Velvet Tonka BDK Parfums for women and men

All I get is vanilla & orange blossom. This DNA is the same as PDM safanad or Elie Saab EDP but instead of the floral accords, it has a big dose of almond/tonka. I personally don't like the medicinal, cherry-like almond in this. The scent is quite linear & not complex at all. I'd much rather prefer Safanad, which has the same scent profile but is more complex smelling & floral.

How come it is well loved by all the youtubers while being rated so low??? I'm sorry to say this, but I really dislike this one. It's very nauseating to my nose. Something smells dirty and chemical. The combo of almond and tabacco just doesn't work for me I guess. It's not a gourmandy scent for me at all...

Hmmmm…
Should have taken the Pas Ce Soir.

I have to be in the mood for this. Personally this is a 'medium' fragrance for me but when the time is right I can love it. I get more of a strong white floral, then powder, and amyris/amberwood in the base. It's not actually heavy in tonka bean for me but I love tonka bean. It's nostalgic as it smells like a perfume that I remember smelling around classy women when I was a child - maybe there was a similar dupe - perhaps Joop but it's not exactly like Hypnotic Poison.

On my skin it opens with deeper, better quality version of the Dior Hypnotic poison, but in about 10 min it transforms into lighter more every day wearable version of Rosendo Mateo 5. It has no niche controversial notes like you will have in the opening of #5. Nice if you don’t have #5, but I personally prefer Rosendo Mateo

Right after spraying and for a solid 3 minutes, the opening was the most nauseating amaretto smell, so strong and bitter, like i had spilled a glass of Disaronno on myself. But after dry down, I’m in love. Most beautiful vanilla and something so nostalgic from my childhood. Almost a plasticy smell, a Bratz doll or something, I really can’t put my finger on it. But it’s so comforting. I hate almond smells but I might have to get a bottle of this.

The initial spray was encouraging. There was enough tonka and yummy vanilla to make me think I had a less complex replacement for Tonka Imperiale (since it's been discontinued...). It unfortunately does have the problematic synthetic compound that my nose translates as a suncreen-y, chemical smell. It completely ruins Erba Pura and Arabians Tonka for me. 'White Musk' is the culprit for those two but I think Amberwood has some similar molecular structure here. It's not as bad, but it's there. Sadly I just bought a travel size spray of it but I think I'll see if I can train my nose to filter it out. I can at least detect the other notes but with whatever is in EP and AT, I cannot smell anything else at all! Also bought Shaghaf Oud Tonka by Swiss Arabian as a tonka alternative.

This is interesting. I blind bought a full bottle because I love Tonka bean, almonds and amber woody notes. I was expecting a marzipan almond opening like that of Guerlain Tonka Imperiale that’s my baseline marzipan fragrance.
Unexpectedly, the opening is creamy like lotion! I get bitter almond and cherry nuances from the Tonka and almond oil but it’s not as gourmand as I expected. It’s also not as beast mode as some have claimed it to be. It’s moderate/ average projection. Velvet Tonka certainly is smooth and velvety. I don’t experience and rose or florals on my skin. After the opening, VT veers into RM N°5/ Ishq Al Shuyhuk territory with the vanilla suede/ rubber tyre accord which I love.
I don’t know how I feel about this one yet. I’ll come back once I get a few more wears. Edit:
I’m sorry but this isn’t gourmand! The inspiration for this was tchereck or gazelle horns a almond and orange blossom filled cookie topped with pistachio - I’m not getting that at all. Maybe in the deep dry down I get some true nuttiness but the main accord is a very lightly scented high end body oil with a slightly rubbery amber dry down. It’s great it’s just not what was advertised but I’ll keep testing and sniffing. Maybe other notes will emerge for me.

Velvet Tonka, will you be my wedding scent? 🤍

I hate something about it! It smells terrible to me like a motor oil maybe? and I had to jump in the shower. Hope it all comes off. Im also surprised this is considered feminine.

Of the BDK perfumes I've tried so far, this Velvet Tonka is perhaps the one I liked the least.

The main note of this perfume is, to my nose, almond. It is an almond that is accompanied by vanilla and the spicy touch of tonka. I don't particularly notice the rest of the notes. It is a warm blend and, for those who enjoy it, it is probably a cozy winter scent.

The two big drawbacks that I see in my case with this composition are that on my skin the almond note is very bitter and that, even for someone who enjoys that note, its duration is short for me.

On my skin it has a moderate sillage but it only stays on for about 4 hours.

Although I find BDK perfumes really interesting and have good quality in my opinion, Velvet Tonka has not been for me.

Scent 5/10
Duration 4/10
Sillage 6.5/10
Quality/price 3/10
Versatility 6/10
Packaging 7/10
Would I buy again? I did not buy it

I wanted to like this because I adore Rouge Smoking, and for the first 15 minutes it was promising. Warm, cozy and not overly sweet. Then without warning, Band Aids was all that was left for quite a while.
Now, does a band aid kinda rock in the realm of medical smells? Sure. But do I want to pay for a band aid smell vs. 50 other scents I really love? Sorry, no.

This is a very sweet, exotic, and gourmand scent, and it lasts a long time. If you like things like Shalimar, Tobacco Vanille, Coriandre, or Caron Pour Homme, you might like this.

This smells like rosendeau no 5 with prominent almond. Smells delicious.

This is a love or hate at first spray I think. Warm Almond Marzipan but not sickly sweet as I have found some of the Xjeroff fragrances to be. I found it was best on skin and not too overpowering in projection which is good as if people don’t like almond you could offend early after application lol.
The floral emerged but mainly the base brought forth a gentle woodiness to the sideline that never took over the main soft gourmand. It’s not groundbreaking and that is totally fine. Sometimes the sophistication of simplicity means you know what you are getting and I think this is no surprises after spraying, a beautiful sweet but not too sweet, medium projecting beauty of a fragrance and I have to buy it now, my poor bank balance.

I don’t think it’s like Aqua DP Mandorlo di Sicilia. I had that and found it had too much cake for the lightness. Too watery for that level of sweet richness. The only fragrance I have found had combined that light and richness so far is Bake by Akro.
I don’t think it’s like Bianco Latte in that it’s warm and rich but it’s Almond, so different enough to justify buying it. If you like Bianco Latte and the smell of marzipan you will hopefully love it.

Longevity is mid, could be longer, yes please to an Extrait.

I love this!

One of the best fragrances I've ever smelled in my life
Really beautiful, but projection is a joke, it is weak
I wish the company read this and improved the formula
I'd then buy 2 bottles of this:)

This was a blind buy, after reading tons of reviews. And it’s a full hit! A warm cozy scent that opens up with almond and rom. But not to harsh, (as I think rouge smoking is in the opening) very balanced. After a while I scent a smooth tonka note come forward. Over all it’s great piece to have in your scentdrobe💖! I can wear it all the seasons I please! Unisex!

Not for me. Someone described it as band-aids, and I kinda get that. Almond on opening. Dries down to powdery, medicinal, old lady smell.

Velvet Tonka opens with a nice almond paste, that i wish stayed longer.
When it dries down it turns to a more calm version of Alexandria II. Still very loud with good projection. Just a little more soft and easy going than A2.

While i like the smell of A2, it is too much, too over powering and it tries too much.

This is a good alternative for those who feel the same way about Alexandria II as i do. A much more wearable fragrance with the same DNA and a beautiful opening of almond paste.

My opinion has changed so much on this fragrance. I originally thought this smelt weird and kind of like bandaids. Ive grown to love this. Its delicious and cozy and smells a bit like marzipan. Its gourmand but also has a cool vibe. The drydown is strikingly similar to the drydown of Althair from PDM. Im starting to appreciate the orange blossom mixed with the more gourmand notes of vanilla and almond/tonka.

First wear:

Initial spray and first 30 minutes: I get a blend of Bois Dore, Milk, Bianco Latte, and Hypnotic Poison. Lots of almond, vanilla, and ambroxan. I definitely understand people saying it’s reminiscent of almond extract. At this time, I don’t pick up any of the orange blossom, rose, or tobacco.

Dry down: I still get a lot of almond and vanilla. The ambroxan mellows out around the 2-3 hour mark. I get more of the play dough/root beer vibe now.

I like this fragrance because it’s a scent profile I enjoy, but I think Bois Dore is a better choice between the two (scent and price wise). I like BD’s added woodiness. That said, this is my 5th BDK fragrance and I really like or love them all.

Even hours after application I still get mostly almonds and a powdery iris. Good longevity and projection. I wouldn`t say it`s a must have but worth checking out if your looking for a top quality, velvety, sweet, soothing, cosy scent.
Edit: The longevity and projection is out of this world!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, didn't like it.
Bought feve tonka without trying it. Really hope it's not the same.

Alcohol and What I imagine cyanide would smell like.

I just tried it and it’s lovely. It does remind me however of “Mandorlo di Sicilia” by Acqua di Parma (blue bottle). The initial spray in Mandarli di Sicilia is more of a strong Almond but the dry downs are very close.

