Collection Matières

Velvet Tonka bdk Parfums 2021

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8.0 / 10 903 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

8.0903 Ratings

Longevity

8.2818 Ratings

Sillage

7.8811 Ratings

Bottle

8.3772 Ratings

Value for money

7.4655 Ratings

Submitted by OPomone, last update on 01/11/2025.

Interesting Facts

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

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

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Fève Tonka de Canaima

Reviews

37 in-depth fragrance descriptions

06/14/2024

RoseAmbrette
17 Reviews

RoseAmbrette

4

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.

11/09/2024

6
Pricing 10
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 5.5
Scent

CallMeTee
42 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!

03/20/2024

8
Pricing 8
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 8.5
Scent

Musicandarts
149 Reviews

Musicandarts

2

A lovely almond tonka that turns into a woody tonka dry down

This review is based on a sample I got from BDK. I subsequently purchased a full bottle, which is the highest endorsement for a fragrance. Look no further if you are in the market for a sweet and spicy almond-tonka gourmand.

Almond dominates the opening, but it is tempered by an assortment of ancillary accords. There is a delicious spicy quality to the opening. I find it hard to pinpoint the origin of this accord. It could be the orange blossom or the tobacco. Similarly there is a floral hint, perhaps from the rose absolute listed as a heart note. I confess that I wouldn’t have identified these notes if I hadn’t read the description in advance. All I could have said that it is an almond gourmand with floral and spicy overtones. But what glorious almond it is! It is unmistakably a BDK Parfum, with its airy light elegance.

The development of notes from the opening to the base notes is very minimal. Within minutes of the opening, you start getting the tobacco, tonka and vanilla. These notes remind me of Xerjoff Naxos, which also has similar accords. Velvet Tonka dissipates in a slow and linear fashion, leaving behind a mellow woody vanilla dry down. I smell more tonka and vanilla on my skin in the dry down, but woody amber accords on my clothes. The amberwood and tonka absolute in the base notes brings Velvet Tonka very close to Gris Charnel in the dry down phase. There is also a distinct pepperiness in the dry down on my skin.

The performance of Velvet Tonka is excellent, with a longevity of 10-12 hours, with good projection and sillage. Orange blossom and tobacco holds this perfume back from becoming a cloying gourmand. You could even use this as an office fragrance if you spray judiciously. There is a risk of over spraying Velvet Tonka. The initial bursts don’t appear strong. But an hour later in a neutral environment, the projection may feel embarrassing, as happened to me recently.

US grey market sellers sell this perfume at a significant discount compared to BDK’s website. I recommend this perfume as an essential in any collection, particularly if you desire a good almond gourmand.

10/08/2023

7
Pricing 7
Bottle 7
Sillage 7
Longevity 8
Scent

Einfinken
74 Reviews

Einfinken

1

The name says it all

Velvet Tonka is one of those scents whose name describes exactly what you're getting in the juice. This is a soft, velvety, powdered almond with a slight edge from the tobacco absolute. A very cozy scent for cold weather that can transition day to night quite well and, if you use a lighter hand, this is work appropriate too. I think it will be a winner for anyone who likes powdered almond scents. If neither of those things are your vibe, I would stay away.

Velvet Tonka also layers well with other perfumes and I really love it as a base for layering bdk's Rouge Smoking over top.

Not a ground breaking or even super unique fragrance but it is very solid at what it sets out to be. 8/10 scent for me.

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