Collection Matières

Velvet Tonka bdk Parfums 2021

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8.0 / 10 1007 Ratings

A popular perfume by bdk Parfums for women and men, released in 2021. The scent is sweet-gourmand. The longevity is above-average. It is still in production.

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Main accords

Sweet

Gourmand

Creamy

Spicy

Powdery

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Almond

Orange blossom

Heart Notes

Balkans tobacco absolute

Rose absolute

Base Notes

Tonka bean absolute

Bourbon vanilla absolute

Amberwood

Amyris

Perfumer

Alexandra Carlin

Ratings

Scent

8.01007 Ratings

Longevity

8.2909 Ratings

Sillage

7.8901 Ratings

Bottle

8.3859 Ratings

Value for money

7.4736 Ratings

Submitted by OPomone, last update on 07/24/2025.

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the "Collection Matières" collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Shaghaf Oud Tonka

Bourbon Vanill

Tonkaholic

Suprême Nectar

5 - Floral, Amber, Sensual Musk Eau de Parfum

Fève Tonka de Canaima

Reviews

41 in-depth fragrance descriptions

06/14/2024

RoseAmbrette
19 Reviews

RoseAmbrette

5

Am I the only one who doesn’t smell Tonka?

I adore Tonka beans.
My benchmark for THE Tonka fragrance is Guerlain’s Tonka Imperiale: in Tonka Imperiale, the many facets of Tonka are highlighted. I wanted to love Velvet Tonka.
From the notes I should but something is missing: Tonka.
I will say this is velvety smooth. I experience a very rich creamy texture, almost like a luxury almond oil.
I definitely smell the amber wood in the dry down but mostly I get a almond oil fragrance.
No rose, Jasmine or tobacco.
No hay like nuances from the coumarin, no Marzipane almond. No pastry accord.

I definitely perceive nothing that smells like a gazelle horn (a South African pastry filled with almond paste and orange blossom and topped with nuts) that the fragrance was inspired by.

From marketing materials: “The composition is a nod to the Moroccan origins of David Benedek, founder of the brand, who wanted to pay tribute to the flavors and colors of this region. Alexandra Carlin first imagined a "gazelle horn" accord that represents the regional sweet treat with its light texture, elegantly sprinkled with powdered sugar and nuances of rose, orange blossom, almond, and vanilla.”

I keep hoping with time I’ll be able to smell something more.
I think others feel the same because i often see it up for sale in fragrance groups.

04/21/2022

8
Pricing 10
Bottle 8
Sillage 8
Longevity 8
Scent

Annaraquel00
6 Reviews

Annaraquel00

3

Amarguinha from Algarve

This aroma for me is a true Amarguinha, which is the name of a drink in Portugal, from the Algarve region.
It's a bitter almond drink that can be drunk over ice, and that's what this aroma reminds me of in the opening.

I love almonds in perfumes but it is usually accompanied by something too creamy and milky. This aroma as I said is quite fresh and sweet at the same time which makes it curious, and the evolution goes to tobacco without being too much tabacco but with a focus on tonka bean and amberwood.
Cheerful and distinct, it's a girl next door scent.

08/14/2024

5
Pricing 7
Bottle 7
Sillage 7
Longevity 7
Scent

GalbanumLeaf
37 Reviews

GalbanumLeaf

1

I'm not the target audience

I can taste this fragrance in the back of my throat and back of my nose. I have two other BDK scents I love, being Gris Charnel and Tabac Rose. Now just because I don't like it, that is not the fragrance's fault. To me, this fits into the 'smells like cosmetics' category, of which there are many fans. But I am not.

Edited to add, the scent smells a bit muddy to me, meaning a bit jumbled and dense. It's rated highly here, so I'm not going to rate it terribly. Obviously, I'm missing individual notes others are enjoying.

11/09/2024

6
Pricing 10
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 5.5
Scent

CallMeTee
46 Reviews

CallMeTee

1

Tonka SOAP…

The most intense marzipan I’ve ever smelled in a perfume. The opening is like one of those freshly baked flaked almond croissants. There’s both delicacy and intensity in the fragrance, however, it dries down to a sweet powdery soap on my skin. Absolutely not blind buy safe. Suited to Autumn/Winter but it is not something I would add to my library!

09/19/2024

10
Scent

DogiCoco
621 Reviews

DogiCoco

2

Creamy tonka perfection!

Velvet Tonka is the standout by bdk! Well, at least it's my personal favorite. Every scent of theirs I have tried ranged somewhere between okay and great, so far there was none I really disliked. But this is the one that fascinates me the most.

It starts out with a contrast of warmth and sharpness that reminds me of Rosendo Mateu No. 5, which is another favorite of mine. I get a hint of a phantom fruit note that I can't quite pinpoint. The tonka and vanilla are noticeable right from the start, too. I actually find vanilla even more prominent here than the titular tonka, especially in the drydown! They both have such a plush and fuzzy texture, they didn't exeggerate with the word velvet in the name. Maybe the woodsy base notes play a part in this, too.

But what I love most about this is the way the florals are incorporated into the scent. Rose and orange blossom smell very clean and creamy here, a little bit like Nivea or similar thick white body creams, and it works so nicely with the vanilla/tonka and the slight sharpness. Oh, and the almond in this feels subtly creamy, too, which makes it even better.

I find this cozy, but also a little assertive. It's sweet and warm with a little bite to it, and quite intense. On me it's more on the feminine side, but I could see some men make it work.

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