A*Men Pure Tonka
Thierry Mugler (2016)

I wanted to sample this as some have said it's the closest thing to Bond's New Haarlem. Both are hard to come by now, but Pure Tonka is less than half the price. It's nice, but I don't think it's worth me nailing down one of the last bottles. If New Haarlem is pancakes and maple syrup, then Pure Tonka is Eggos and Mrs. Butterworth's. A bit plasticky (as A*men scents are wont to be), and only an approximation of the real thing. It's a pretty nice scent on it's own merits, but I don't think it will scratch that itch if you're looking for a New Haarlem replacement.

To echo the sentiments of others: I hate the design of these bottles. Why make it so difficult to use? It's not a sleek design either, it's not as if you're trading functionality for form...

Structural rant aside: this is just what I want out of a gourmand scent. Deep, rich tonka and coffee right out the gate, with undertones of lavender and vanilla. It's seductive, perhaps slightly leaning feminine but very unisex. Very pure, almost aching to be paired with another scent for layering purposes. Think lush, creamy espresso and you're on the right path.

The longevity is impressive: it lasts on the skin for more than 8 hours for me. Great for an EdT. The projection, for me, is not quite as impressive: an arm's length for me and no more. Average. It may not project as much as you want it to, but it certainly doesn't disappear quickly. You will be reminded for a good 8-10 hours as you go about your day at random intervals.

I find myself coming back to this scent quite often this winter. It's a comforting smell of a coffeehouse and, while the herbal notes are slightly synthetic, the overall scent is natural and lovely. Full bottle worthy for anyone's collection.

8/10

The best of the entire A*Men line by a million miles!!

Pure Tonka is one of the most edible fragrances I have ever come across. It literally makes my mouth water. It's just pure coffee shop. Coffee, sugar, syrup, caramel, waffles. It's all here. Funnily enough, it never becomes over sickly. Probably my favorite Gourmand.

It's great fun and I love it!!

Performance is excellent.

The label "Pure" with TM does not necessarily guarantee purity, and his holds true with this composition. Whilst the tonka is present pretty much right from the start, there is a herbal undertone present throughout the initial phase.

The tonka develops over time by becoming increasingly more toasted and less sweet - and whilst rich and intensive in the typical TM-A*Men-style, it manages to be never overly sickly sweet or intrusive. With time I get hints of cocoa too. The base adds a soft patchouli that provides some counterbalance to the heaviness of the core components.

I get strong sillage, truly excellent projection and gigantic longevity of fifteen hours in my skin.

This wintery scent lacks the creative brilliance of Pure Havane, but otherwise it constitutes a well-crafted execution of its concept as an A*Men flanker. 3.25/5. A*Men to that.

It's funny because I truly can't stand tonka, but I love this fragrance.

I feel tonka is extremely overdone and played out. Yet here it is amazing! Another hit from the A*Men flankers. This smells nothing like the original A*Men, but it still has the high quality that the rest of the line has, so I think it's still fitting. It basically smells like New Haarlem. Has exceptional longevity and performance.

Plain and simple, if you like the smell of burnt sugar, you will love this. Very linear, with great performance.

A really sweet rethink in the "Pure" scent series from Thierry Mugler.

The Tonka bean is clearly evident throughout the wear cycle of this fragrance; it's reminiscent of "m" by Perry Ellis, with the presence of a more powdery aura.

Acquired taste flanker that remotely resembles the original A*Men.