Essence N°10: Amande Tonka Elie Saab 2017

I was following Elie Saab releases from the day one and ordered mine right once it's been launched. It's sad that this entire collection has been discontinued. Tonka in here is very unisex and has a spicy kick to it. Base is semi-sweet and woody and overal feel is that it is a gourmand blend with oriental undertones. To me it is the best offering from the entire collection. Perfectly balanced and also huge compliment getter.

Hello and good evening, you sniffing noses! Today I'm writing about Elie Saab, which by the way has nothing to do with the well-known car brand that has been out of business since 2012. I think you probably already know that, but then again, with you, one can never be sure… :D
Oh, and before you ask, there are no fragrances from the Saab car brand like there are from Mercedes, Ferrari, Porsche, or whatever. I believe that wouldn’t have interested anyone anyway, as I think Saab was not exactly one of the most popular car brands, right? I personally have never been a big Saab fan, but then again, it's all a matter of taste, isn't it? I mean, there are people who actually like the Fiat Multipla (especially the first model)!! :DD

Be that as it may, the fragrance I’m introducing today is Amande Tonka, which is a gourmand-sweet scent and, as it should be, fits particularly well during this contemplative time or simply on cold days. So, let’s get to the fragrance description!

The scent starts off slightly liqueur-like sweet and briefly reminds me of delicious Mon Chéries. But then the unmistakable note of tonka bean quickly comes in, radiating a slightly powdery-soft and dark-sweet scent. Almonds, which pair very well with the tonka bean, are added. In the background, gentle woody notes are also present, fitting very well with the previous scent progression.
The tonka bean quickly becomes the main fragrance note, even though the other notes can still be smelled well; you can indeed tell that the tonka is stronger.
Towards the base, you can still notice that the almonds have a slightly bitter scent (even though the slightly bitter impression fades away in the later base), otherwise, it mainly remains powdery-sweet, gourmand, and softly woody. Oh, and now and then, everything also appears a little vanilla-like.

The sillage is quite good; you are quickly surrounded by a large cloud of fragrance that you carry everywhere, so that everyone can already smell the scent on you before you are even seen :D
The longevity of such fragrances is usually very good, and here it is no different. So, you can easily expect eight to ten hours, probably even more.

The rectangular bottle contains a chestnut-brown fragrance liquid and, despite its rather simple appearance, looks quite elegant. On the front, there is a black label with a golden frame, the neck is also gilded, and the cap is black and cylindrical. All in all, quite nice.

So, I find the fragrance very successful despite its actually quite simple structure (since there are very few fragrance notes), as it simply smells beautiful. For me, it is an autumnal and wintery scent, as it comes across as gourmand due to the strongly sweet notes, which would surely be overwhelming in summer. Although the fragrance gives off an evening or going-out vibe, I think it could also be worn during the day on these cold days, at least if you’re not bathing in the scent.

The fragrance is supposed to be unisex, but I find that it leans a bit more towards the feminine side. However, I think the scent could also be worn by men; maybe it would be well-received by the ladies? Who knows? I should test that… argh, where is a Parfumo meet-up when you need one, so everyone can sniff me?? On the other hand, you ladies would probably tease me since I constantly complain about you or make fun of you (it’s all just for fun!!! :D)… argh… you’re mean!!! Or am I just paranoid? Nooo, I don’t know, but I could swear that at the last Parfumo meet-up, at least in the eyes of the ladies, there was a spark of meanness to be seen if you looked closely! He he he… *sigh* :D

Be that as it may, I find this fragrance very successful. It can easily compete with similar fragrances from brands like Guerlain and is therefore worth a try! And besides, it always motivates me to go to the Christmas market to munch on roasted almonds and such! Hmm… :)

And with that, I’m done for today and wish you all a lovely evening :)

