Tonquin Giza

Tonquin Giza by Rayhaan opens like a whispered incantation over glass vials in an apothecary: slightly medicinal, quietly herbal, with a distinct iodine-tinted base that feels almost surgical in its clarity. This first impression is not about comfort but about intrigue, like the cool edge of metal before warmth arrives. Within this unusual opening, the spices emerge not as loud bursts but as soft contours, their edges carefully outlined in a ribbon of bitter almond that immediately signals you are entering a coumarinic, tonka-centered world. As the composition begins to unfold, the coumarin steps forward with a decidedly sweet, caramel-like tonality, lending body and depth to what could have remained a purely medicinal tableau. This sweetness is not childish; it has the texture of burnt sugar and browned edges, adding a sense of density and slow movement to the fragrance. It prepares the stage for the tonka, which arrives in the heart as the star: sweet, almond-hued, exotic and lightly alcoholic, like a liqueur-soaked dessert served in cut crystal. There is an almost liquorous shimmer about this phase, where the perfume feels both edible and intoxicating, luscious yet just restrained enough to remain perfumery rather than patisserie. The liqueur note becomes particularly prominent in the heart, wrapping itself around the tonka in an embrace that suggests decadent sin. Here, Tonquin Giza feels louche and indulgent, as if the fragrance has slipped into a velvet smoking jacket and dimmed the lights. The tonka, bathed in this boozy glow, begins to evolve from its almond-liqueur facet into something warmer and more rounded. It gradually settles into a warm, sweet tonality with a soft, fruity tobacco echo—never a harsh tobacco, but a gentle, almost candied tobacco shadow that trails behind the main accord, adding depth and a faintly smoky sweetness. Throughout this evolution, the spices remain light and cosy, never shouting, never becoming harsh or dusty. They form a kind of aromatic filigree that runs through the fragrance from start to finish, giving the composition its oriental character without resorting to cliché. This is very much a cushion-like oriental: plush, enveloping, and textural, as if the perfume itself were a mound of embroidered cushions in deep jewel tones, inviting you to sink in. The sensation is one of being held—by tonka, by liqueur, by spices that glow rather than burn. One of Tonquin Giza’s most striking qualities is its intensity and depth. This is not a shy skin scent; it projects with arm-length confidence, announcing its presence in the room without tipping into aggression. The performance matches its personality: character-rich and unapologetic, this is a fragrance that knows exactly what it wants to be and refuses to dilute its identity for the sake of mass appeal. It leans into its decadent tonka-heart and soft tobacco undertones, delivering a presence that feels almost theatrical yet remains polished. Vanilla plays a subtle but crucial supporting role. It is non-dominant, yet unmistakable—an artistic brushstroke rather than a flood of sweetness. This restraint is particularly notable given the context of many Arab perfumes, where vanilla often dominates the gourmand or oriental landscape. Here, vanilla is used with a measured hand, more as a textural enhancer than a focal point. It smooths the edges of tonka and coumarin without ever stealing the show, contributing to the sense of refinement that underpins the perfume’s hedonistic leanings. As an evening scent, Tonquin Giza feels almost purpose-built. It is seductive without being vulgar, oriental without falling into heavy-handed tropes, provocative yet controlled enough to remain elegant. The combination of medicinal-herbal opening, liqueur-tinged tonka heart, cosy spices and soft tobacco sweetness creates a narrative that feels both modern and steeped in perfumery tradition. It is a perfume that lingers not just on skin but in memory, leaving behind the impression of a spicy-sweet, decadent silhouette that refuses to blur into anything generic. Ultimately, Tonquin Giza stands out as a very original creation: spicy-sweet and indulgently decadent, yet carefully structured and texturally nuanced. It is a fragrance with a clear point of view—a tonka-driven oriental that balances medicine and dessert, apothecary and cocktail bar, in a single, richly woven arc. For evenings when you want to be noticed and remembered, it offers exactly the kind of unapologetic, characterful presence that turns a scent into a signature.

Tonquin Giza by Rayhaan — I bought it because I expected it to be a dupe of Tonka Sarrapia, an expensive fragrance from Guerlain. I had already tried Tonka Sarrapia in-store before deciding to purchase this bottle. To me, it isn't particularly challenging to wear. Right from the opening, I can clearly detect the spicy, warm sweetness of tonka. Somehow, that spicy note reminds me of the fizzy sensation of cola, although it doesn't actually smell like cola. As it dries down, I notice a fairly prominent powdery accord, along with a slight floral touch. The spiciness gradually fades away, leaving behind a scent that is very pleasant and easy to enjoy. I find this fragrance quite luxurious. It's the kind of scent I imagine wealthy people would wear. It gives off the vibe of a powerful, confident man or woman. And yes, this is definitely a unisex fragrance. Although it leans slightly feminine, I think men can wear it just as well. I'll be doing a side-by-side comparison with Tonka Sarrapia soon and will update my thoughts afterward. For now, if I judge Tonquin Giza purely on its own merits rather than comparing it to anything else, I think it's a very, very good fragrance.

