Tocade (1994)
by Rochas

The immediate opening is reminiscent of the smell of children's pink liquid antibiotic medicine (I swear!). That mercifully goes quite quickly and the rose/vanilla combo sets into what will be a strong, linear path for several hours. This is one of the few rose-themed perfumes I enjoy wearing because really, let's be honest, it doesn't smell of rose; it smells of vanilla and amber soured with a geranium note. Quite nicely done and I must confess I am a fan of Maurice's scents even though I don't personally always like to wear them all.

Several hours into the development, my favourite part of Tocade unwraps itself: it is a soapy, soft, vanilla-ambery skin-scent and extremely cuddly and sensual. I wish it got to this stage faster. It's definitely worth waiting for, but the fact that I only really love Tocade from the middle down, earns it a neutral rather than thumbs-up.

Tocade is one I always always get compliments on, it just smells so incredible.

The intense candied citrus and floral notes that open Tocade are accompanied by some disturbing ethanol fumes, but these subside quickly to reveal a rich vanilla custard accord with sharp rosy accents. Tocade’s vanilla could easily have become cloying, but it is rescued by a vaguely medicinal bitter edge on its floral components. The overall effect winds up more soapy than foody, which is fine by me. If pressed, I’d guess that the bitterness stems from some galbanum in the mix, and that this, in concert with the rose and a clear, dry cedar in the base, creates the soapy accord that offsets all the vanilla.

Tocade remains relatively linear for some time once the vanilla-soap accord settles into place, though a sweet, fruity amber eventually gains some prominence in the base. The drydown is smooth cedar and vanilla, with just a hint of the tangy amber deep in the background. I think Tocade is a very pleasant scent –safe and easy to wear, but I can’t help but feel that it’s just a little bit dull as well.

I'm missing something, because Tocade smells like old Prell shampoo on me. I thought I'd never get it scrubbed off my skin.

Here's a word I don't use often with regard to perfumes: boring. I like simple, discreet scents, but Tocade strikes me as dull and flat. Maybe I'm missing something or this combination of notes just doesn't happen to hit any of my buttons. C'est la vie.

Maurice Roucel is an outstanding perfumer, Tocade is excellent in composition. It is an oriental, with a powdery/vanilla kick. The notes are smoothly orchestrated. For a powdery vanilla, I find my taste runs more in the direction of Kenzo Amour. It is brighter in it's overall character...Tocade has more warmth, and would be better suited to a cool climate.