Tolu Ormonde Jayne for women

Tolu is impressive.

Resinous, spicy, fruity and brimming with seduction.

Upon application my nose recognises some similarities with Must by Cartier. The top of Tolu is slightly greener reminding me of Nu EDP also momentarily. The exquisitely crafted rosy notes are Tolu's defining feature.

As the proud owner of both Must and Nu I will not be NEEDING the magnificent Tolu. Do I WANT it? Hell yes!

Love at first sniff, this starts out with a gorgeous medley of citrus and orange blossom, woods, vanilla, powdery tonka, and a floral note up front that smells something like ylang-ylang. I suppose it contains tolu balsam, which has a resinous, vanilla-like scent, and is usually used as a fixative, not the main attraction. Here it serves the usual purpose, with the main attraction being the florals and amber base.

Once the scent stabilizes, I would characterize Tolu as a beautiful, sexy oriental fragrance with a lot of citrus, and just enough rough edges to make it unusual. It’s as if there were angles that don’t quite mesh together, but the mismatch ends up creating an interesting texture. After a while there appears a sweet, creamy note that reminds me of rice pudding. I love the juxtaposition of this soft, smooth stream with the rough one. There’s just the right amount of sillage, and longevity is excellent, 8 hours or more. Two thumbs up on this one!

Something in this scent reminds me of all the good things about Shalimar, without the things that make it seem fussy or dated to so many people. I think it is the tonka bean and amber that draws that reaction for me, but this is so modern and fresh in comparison (even though I honestly love the original Shalimar). As with so many of Linda Pilkington's fragrances, the dry down on this is spectacular and I find I'm constantly sniffing myself throughout the day to enjoy more of this fragrance. Great but inoffensive sillage and long wear time. This is the perfect fall fragrance, but I find myself pulling it out on hot summer nights when I really want some sizzle.

FRESH WOODY SWEET THATS WHAT I THINK SAGE ORRIS AND TONKA IS NOTES THAT I SMELL SUPRISENGLY THE TOP NOTES ARE FRESH THEN THE VANILLA SHINES IN THE MID THEN IITS START SMELL MORE POWDERY AND AFTER A COUPLE OF HOUERS WHAT U WILL GET IS AN AMAZING AND SOFT AMBER THAT MIXED WITH RUM OR TONKA I DONT SMEEL ORCHID IN THERE AT ALL BUT MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY NOSE OK LETS RETURNE TO THE MAINE SUBJECT TOLU IS VERY EASY TO LUV SPEICALEY FOR THE LAIDES ITS VERY SEXY PERFUME AND SECONDE /IF SOMEONE WANT TO UPGRADE FROM BRONZE GODDESS WICH IS CREMY COCONUTE MIXED WITH JASMINE THEN LAIDES THATS THE BIG DEAL THATS WHAT U LOOKING FOR OK PEACE

I find the primary character of the top notes fleeting, but then the beautiful bright nuance of the opening manages to glow all the way through Tolu.

As the heart of this fragrance starts to beat, a bouquet of flowers begins to blossom--velvety, smooth, lush, rich--their botanical aroma doesn't seek attention, yet their ethereal beauty hovers.

The resins in this composition are featured with most prominent perfection. Frankincense, for me has a penetrating quality on a very primal level--balsamic, rich, a little sharp, teasing awake some deeply buried corners of my psyche.

Tolu balsam married with amber offers some comfy, malted goodness, like a fresh-from-the-oven earthy graham cracker dipped in warm, full cream milk.

A very regal presentation of what culminates into a creamy, smoky, earthy, woody, sultry delight. Just try not to love this--about as impossible as sneezing with your eyes wide open.

I treated myself to the Ormonde Jayne Discovery pack and Tolu and Orris Noir are my favourites. Warm, sensuous and earthy fragrances are my new obsession. I find that they go the distance too. Can spray on early morning and get a compliment in the evening. Tolu is a fragrance that simply cannot be ignored. It's gorgeous and now my signature scent.

I've tried every single Ormonde fragrance, and hands down Tolu is my favorite. I can wear it day and night as it is both rich and light, or luxurious and energetic at the same time. It is very interesting but not in an obnoxious or pretentious way, just classy, unique, and brilliant.

This is a beautifully subtle perfume. Yes, it has depth and warmth, but it does not sit heavily. Woody and resinous spices, and the smoke of incense curl through it. But the lightness of the orange blossom, and the spark of the sage balance the richness quite perfectly right from the beginning. It manages to be of the earth and the air simultaneously. The drydown is gently warm and rich, with glints of the florals continuing to lighten and animate it. It remains three dimensional until the end, not powdery flat.

This is the first Ormonde Jayne I have tried and it is quite lovely in a thoughtful way.

After my abortive attempt to uncover the essence of osmanthus through a series of, let us say, disappointing fragrances, I was feeling pretty perfume deprived and so reached for something sure to fill the elixir void, the dark and viscous TOLU by Ormonde Jayne.

I love tolu balsam and this composition is gorgeous, with that note definitely as focus. The florals are pretty much drowned out by the oriental components, above all, the tolu, but I'm not complaining as we have here an admirable example of truth in advertising.

