One of the emerging trends of the last 12-18 months has been that of lighter gourmand fragrances. I have hypothesized that market research has provided some insight that this is the kind of perfume the younger fragrance consumer will be drawn to. I have been generally happy with this because lightweight gourmand perfumes are not an overplayed sector. Which makes it a bit of an undiscovered country for some of our best perfumers as they begin to work on briefs in this genre. Francis Kurkdjian has provided his entry with Elie Saab Essence No. 10 Amande Tonka.
M. Kurkdjian has been the perfumer behind all the Elie Saab fragrances since they began in 2011. If there is a thread running throughout the overall collection it is an expansive luminosity. In the exclusive Essence Collection it is even more pronounced as each of these releases have focused on single-notes. Now that it has entered double digits maybe they are going to become duets. For Amande Tonka it is a true meeting of equals.
Francis Kurkdjian
Tonka is one of the most versatile ingredients in modern perfumery. Having a high concentration of coumarin a perfumer can choose which version they want to have in their perfume. Almond, like tonka, is most often a supporting note to provide a bitter nuttiness. It makes Amande Tonka an opportunity for the understudies to step forward.
The amande is what you first encounter as for a few, too-short, minutes you get a concise nutty quality with a slightly bitter edge. The tonka arrives on a cloud of whipped cream. This is the toastier version of tonka allowing the vanilla to take up the slack on the sweetness. Once the title notes are together it forms a warm almond cream accord that is as light as a meringue. An equally transparent sandalwood with just a hint of vetiver provides the foundation to keep the titular notes from floating away.
Amande Tonka has 8-10 hour longevity and moderate sillage.
M. Kurkdjian continues to provide these open style fragrances in his work for Elie Saab. Amande Tonka is all the better for him taking on a genre known for its intensity and finding a way to have it lighten up. All he had to do was bring a couple understudies out of the wings and give them a chance.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample provided by Elie Saab.
–Mark Behnke