Oh wooooooowwwwwww The moment I opened this is was like ...i could recognize this signature " la guerlinade" anywhere..this smells like Guerlain!!!!!!!!! I was gonna come here and rave about it like I discovered something new...turns out was ment to be a an inspired by. To any Guerlain lover it's super obvious. Its amazing. Powdery, calming, feminine Incredibly well done. Quality it's absolutely outstanding for the price. 100/10 She's ovbiously Tonka Sarrapia . She's not a 1:1 in the drydown but that does not matter, she is still outstanding. She's smooth, warm, and soothing. Full bottle immediately. Probably will actually stock up 💕💕💕🥰😍😍😍 I have og Guerlain since 1915 up to modern ones, im a Guerlain girl.. But I'll allow this wonderful "dupe" in my cabinet happily and wear it profusely.

This cologne is an absolute banger! I visited my local store supplier and decided to give it a try. The opening scent might be a bit overpowering, but after a minute, you’ll fall in love with it. It’s incredibly well-crafted and exudes a sense of elegance. The combination of vanilla and almond is simply divine, and it’s unisex as well. As someone who appreciates sweet colognes, I immediately added it to my top five favorites. The only downside I wouldn’t recommend it for summer. Do I like it? Yes Would I wear it? Yes Does it last? 6-7 hours Did it blow me away? Yesss Safe blind purchace? Depends Worth the price? Yes Is it unique? Yes Overall rating: 9/10

Firstly it smells faintly of TF Vanilla Sex... a hint... this though is MUCH MUCH MUCH more wearable and more ‘male’ leaning than VS. Multisex. It’s not as sickly sweet or as cloyingly floral. Doesn’t smell like Khamrah which it’s been compared to also. It’s a spicy vanilla scent with a hint of Dior Homme in the mix too on the opening. Bitter almond comes through but the dry down is chocolate tonka, spices (cinnamon) and the vanilla. Safe blind buy, date night scent. Cool weather, nighttime, sweet. Age 21+. Great performance. A unique scent. 9/10.

I'm a sucker for Almond and this is well done. Almond, Vanilla, Coumarin, it gets softer and more powdery as it dries down, after an hour or so it reminds me of 'The Bourjois Little Round Pot blush' smell, then after a couple more hours it becomes a bit chocolaty. Performance is very good, I can smell it around me for many hours. Also love the detailed cool bottle while the box is minimalistic, for me fancy boxes are just a waste of money as I never keep them.

I am going to Gate keep this velvety almond drizzled with vanilla crystals

I bought this and after a good bit of time for it to mature, thought it was alright. VERY strong and it sticks around forever. Skip if you dont like rants After being able to sample the og Guerlain, I'm fully thinking the people down voting this and Tonka Serrapia are trippin. This absolutely reminds me of the og. Is it a 1 to 1 clone? No! But I thought the votes were if it is SIMILAR, not necessarily a replica. There's a bit less spice in this one, the vanilla in the base is obviously different, and the cacao isn't as prominent. But it absolutely reminds me of the og. I thought these votes were to help others in the community,not to air grievances when you're salty. It's FRAGRANCE, it's not that deep. I can't think of how many times I didn't listen to the votes in that section and wasted money buying something that was essentially a flanker or almost a clone of what I already owned. Rant over, sorry. This is TONKA, with the cherry like coumarin being more subdued than in most Tonka forward blends I've tried. There's a good dose of powder, but not makeup powder. The hint of spice feels bound to this powderiness. I wish the cacao were more present, hopefully this will mature a bit more. I dont care too much for this scent, but its interesting and I can't wait to see where this goes.

I really like this! My girl picked it out and thought i'd buy it so she can smell me, she gets the suncream vibe For me, it's just a lovely creamy warming scent, the cocoa and vanilla and almond make this a not too loud but not too subtle gentlemanly/formal event scent, to say the was a blind buy, i'm not gonna complain at all! Might just be my nose but I get a sorta similar faint coca-cola scent like from Tonka Cola or Tabac N' Coke, which surprised me! I've bought this on the verge of summer so the wrong time to buy it 😂 but at least it gets some time to mature 8/10, don't think i'd buy again, but it's a cracking fragrance

I just blind bought it and opened it the opening smells like burnt rubber and play dough on my skin and even after an hour it hasn’t changed but on paper and on clothes it smells amazing especially the dry down. I get alot of that almond mixed with tonka and the vanilla in the opening is not there after an hour it smells sweeter and more like tonka sarapia.Try it on skin before you buy it. Edit it has been 18 hours since i sprayed it on my skin i showered with it i can still smell it.

