Angel Men (A*Men) Pure Tonka by Mugler

This will be the second of my one time wear, cologne reviews, of scents I’ve tried out while traveling. Today, is a Thierry Mugler cologne, that I sampled while walking around the airport in Ibiza…Angel Men Pure Tonka. Now, I’ve smelled this before and love tonka, so I was excited to give it a full wear and my impressions on this scent. As usual, I’m going to cover what’s in it, how it smells, performs, and whether or not I think that it is worth a buy.

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What does Pure Tonka by Thierry Mugler Smell Like?

Notes include: tonka bean, lavender, coffee, rosemary, patchouli, vanilla

Click here to try: AMen Pure Tonka Eau De Toilette 100ml

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My Full Review

Admittedly, this may not have been the best time to test out, Pure Tonka. This is a fall/winter cologne and I was testing it in late spring, in Ibiza, so it was pretty warm. Not too awful but around 75 degrees F, which is probably the max I would wear this one around in.

Tonka bean is probably one of my favorite ingredients in men’s fragrances, as it is really smooth and creamy, when done right.

The opening of Pure Tonka doesn’t disappoint, there is a noticeable burnt roast aroma provided by the coffee note that pairs quite beautifully with the tonka bean.

There seems to be at least some resemblance, in my mind, to Pure Havane. The latter is much heavier with tobacco and honey, but I do get a bit of the same sweetness for some period of time.

During the initial stages, there is a minty coolness which peaks through, as well.

Upon my second testing of this, a few years after the initial review, I get way more coffee than I remember. It’s dark, roasted, with that cocoa finish.

Very well done and I really adore its pairing with tonka bean. I think that the sweet notes, don’t smell refined like in a sugary sense, closer to the raw and unrefined ingredients.

Pure Tonka is of course very sweet but not in a girlish way. It retains it sense of masculinity, with a darker, warm, and almost brooding appeal.

The lavender note is there and seems to give Pure Tonka some grounding and prevents it from becoming an overly sweet mess.

This is a very gourmand fragrance, the trio of tonka, coffee, and vanilla create a chocolate-like aroma that is very rich and as if you were walking into a bakery.

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Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection on Pure Tonka, like the other A*Men flankers, is fantastic. You really only need a few sprays and the job will be done. No weakness here.

Longevity wise, it is also a beast, I’ve gotten over 8 hours on a warm day, so I figure it should be 10+ during winter wear.

Update: Coming back to this one, in cooler temperatures, and it did go above 9 hours.

Pure Tonka has the appeal of being able to be worn casually, while pulling double duty for romantic wear. Again, you don’t need to spray very much, but this is a great winter scent to get closer to someone.

It’s fairly unisex in its presentation, more masculine, but it could be worn by anyone without much trouble. It’s wearable in most any situation, just avoid the high heat, and stick to the autumn and winter months.

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Overall Impression of Pure Tonka

Overall, is Pure Tonka worth a buy? Yes, provided you know what you’re getting. To me, it almost seemed like too much of a good thing, at times. I really do enjoy it but it began to drag on my nerves a bit.

Maybe that was only due to me traveling and not being in a great mood, but I thought that I would point that out. I actually think, that I might like it better than Pure Havane, but I don’t know if I like it more than Pure Malt…but I’d have to do more testing.

The A*Men series of scents are pretty much great across the board and Pure Tonka is no exception.

Update: Coming back to Pure Tonka for another time, it is about on par with my enjoyment of Pure Havane and not as good as Pure Malt. It has a lot of elements that I really enjoy, but I have to be in the mood for a gourmand scent.

This will have some mass appeal, but it is going to one for either tonka bean fans or those who like sweeter scents. It’s really good overall.

Update Again: This has been discontinued, as far as I can tell. That’s unfortunate, as this was a fun one.