Elie Saab's "Essence No. 10: Amande Tonka" has long been an object of desire for me. This absolutely trendy, super-simple bottle with the fantastic, perfectly fitting magnetic closure, the elegant label, the seductive liquid reminiscent of dark chocolate inside - all of this seemed extraordinary to me. The bottle is gently nestled in a beautiful black packaging, the black tissue paper sealed - very classy. The scent is also exceptional: At first, the almond undoubtedly dominates very strongly. However, in my opinion, it is not a roasted almond, but a raw almond that has a bright, not caramelized, not deeply dark sweetness. It is very intense and takes up as much space as it needs. At the same time, I sense another note that I cannot quite identify. It leads to the fact that this almond has no hints of marzipan whatsoever. It clearly differs from other almond, marzipan, or even cherry-almond gourmands. Perhaps it is because the bitter almond is not roasted, and therefore the cyanide impression is, at least for me, completely nonexistent. This makes "Amande Tonka" a completely unknown gourmand fragrance experience for me. It could be the vetiver grass; I am not familiar with vetiver. Either way, this is truly an extravagant blend that surprises and intrigues me. After a while, the scent transforms, and a noticeable development is perceptible. Then the tonka bean pushes forward, sweet and spicy, and at this point, "Amande Tonka" becomes familiar again. This scent is known to me, and thus the fragrance journey ends in a familiar, pleasant feeling of delicate sweetness. But before that, you experience a rollercoaster ride of impressions! An exceptional fragrance and something truly special!

Actually, I'm not really into gourmand fragrances in spring/summer, but this one really caught my interest! I was lucky enough to join the sharing, and yesterday the fine drop arrived.

My first thought after applying it: I know this from somewhere. I thought, ahh, it's similar to Grand Soir, which I really like, but unfortunately, it quickly becomes too much for me, and I can hardly wear it. Yesterday, my nose was almost exclusively on my arm, and I followed the scent development. A thick almond core, which is not bitter but rather delicate and lightly sweet, is enveloped after a while by a kind of dark chocolate that comes off slightly alcoholic. Maybe some of you know the chocolate-covered almond cores from Aldi, which are dusted with cocoa powder; they are always available there during the pre-Christmas season, and I find they are quite similar to this scent. It is sweet, but not that sticky sweetness; rather, it is a very pleasant, adult sweetness that one can handle very well, provided one likes gourmand sweetness at all. It is round and quite substantial, but what I really like is that I find it more wearable than Grand Soir. N°10 doesn’t overwhelm me as much; it is much more pleasant on the skin and has something that I miss in Grand Soir.

Of course, one should not overdo it; otherwise, it can quickly become annoying. I think 2 sprays should be more than enough. It has great longevity and a noticeable sillage, so you can enjoy it all day long. Naturally, this season doesn’t suit the fragrance for me. I would like to wear it from the cooler autumn days to the icy winter days; I think it fits perfectly then. It is not something for every day. It should be enjoyed and therefore used thoughtfully.

It is definitely worth a test; I believe it will gain some fans.

There are scents that you can never get out of your head. For me, for example, it's TI by Guerlain.
I truly adore it. But for a reason I can't completely decipher, I can only wear it rarely. I suspect that the subtle (perhaps, at least for my nose, a bit too "masculine") tobacco note plays a role. Still, I keep trying; I can't and won't give up. But the result remains the same: it is beautiful, but simply not "made for me."
What a sad love story.
But what does this have to do with the new fragrance from the house of Elie Saab?
Well, first of all, a thick, fat tonka bean in the fragrance pyramid always piques my curiosity. After all, it is also what I love about TI. And then combined with almond? Two of my favorite notes united; I simply have to test it, it would be grossly negligent not to! After all, I secretly long for a TI that is "made for me." Essentially, my more feminine, sweeter, simpler version.
And I think I have found it in Amande Tonka.
The first spray is admittedly very loud; a hefty sweetness spreads, which, when you hold your nose closer to your wrist, has a bitter, spicy, almost cinnamon-like undertone. This heaviness dissipates fairly quickly and makes way for a subtle creaminess that doesn't evoke any body care associations, softening the "scratchy" aspect a bit. Here, a thick, round tonka bean predominantly dominates for me, caressed by an almond that adds a delicate and feminine touch. If I had to give the fragrance a color, it would indeed be something between dark red and light pink, whereas TI would have to take on a earthier tone for me. And that is the crucial difference: Amande Tonka is certainly not a second Guerlain, but an independent fragrance that unites many elements I often seek in others and then miss: sweetness, a certain bitterness, woodiness, and yet a kind of tenderness that feels feminine. The sillage and longevity are truly exemplary; there is no sign of a bitter aftertaste here.
Now I just have to wait for the right weather to take my new treasure out. According to the weather report, it will be 10 degrees cooler next week - hope dies last.