At first I notice the smell of rubbing alcohol. Then a subtle vanilla and subtle nutty scent. It’s very hard for me to smell this even with my nose on my skin. A few hours later it’s a gentle powdery vanilla skin scent.

Amaretto and vanilla extract with powder. The opening is gorgeous but as it develops it becomes powdery, almost to the point of grandma. I'll update if shaghaf Oud tonka is a better clone once it arrives.

Shaghaf oud TONKA is 1:1 with this one and performers better: however I'll always cherish this masterpiece and never get rid of the bottle

It was not love at first sniff at all. I got a sample and the first time I thought it was underwhelming but as the day passed it grew on me. I am used to the synthetic smell of Montale. This perfume is more elegant and cozier than my arabians Tonka. I layered the Velvet Tonka (heavily sprayed 😅 with just a minimal amount of arabians tonka (by minimal I mean sprayed once on my
wrist and transfered to my neck and shoulders. I know it's a no no but....) the layering was really good. I kept getting whiffs of this amazing concoction and I am in love. Thinking about buying a full size of VT

Update: I got the full bottle of Velvet Tonka. Love it! It's so warm and cozy and powdery and velvety and feminine. Love, Love, Love

A cosy gourmand for autumn/winter.

The marzipan feel is loud upon first spray.. but it softens out when dried down, that’s when it becomes cosy. Hugging into someone wearing this on their jumper/hoodie would be pleasant. I’d put this in the everyday use category and it seems to last way longer in my skin than clothing?

I can understand why it’s polarising, after so much testing I still can’t decide whether I need it in my collection or not.

This is one of my favourite ever!!Almondy velvety warm sweet delicious in any way!! Such a beautiful smell! On me is magic !

The first hour I smelled soft and velvety. I quite enjoyed it and even got a compliment after hugging a friend I met for lunch. Yet, the orange blossom in this is overpowering, lingers throughout, and turns the fragrance a little too sharp for my taste. I was hoping the tonka & vanilla would come to the rescue to balance it out, but it just turned sweet & screechy. But it is a great easy grab wintertime freshy if you’re into that. I just can’t justify the price to smell like Johnson & Johnson almond baby oil.

Powerdery vanilla almond. Not unique or worth the price. What you expect from this is what le baiser du dragon by Cartier gives. That one is unique and much more sensual and doesn’t turn into baby powder in the dry down. Since this isn’t a Tonka fragrance its an almond one go for infusion de Amande instead

Oh no, I wanted to like this EDP :(
It was not the lovely almond-floral amber I expected from the notes. I'm glad I only bought a sample.

This scent is Dr Pepper mixed with cough syrup, and not in a pleasant fruity sweet way. Yuck. Not feminine, and not attractively masculine either. I see others are saying they pick up on the medicine-like scent too, sometimes it pays to read the reviews. Hope I can wash this scent off soon :s

Got a sample of this via the BDK discovery set and it's straight almond and ambroxan-type smell on me. Not offensive at all but not particularly complex or interesting.

I thought I’d love this based on the notes and reviews but my skin does not like this one at all. My husband said it reminded him of visiting his grandmother in the nursing home— like a disinfectant or medicine. I wish I got marzipan, but I’m only getting heavy rose and orange blossom with something very plasticky. Bummer! Where’s the tonka?!

For the people who bake, this smells like straight up almond extract and not much else 😕 I don’t get much tonka. Disappointed 😔

For some reason this reminds me of Hypnotic Poison. It is almondy and powdery. It took a week for me to fall in love with Velvet Tonka. First it kind of put me off with its sweetness and a lot of almond. But I gave it another shot and it actually turned into a very cozy scent. It is not heavy but still long lasting. I can smell it on myself even after a shower.

I'm looking to trade this perfume, I'm kind of tired if it and don't see myself using the whole bottle which is such a waste

Very almondy and slightly woody, on my skin it's lacking any creaminess and not warm at all... hard no and glad I bought a sample to try first.

Simply amazing. In Croatia in the nineties we had this creamy glue that children used in school called Karbofix. These notes hit the exact scent of that glue transporting me to childhood, plus the notes of sophistication and being a grown up. I love it, feel like myself wearing it, however I understand it can be a love or hate - the glue/playdoh note is a dealbreaker for some for sure. It's a love for me, big time.

The opening gives me BITTER almond and something else sharp…Iso e super, is that you? Then the bitter note fades and the scent warms to a sweet marzipan. But even during the mid and dry down, when it’s mostly marzipan, I smell the persistent woodiness of Iso-e plus the tobacco, which together on my skin are pretty loud. It makes for an interesting play between light/dark and sweet/dry. A much more interesting and complex scent than I expected! Probably not for me but one definitely worth trying, especially for fans of woods.

Edit: I could still smell this on me the next day. It’s a beast!

One of my favorite BDK fragrances! Reminds me of Giardini di Toscana Bianco Latte little sister or cousin but not as great as BL.

To be honest, smells medical/synthetic to me. I do not like it at all, even hours in, it smells like the warmth wants to come out but this medical/synthetic note just won't let it. One of the worst vanillas I smelled recently.

I love gourmands. I love orange blossom, rose, amber, tonka bean, etc. I get none of these notes with Velvet Tonka. This perfume just smells like Play-Doh with a hint of depth to me. I received a sample of this, and I can't imagine I'll ever use it all.

When I first tried this I remember loving it. However, one day I started to think it reminded me of the scent of propofol, an anesthetic often used during surgeries, and now I can’t unsmell it. If you’ve ever had surgery and you remember that smell/taste of the medicine pushed through your IV right before drifting off… that’s what I’m talking about 😅

Lovely, cozy and smooth almondy vanilla. But it has something sharp in it that lingers and make the whole symphony...not disharmonious, but a bit punky, maybe. Is it the tobacco? Maybe, I am not convinced. I am obsessed with Tobacco Rose and I plan to buy it FB. I don't hate anything there and it has a prominent tobacco note...

Either way, lovely fragrance, I can see it become very popular, especially in the autumn and winter. Not my style, not my first choice to test either.

Edit: BEWARE, THIS LONGEVITY IS NUCLEAR! I couldn't get rid of it for two days rubbing it off in shower with soap too. Very good quality, worth the money. Too bad I can't wear it myself, I would love to buy a fragrance that lasts like this!

Unpleasant powdery, plasticky open. I smell
Iris, mixed with a bright, floral vanilla, and a smooth tabacco note that carries through. After a few hours of wear the amber notes begin to carry through. Disappointed I couldn’t catch the almond/marzipan notes others spoke on. I don’t enjoy this fragrance at all, I think I’m not partial to the notes.

I got this one in their discovery set 6 months ago and when I tried it I was like it's nice but nothing special and I have better almond dominated perfumes in my collection.
Today I wanted to spay something I usually don't reach out that often so I dig into my box of 80+ samples and I decided to go with this one.
This time I really enjoyed Velvet Tonka! 😍
Even two of my friends complimented me how good I smell even though they never say anything at all until I ask them what they think of the certain perfume 😄
Anyway now I'm baffled which one should I get first Velvet Tonka or Gris Charnel Extrait...🤔

Also I'm surprised how much low rating Velvet Tonka have here on Fragrantica

Probably my comment on Velvet Tonka is not going to make much sense to some, but I feel that this smells vintage. What I personally think when I think of the word vintage.

It reminds me of something from my childhood but I can’t remember what exactly.

I don’t like this enough to want to buy a bottle but I don’t dislike it either. I would wear it if I would get it as a gift. It’s definitely different than what I thought it would smell and what I have in my collection. To me, this is a fragrance that doesn’t smell anything like the notes listed. Just a kind of powdery iris, I guess..

I can’t pinpoint what it smells like because from all the notes listed I don’t get any of them. I don’t get the marzipan reference either… I guess it’s an ok fragrance.

Somewhat interesting but not for me!

Wearing this today and I agree with comment below if you’re looking for a STRONG marzipan this is for you. Opens up with a blast of almond/cherry and dries down to a smoother version of that. It’s the almond note in here that smells like straight up maraschino cherry/marzipan scent. I do like the name “velvet” because it does remind me of that feeling…. It’s smooth. But I personally am not a cherry fan so this isn’t a love for me. This has NO similarities to guerlain “Tonka imperiale” whatsoever. It’s very pretty if you like a marzipan scent

I am still looking to buy a full size bottle - if anyone has for sale plz DM me on IG @charmedbymeghan

I absolutely love this fragrance. I also bought Bois Dore because of the similarities and I love that one too. I also own Joop! Le Bain and it is similar-ish, but a more perfumey version, not as decadent a feel as with Velvet Tonka or Bois Dore. Le Bain has a more aromatic, perfumey feel. But it gets better with time. I enjoy all 3 but Velvet Tonka is my favorite. I'm hoping to find a bottle for less than retail though*, but for now I have a travel-size decant that I'm burning through. Tonka has become my favorite note in perfumery. It is the nuttier sister of vanilla. Velvet Tonka is all about creamy tonka & almond, but feels like a luscious luxurious grown-up version. My favorite BDK.