Never smelled the OG but this is actually quite nice, the tonka and the spices make this a beautiful gourmand for the coming winter times. The only thing I dislike is how strong the ginger scent is as it settles on my skin that it overpowers the cacao and the tonka bean that was nice in the opening.

Be cautious with this one, get a sample. First sprays are just horrible. I left it to mature for almost 2 months to improve. Nevertheless, the scent doesn't improve much even after maturation. The opening is a very sour medicinal almond, and then it dries down to a powdery sour almond and tonka, but the medicinal vibe is not completely gone until after more than 30minutes of spraying. Performance is great, but the scent just seems to be very unrefined and might be also cloying for some. If you want to wait 30minutes until it dries down for it to be wearable, i guess this is for you. Scent profile is quite unisex i would say, but might suit the ladies better, might be too powdery for a men to wear. Only use in cold weather. For me this was quite a bad blind buy. Rate it 6.5/10. Really thought that after maturation it will improve as many other rayhaan's did.

I'm usually a fan of Rayhaan fragrances. This one, however, is somewhat of a blind buy regret. It doesn't smell like much, both in terms of projection and fragrance development. What I can smell is powdery and feminine leaning with hints of florals, almond and a blah vanilla. In the plus column, it smells quite similar to Guerlain Tonka Sarrappia, if you like that DNA.

Got a sample of this. Very powdery, sweet and in a feminine meaning way. Would take some confidence for a guy to pull off, but definitely can be done. The opening is reminiscent of the OG, but in the dry down, it drifts quite quite far away. Pharoah is a masterpiece on the other hand.

Out of the box, smells like bitter almond lotion. I do have hopes for it but think this will need some time. Will update in a few weeks.

Update: I ended up gifting this fragrance to my grandma. I think it’s beautiful, comforting, and nostalgic IF you’re 70+. I can’t stand it on myself and can’t imagine an American (I say this because I do think it appeals to SWANA fragrance preferences despite imitating Guerlain) under 50 wearing this. I’ve heard such mixed reviews about this fragrance, and even people with the same opinion on it can’t agree on what it smells like. I’ve heard straight cinnamon (ex: fireball, hot tamales, cinnamon candy, or a Christmas candle), cherry almond jergens lotion, sunscreen, the pink hand soap from public bathrooms, Dr Pepper, baby powder (the only accurate description to my nose), expired vintage lipstick, cherry cough syrup, snickerdoodle cookies, etc etc. I am someone who prefers more spicy coumarin-based tonka notes and sharp, cherry/almond extract, liquor-esque almond notes (which is what I hoped this would smell like). But, unfortunately, this is a scent where the tonka and almond pull extremely powdery, think orgasmo, oro tonka, or vanilla sex for example. I got maybe five seconds of that benzaldehyde cherry-almond scent before it was completely masked by the smell of my grandmas body powder. As it dries, there’s some sharp, clean note that’s trying to come through and balance out the powder, but it’s not working very well. It’s definitely not creamy, cinnamon, liquor, sweet, or vanilla in my opinion. It’s not disgusting, a scrubber, nor does it give me a headache, but I definitely do not like it.

Never tried Guerlain Tonka Sarrapia, so here is my review of this as a standalone scent. Opening: Not overly sweet, mostly a sunscreen lotion vibe. Drydown: After 15 minutes, the sweetness starts to shift. It becomes very powdery on my skin, like a vintage face powder box from back in the day. It gets pretty cloying as it settles, with powder and lotion dominating the entire lifespan. Performance: The sillage is a monster. It gave me a headache and turned into a total "scrubber" for me. Even after washing it off with soap, it’s still lingering. Verdict: Not a safe blind buy. Get a decant first.

It hits the notes of Tonka Serrapia but way more powdery/very fem leaning and almost feels like something floral was added while the Guerlain is spicier and straight unisex. Dissapointed but thats what I get for blind buying a cheap dupe. Going to go somewhere in the middle ground for price and quality and get myself Tonka Kumaru instead.

(Decant) Maybe for a very mature male. Feels like walking in a middle eastern market full of spices, but someone spilled gasoline on the floor. Glad I didn’t buy full size bottle.

