note (and a foray into the "longevity" debate) - most naturalistic botanical smells are not going to stick around very long. That is the trade off of lighter scents (and therefore lighter scent molecules) and also of realistic, natural materials. For the sort of fragrance this is, and with its inherent limitations, this is a decent performer and good value for money.

Compared to other tea fragrances, this one has a quite sharp and tannic edge to it--like tea that has been brewed to the point where you absolutely HAVE to add milk in order to make it drinkable. I hear others talk about this as green tea, but for me it is absolutely a black tea, one that is made bright through the addition of bergamot and a bit green toned and dusty through the addition of Mate; but still the tea itself is dark and tannic. This makes it have some depth while still being incredibly refreshing. Starts bright with citrus, then the tea with its tannins, then settles into a musk but the freshness, the sharpness, and the subtle fruitiness (I suppose it is peachy) never goes away. Staying power on my skin is not great (better on others); but I spray a bit on clothes too and it performs wonderfully on fabric and helps me with the longevity for the day.

Crushed lemon seed sour, petitgrain and peach blossom light summer breeze, iced unsweetened green tea. How you wish a day spa smelled. If you went on a first date (regardless of your gender preferences) after work on a hot sticky summer's day, and your date showed up and smelled like this, you'd be delighted at the fresh clean icy-but-not-aquatic vibes. It's an inoffensive and slightly creative take on a clean refreshing unisex summer fragrance, but I can't imagine wearing it outside of the muggy days where you can't wear your signature and 3.5/4 season faves. Part of whats so delicious about it is the comparison to how other people smell at the end of a humid day 🫣 you're not supposed to say it, but it's true. I'll enthusiastically use my sample, and if I could afford a larger collection this would DEFINITELY be a contender for a high summer scent.

Got a sample for this, sprays it on my hair and wrist. Found it similar to any other 'verde' perfume concept. But spicier. The scent however keeps coming back now and again, as if reminding me that its there. Will took you off guard as you're writing a paper,listening to your friends problems or as you're walking to your car heading back home. I like it. The dry down will still remind you that you're wearing a tea fragrance but with a 'denser' feel to it, like a cumin. As its not stated, it could be the nutmeg. So i got it. A bottle. Didnt regret it. Its a crowd pleasing scent, although my friends didnt take it as a tea fragrance, but generally accepted it, as apposed the other 'heavier' perfume i wore. There are other great Verde perfume i agree, but this one lightens up a tad different stroke for me.