Vétiver Tonka

Hermessence · Eau de Toilette (EDT) · 2004

≈ $250 · 100ml · approx. retail

An airy, transparent play between the earthy roughness of vetiver and the velvety sweetness of tonka bean, laced with grilled hazelnut and caramel. Refined and never cloying, it reads as a bright, roasted-woody gourmand rather than a dessert.

The scent

Top notes

The opening · first 15 minutes

Heart notes

The core · the next few hours

Base notes

The dry-down · what lingers

Best for

SpringFallDailyOffice

Perfumer

Jean-Claude Ellena

French · 24 in collection

Jean-Claude Ellena is a celebrated French perfumer and author, Grasse-born and Givaudan-trained, who served as Hermès's exclusive in-house perfumer from 2004 to 2016. Famed for his minimalist, transparent, watercolour-like style, he created Hermès's Terre d'Hermès and the Jardins collection and has also composed for Bvlgari, Cartier and Frédéric Malle.

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Smells similar

Based on shared notes and accords — cheaper picks are flagged.