Upon application, TOLU reminded me immediately of Rochas ABSOLU, which also features tolu balsam, but the difference is that this creation does not bear Jacques Cavallier's signature. I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again: JC adds something to all of his perfumes to identify them as his own. Go down the list: TROUBLE, TRUTH, SO ELIXIR, VANILLE NOIRE, ABSOLU, SALVATORE FERRAGAMO POUR FEMME, NU...they all smell like Jacques Cavalier. I kid you not. If I acquire any more of his perfumes I'm going to have to write to ask him to start paying part of my rent, since the evidence is beyond dispute: he's clearly inhabiting my space!

Anyway, I prefer TOLU to ABSOLU, all things considered, and recommend this delightful wintertime perfume to all who appreciate ABSOLU, BAISER DU DRAGON, MUST, and the like. Very, very nice.

I'm so grateful to Anorton1965 for sharing a sample of this with me! Tolu is such an amazing fragrance: it starts spicy, almost like carnation, but quickly dries down to a gorgeous woody/incense scent. One of the best resinous fragrances I've ever tried. My nose is not too good at distinguishing all the flowers in here, but I think orchid is the most distinct. It's cozy and never sharp, seems like it has a hint of cocoa, but not exactly (tolu balsam?), it seems that frankincense adds smokiness, and tonka gives a touch of sweetness. It's a heavy scent but never cloying, absolutely perfect.

It's the only OJ I know and I have to say: It's gorgeous!
The scent is not all that flowers that are in the notes-the base is the strongest part from the get go.
the top and middle just make a floaty appearence but only shyly in the background. Amber, incence and surely tolu(though I don't know what it should smell like) + orange flower/ orchid with a hint of juniper I think, is most prominent. but it isn't too strong - the sillage and longvity is good, but it isn't too intense!
Now I feel I've the same problem as with SCENT by CN: hard to get, expensive-and of course I want them!
I feel like a dork because my right wrist seems to be glued under my nose-just can't stop sniffing TOLU!
Everyone who has the chance please try to enjoy this dreamy one!

This reminds me a little of mon parfum by paloma p on my skin-which is actually a good thing. It's warm, very resinous yet powdery, and has a little bit of an 80's classic feel.

This is the first Jayne Ormonde perfume Ive tried and I must say its an absolute quality of a fragrance. Tolu is an ambery, resinous, slightly powdery scent. I smell the orchid note distinctly as it peeks through the amber and resin notes. I also smell the orange blossom which keeps on for the duration of wear and makes this perfume somewhat fresh. Its a heavy perfume, with great longevity and sillage. I think its best to wear for night. Again, Quality.

Resins, raisins, ray-zings. This is how this perfume goes, in short. On my skin the initial blast of resins becomes sweet and slightly fruity, and then gets transformed into the warm rays of sun in a darkened wooden hall that had seen many joyful celebrations.

This is a perfume that unfolds narratively, making me want to tell a story. Here's a woody blast of the cleaned wooden paneled room, a smells of holiday cooking (raisins) way, way in the distance, and then finally, the smell of smell of expectation of another holiday coming to the warm
wooden house where they had many good times and celebrations.

However, all this is slightly far away. You're inside the house, but you're not in the epicenter of cleaning, cooking, and expectation.

Actually, if, like me, you're steeped in Jane Eyre, having read it about twenty times, you'll follow me: this perfume makes me think about a big ball in Thornfield hall from Jane's point of view -- somewhere far away up the stairs.

In terms of perfume it means a skin scent, subtle, without loudness.

Highly recommended. Thanks for a sample, dear friend.

I'm quite sure my good Fragrantica friend who sent me this dropped it in the envelope by mistake because I wouldn't give this to anybody. Not even my mother.

It's Awesome

This develops along the lines of Black Orchid for me, i.e, spicy but well grounded in woody, orchid-y glorious goodness. I see previous reviewers are describing it as classy, sophisticated, feminine.

I agree to a point, but this is too sensuously earthy to be that refined. I think this scent could be fronted by Gaby of Desperate Housewives. I.e, someone who is well kept, wears all the right clothes and goes to all the right parties, and plays with the lawn boy when the husband's not looking. Now that's Tolu - the well kept girl's secret

extremely spicy and warm perfume, 'very Ormonde Jayne' perfume, because of it's airiness.
under the layer of spices which feel seriously bitter, but soft, it smells like very oriental milky rice and tea, which is odd perhaps. I see it as theme on 'rice' oriental perfumes, like Kenzo Amour or Trouble Boucheron's , just different take on it. This is how it feels to me. I don't feel very interested or excited

Edible. Classy, layered, rich, dark and mysterious. I can detect notes like Tobacco, opoponax and citrus. A touch of powder, possibly amber, creeps in. Very warm and sophisticated. It's gorgeous.

Every perfume by Ormonde Jayne is a very nice experience. I find Tolu one of the best choices for these cold days. So balmy-woody-spicy sweet, not too sweet, with powdery final notes and very thin floral, I smell them after the first strong balmy wave passes by.

Very cozy, sophisticated, ultra feminine and classy, as Rebella said.

Among the perfumes I have tried from Ormonde Jayne I like Tolu best. It is a strange and subtle little perfume. Does it smell medical or does it smell flowers? Is it warm or is it cold? It is for sure longlasting, personal and still not hard to wear. I regret a bit that I finished off the others from Ormonde Jayne so quick, and I think I will give them another try later on.

Tolu smells a lot likes the bottle looks, classy and elegant.

The base is lovely, warm, woody and with the slightest trace of smoke. Everyone who love perfumes should give some of Ormonde Jayne`s a try, maybe you will find a new favourite. Maybe it will be Tolu or maybe some of the other in the range.

Try, try, try!