Tonka, a gourmand fragrance in the Classiques collection by Réminiscence. After finally bringing a new addition to the beautiful Classiques collection by Réminiscence almost 40 years later, Fabrice Pellegrin signs a new composition, an ode to raw material, in 2013 with Tonka.
Released in 2013, Tonka is part of the Classiques collection by the house of Réminiscence. After amber, musk and of course the famous patchouli, it is now the tonka bean's turn to be honored. Both creative and daring, the Tonka fragrance delights and reveals almost unknown facets of its personality. Tonka evokes mystery, feminine sensuality and joie de vivre. Built around the South American tonka bean, the Tonka fragrance is a composition signed Fabrice Pellegrin.
Perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin reinvents the tonka bean
To create this new fragrance in the Classiques collection, the house of Réminiscence called upon perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin. Born in Grasse, Fabrice Pellegrin is the son of a perfumer. He began his career as a perfumer at Mane in 1999 before joining Firmenich. Fabrice Pellegrin has a love for natural raw materials and favors short formulas. Among the raw materials he particularly enjoys working with are patchouli and ambrox. When asked about his sources of inspiration, he states that they are numerous: the people he meets, women, music—both for its soft melodies that evoke oriental fragrances to him and electronic music that he would associate with aromatic, vibrant notes—and gastronomy. Fabrice Pellegrin is behind magnificent fragrances, including Womanity by Thierry Mugler, La Fille de l’Air by Courrèges and Luna Blossom by Nina Ricci.
The tonka bean, the star of Réminiscence's Tonka
Native to the Amazon rainforest, the tonka bean comes from the coumarouma, a tropical tree that can grow up to 40cm tall and can live for more than 1,000 years. The tonka bean, shaped like a brown almond, is part of the fruit of the Brazilian teak tree, also called Dipteryx odorata. In the past, it was common to use the tonka bean mixed with snuff tobacco, a practice now prohibited. Coumarin is the main substance found in the tonka bean. Ground into powder, the bean seeds are extracted using volatile solvents to obtain an absolute oil. In perfumery, the tonka bean is mainly used in fougère and oriental accords. It softens other notes while lending them its woody, sweet, balsamic, almondy and amber tonalities. Tonka opens with the freshness of bergamot paired with the aromatic tonality of anise, and heightened by clove. Then, the heart of Tonka develops toward a sweet association reminiscent of a gourmand gingerbread thanks to the presence of honey, almond, jasmine and labdanum, giving the composition its sensual quality. Finally, the base of Tonka is steeped in tonka bean, combined with vanilla for a more pronounced oriental character. The precious nectar is held in Réminiscence's signature bottle. Slightly curved and adorned with stars, it offers one final touch of dream.