Blind buy fail for me; hoping to fall in “like” with this one eventually. Very strong fragrance.

EDIT: I have actually fallen for this fragrance now that the weather has changed. Deliciously rich and sweet almond vanilla! This one is very dependent on the season for me and Fall and Winter is the perfect time!

First of all, if you're looking for a very realistic and very bitter marzipan fragrance, then this is for you.
And how my 38 fellow fragranticans found it similar to the warm, fuzzy, ambery golden hug of Le Bain is beyond me.
Another miserably failed "reminds me of" mission.

I have a few samples of this fragrance that I have been testing for a few months. I keep going back to see if it changes as I want to experience this beautiful scent that I’ve heard about.

Unfortunately it’s not working on my skin chemistry or nose.

All I get is Johnson’s baby talc powder. It’s smells nice but not what I want to smell like.

Almond paste, tonka, vanilla, warm plastic, white musk and some form of harsh amber accord.
Remove the amber and I can see the appeal.

Edit: The amber component actually got way toned down just within the hour, MUCH more enjoyable now.

I'm baffled by how many gatekeepers down voted how similar this is to JOOP! Le Bain. I have both (a full bottle of Le Bain, and an authentic 3 ml decant of Velvet Tonka purchased out of curiosity), and they are nearly identical. I want to ask them "have you even smelled Le Bain, or do you just down vote things because you get some weird satisfaction out of it?" because the resemblance is uncanny. Maybe the only difference is the quality of the oils used (because Le Bain is so inexpensive); but I doubt even that, because some popular niche houses (looking at you, Montale) do in fact use artificial essences of sub par quality, and retail for inflated prices. Which is why the market is saturated with Montales you can often find for deep discounts. Fact is they really aren't that great (synthetic & chemical. The more complicated the note combination, the messier they smell). Whatever the case, you're better off investing in the JOOP! iteration of this note combination. That is unless you enjoy wasting your money on packaging and or aesthetics. I'm just being honest, not trying to offend anyone (which it's impossible not to these days).

i love this perfume it’s so rick and i almost always get compliments, last week someone that there was someone in the room eating cookies and then smelled me and it was me, the only bad thing i can say about it is that i hate the middle rose note but i don’t like rose notes so that’s why it lasts forever and has a beautiful but not suffocating sillage

Got a free sample of this in the mail . Try this if you enjoy vanilla+ suede scents

Overall- 7.5/10

I am looking to buy a bottle, if anyone has one for sale. My IG is: @charmedbymeghan

My favourite winter scent. Somehow while being incredibly dense and Hoffmannian - all marzipan castles, waxy orange blossom gardens and tonka sugar snowfalls - so bitter and so sweet at the same time - it manages to have air in it, making all the notes whirl in Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Snowflakes.

It's the best BDK Paris perfume in my opinion.

VELVET TONKA - It's a sensory caress that unexpectedly combines a sharp almond with orange blossoms in an impeccable manner. It opens like a slightly aggressive marzipan but unfurls into a fragrance of rare complexity and depth.
An inexplicit gourmand fragrance, contrasting and memorable, it captures and enhances every aspect of tonka bean in a mosaic of olfactory tones and counterpoints that deserve applause.
A cozy scent, its longevity is everlasting, but for better or worse its sillage and projection are quite intimate; perhaps if they were otherwise, the olfactory assault might overwhelm the most...

Very very almond powdery soft non-projecting scent. More for cuddling time or even extreme heat because of the softness of it.

Velvet Tonka smells like marzipan seasoned with fruity freshness, maybe orange blossom. Later it settles to a short lived almondy, amberwoody bliss. It is weak and lasts max two hours.

I did second sampling to make sure whether Velvet Tonka's performance really is as poor as it seemed the first time. And yes, it is. I no longer have the patience with these high-priced niche bottles that smell heavenly but have terrible longevity.

This is very pretty! I was a little wary of the tobacco but it plays beautifully with the almond note. This is very sweet and powdery, but the tobacco pulls it back from being sickly sweet and makes it a little more interesting. I don't pick up on the orange blossom or the rose, and I actually found the fragrance pretty linear. I think if I got slightly more of those notes listed, this might have been full bottle worthy. That said, the longevity is amazing, I get 10+ hours on my skin. This is more feminine-leaning in my opinion. One to try for sure!

I love this. I definitely get almond like others have said. This smells like a high-end niche gourmand(ish).

I love the opening, which is definitely more gourmand. The drydown becomes less gourmand but is very comforting to me.

Tobacco notes show more in the drydown, after about 20 minutes I notice it. themself, but it is just a slight nuace that comes through.


The rose is blended so well with the base notes that I can't pin point it...

The amyris is fantastic. I've been finding a real love for this note lately. Mmm... this just gets nice and creamy and smooth. Yes a teeny bit lactonic from the tonka/vanilla/amyris/almond (and probably orange blossom). Not overly sweetened though.

There is a little something weird or different about this, but I can't help but love it and find it interesting. This becomes more Unisex on the drydown, where the initial few minutes is more feminine (just because it is sweeter & more gourmand at first).

I need a full-size bottle of this stuff. It isn't the perfect scent or a masterpiece, but it is one that is weirdly addictive to me. I may actually look at some dupes, since sometimes they can do things a little differently - and I may enjoy their version better.

My sample atomizer is broken but I think I still got a good sense of this one.

I pick up on the almond in the opening. It's slightly powdery and I can smell the play-doh vibe that others mention...I also get an alcohol scent on occasion but I'm not sure if that's just the broken atomizer. I did not like this any better on the drydown though. There is some aspect of this that is not agreeing with my skin- I think it's the wood or tobacco? Unisex for sure, moderate projection and sillage. Definitely not a safe blind buy!

Not what I expected from this fragrance. It’s chemical and soapy on my skin.

Sry but I thought of coca cola when I smell this XD

The almond is prominent in this one. Soft and slightly smokey. This is a very pretty scent but not for me as it reminds me too much of Jergan’s for the price point.

I love this. It makes me want to put on a cozy Snuggie put on a movie and snuggle and eat cookies with a glass of milk
It is the type of scent that brings so much nostalgia. It reminds me of Dr Pepper lip balms, and marzipan and roasted almonds during the holiday season. It’s incredibly smooth. Blended so well it feels like one singular thing.
This is not blind buy safe because I could see why people get that play doh baby doll scent. It’s because those things had almond and vanilla to scent the products.
I think you’d have to be a lover of sweet almond to like this fragrance. It’s strong and very sweet.
For me this is another winner from BDK. This brand has impressed me quite a bit. I have yet to smell something from this line that I dislike. And I can’t wait to smell Vanille leather next.

This surprised me by not being quite what I expected! It's not as warm as most vanilla/tonka scents, and the almond is quite prominent. It's a little like opening a cupboard containing a chef's store of flavouring extracts--not overwhelming, but quite apothecary-like, with orange blossom and something spicy as well as the almond, all gently enclosed by the vanilla and tonka. On me, however, the dry-down is disappointing; I'm mostly getting almond and orange blossom, and there's a bitter tang to the scent overall. A nice concept but not for me!

Velvet Tonka by BDK is a captivating fragrance with prominent notes of tonka bean and vanilla. It also features hints of lavender and tobacco, adding depth and complexity. The longevity is impressive, lasting 8 to 10 hours, and the sillage is noticeable without being overpowering. While on the higher end of the price scale, the quality justifies the investment. I would rate it 9 out of 10 for its sophisticated and alluring scent.

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!

Wore this fragrance to dinner it smelled very elegant yet somewhat cozy and inviting. The almond note was prominent on my skin

it has a dr pepper smell to it but in the best possible way, love it

I absolutely don't smell restroom or anything astringent at all

I am wearing a sample of this at the moment and I get a cross between Nivea cream and Baby Powder. It's not what I expected but in saying that, it feels clean and soft. I feel like I smell like a freshly baked almond croissant lol!
I work with children so this would be a perfect work fragrance for me. I really like it a lot and will buy a full bottle. I would give it an 8/10.

Beautiful. Recently got a sample and it's hands down the best fragrance I've ever smelled. The most beautiful almond tonka fragrance. It's creamy and soft yet never too heavy or cloying. Slightly soapy as well, reminds me of a fancy, heavenly-smelling bathroom at a luxurious vacation resort, this smells like the room fragrance they use. The rose note is non-existent which works out because I don't like roses. So glad they didn't ruin this with sandalwood or musk.
Absolutely love at first sniff and would order a full bottle immediately if I had the means. I regret recently purchasing Xerjoff Italica seeking that almond note because Velvet Tonka is lighter and more tolerable, not as heavy on the sweet/gourmand, but similar vibe.

At first spray this was soooo good, it smelt sweet and edible but then…… it starts to smell like an old school barbershop and a public restroom at the same time. Not for me….

Velvet Tonka is one of those scents I like a little more each time I wear it. At first I wasn’t very impressed, but I have come to really enjoy this simple yet elegant scent. It smells so luxorious. It’s very soft and creamy. Reminds me of marzipan, yet manages to maintain a degree of seriousness. If Velvet Tonka was a clothing item it would be the perfect cashmere sweater.

