Guerlain: Tonka Impériale

Originally Posted by Ruggles

As usual, with every new Guerlain exclusive release, I'm drooling.

Originally Posted by moon_fish

Sounds great!
I should find out some Imperial in tonka absolute before its launch!!!

Also the new exclusive perfume L`Abeille (Bee) will be launched soon - but for 15 000 euro!!!
Mr. G - I feel you...

Originally Posted by moon_fish

Also the new exclusive perfume L`Abeille (Bee) will be launched soon - but for 15 000 euro!!!

Originally Posted by scent

I haven't heard about L'

Originally Posted by Mr. G

There is not much info about it yet - what the SAs can say is only this:

- It will be very limited
- The price will be 8000 Euros
- It will be sold from July/August 2010
- The bottle will be in Baccarat crystal, shaped like a bee, hence the name, by a designer at Place Vendôme
- It's not confirmed if the fragrance itself will be called "L'Abeille"
- It will be a floral that smells very "sumptuous"

Originally Posted by Trebor

The big question is will you be saving up your pennies for this one?

Originally Posted by Mr. G

Hehe - nope It's simply too much for poor lil me...

Originally Posted by germanomio

[URL="http://olfactorum.blogspot.com/2009/12/tonka-imperiale-guerlain-2009-fleuron.html"]

sorry the link is in french ...

this new exclusive Tonka Impériale sounds really promising
it's supposed to be marketed in February 2010 but I guess it will available for Christmas as some people have already smelled it here in Paris
fragrances of L'Art et la Matière are rather marketed towards women, but some are suitable for men

Originally Posted by Mr. G

There is not much info about it yet - what the SAs can say is only this:

- It will be very limited
- The price will be 8000 Euros
- It will be sold from July/August 2010
- The bottle will be in Baccarat crystal, shaped like a bee, hence the name, by a designer at Place Vendôme
- It's not confirmed if the fragrance itself will be called "L'Abeille"
- It will be a floral that smells very "sumptuous"

Originally Posted by Brielle87

It is sad in a way, because I was excited about the new Tonka scent, that there is such pricing disparity with Guerlain under LVMH. In a bygone era, a new Guerlain, same quality as L'Art et la Matière line, was sold at prices all could enjoy.
Now it seems LVMH have created 2 Guerlain, one priced somewhat reasonably selling "ok" fragrances, then another selling wonderful scents (in-league with the classics we all love) at a very expensive price-point.
I am sorry, I think $230 is an exorbitant amount to spend on an average sized bottle of scent.
It truly sounds delicious, but I will enjoy it vicariously.

Originally Posted by germanomio

sure it's expensive and a marketing strategy (expensiveness, exclusiveness, luxurious)

but all perfumers have increased their prices ... Guerlain is therefore not so expensive

and you can decide to buy one bottle of Guerlain 's excellence and exclusive instead of 2 bottles of another perfumer's average juice

Originally Posted by Guerlain Press

With Tonka Impériale, Thierry Wasser has created the seventh fragrance in LArt et la
Matière collection, a woody oriental composed around one of Guerlain's star ingredients,
the tonka bean.

It has to be said that this precious seed, originating in the forests of Venezuela, is particularly
dear to the House. From Jicky to Shalimar via Habit Rouge, it is one of the cult components
of the Guerlinade. What, then, could be more natural than to celebrate the tonka bean with
a tailor-made composition, but one that would avoid the excesses of almonds? Not an easy
task since, if ever an ingredient was difficult to master, this is the one.

Tonka Impériale is well-named indeed: a subtle blend of balmy scents, rich in contrasting
facets, with accents of honey, gingerbread, almond, hay and tobacco. An astonishing
construction that blows hot and cold between the freshness of rosemary, the aromatic,
uplifting top note, and the sweet, pervasive fullness of tonka bean. Highly concentrated,
beautifully balanced, it gives the fragrance a rare and memorable personality. Alluring and
surprising, the tonka bean reveals all its power to arrest. An irresistible attraction, love at
first sight.

Originally Posted by germanomio

sure it's expensive and a marketing strategy (expensiveness, exclusiveness, luxurious)

but all perfumers have increased their prices ... Guerlain is therefore not so expensive

and you can decide to buy one bottle of Guerlain 's excellence and exclusive instead of 2 bottles of another perfumer's average juice

Originally Posted by Ruggles

I can't wait to try this one

Originally Posted by JaimeB

...somewhere between Angélique Noire and Bois d'Arménie.

Originally Posted by Mr. G

Been wearing it for some days now, and I think I agree that, like Ruggles said, it's not too much of a *real* formula. Then again, none of the Art+Matiere are, which is why I have never fallen for them, they are all too "niche" and "arty" and one-dimensional to really thrill me, I don't find the "Guerlain smile" in any of them, they are too "polished". Tonka Impériale is as pleasant as the tonka bean itself, but it's not *wow* like Spiritueuse Double Vanille was. Still, in Tonka Impériale I find the "Guerlain smile" a bit more than in the first six Art+Maitiere, it's a bit more candid and vibrant after all.

PS: It seems that Guerlain is aware that this line is quite one-dimensional. When I was in Paris, a SA told me that "Spiritueuse Double Vanille is good to layer with other Guerlains" (although strictly speaking, SDV is not in that line). Somehow, I don't like that trend chez Guerlain...

Originally Posted by Mr. G

Somehow, it reminds me mostly of Cuir Beluga. The base of Tonka Impériale to my nose has the same dryish, modern-leatherish feel, a bit "milky" like Cuir Beluga, like one of those shining new Italian white leather designer chairs, but sweetened by some nougat. Yeah, nougat is what I get from Tonka Impériale. White leather rubbed with nougat, and maybe softened with some Amaretto

Edit: There's also a big portion of face powder in it. The powder comes after the "white leather". It's quite powdery, actually. It makes it much Guerlain-like...

Originally Posted by zztopp

I like the tonka in this. But thats about it. Its all basenotes...an ocean of spineless heavy notes rubbing against each other with no longitude. Layer it with one of the Guerlain Eaux's to create more structure and a better frag.

Originally Posted by Ruggles

Yes, but what a base - it never degrades into a banal synthetic miasma like so many other high end fragrances seem to do. Is it really a finished fragrance? Like you, I'm not so convinced.