Studio Tonka Tabac

Tonka Tabac opens like a bowl of dark fruit beside a pipe tin. Juicy plum and a few red berries give the start a ripe, slightly jammy sweetness. Then the tobacco leaf arrives, dry and honeyed, with golden tonka bean wrapping around it in a smooth, deep richness. A touch of hazelnut adds a toasty, nutty warmth. Wearers say tonka leads and tobacco supports: it is more smooth and sweet than smoky, so anyone expecting a dry, pungent tobacco should test it first. The base turns boozy and spiced. Cognac, vanilla and cinnamon deepen the sweetness and add a glow, while myrrh brings a resinous, faintly incense-like edge that stops it from becoming pure dessert. Reactions are strongly positive but not unanimous. Many wearers report compliments and a cosy, evening-ready character, and some say it blooms on skin and gets better through the day. Others find it overpowering or fleeting. Staying power runs from a few hours to most of the day depending on skin, so a tester is worth trying before a blind buy. It is the richest scent in the unisex Studio range and the best fit for autumn and winter evenings. It belongs to the broad tobacco and vanilla family, softer and fruitier than the classics that cost many times more.