Velvet Tonka is beautiful. The notes that stand out the most are almond, tobacco, and tonka. It’s a bit of a shame every almond fragrance gets compared to every other almond fragrance especially the most generic almond fragrance of all time: Joop. Joop is light and cheap smelling. This is deep, rich, smoky and expensive smelling. Imagine almond, tonka beans, annd vanilla pods are in an exclusive club together sitting by a fire and there’s someone smoking an incredibly expensive cigar somewhere while captains of industry decide how they’re going to rule. The tobacco and almond and tonka are all as equally strong so you have to like those notes to enjoy this. It’s a bit sweet, dark, heavy, and only suitable for fall and winter. The dry down has a bit of that powdery old school money feeling you get in French perfumery. It’s completely unisex. On a man it’s gorgeous and on a woman it’s a bit edgy and ballsy. This is a fragrance for grown ups. Only the most experienced and worldly need apply. I love this but I’d only wear it on very few occasions.

Wore it again on another occasion and I completely understand the play-doh comparison. Lol I don’t get that from every almond fragrance but this one can smell like salty play doh. But if you smell the whole composition it’s still wonderful to me.

This perfume reminds me of:

Dr. Pepper

My newest obsession, marzipane goodness with tobacco and rose giving it a darker touch, the almond still stays true throughout and is the major star with vanilla and tonka adding sweetness as the fragrance progresses, chic, alluring, feminine

I purchased a sample of this and I didn’t like it at first, I went back to it and I liked it then I didn’t again lol I don’t know what it is that has me changing my mind like this 😂 but after spending some time with this it reminded me of Elie Saab Girl of Now SHINE ✨ which has the almond note and is much sweeter and projection and longevity is insane which is a lot better than this!!! Not full bottle worthy IMO

I got a sample of this and on the opening this was giving straight up marzipan which was quite off-putting to me. It felt very linear, like just almond all the way through. I felt a bit sad cause I had quite high hopes for this fragrance because of the name, and because tonka is a favourite note of mine, so I'll try any fragrance that has it in it. I was still hopeful because fragrances can definitely transform.

But oh, when this took a few hours to settle, it was absolutely beautiful on my skin, I was really impressed! It sweetened up a bit, and not to the point of being too much either, the vanilla, tonka and amber wood poked through. It became so smooth and 'velvet' like and i was glad I stuck with it. Definitely gives a small almond pastry feel but not too much sweetness of a whole cake ;)

Does anyone know which note gives that impression of play doh? To know and not waste so much money on samples, decants to try hyped perfumes for fear I might skip some masterpiece or smth groundbreaking..

The opening is an overdose of play doh, then, about 10 min after smells like an old library, old books..it's interesting to capture the smell of old books but do I want to smell like this myself? Definitely not. But I feel like watching a movie with pirates who follow an old map to find treasures hiden in wilderness at the edge of the world..

The fragrance is smooth, velvety, rather masculine, mystic and gothic like a sexy rocker singer (I imagine the black, long haired singer from Type O Negative - may God rest his soul - having smelled like this).

On the right guy, this could be attractive as heck but for me to wear damn, no. It tends to trigger out depressive and nostalgic waves, too.

However, this is interesting.

Stunning fragrance.
Rich, decadent, delicious.
Very sexy and Chic.



✨

I wanted to love this so badly but I guess my skin pulled a lot of almond and powder from the fragrance bc that’s all I get on my skin

I just sampled Blanche Bete by Liquides Imaginaires which has a similar milky powdery almond profile. These are by no means dupes but I strongly suspect folks either like both or neither.

Blanche bete is more "liquidy", with an airier white floral quality and milky coconut. Velvet Tonka on the other hand feels more "textural", with fuzzy richness from the tonka bean, and a more resinous and nutty fullness.

This falls into a category of cloying, powdery, hyper feminine fragrances that just isn't for me.

Not my thing. Hits you in the face with sweetness and has a very synthetic vibe even as it dries.

I’m revisiting my Scentbox decant of Velvet Tonka and immediately it smells mature to me. I’m 31 years old and it’s giving me the smell of my grandma. It would be beautiful on a woman in her 60’s-90’s but I don’t think I could rock this anymore.

Floral powdered milk.

A milk bath scattered with potpourri.

I used to want a bottle of this, glad I did not spring for one. Perhaps it’s the warming weather changing my idea of Velvet Tonka. Last review was in the dead of winter. It was cozy, warm, luxurious. It still is honestly. I still see my grandma, decked out in church clothes daily, practical shoes from the Salvation Army, a small handbag with lipstick, tissues, a checkbook, and old candy.

If you’re looking for a vintage scented perfume (specifically floral, lactonic, powdered) done in a modern way (elegant, not screeching), then BDK Velvet Tonka is one to check out.

This is a fragrance where I was able to discern all of the top and middle notes, and I don’t find a lot of fragrances like that. Almond and tobacco add a smoky sweetness, coziness and depth, which is what I want this fragrance to have - especially with the vanilla and tonka bean. Rose sits quietly in the background enhancing the almond.

The orange blossom adds an unwanted citric soapiness. It doesn’t match the vibe I feel was intended for this fragrance (cozy, winter etc). The projection is low (about 2-3 feet max), lasts about 6 hours.

No, No, No...this is definitely not my type of fragrance. I didn't expect it to smell like this. I don't like the tobacco or the almond in this. Hard pass for me.

I am actually getting primarily a play doh smell… like straight up with a bit of salt like when you played with it a lot and the sweat from your skin started to add salt to it. There isn’t much of a roundness to the scent, or backbone. It is sort of like… a blob of play doh.

This website is so full of ads i cannot even stay on it on my phone for a solid minute before it crashes. I have to get on my laptop to use this website. Rant over

Another almond + vanilla pastry perfume with some smokiness in the dry-down. Not too sweet, not too complex. To me it's very mediocre and boring...but I can see people liking it. I would always prefer Replica's By The Fireplace if I were in the mood for something gourmand-ish, what doesn't happen very often...

It does smells like Play-Doh and Vanilla, but I will not lie... I love "Play-Doh" vibes in my fragrances. to me this is an amplified Hypnotic Poison, without Coconut and with extra overdose of Tonka Bean and I really like it!

Marzipan takes over the whole fragrance on my skin, it gives a very sweet and cozy feel to the perfume. To me it's like a different take on a vanilla gourmand fragrance, more unique than a lot of other things I've smelled.

I found this surprisingly masculine, but smooth. It is kind of sweet, but I expected more.

Bought this as I was looking for something different and liked the smell. It reminds me of Milk commodity in a way that it is sweet and comforting, a warm hug so to say. The vanilla is strong but what stays on me is a lightly smokey, strong tonka note. It lasts all day on my skin. It might not be for everyone, more niche than Pas ce soir, which I like but found a little too generic, more than Rouge Smoking which has a more maraschino cherry vibe in my opinion.

I blind bought this because of the many references to one of my favorite fragrances -Rouge Smoking. I also have five BDK bottles plus this in my collection and I love all of them. That said, I’ve been wanting to buy Velvet Tonka but I was watching like a Hawk for a sale. Thanks to Valentine’s Day online sale, I got this and a second bottle of Rouge Smoking. Soon as I sprayed it, my immediate thoughts - wow, that’s powdery. Super powdery!” My husband looked @ me like I was crazy, like “wth did you just spray?” Lol.
It’s been 10m and thankfully the super powder faded into the background and in comes a slight play-doh mixed with vanilla smell (I wish I didn’t read this bc now it’s all I smell). I smell NO tobacco. I’ll update you all after I give this more wearing time. Btw & most importantly - I smell NO Rouge Smoking!

I have a full bottle to trade! Love it but not for me, pleade dm me :)

The. Fragrance fairy sent me a decant of this fragrance! OMG, it's so beautiful! Orange blossom with bitter almond opening, then note of tobacco becomes little more prominent, and then Tonka joins and it's the star of the show! So beautiful! Once I'm done with my decant, I'll need a FB :) Gorgeous!

Love this perfume!!

I would love it even more if it lasted more than two hours, but still, it’s a magnificent and delicious juice!!

This is foremost a creamy Almond / Vanilla fragrance, and yes, it has a play-doh kind of vibe, but almost all creamy vanilla fruity fragrances will, that’s precisely the olfactory profile of the toy putty, and in fact, it’s quite a very nice one.

Velvet Tonka is also ver cozy from the Amberwood, deliciously fruity from the Orange Blossom, and aromatic from the Amyris. The other notes, starting with the Tonka, are nowhere to be found, specially the Tonka, but who cares, this perfume is amazing just as it is.

Unfortunately, performance is a big drawback since projection is non existent from the start, and longevity is just a couple of hours, even on fabric.

This perfume is better suited for cold or mild weather, and preferably for daytime, constant reapplying will be required. It’s also completely unisex.

A lovely nutty, fruity, creamy and aromatic scent… with lousy performance. Still, I love it!!!

