Tonka perfume notes: what tonka smells like and which FAAN bottles use it

What tonka smells like (and what it does not)

Tonka is the seed of a tree from South America. In a perfume it smells sweet, warm and nutty: vanilla, marzipan, dried hay and a hint of tobacco. The main character comes from a molecule called coumarin, which also gives freshly cut grass and a field of clover its sweetness. Tonka does not smell like a sugary dessert. It is drier and more powdery than vanilla, and it is never fruity.

If vanilla is a warm milk, tonka is the same milk with a handful of dried grass and ground almonds stirred in.

How perfumers use tonka: top, heart or base

Tonka is a base note first. It lasts long and it gives woody or spicy scents a soft, round bottom. It can also act in the heart, where it smooths sharper notes and adds a powdery warmth. In the top it is almost absent.

Tonka in the FAAN range

Al-Badr has the cleaner tonka. Bergamot, nutmeg and cardamom on top, iris, sage and cedarwood in the heart, then vetiver, tonka, vanilla and patchouli. The tonka is the sweetness that stops the dry vetiver from turning austere. Projection and longevity are both 3 out of 5, and it is listed for autumn, winter and spring, for daily wear and the office.

Bakhour has the more unusual tonka. Saffron, clove and blackcurrant open it, and in the heart tonka meets rose, violet and incense. That is a powdery, sweet-smoky mix. The base of sandalwood, cistus, leather and vanilla then takes over. Projection and longevity are 4 and 4, and it is listed for autumn and winter evenings.

Tonka in Al-Badr, hour by hour

In the first minutes you will not smell tonka at all. Bergamot, nutmeg and cardamom lead, bright and spiced. After an hour the iris and sage take the middle, powdery and herbal. From the third hour the base shows itself: vetiver first, dry and earthy, and then the tonka and vanilla arrive underneath it, like a blanket going over a wooden floor. By the end it is a quiet, sweet-dry wood, and the tonka is the reason it feels friendly.

What it is paired with in these pyramids

In Al-Badr, tonka pairs with vanilla and with vetiver, a pairing that pulls in two directions: sweet and dry. In Bakhour, it pairs with flowers and smoke. Both are Eau de Parfum, and both are unisex. Sahm lists blue coumarin in its heart, which is a modern cousin of tonka's main smell, but that bottle does not list tonka and we do not count it.

Wearing advice: season, sprays, who tends to like it

• Three sprays suit Al-Badr, two suit Bakhour.
• Al-Badr is the easier one for work. Our Al-Badr review goes through it.
• Tonka works in cold weather and on a mild spring day. In heat it turns heavy.
• People who like almond biscuits, amaretto and dry sweetness tend to like it. People who want a fresh scent usually do not.

If you like tonka, start with Qasida Al-Badr

Al-Badr is calm, dry and easy to wear, and it shows tonka without drama. If you like the note and want it with more mood, Bakhour is the next step. Tonka is closely related to vanilla, and our guide to vanilla in perfume shows nine more bottles that share that warmth. The saffron in Bakhour is covered in saffron in perfume. The full list is in all FAAN perfumes.

FAQ

Is tonka just another word for vanilla?

No. They are neighbours. Tonka is drier and nuttier, with hay and almond.

Is there tonka in Qasida Sahm?

Tonka is not listed in Sahm. It lists blue coumarin in the heart, which is a different note.

Is tonka a gourmand note?

It can be, but in Al-Badr it plays the part of a soft bottom, not a dessert.

Related reading

• Vanilla in perfume and the FAAN bottles that use it
• FAAN Qasida Al-Badr review: notes, strength and when to wear it
• Saffron in perfume and the FAAN bottles that use it