Tocade (1994)
by Rochas

This has been on my "to try" list for some time. I found this fragrance at TJ Maxx for under $15, so my "to try" turned into "to buy". What a beauty! This is the first fruity floral that I can embrace. It starts out with a blast of bergamot which quickly fades to a citrus vanilla rose. The cedarwood bottom notes make this yummy concoction work well for women of all ages. In fact, it worked so well for me (an anti floral, anti gourmand consumer) that I went back to TJ's the next day to buy another bottle. Grab some while they last...I suspect that the selloff at TJ's means that this fragrance joins the ranks of the "endangered species".

The only "rose" I get here is a watery, acetone-like note at the top. It fades in and out for a while, but dries down pretty quickly into a greasy, smoky vanilla that to me is a dead ringer for Vanilla Fields. VF came out a year earlier and was my first perfume, in 9th grade. The blast of nostalgia was fun, but I'd never wear this because, while 9th grade had some great moments, well, I'm a grown-up now.

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, easy to wear, and perky without ever being silly or trite.

A bury-you-face-in whoever is wearing this frag.....mmm!!! voluptuous oriental vanilla that dries down to a sexy sugar powder. i had smelled this years ago and admit put off by it. there is a uniqueness to this juice. i hate the taste but LOVE the smell of jordan almonds and tocade reminds me of this only amplified. I agreed with the comparison to budoir but to me this is much more hanae mori without the strawberry. BTW the price of this can't be beat, I find a 3.4 oz bottle for about 25$ at discount retail chains. longevity and sillage are both a 5/5.

Tocade always reminds me of a child snacking on those thin, buttery, Swedish ginger wafers and a bottle of Fanta.

And that is quite a pleasant association for me.

In fact, it's myself, as a child I think, in a Belgian town square, under an a cafe umbrella. There's beautiful architecture and history all around, lending this snapshot some worth and elegance, but it's the tiny, crumbling, sensuous magic of the ginger cookies, melting on my tongue, the alternating cold wet wash of Fanta, the hot, effervescent grit of the sugar crystals, that is so magical to me.

Wonderful

I expected something 'pretty pretty' from all the rave reviews of Tocade, but it's much more interesting than that. There's a salty quality to it that reminds me of Eau des Merveilles and the Lolita Lempickas, and more particularly of Gres' Cabaret, with which it also shares a rosy heart and a woody, ambery twist. It's great, it's interesting and yes, it smells really good.

I bought a bottle and my (very picky) Mum immediately swiped it. Is that enough of a recommendation for you?