Why does almost every almond tonka perfume i have smelled reminded me of hypnotic poison.. (e.g. this, rouge smoking)

This one is also a bit playdoh-ey in the dry down. But mix with baby powder. Appreciate the top notes uniqueness tho :)

Oh and someone in tiktok suggests to mix this with cheirosa ‘62. Will update once ive tried it :)

I was pleasantly surprised. This is a beautiful scent. Nothing common at all. Powdery slightly sweet and fresh as well. I kept smelling myself all day. This lasted on me all day. I'm definitely intrigued. 7 out of 10 for me

This is a beautiful powdery almond scent. I think the name is perfect as this has a plush velvety texture to it. I don't see a resemblance between this and Rouge Smoking at all. I think you have to like powdery scents to enjoy this fragrance. I started with the 10ml, but ordered a full bottle of it today. This is just lovely. The performance is good too.

Why does this smell very very similar to rouge smoking? I was so excited to be gifted this and I do like this, but to me, I don’t see the point in having both velvet Tonka and rouge smoking. I know this one has a tobacco note but They’re just too similar for me.

I really like this and am also surprised at all the negative reviews, glad I listened to my instincts though cus I love this just as much as I thought I would. Honestly reminds me of JHAG Not a Perfume, Glossier You, Ellis Brooklyn Super Amber, but still different enough to own. It’s a beautiful almond frag. Doesn’t read cherry almond thankfully, it’s just like a gorgeous niche perfume featuring an almond note. I definitely want to pick up a bottle once I’m finished with my Scentbox decant.

Not sure why this gets so much negative feedback it is such a beautiful sweet almond scent. Layering this with Jergens almost lotion too and you’re in heaven. Very very cozy! Long lasting. I bought the 10ml because spring is in a few months. Will buy the FB in fall

I'm sad to say I really don't like this fragrance on me.

Just specifying, in case it would be of use to any of you- I tried this perfume while searching for a marzipan fragrance. I wanted the sweetest, creamiest, most decadent almond experience. If you're familiar with traditional french pastries, I wanted to have a Galette des Rois moment lol.

Before trying this, I had tried a oil dupe of Lush's Snowcake (didn't like it) and Elie Saab's Girl of Now (really pretty but felt too perfumey and not sweet nor edible enough for me, for the specific gourmand experience I was looking for).
So far, the most satisfying fragrance I've ever smelled for what I'm looking for is the opening of Lost Cherry. This is the most realistic marzipan accord I got so far. Super short-lived but I love every single second of it.

On a paper strip & right after being sprayed, Velvet Tonka was totally it. It was giving me that generous, mouth-watering marzipan.
On my skin however... A completely different story. Yes, it is definitely a sweet almond. But is it edible? Past the opening phase, I'm not quite sure.

It may be my skin's ph, but some fragrances give me shampoo/shower gel vibes and as much I like those scents in real life, I absolutely hate them in perfume. Of course there are a few exceptions- but most of the times, the perfumes that have this and that I still enjoy are really smooth with that facet (think Chanel's Eau Tendre EDT).

With Velvet Tonka, I get no velvet, no creaminess. I get a bottle of almond shampoo or shower gel. That's it.

It gets a /little/ mellower and nicer after a couple of hours, that's true, but I never get to experience my gourmand marzipan dream. Also, it /always/ retains that sharp shampoo/shower gel quality... ugh.

I'm suspecting the orange blossom and rose notes as the culprits of this, as I sometimes get cleaning product vibes from white flowers and soap vibes from rose-- mind you, depending on how they're exploited in the perfume. I actually love floral notes, especially orange blossom and, more recently, rose.

So yeah, this was a huge disappointment for me. I'll keep trying it from time to time, as perception can always change.

very sweet, almost caramelized. randomly dries down to a laundry detergent-esque scent??

I love the scent profile but unfortunately the almond in here is not my favorite. I prefer my Bois Doré, which is a good thing I guess since I already own that fragrance and it has good longevity on my skin. So far only Rouge Smoking has captured me enough from BDK to buy a FB. It does dry down into something more pleasant and a bit more floral.

I definitely smell a similarity to Jergens lotion and I have always loved that scent lol! It is much deeper with a spicier, slight resinous quality but you get the lovely almond/warm florals throughout. I feel as if the tobacco gives a slightly dry, powdery quality but I do not get baby powder whatsoever. I was prepared to dislike this considering all the negative reviews but this was immediately a love! Feminine leaning, strong sillage but moderate longevity, cold weather appropriate.

It is a very pretty sweet perfume. On my cold skin- extremely long-lasting with a great sillage (which is rare). I would definitely not recommend them for daytime (only for cold winter- then this smell becomes warm and cozy). It is definitely an evening scent: perfect for going out for a fancy drink with a best friend, for a date, or for a party. It is a "big city" flirty evening perfume, I wouldn't wear it to the proper dinner at the restaurant or to the theatre- the smell is way too intense and can cause a headache for others.
About the perfume: for me, it smells like Amaretto. Tonka bean enhances the almond note so it definitely stands out, while vanilla, amber wood, and Amyris "warm up" the skin. Rose, tobacco, and orange notes for me are very hard to distinguish, they blend well with the composition and make up a perfect flirty and sweet scent.

I love Gris Charnel, but this rubs me the wrong way. If I had to categorize it, it's in the same category as Zadig and Voltare This is Her, and some other scents that I smelled a while ago like Good Girl and Armani Stronger With You. I saw someone in the comments say Iso E Super, and I would have thought so too, but I recently smelled Molecule 01, and it didn't smell like this, so maybe it's Javanol? Or whatever Amberwood is?

Velvet Tonka is the standout by bdk! Well, at least it's my personal favorite. I have recently sampled a few of their fragrances (9 to be exact) and they were all somewhere between okay and great, there was no scent I really disliked. But this was the one that fascinated 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.
In my opinion this is not similar to almondy designer classics like Hypnotic Poison, Le Bain or Amour.

I picked up a few samples from the bdk website, and this was one I thought I was going to like the most. But I'm very torn. It's a weird one, it's definitely on the sweeter side, which is the part I like, but it's very sharp and that sharpness doesn't really go away on me. I cannot decide if I like the scent or not even after testing for a few days. One day I spray it and I'm like YES, next day I'm like NO. Will give it a few more tries but definitely right now cannot see myself getting a full bottle of this. I have so many other lovely almond fragrances and cheaper ones that this doesn't seem worth the money at all. So glad I didn't blind buy as was so tempted, really thought I would love it!

I just got a decant if this and it smells so much like rouge smoking to me. I’m sure they didn’t decant the wrong juice because each fragrance is a specific colour. I’ll have to try them side by side and report back.

Yup. If you have Rouge Smoking, why would you buy this. It’s just a bit more powdery. DNA is very much the sane.

Smells overwhelmingly like baby powder. Super unappealing to me

Tonka, baby powder, rose combo. The rose definitely give a middle eastern vibe. Very very mature smelling. I don't think this is for me. Will keep my travel spray but doubt i will even finish that.

Was really looking forward to trying this from looking at the notes. Unfortunately, this doesn't work for me at all. It's a sharp baby powder smell to me, just not enjoyable at all and absolutely nothing velvety about it to my nose.

Beautiful opening. It starts off with a delicious almond, the kind I have been searching for. All too but quick this dries down with the amber wood and amyris completely overpowering and ruining this for me.

All BDK fragrances I smelled have a certain sharpness about them , is something in the background screechy and dry, this makes no exception. I can see why people said it resembles Bois Dore but no, that one is straight pencil shavings with 0 sweetness while Velvet Tonka smells like the amaretto little cookies you eat with your coffee in Italy and melt into your mouth.

I grew up in the 1990s in the states and this smell brings me back to the commercial chemical carpet cleaner smell. So glad I bought this as part of a 10 part sample set from BDK. And not a full bottle. I had to scrub it off it was making me so nauseous.

This smells like a smoother, thicker and more condensed version of almond Cherry body lotion (the Jergens one, I think?). Marzipan goodness! Not worth the steep price tag. I still prefer other almond fragrances to this like Prada Infusion d’Amandes but it’s not bad.

This smells exactly like a public restroom. Enough said.

I really didn't like this one, it was the biggest disappointment in my whole BDK sampler.

I was expecting a warm and cozy fragrance, and instead got blasted in the face with some old makeup powder smell. I didn't get any tonka or the notes listed that I was actually excited for.

I tried this for 2 days, and each time I wanted to scrub it off because it gave me a headache.

Perfectly unisex semi-sweet creamy almond that borders on beast mode.

On my clothing the next day, normally, I don’t love the stale smell of a fragrance - but this one is magic. Spray it on clothing and let it ride.

Definite marzipan vibe best suited for fall and winter.

2 sprays in the day or 3 in the evening - with at least one on your shirt/top!