Powdery Grandma Cola. Yuck. (I cannot say how close it smells to the original)

Out of the box, first impression: It definitely has potential. There are hints of soft spices and creaminess, but something is off. On my skin, the dry down has a soapy, plasticky, lipstick vibe, almost like sharp white flowers. It shouldn't be there according to the notes. Hoping that it is the bitter almond note that needs some time to develop. I will revisit in a few weeks. If it stays like this, I'll have to get rid of it. Update: I gave it a really good try. Almost two months. Tried it now and then in the mean time and it never got much better unfortunately. I still smell plasticky, almost sharp white flowers note in it, from start till dry down. Reminds me of vintage make up, and NOT in a good way. Headache inducing if I sniff myself for too long. I will have to give it away unfortunately. Such a bummer. I had really high hopes from the notes.

It’s screaming grandma, vietnamese balm, and baby powder from the 90’s for me. I have no idea what was the concept with this. Just awful.

I will give this some time to sit. As of now, I am not a fan. It smells like granpa's balm. I hope this changes for the better.

This scent reminds me of a cleaning product It ́s sweet, but there ́s something slightly citrusy about it

First spray was that bad I pushed the bottle back into its box and threw it in a drawer. First impressions count. Or do they? We’ve all been there. Sprayed something that made us question why we’d bought the fragrance. Only to return to it again and find it’s transformed from the hunchback of Notre Dame to George Clooney. This is one of those transformations. It needs time to mature. It needs time to evolve on your skin. I’m wearing it again tonight. A fantastic blend of smouldering tonka, coumarin, chocolate and almond. The vanilla adds a strange, almost sunscreen / sun lotion texture, but it’s not off putting. I’ll give it more time. For now, it’s a solid 4/5.

Shameless clone of Tonka Sarrapia. Which is fine I guess. They wanna make some money like DUA, Afnan, Lattafa and all the other thieves out there. But here’s the catch. It smells more synthetic, not as long lasting, the bottle screams low quality with no artistic vision, and most importantly, I refuse to support crooks People buying this fragrance are the same people that are buying fake LV bags on their vacation to Greece, they have never tipped a waiter in their whole life, and they always block the left side of the escalator Don’t be like these people. Support genuine art and craftsmanship, not looters and muggers

Amazing scent! Just got it in today, the opening smells similar to Emir Frenetic Deliceouse, but the dry down has less cherry and more soft floral than Frenetic Del. I almost thought it was a bit similar to Emir Cherry Cola but a quick side by side comparison quickly negated that notion. Can't say much in likeness to the frag its cloning cuz I've never smelled that Guerlain (Tonka Sarrapia) fragrance Overall its a beautiful unisex almondy floral vanilla fragrance that I'd say is a safe blind buy for anyone who ventures outside the confines of a safe, shower gel, Macy's store, blue frag bore.

What an interesting scent... I can see the old lady comments 100% however the spices in here are phenomenal! I love it but the powder is very present. As it dries down, it mellows out to a spicy almond scent to my nose. It’s quite good but it’s polarizing. It’s not a vanilla bomb. It’s a niche dna and an exceptional fragrance! Well done by Rayhaan!

Es como si una crema corporal y un sahumerio de nag champa hubiesen tenido un hijo. Es cremosa, dulce , el haba Tonka le da un toque confortable. pero no empalagosa. La almendra es suave. Le siento algo de pachuli y sándalo. Es algo extraño pero en el buen sentido. Me encanta, no es mi perfume en el mundo pero tiene una belleza exótica.

I expected a feminine mediocre fragrance, based on the reviews here. However, it smells like a high quality sunscreen mixed with Dior Homme. The sunscreen vibe makes it suitable for Summer too. Absolutely 100% unisex, and not feminine at all. I absolutely love it. Fragrantica reviews are almost always false.

Is it possible that I smell some white floral? Or some kind of a balsamic shaving cream? After 20 minutes I even smell some kind of burnt iron. I feel really disoriented by this one and its uses are questionable. At the same time drawn into it but I can't really imagine where and when I'd want to wear it.

No notes/performance review from me yet. However - Announced a few days ago already. The only ones that seem to have got it are the big YT & IG “influencers”, but somehow not available to buy in the UK as of yet. Annoying to say the least.

I have a sample of Tonka Sarrapia. And I got sample of this. This is so close, you cannot tell the difference. Wonderful. The same tonka sweetness with a bit of boozy experience. Will buy a full bottle tomorrow.

Honestly, a leathery version of Tonka Sarrapia sounds more interesting.

Awesome note. Very interesting. Waiting for this on my hands.

Blind buy fail, absolutely horrible