If I were to give Parfumerie Generale a two word description, as perfume writers Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez do, it would have to be “odd almond”. Tonkamande is a very sweet almond scent undercut with a wheaty aspect. I can’t decide whether I like the wheat or not. It feels dissonant and at odds with the almond note, but it also prevents Tonkamande from being just another almond scent. Tonkamande has an airy texture, like whipped meringues. It smells almost edible, but is much lighter than most gourmands (which tend to gluttony). Tonkamande is delicate, but not exactly pretty. I find this scent pleasing, perplexing, and definitely worth a try.
SCENTS OF SELF 
I only tried this on card and didn’t care for it. I must say I am not one for almond at the best of times, so it was probably wasted on me. I do quite like Bakewell Tart with a blob of plain yoghurt though, so am clearly riddled with contradictions.
You are a mystery wrapped in an enigma! 🙂 Yeah, I can’t imagine anyone who isn’t fond of almonds liking Tonkamande.
I’m totally with you on this one, Birgit sent me a sample and I still can’t make up my mind about it. It’s just weird. The jury is out on whether it’s good weird or bad weird.
I’m leaning towards good weird, but I can’t imagine anyone actually wearing it!
This perfume definitely doesn’t work for me in summer (when I tried it first and then decided to wait for a colder weather) and when I tried it recently, here’s what I wrote in my entry for that day:
It’s pleasant, I enjoy smelling it but I’m not sure if I want to actually wear it. Sometimes it’s too sweet on me. I’ll be testing it more. In drydown it’s very nice on the skin. I wonder how it would feel sprayed.
But looking back I think that it’s too much work for one regular perfume: a proper weather, a proper application… What will be next? A food pairing?
Tonkamande definitely sounds too demanding. I have some slightly demanding perfumes too (for example, I can’t imagine wearing Lipstick Rose with sweatpants), but I am much more sure about them than I am about Tonkamande.
(@Undina – food pairings!!) I have a sample of this on my dresser… moldering among the six gazillion OTHER samples on my dresser… have only sniffed from the vial and wasn’t moved to put it on.
I love me some almond bear claws – there’s your almond+wheat! – but I dunno, I’m not thrilled. Actually every single PG I’ve tried has been one of those “it coulda been a contendah” kind of fragrances: close, I can see what they were going for, but just Not Right.
I have now tried 5 PG fragrances, and with the exception of Felanilla, I unfortunately get that same “contendah” vibe from the line. At least they are not outrageously pricey. Nothing makes me angrier than so-so fragrances at insane prices.
Which ones did you try and didn’t like? Can I swap them from you?
Undina, I didn’t care for Tonkamande or Coze (I enjoy Aomassai and Felanilla, and am swapping away Praline de Santal). Do either of those appeal to you?
🙂
I like it a lot 🙂