This smells like that cherry almond hand soap you use in public bathrooms . Husband said it smelled like baby powder. I’m scrubbing it off

First thing first, this shouldn’t have been named Velvet Tonka but Velvet Almond, and it’s not even that velvety. It’s sharp.
Tonka? Where?
The opening is this burst of synthetic almond similar to any almond oil you can find at Walmart, or even that almond extract used in the kitchen. Honestly, I cannot recognize any other note here because is that dominant.
I don’t hate it but I deeply dislike it. I can tolerate it only for the drydown. And the drydown is very nice. Most of the almond is gone and remains this nutty note mixed with some woods.
Le Labo Another 13 is one of my favorite fragrances, and that’s exactly how my sheets smelled next morning after going to bed with Velvet Tonka. Does it worth it? I don’t think so. I’m so glad I only got a small decant of it, which I’ll keep. But if I’m going to spend my money it’s not on this one but on Le Labo, of course!

So i did the un-advisable deed, and blind bought Velvet Tonka. I've been in a Tonka state of mind lately.

First of all, the juice is a dark Amber colour, not light golden like the images. . Hope this is normal.

Off the bat, at first spray. . It's heavy with that aroma chemical that gives that pencil shavings smell that seems both sharp and powdery. It's the same vibe i get in other fragrances, like the Juliet Has A Gun Lipstick Fever.
Very non gourmand.. Disappointingly.

Kinda hoping for a Marzipan scent, but it's really not. It has a dispersed feel. Airy and highly synthetic. If I dig my nose deep into where I've sprayed it, i do get an undercurrent of a powdery bitter almond Marzipane feeling. Shame it's not more prominent. This is just how my nose receives it. I may sell it soon on ebay, but for the time being, there's something I'm still curious about, and keep reaching for it. It's easy enough to wear, just nothing mouth watering or delicious happening.

That's my thoughts so far. .

nope. nope. nope. i am grown but not grown enough for this. too heavy, too thick. thought i would love it based on the notes but on me the tobacco drowns out everything. nope.

I wanted to love this. And based off the notes, I thought I would. I was extremely close to blind buying a full bottle. Thankfully I sampled first. Because I don't like it at all. It's giving nothing but play-doh on my skin. So disappointing! It had the potential to be such a great fall/winter fragrance. Oh well.

ETA/ I'm actually starting to like this. I think as the weather gets cooler here in Florida I'll enjoy it more. This definitely doesn't work for me when it's warm/hot outside. I'll update again once it gets cold and I try it then.

Edit (2/12/2024)- so I've worn this a few times this winter and I really like it. It's dense, almond-y, sweet (but not too sweet), with a slight dusting of powder on top. Very pretty on a cold winter evening/night out. For me, when I smelled my write it was nice, but the silage is what smelled amazing.

Absolutely breathtaking! I knew I'd love this one right out of the box from all the reviews! Yes!! Another blind-buy win! Oh, no, now I have to get a full bottle!😈

Very elegant but flirty same time . Imagine eating marzipan while drinking Amaretto , at first it will hit you with this kind of smell (which is gorgeous to me). After couple of minutes it will settle down to very soft and elegant fragrance ( something there reminds me of Rosendo Mateu no.5 ).
You must like sweet, almond based perfumes to like this one but also don't discard it like myself after first time when testing it , give it some time .
For me it was from hate to love , now I'm obsessed .

This is worth trying if you like gourmand fragrances (which I do). To me this is the best smelling BDK perfume. It blows gris charnel and rouge smoking out the water. It has a marzipan gourmand scent and a powdery dry down. Very likeable!

If I went off of these reviews, I would’ve never bothered to sample this perfume. Please don’t give in to the negative reviews. I sampled this from Twisted Lily and INSTANTLY fell in love. Something about this scent is nostalgic to me. It reminds me of my late Granny that was really into Japanese Cherry Blossom and scents that leaned powdery. I guess in a way it makes me feel like I have a piece of her with me still. Nonetheless, this is a beautiful scent. It’s sweet, a little smokey from the tobacco but I feel like I’m wrapped in this intoxicating almond, vanilla blanket when I wear it. I just adore this perfume! Try it!

After seeing all the hate on this I was worried about my purchase.. but it’s good! I like this!
It’s almond for sure, sweet and you get the vanilla.. and tonka.
I like the dry down and I didn’t get the sharp or synthetic opening that folks have talked about. I don’t think this resembles Italica nor do I smell play dough. It is powdery but it’s sweet. My luck with almond is it usually smells like sunscreen or almond extract. Neither here. It’s good.

I find this deep, mature. Got too much rubbingAlcohol/disinfectant/Sanitizer kinda scent. I’m not familiar with all the notes, but this kinda makes me heavy headed a bit. I smell some hint of a gas ⛽️ 😂
don’t know what is it. This can make me dizzy I guess if I spray a full push, but it’s kinda unique for me. not one to use in the summer for me, for cooler days it is. The dry down kinda smell like an insecticide 😂… I hope I’d like it more especially colder weather’s coming… glad I only got the 10ml

The almond and vanilla are such a lovely combination and I really liked this at first. Then I read the reviews - I previously didn't notice the synthetic smell, but now I can't un-smell it. It is completely overpowering. Smells like method brand wood polish.

I will say, the first spray was pretty full on with a medicinal smell. The dry down was better and I think overall I enjoy it. It's kind of hard for me to know when to wear this but I think you could pull it off as an everyday scent if you've got good skin chemistry with it. It's not as gourmand or sweet as I thought it would be based off the note list either

I wanted to love this. The notes had me sold and I almost blind bought it ...
So happy I didn't. The opening has potential but it quickly turns to an unwearable play-doh smell on me.

Still looking for my go to almond fragrance <3

Who thinks this smells like alexandria II from xerjoff? They are nothing alike. If anything this smells more like italica from xerjoff. Its not a dupe for italica but its reminicent of the almondy sweet smell. Italica does a better job at being a gourmand fragrance though. If you want something less gourmand you may like this. Im still gathering my thoughts on this perfume. Ive worn my sample once and was underwhelmed. Its not a bad fragrance but so far i dont think the price is justified. It smells good but not great.

Entirely forgettable marzipan fondant. High levels of vanillin with a heliotropic quality in the top, but also with a ton of a harsh white floral facet. Obviously high amounts of tonka/coumarin which feels quite dry and aggressive to the nose.

On skin its quite unpalatable actually, piercing and a bit bitter.
I would switch a bottle of this for a 5ml sample of Tonka Imperiale any day.

There is a sickly, medicinal, cold note (it's already been described in previous reviews) that ruins the whole composition and detracts from any warm, "velvet" nuances.

Powdery, baby oil and almond fragrance. Not a huge fan. My girlfriend likes this, but prefaced her review with “I hope this isn’t expensive because it literally smells like baby oil” Not a safe blind buy, something about this seems...dated and old. Maybe it’s the powdery note and almond

High hopes but no cigar for this one. A fuzzy synthetic note ruins it.

I get a lot of almonds and vanilla
A very creamy smooth scent ,
Very almond oily , so nice

The absolute best one from the house of BDK, this is arguably one of the most remarkable fragrances out there. A boozy & light sweet tobacco, tonka bean vanillic scent with a prominent bittersweet almond note and just a dash of the rose oil, it’s very subtle. Words can’t convey how this has me in utter awe. I generally loathe tobacco - Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille to be exact, and many others, I find them to be grotesque or masculine. Nope, not here, this is so sexy and feminine-leaning or perhaps unisex, I don’t see why not. This is what I’d imagine a femme fatale wears. The sillage is excellent as well as the longevity, I got around 8 hours and also received many compliments. This is so intoxicating, I can’t get enough of it. It has character, body and soul.

It’s the Tonka that’s usually in cherry perfumes, but left to debut on its own lol. This is all-around moderate in performance to me. Creamy, nutty, but not edible, with average sweetness and not too powdery. Tonka is the star of the show and not an accent to the star like it usually is. The tobacco is not doing too much but blowing a little smoke onto the resinous amber. The moment you start to focus in on the two, the Tonka reappears to grab your attention. The vanilla is just there to tone down the nuttiness a little. Same for the rose which is the only floral I get, but both are not very influential in this fragrance. Because the Tonka is obviously not a support here, and there aren’t that many distractions, you can’t ignore the nuttiness here. There’s a whiff of play-doh, plastic or some synthetic material, most people seem to pick up as well, but I’m not bothered by it. I honestly prefer Guerlain’s Tonka Imperiale as it is very nutty but more of a honey-roasted nuttiness to me. However, I see why people like this.

Sweet, almondy, with a touch od powder. To me it lacks some character, I cannot smell any tobacco... also, not a strong performer. Overpriced for what you get.

Wish I only bought a 1ml sample, instead of the generous 2ml I did get😅

This smells straight up like gross cheap cleaning products used in public restrooms. Medicinal almond? Maybe. Kind of baby powdery but in a putrid way.

Nothing at all like Hypnotic Poison. Velvet Tonka is definitely not a safe blind buy. It is . . . weird. The dry down is slightly better than the opening and the first 2 hours, but it is completely underwhelming at best to gross at the worst.

If anyone bakes and uses almond oil flavoring, or almond extract that’s exactly what this perfume smells like; nothing more nothing less. Although I like the smell of almond extract, I’m not sure that I want to smell like it.

