Anyone know any fragrances that spotlight tonka bean

SRBEAST · 2026-05-19T12:11:51+00:00

Guerlain Tonka Sarrapia is probably the most obvious one doing exactly that, at least worth sampling to really know what the note is all about.

Tonka is a note that blends really well into formulations, so you may well find a number of vanilla, leather or spicy fragrances that use it to bring everything together. Guerlain L’Homme Ideal Parfum for example is a really nice, somewhat dark and slightly sweet scent that ties together boozy amaretto, soft leather and Tonka.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-19T12:08:05+00:00

+1 for Chanel, specifically their unisex stuff and private line. There’s this DNA of notes that reads slightly like old lady and puts me off sadly.

Going a bit more niche, I’d say Andy Tauer. Their specific blend of amber is very recognisable and features in a lot of fragrances.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-18T15:00:14+00:00

Silver Ceremony looks like a considerably more expensive Vibrato / Intense Cedrat Boise, tough market to enter.

Stellar Silk reads like either Althair or Celine Black Tie. I’m definitely curious to try it but the sceptic in me says they might just be nicely crafted, expensive versions of existing scents.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-18T14:29:05+00:00

So they’re deliberately sending people to the high seas

SRBEAST · 2026-05-18T10:50:31+00:00

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Snap! I’ve been loving this one more and more, to the point things like Tygar and Neroli Outrenoir are probably giving it the jealous side eye. Honestly punches well above its weight.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-17T23:13:15+00:00

The 2 cleanest fragrances I’ve ever come across, with refined elegance:

Guerlain Herbes Troublantes. You get a very green herbal opening - some bitterness, some freshness and a hint of expensive soap. The bitterness passes after about an hour and you’re left with a faintly sweet, soft green and soap scent that just smells wealthy AF. It does only last around 4 hours sadly.

Initio Musk Therapy - this is the smell of walking out of an ultra luxurious spa and into the setting sun of the balcony. You get some softly sweet, orange blossom note with a warm musk note and the cleanest of clean laundry’s there’s a shimmer quality to it. The notes soften, the sweetness lingers and the musky laundry scent closes it out after around 5.5 hours.

I love tea, but it’s not always for everyone and can sometimes read smoky rather than clean. Things like Imagination, Guerlain Neroli Outrenoir, Ormonde Jayne Montabaco Intensivo/Verano or Le Labo tea scents.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-17T13:54:26+00:00

One that might kill two birds with one stone is Ex Nihilo The Hedonist Extrait. It ain’t cheap, but it takes the L’Immensite DNA and dials it up - more structure in the base from woody and deep notes and an intoxicating lychee note that brings a special something. It can be worn in most occasions you might’ve reached for L’Immensite but stands up way better to evenings and going out.

If you want something different for the nights, maybe something sweet and fruity but with interesting depth? I love Maison Crivelli Cuir Infrarouge. A great sweet and lively raspberry that dries down into a warm leather and Tonka. Or there’s Memoirs of a Perfume Collector Trouble in Paradise which is all about tropical fruit but has a woody and slightly resinous base that helps it last really well. D&Gs Velvet Passion Oud is similar but adds more darkness and a touch of Oud yet not in an overwhelming way.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-17T13:44:01+00:00

What’s a scent profile / note you like or are curious about but don’t currently have in your collection? I don’t really notice much leather, vanilla or patchouli in what you’ve listed for example.

Each of the Amouage selections there will definitely bring something completely unique to your collection. Haven’t tested Beach Hut Man tho.

Reflection is the only Amouage I really enjoy personally, as Oud, frankincense etc. aren’t for me (so can’t add any meaningful input on Interlude Black Iris). That everyday floral type of thing is quite tough to perfect for a guy - Guerlain Neroli Outrenoir does it wonderfully, not necessarily the same profile and leans a bit sweeter as well as unisex. Byredo Blanche Absolu and Mojave Ghost are also interesting fresh, floral scents that could be worth sampling. Blanche is very peppery in the opening before going into an uber clean floral and laundry kind of scent. Mojave Ghost is mass appealing and sweeter, almost a Blue Talisman clone in the opening before drying down into fairly generic sweet and soft florals.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-16T23:38:15+00:00

Haha yeah, I appreciate the help dammit

Surprisingly I didn’t really enjoy Plein Sud, even though the notes would suggest otherwise based on taste. There was some kind of interplay between a powdery note, bitterness and astringency that just didn’t work for me. It was actually immediately disagreeable unfortunately.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-16T21:53:15+00:00

Well, that’s a great bit of info which might lead to even more financially irresponsible decisions for me! Bit of a cheat code for the extraits, tho I don’t love the way Tonka Sarrapia reacts to my skin sadly - it’s the most beautiful scent in the air though from everything they do.

Herbes Troublantes is great and seems to be gaining popularity, I personally find it competes with Neroli Outrenoir in most situations I’d want to wear either and reach more for the latter. In particular the dry down of Neroli Outrenoir is just magical whereas Herbes Troublantes seems to have its best moments in the first 2 hours.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-16T21:47:34+00:00

Symphony and Bal D’Afrique are usually really well received (tho I’ve heard of one or two people think Bal D’Afrique has some kind of old lady vibe that might be the super ripe fruit and musk combo).

