Shaghaf Oud Tonka by Swiss Arabian

I always love Shaghaf flankers. With this one, as with Arab perfumes, you need to give it time: at first the almond note sounds artificial and shrill, nothing pleasant, but once it dries down, it’s pure heaven. Of all of them, Oud Tonka is the most versatile because it removes the oud from the equation. That does lower the projection and potency a bit, but it’s still my recommendation: it’s easy to wear and has that oriental DNA everyone loves.

Very peculiar aroma on the first spray: a bomb of sweet almonds with a festival of spices. The base wood stays subtle and delicate. A heart of vanilla that gives it a special touch. I’d rate it 50% feminine, 50% masculine.

A delightful perfume 😍

Bottled niche. For $75 you get a 200ml fragrance. It’s more feminine than masculine, but depending on your skin, it can evolve wonderfully on a man. Regarding the ‘plastic’ comments: blind words, deaf ears.

In love. I love it. I bought it blind based on good reviews and it didn’t fail me. The opening almond note is the first time it’s been so clear and unmistakable. It’s sweet without being cloying.

The turquoise bottle is simply marvelous; it has weight and great design, it’s got me hooked. The box is sober and luxurious. The perfume opens with an intoxicating explosion of almonds, you can even feel their fine skin, bitterness on the palate, and a slight tingling on the tongue. It’s not cloying, yes it’s sweet and intense. Like opening a box of Santiago cake, warm marzipan and syrupy. When it develops, it projects clearly at 50 cm. You can detect powdered sugar, cinnamon, a touch of vanilla, and it gets fresher with a tiny green note. Roses appear, red or white? Very present. You can sense the amber and tonka bean inside a juicy syrup. Half an hour later, it’s detectable at 30 cm. The vanilla has evolved into a creamy, woody, and soft note, almost palatable. The syrup softens, leaving a deep, elegant sweet note. Four hours in, it’s totally perceptible to me and those around me (one of the most complimented lately). I think it’s very feminine (though maybe on some male skin it could be delicious).

It’s a sweet almond perfume, more accurate to my nose than other compositions that come out bitter. The only downside is that at first it smells a bit like plastic, maybe a memory of a new doll. From the start, it smells strongly of almonds, with a potent vanilla and tonka bean base that sweetens everything. After two hours, when that slight plastic effect disappears, it becomes a floral fragrance of orange blossom and roses with an almond trail, very pleasant. It has moderate sillage and lasts about 7 hours. Compared to BDK’s Velvet Tonka, this is finer and less sweet, although the Swiss Arabian one lasts longer on my skin. Overall, it’s a nice proposal for those who like sweet perfumes and want something with almond for the cold. Scent 6.5/10, Longevity 7/10, Sillage 7/10, Value/Quality 7/10, Versatility 6/10, Packaging 7.5/10. Would I buy it again? I didn’t buy it.

Obsessed with this fragrance. Normally I hate Arabic perfumery (Swiss, Lattafa…) because buying blind usually means synthetic, plastic, and gas-station scents. This one is 90% clean and 10% dirty at the start that disappears quickly. It’s a gourmand on paper, but airy and ambered. Sounds contradictory, but it’s heavy, sweet, and fresh at the same time. It blends marzipan (earthy, soft, pasty) with syrupy cherries and an indolic, carnal, opulent tonka bean. If you don’t like almond or cherry, give it a shot; it won me over. If you hate sugar, run, this is sugar overload. It has presence, moderate sillage, and almost niche quality. It reminds me of BDK’s ‘Tonka Velvet’, but this is rougher and BDK doesn’t last as long. The turquoise box is pretty and sturdy, though it doesn’t quite fit (why blue?). Swiss ships fast but without samples, and prices are rising due to YouTuber hype. They say it’s a limited edition.