Every time I've read that an almond-heavy perfume smells like Play-Doh, I've never really agreed. Sure, some have been reminiscent of Play-Doh, but didn't smell like playing with the actual stuff. But this - the opening of this legitimately smells like Play-Doh, it's uncanny. After the initial eau de Play-Doh element wears off, it dries down into a nice amaretto woodsiness that is simply that: nice. Not remarkable. The Play-Doh likeness is remarkable, but that's not exactly how I'd like to smell for any length of time.

This smells like a lighter version of Hypnotic Poison. I really love it because I love Hypnotic. No need for two of the same though.

The first thing I thought when smelling this was: luxury playdoh.

It opens with so much almond, which quickly morphs into something more bready and sweet, then it settles into playdoh.

Generally, it is distinctive and sharp. Not sure I would want to smell like this but I appreciate it for what it is.

True to presentation. Velvety, dry almond with tobacco and some sweetness. Sensuality at one's own convenience, unrushed. Gets better each wear, my first impression was that it was too still for me but after experiencing more and more of its depth it became irrelevant.

Smells like marzipan with a touch of Play-Doh, but not as much Play-Doh as Hypnotic Poison. This is actually what I wanted HP to be for me. It's mostly almond, vanilla, and tonka. Sweet, but not too sweet. On the drydown, I do pick up more on the tobacco, but it is fairly subtle and seems to keep the composition from becoming too "foodie." Comforting and cozy, with the tobacco giving it a bit of "edge." This is great for fall/winter but not too overbearing for warmer weather.

Initially I smelled sweet almonds almost cherry like but then I got a play-doh scent. So much so that I looked up the notes of play-doh. I don't say this to knock the fragrance. It's not horrible, it's just where my mind went. I do wish the tabacco was a bit stronger. Unfortunately, I think it's not special enough for me to want to purchase a full bottle. This brand has other amazing options in my opinion.

This opens with almond with light vanilla undertones, and settles on my skin to add an undertone of something that invokes synthetic banana. It smells like opening a packet of marzipan, people that like gourmand scents may enjoy this but it's defiantly not for me.

I guess no one else gets banana?

I wanted to like this, probably because it has a great name, but I really didn't.
I love almond, vanilla and Tonka but this was so heavy on the almond it was almost medicinal. Definitely not a gentle scent, it's in-your-face wedding cake marzipan, almond fingers and vanilla coke. Not for the faint hearted.

This is an amazingly fresh almond/vanilla fragrance! I completely agree with the comments below which characterise it as almond cookie. It is definitely a gourmand fragrance and smells very nice on my skin. Doesn't have a sexy vibe but more of a comfy, workplace appropriate scent for spring, autumn, winter.

This opens up Angel + Rouge Smoking's drydown + intoxicating tonka bean and vanilla at first,
And dries down Ange ou Demon Givenchy. Since I already own Ange ou Demon I'll skip this.

Velvet Tonka is a very beautiful gourmand scent. I think it leans more to the feminine side. As the notes indicate I can really smell almonds, tonka beans, and vanilla, it's a sweet scent, but this sweetness is light, elegant, warm, alluring, it has an expensive feeling, not a cheap typical vanilla scent. For me, this is a perfect all-year-round perfume, versatile and easy to wear. You don't have to look a certain way to wear it as it puts you in this cozy, comfortable mood, but it also makes you feel sexy as well as elegant. Velvet Tonka is just as pretty during the winter as it is during the warm summer evening. The longevity is moderate, you have to refresh the scent during the day, but it is absolutely worth the effort. Sillage is strong in the beginning and moderate after an hour. I can still smell it on my clothes after 2-3 days. And it stays on your hair ( if you perfume your hair ) till the next time you wash it.
By the way I really appreciate how nice the BDK perfumes create this beautiful and light mist when you spray them.

Marzipan and flowers. Someone nearby drinking Coca Cola. Sunny day, everyone is relaxed. After an hour I get occasional whiffs of a metallic note, though it dries down to velvety almonds and tonka in the end.

This is my favorite from this house. I find that most of their fragrances are very dominant on one particular accord, which is why I am not a huge fan of their other scents. I have sampled tubereuse imperiale - which was cloyingly floral and gris charnel which was just ok. I like tuberose but not as the main accord, and gris charnel is nice but it's not my cup of tea. This scent, however, is very dominant in almond which I love, very similar to lost cherry by Tom Ford, sans les cerises. I like this one but not enough to buy a full bottle, I think it's more feminine leaning but unisex still, and you could probably wear this year round. Not a beast mode fragrance but moderate sillage and projection, that last 8 hours on my skin.

This is an interesting fragrance. Because sometimes it has a medicinal aura to it, and sometimes I just get a beautiful comforting vanilla.

Although, it does bring back a memory of going to the nurses office in grade school.

I oddly enjoy it.

This fragrance confuses me. One minute it’s soft, almond extract with powdery sugar. The next it’s odd smelling, sharp and just doesn’t work with my skin. I feel like I can get almond extract like fragrances elsewhere.

Omg the A&w barrel candies from childhood. 80% dupe...
If you told me this was banana pudding, I would believe you! Does anyone else get banana?

One of my favourites from BDK, besides Gris Charnel. Opens sharp almondy on me, and powdery dry down. Smells mature, and it is why i love it.

88% similar to loubiprince. I love it, I think it's light enough to wear it in the summer. So beautiful, queen vibes. So creamy, it could be a lotion scent.
Maybe 50% similar instead. It reminds me of Black Phantom and Italica also. More of a medicinal almond. I may get it. I did like gris but It dries to a pickle wood... also gave me 90s vibes.
Update: reminds me of sweet playdoh..

This is an almond BEAST. Literally. Think almond cookie. Opens sweet and powdery, then the tobacco & rose creep in.. After an hour the vanilla base makes this a little more likeable but overall it's too "mature" for my tastes.

Love love the opening and the mid, can’t stand the dry down. Makes me so sad because the opening is beautiful and unique, but the dry down is very masculine on my skin. Not a safe blind buy!

Very similar to What We Do in Paris is Secret

Sweet fragrance but not disgusting, almond and tonka bean is the main note that i get. I love this fragrance and at the same time I don't like it. Something is bothering me in the drydown.

💜 Unisex
❄️Cold Seasons
📌 Personal Note: 7 / 10

Beige non-gourmand powdery almond scent with something highly synthetic in the background. Not the tonka scent I expected. Must be the amberwood, I almost never like a scent with that note. Shame, as I love all other notes here. Not worth the money for me.

Am I the only person that gets some serious Montale DNA in this fragrance? I am really enjoying it, but the drydown is straight up Intense Cafe on me. No complaints here!! :)

Glad I got a sample of this. Upon spraying on skin, I get something screechy (straight up alcohol?) and then something sweet. The unpleasant smell stays for a long time and overpowers anything else in there. I own other BDK fragrances which I enjoy, but this one is a solid no.

At first sniff....I was loving this. Then mid-way thru....it became a "common" type scent for me. Been there,done that.
Performance is just so-so. IMO....a well made scent,but I have other scents "similar" and way less expensive that do the same thing for me. i got the almond/marzipan/vanilla vibes...with the floral sitting underneath....(like a floral-ish light tobacco-ish..??).....and I don't really get "rose" in the traditional sense..(?).

Edit: Well. after a couple more full wears of my spray sample....!!!....OMG....I LOVE this scent now. Awesome...IMO..now.

I absolutely love velvet Tonka, powdery, almondy and a slight hint vanilla…you have to admit that everyone’s nose and body chemistry is different rather than to blame the fragrance..it may just be you.

This is 90% like rosendo Mateu N5 if you love that you will love this one too👍❤️ unfortunately it lacks the performance but a nice scent

Husband says Velvet Tonka smells like the little cleansing wipe that has been used to disinfect the area where he has received his Covid vaccinations, so he is not fond of it. I didn't make that particular association, but I was surprised how much the drydown reminds me of another powdery almond, Guerlain's L'Instant Magic, which I own. The person who said it is "too old-fashioned" may be correct, because this does have a quality of vintage, powdery perfumes. It is quite powdery. I like powdery perfumes but I already own so many, as well as vintage perfumes. I bought a decant but I won't buy a fb because this is too much like so many in my collection, as well as that it reminds my husband of the vax wipe! I do think it's pretty but it's unoriginal and redundant. Longevity and sillage are above average.

This smells far too old-fashioned for me. However, that's not why I've given it a low rating, because I know some people like that, and that's fine. The problem is I cannot smell any of the notes listed. Straight-up powder. Not a gourmand at all.

Dragée works very well with my chemistry, Velvet Tonka does not. So I have to say, this is not a safe one to buy without testing.
Cause all I get is a strong, nouseating sweet marzipan smell. That lasts forever. On my collegue it is nicely blended woody-almondy heaven. So test before you buy!

Velvet Tonka is beautiful, no doubt. Great notes, well blended, seamlessly smooth and kind of addictive. Very velvet, not esclusively tonka, but almond and vanilla, with a slightly bitter twist. It's an abstract gourmand.
I imagine it will sizzle in the cold weather. I fall for that kind of severe sweetness and opulent ease. Oh, oxymoron is the easiest way to express greatness. And I would buy anything that came in such an impressive pink box, a tone of pink that deserves a design prize.