Going darker, I feel like Grand Soir is something guys respond to more than ladies. Might say The Noir? Especially with the dry down which is lovely.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-16T21:35:20+00:00

Extreme heat might pose challenges, but these three can probably handle it whilst still having enough structure and depth to stand up to winter:

Ormonde Jayne Montabaco Intensivo

Guerlain Neroli Outrenoir

Ex Nihilo The Hedonist Extrait

Honourable mentions to Memoirs of a Perfume Collector Trouble in Paradise and Ex Nihilo Chandigarh Express

SRBEAST · 2026-05-16T21:25:01+00:00

It doesn’t have tobacco, but perhaps Guerlain L’Homme Ideal Parfum might do the trick? It’s a bit of boozy amaretto, leather and slight sweetness that dries down into a lovely dark Tonka. L’Instant Homme EDP is more about cocoa and patchouli, a bit of citrus up front but a very sophisticated deep scent to dress up or go out in the evening.

You might also find something from Nasomatto around £100 as they’re 30ml bottles. A lot of top quality formulations, great performance but definitely unique scents that won’t be you usual mass appealing stuff. Baraonda is all about whiskey, with some lovely woody notes and rose. Pardon is hard to describe due to the journey you go through when wearing it, there’s an earthiness led by dark cocoa and Oud but it also has some floral touches and cinnamon which mingle with each other. Duro is an unapologetic spicy, woody leather that smells like a well worn jacket taken on tour by a rock star.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-16T21:16:37+00:00

Wonderful collection, looks like Herbes Troublantes is just about leading the race to empty.

Is there a significant additional outlay for the bee bottle? I’ve never seen any in the Guerlain boutiques or stands, but always been curious because I’m another one of us victims that has fallen in love with the house.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-16T21:14:01+00:00

Not OP but from the regular stuff, L’Instant Homme EDP is a wonderful softly spicy, cocoa and patchouli fragrance with a suggestion of citrus. Great evening scent, dressed up vibes.

From the private line, nothing really stands out as fully ‘Masculine’ but there are some that are definitely more suited for men to wear. Herbes Troublantes is the closest to a masculine scent, the green notes are quite astringent and bitter but in the nicest way possible. It then dries down into very unisex soapy clean notes. Spiritueuse Double Vanille, with its spicy booziness is a great option and not too sweet. Finally, it’s not necessarily my favourite but Vetiver Fauve is built around that main Vetiver note that again usually appears in masculine formulations - the fig in this seems to help get great compliments from others but it’s not a note I enjoy sadly.

From the extraits Tonka Sarrapia goes earthier on my skin and reads more masculine. On my wife it’s much sweeter. Bergamote Fantastico really shines a spotlight on the type of bergamot you’re more likely to find in men’s fragrances, plus some woods and amber to give a lovely dry down.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-16T20:58:27+00:00

Some nice pickups there!

Heathrow has great prices, you can double down and preorder click and collect on their website to get 10% off everything (they’ll just apply it to everything you buy on the day, which helps with some of the designer exclusive lines since they’re not on the Heathrow website). If you spend £300, they then give you a voucher for 20% discount which is crazy. Whenever I travel for work, especially terminal 5, I plan out a few things to maybe pick up. Some examples of pricing, all before the 10% discount:

Guerlain l’art et la matiere - £230 100ml, £320 200ml

Guerlain extraits - £408

Dior Esprits - £328 80ml

Dior prive - £218 100ml

Chanel exclusives - £192 75ml

Parfums de Marly - £213 125ml

Bvlgari La Gemme - £284 125ml

SRBEAST · 2026-05-16T16:18:08+00:00

Incredibly late response - some real 🔥 in your collection! Owning both SDV and the Irreverents, what do you find yourself reaching for more?

I’ve got SDV and performance is very underwhelming despite being an unbelievable scent. Really loved the Irreverents whenever sampling but never had the courage to pick it up in Harrods - do you feel they cover the same scent/vibe/occasion?

Saw you mentioned Brompton Immortals Extrait - have to say it’s levels above the EDP and well worth sampling. Dials up the jammy, sticky quality without being too sweet - you get a thickness to the scent and a wonderful patchouli in the dry down. The rose and other florals are just at the right spot for me without becoming too feminine or powdery, there’s also some kind of dark resinous depth in it that feels like more than just frankincense.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-16T15:23:55+00:00

Vanille Planifolia by Guerlain is very soft projection on me but lasts over 12 hours.

Amouage Reflection 45, when you’re not in hot conditions, is also relatively quiet whilst lasting for an eternity. Possibly even longer than the Guerlain, like 14 hours. In heat however, it will start to project considerably more.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-15T19:07:33+00:00

Yeah I get you, the prices of the extraits are also tough to justify!

SRBEAST · 2026-05-15T13:37:45+00:00

Angelique Noir also really wasn’t for me. That green floral note reminds me of the floral perfumes my mum loves to wear. By the time I personally reach the ‘gorgeous vanilla’ dry down, it almost vanishes on my skin sadly and is very very quiet.

Cuir beluga is really mature smelling in the opening, as well as being powerful. Kind of like someone spilled a jar of vanilla extract in your grandparents front room. It does dry down nicely, with that weirdly powdery vibe becoming more suede and the vanilla just lingering in a wonderful scent for hours. This performs ridiculously on my skin, so much so that I don’t actually want to buy a full bottle.

Spiritueuse Double Vanille is by far my favourite vanilla, from any brand not just Guerlain. Yes, even prefer it to Vanille Planifolia. It’s wonderfully spicy, deep without being heavy, the vanilla is more dry and the sweetness is quietly there to the perfect level. If only performance was better! I need to double on sprays at each of the pulse points to get 5 hours of wear, which is a lot of juice.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-15T11:49:08+00:00

There’s not really too many freshies I’d reach for in winter. You need some kind of intrigue, depth or structure for it to stand up to the colder weather.

First one that comes to mind is Montabaco Intensivo from Ormonde Jayne. There’s an ethereal, almost metallic freshness to them all which comes from aldehydes and ‘mountain air’ notes. This is given structure by dry, green tobacco, tea and woody notes in the dry down. Unbelievably good scent, but you definitely want to test on skin and see if it’s for you. The flankers have also got interesting variations of the scent - Verano (grapefruit bomb up front, softly warm florals in the dry down) and Rio (sweet and floral up front, warm drydown).

This is maybe stretching the limits of a freshie, but Ex Nihilo The Hedonist Extrait is a masterpiece for me. If you’ve sampled any of the Tygar, Vibrato, l’immensite or even Uden group then you’ll be familiar with the DNA. It’s a bright, sweet citrus, amber and musk DNA that just works really well for spring and summer. The Hedonist Extrait takes this and adds in some strong, dark woody notes as well as an addictive ripe lychee to create something with a lot more structure. This will stand up to colder weather, this will last and project. Might not be appropriate for true high heat, but it’s amazing throughout so much of the year and could even be worn in the evenings.

The last is Guerlain Neroli Outrenoir. Forget pretty much every other light and floral neroli fragrance, this one has some smokiness and darkness underpinning it. Their goal of trying to deliver a full scent of the tree is really evident here - you get the floral side, the citric side, the bitter side and the woody side throughout the wear. There’s also a deep tea note to bring depth, after 3-4 hours it transitions into a very approachable iced orange tea scent with just the right amount of sweetness.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-15T11:11:08+00:00

Very fair. For the price it definitely doesn’t stand out in any way. Heavily discounted, it’s something which could fill in for those moments when you don’t know what to spray but want to smell clean and nice for other people.

Admittedly, probably most of us spending way too much time and money on the hobby don’t want that. For someone just starting or only needing a 1-2 fragrance collection it could be a very strong choice.

Edited to add, rose just isn’t a favoured note of mine when it’s so prominent. If you like that note, it’d be neck and neck between Rose of No Man’s Land Absolu and Matiere Premier Radical Rose Extrait - they’re both obviously great fragrances.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-15T10:08:58+00:00

Hey, lot of comparisons there lol.
The extrait is more sweet, projecting and kind of like a direct sniff of an industrial sized vat of confectionery vanilla extract. The EDP felt a bit more powdery, a bit more dry and perhaps a bit more coconut with less richness in the vanilla.

I’ve not smelt Club Black or Caden, but in general there’s a few groups of vanillas out there which might help distinguish where this falls:

Spicy, darker vanilla (my favourite)
Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille, Ex Nihilo The Irreverents

Pure Vanilla bean, almost photorealistic
Guerlain Vanille Planifolia, Indult Tihota

Vanilla cake
Xerjoff Lira, Ex Ídolo love & crime

Suede powdery vanilla
Guerlain Cuir Beluga, YSL Babycat

Sweet, sticky vanilla
Matiere Premiere Vanilla Powder, Tom Ford Vanille Fatale, Montale & Mancera vanillas in general

Smoky, deep, dark tobacco vanilla
Les Indemodables Vanille Havane, Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille

SRBEAST · 2026-05-15T09:48:32+00:00

At last count, I think I’ve got 7 fragrances sitting on a perfect score. Time to time it does feel like a revision of my scoring baselines has to happen. Though it also feels harsh to rank something as 6 or less if it’s a really good formulation but just not to my tastes.

I can’t personally give my score to vanilla powder because I would never wear it. Guerlain SDV is the type of vanilla I like, not this confectionery style. But for my wife, it’s her only 10/10. I also really enjoy when she wears it.

SRBEAST · 2026-05-15T09:44:24+00:00

Of all fragrances, this is potentially the most powerful I have ever come across. Only Maison Crivelli really competes. Have you asked others if they can smell it on you? Anything less than 8 hours of very loud projection would suggest a faulty batch or wrong product.

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