But.

Take any of the fragrances listed in the "remind me of..." section above and you'll have to agree. Velvet Tonka smells derivative, and I wonder why nobody has listed Hypnotic Poison to all these dupes.

I'm very sad to admit that, to me, the beauty of this creation is shadowed by the sense of "been there, smelled that". Had I never got my nose close to Heliotrope, Mandorla di Noto, Luctor et Emergo, High Frequency, I would eagerly get a bottle of this, but I have, and I'm through with the almond phase.

It'a case of "it's not you, babe, it's me". I don't think I would get much use from a full bottle of this, so I'll have to watch the pink box from afar.

Velvet Tonka has caused a marital disagreement. I sprayed a sample on my skin and was not impressed. I can’t put my finger on what it is but the fragrance has an astringent woody/floral note that isn’t working for me.

I was ready to categorize this fragrance as “not for me” when my husband came home after a day away. He gave me a hug and his eyes lit up after smelling my neck. Apparently, this is now one of his favorite perfumes on me.

Husband wants me to get a full bottle. I don’t want to waste my perfume budget on something I don’t love. He thinks it is worth the money. I think he’s nuts. Husband has been informed that if he wants to smell Velvet Tonka on me in the future he will need to gift me a bottle. I told him I would wear it to bed and nowhere else.

Be forewarned, Velvet Tonka is polarizing.

Update: We compromised and purchased a travel spray. Velvet Tonka is now one of my bedtime fragrances.

This is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it scent. I don’t know if it’s due to varying scent perception and sensitivity, or simply personal preference. But here’s my opinion, as someone who’s a huge lover of almond and tonka.

I’ve found that many newer scents are heavy on aroma chemicals- ISO E super, ambroxan, hedione, etc. and this is one of those scents. Astringent, bitter, acrid! However, if you sometimes let a decant rest for a few weeks that chemical scent calms down. After a good rest, I can finally smell a faint reminiscence to Kenzo Amour, but with the powder amplified. Like, very very dusty, abrasive, and not nearly as sweet. I also sense some soapy tonka that reminds me of Joop! Le Bain. Unfortunately, that chemical note still lingers and it’s too much for me to look past. I wanted to love this SO badly, but I cannot recommend it.

If you love almond scents, look at the “reminds me of” comparisons above. There are many superior scents, most for a much better price. If you need to try this, definitely sample it first.

The first spray is very amaretto-like on my skin, slightly sticky yet powdery bitter almond, or even more- if you crack the plum or apricot stone, this is what the taste of the nut inside reminds me... so the second part of the name is true.

The first sample sprays make me sneeze (3x!!!), but I still enjoy what it reminds me of. What follows, is quite soapy on my skin, not as powdery but definitely soap-like. Probably orange blossom that has tendency to do this. I can't detect real tobacco, and rose is very faint. But I do see it being perfectly unisex.

Its predominantly slightly bourbon-like (boozy) amaretto-vanilla with soapy development thats also a bit balsamic. Strong performance & I find it quite comforting. I wore it the other night to bed and it was very calming. But I can see it also as a day-wear, if you like slightly boozy scents. The drydown is a bit medicinal, which can put people off, a little dentist-office. I see where previous reviewers come from. But I still like it, and will continue sampling.

EDIT: Having now worn it throughout the day and read previous reviews: this is no way as powdery as an almond scent can be, its really mid-way (I usually dislike powdery scents). About similarity with Rouge Smoking: not remarkable, yes there is tonka and vanilla and orange blossom, but hey! first 2 feature in majority of the scents nowadays. They wear a bit similarly due to same house, but thats it. About Reminiscent Dragee: I have it and apart from both being almond-forward and having neroli, the vibes are totally different. Dragee is pillowy sweet fluffy gourmand, feminine & slightly floral. Velvet tonka is not gourmand, performs like a winter amber, a bit mysterious, grown-up and unisex. Not like Bois Dore either, which is suede-like, mineral, more musky. And compared with TF FF thats the best nutty tonka for me, not even in the same ball-park. FF is leathery soft dry elegant and complex, Velvet Tonka is slightly ambery, sticky, more linear, soapy medicinal. Different vibes.

Well , I agree with the ones who detect a sharp harsh note on the initial spray and given this was a blind buy I did initially think I had messed up ( I own and love 5 other BDK's) . The good news is this sharp note does disappear (at least on my skin) and the mid and base tones are a delightful powdery , airy bomb. The almond seems to dominate for a long period. I would say, this is not sweet or gourmand ,definitely a powdery scent but I suppose the almond marzipan note could, for some, give a gourmand experience. I seem to have a flash back to my Kenzo Flower days with this but much more depth and warmth to this one. I think the dry down is stunning and gives a beautiful sillage. I received a compliment on my first wear yesterday and was asked what I was wearing. All in all , I am happy to have this in my collection and will reach for it often.

What is that sharp stinky note in this? The tonka, vanilla, and everything else is lovely but that screechy note ruins it for me. I get that same note in Erba Pura. Blechhhh 🤢

There's a sharpness when I first spray that reminds of fertilizer (like when you open a bag of soil that's been fortified with Miracle Grow). Orange blossom can go this way on me, but used in just small amounts with other really strong olfactory notes such as almond or tobacco, that shouldn't have happened. It smells like chemicals to me. I'm searching for almond, vanilla, tobacco ~ anything ~ that doesn't smell like this floral scented fertilizer sharpness. I'ts been on my wrist for 45, 15 minutes past my personal limit to force myself to see if the rest of a perfume works, so I'm scrubbing. It's just not worth it, there are too many gorgeous fumes to struggle with the ones that don't work for you. One last thing, I sprayed two sprays, normal sprays that come from a sample bottle and it feels like I coated my wrist in a plastic spray. I must say I've never smelled a frag that was so far from the listed notes. Research will follow, lol. Thanks Pixiedust2 for the sample, saved me a ton of money. I'm kinda sick now bc I just blind bought another fragrance today, but at least they accept returns. I don't think I've ever used the hate button before..........huh.

Well, I love this one. It seems that Velvet Tonka is a polarizing scent but to me, it smells delicious and fluffy and airy. I definitely recommend sampling first, of course. Though I blind bought this, I knew I would love it because I have 5 different bottles from BDK and I have other fragrance bottles that are similar to this and I am an almond lover.
I would say this is definitely more of a colds-ish weather scent but not everyone thinks that.
You just do you and if you love it, rock it. If you don’t, forget about it.

This wasn’t on my radar at all, but I received a sample with my purchase of Gris Charnel. I’m soooo happy this works with my body chemistry! This was love at first sniff. Beautiful sugary, but not too sweet powdered almonds! This beautiful fragrance transported me back to my childhood! This is a winner in my book.💕

I hoped I was going to love this..but all I get is tigerbalm on my skin. Horrible sharp smell!

Ok I’ve never done this written a review here before. However I feel so compelled to do so due to the misleading reviews I’ve seen on YouTube about this fragrance. First off It’s a bit powdery yes like a screechy almond baby powder at first. Then it settles down to a slightly floral almondy less powdery scent. It’s very confusing to look at the notes because it’s not sweet the word sweet should be replaced with powdery. Now is it a bad scent. No not necessarily. I know people who love powdery fragrances. This would work for those type of people. It’s perfectly unisex. I can see a confident elegant grown man rocking this perfume. It would work for a well put together women that looks sophisticated and bold too. This is not a love for me. I was expecting something very different. Something sweet on the gourmand side.This however is far from it. But it’s still a decent fragrance.

@hsiangchi.huang Unfortunately I don't think you got the wrong decant. This perfume is unbearably screechy. I believe it might be the amberwood.

This one was a huuuuge miss for me. I would not call this gourmand. It smells dry, screechy and bitter. Smelling it made me annoyed.

All of the reviews were hailing this as a delicious, creamy gourmand so I excitedly went to find a sample because I love gourmands and the notes of this one seemed right up my alley. I just knew I would love it, but I still sample everything I possibly can JUST in case. Never before in my life have I been so grateful for my commitment to sampling first. To my nose, this smells like the dough of a sugarless almond dessert that has been sprinkled with baby powder and placed in a fresh diaper.

Needless to say, this turns my stomach so bad. It also smells virtually identical to Dragees from Reminiscence which turned my stomach the exact same way. I don't know if this would have been better for me if it actually had any discernible sweetness, but the lack of it sure didn't help this fragrance's case.

I get that it shares notes of tonka and almond with a few fragrances like Hypnotic Poison, Feve Delicieuse, and Italica, but I don't understand how anyone could make the comparison simply because of that.

This fragrance is an absolute monstrosity to me, but it seems that there are plenty of folks who are enjoying it so definitely get a sample and see how you feel about it. But I can tell you 100% that if you're anything like me and hate Dragees from Reminscence, don't even bother with Velvet Tonka because like I mentioned, they smell nearly identical.