Tomie

[Silvertree]

 

A seductive and deceptively delicate blend of rose-tinted white sandalwood, ethereal white amber,

voluptuous almond blossom, coeur de jasmin, and a gasp of bourbon vanilla.

[WoolyBee]

Wow! This is a special one y’all. I’ve had this for 2 days and typically I would wait much longer to write a review in order for all the notes to settle and to form a proper opinion, but wow… 

 

Okay so first of all, if you haven’t already, I’d recommend watching Tom’s review on the bpal Instagram. They do such a beautiful way of explaining the things I was feeling when I smelled this. Upon first sniff, I was surprised at the delicate nature of this perfume. My very first thoughts were that it was sexy, but soft. The more I wear it, the more desperate I become about smelling it again. Tom described it as having an almost “hungry” quality, and that’s so true. 

 

This is so beautifully blended. I’m trying to pick out the individual notes, but nothing is jumping out like crazy to me. If I really try, I get a sandalwood floral note with a base of something darker. The more I smell it the darkness is unveiled and adds to the complexity. It’s also somewhat familiar to me. Not necessarily lace adjacent, but almost. It’s not mineralic, and yet I get the vibe of crushed bones. Addicting. After applying all I do is want to consume more. 

 

To be fully transparent, I bought the manga the day I received the perfume (2 days ago). And I’m already about halfway through the book. But if you know the general story, this perfume does such a wonderful job at conveying Tomie’s power and allure. I am fully seduced. 

 

I have no clue if this review is helpful at all, since it’s such a hodgepodge of babble. But to wrap things up, Tomie is wonderfully blended and is evocative in feeling, rather than identifiable in individual scent notes. The sandalwood is maybe the most dominant note for me, or maybe the most identifiable with how gorgeously it’s blended. While it is floral, it wasn’t the first descriptor that jumped out at me. It’s not rose or jasmine dominant. I love jasmine and enjoy rose, and yet I think this blend would be good for those who don’t particularly enjoy either. If I had to, I would say the almond blossom is the most detectable floral within this blend. It’s perfumey without being predictable or obnoxious. And dark without being domineering. It’s addictive and seductive and sexy. 

 

I’ll try to update my review if anything changes as time passes! I just know a ton of people are looking for reviews, so I thought I’d offer up my two cents!

Edited October 9, 2023 by WoolyBee

[Grim]

This is fresh out of the mailbox, so take that at it’s worth. There’s no orchid note listed, but I feel that’s predominantly what I’m smelling? It smells almost steamy, like there’s a wet heat to it (that’s such a gross descriptor and I apologize. Ha ha). It’s in the same realm of OLLA Ava or Flower Bomb. I do also smell a lot of jasmine, but it’s not the stinky kind, thankfully. Sadly not getting any rose, sandalwood, or bourbon vanilla. 
 

[RoseThornAndOak]

Ooo this is nice!! Without remembering the exact notes and fresh out the mailbox, my impression was this is very Clean Girl vanilla floral, white, soft with musk, light light rose and some other dewy floral. I agree with the Ava association. 

 

Now that I see the notes, I can pick up white sandalwood, white amber, a bit of almond blossom for sure.

 

It's dreamy, floaty, clean, and sexy and up there with the other vanilla floral greats from the Lab. 

Edited October 13, 2023 by RoseThornAndOak

[picturesofmeghan]

absolutely beautiful. well blended, and i don’t get any of the notes I was worried about- no powder, no heavy jasmine, and the vanilla behaves. i tested right out of the mail bc i have no patience, but the scent has developed a bit more,  and i can safely say i love this.

 

i do get sandalwood - i don’t know if it is ‘rose tinted,’ as in the flower - i believe it is more like the color. it’s a silky, sweet soft scent with some darkness; the almond blossom doesn’t give the deceptive cherry scent,  but instead gives the impression of a light fruitiness. i would not call it fruity overall, but mixed with the ethereal white amber produces a ‘glow’ similar to ‘rose quartz bedroom.’

the darkness is there in the softness - it’s hard to explain, but this is such an alluring scent that captures what tomie is without beating you over the head with any one quality. it’s subtle. I ordered this despite being iffy about most of the notes, simply bc i love junji ito and tomie in particular, and it’s such a fitting tribute. tomie is not outwardly a monster by any means - this is a scent that suggests a darker nature but does not define it specifically. it’s somehow more autumnal than spring, and the glow makes it one that i keep returning to sniff my wrist.

 

edit to add - when this is wet, i do smell the dewiness that is referenced in other reviews. also want to note fiance and i both found something nostalgic about this, and neither of us can pinpoint what it is 

 

 

Edited October 13, 2023 by picturesofmeghan

[PrinceofcatS]

This is one of those BPALs that has a "mainstream perfume" quality, which is not at all meant as an insult here since I would say my tastes run that direction more than indie these days. I also thought of Ava (another such scent) when I put it on, but this is softer and much more delicate. White amber is the dominant note on me, but I get a touch of floral too, nothing that stands out as a particular note (although there's tuberose in Ava so I think the jasmine is what's drawing my attention here). It has a very particular vibe that seems a little icy and almost wintery (almond blossom is in some of their snow notes so that's probably also why) and seems perfect for the eerie, seductive Tomie. I'm a Tomie casual but this suits her so well! 

 

I think this is one of the most elegant, delicate, beautiful, and sophisticated BPALs I've tried in a hot minute and I suspect I'll be wearing it frequently. 

[Rane.]

So very good. & I'm very happy to find a perfume based on Tomie!! This is slightly musky from the combo of oils. They all complement each other so well. But first stand out smell is Vanilla & Sandalwood. Then it's followed by a breath of Almond Blossom, a cut of Jasmine, & warmed up by the Amber. Very femme & classy. I think someone said sophisticated, & I agree!! I hope to collect more scents from this collection in the future.

[ghoulnextdoor]

When I first wore Tomie, it seemed a simple. confectionary musk. I became overwhelmed when I thought it was beginning to remind me of a sort of candied heliotrope fragrance I tried a few years ago and felt an immediate revulsion towards, but when I obsessively began sniffing my wrist trying to pinpoint it, the momentary phantom was already gone. There is actually no comparing these two scents at all, but the thing is, from then on, I never stopped obsessively sniffing.
 

Tomie crawls beneath your skin, a slithery jasmine-amber-flecked marzipan cotton candy ghost musk of a scent, but not a fresh, hot carnival cone of the stuff–rather, the soft, sticky filaments of floss caught in your hair at the end of the night. And maybe a bewitched someone is compelled to snip a few of those sweet, tangled tendrils while you’re sleeping because they’re an absolute psychopath, and maybe when you wake up in the morning the scissors are gripped in your own hands, the sultry tresses are tucked into your own little etched sandalwood box, and maybe, perhaps, the utterly obsessed psychopath is you.
 

BPAL’s Tomie is both quietly haunting and all-consuming, the ghost of something you’re desperate to possess, but which is fully possessing you even as it slips through your fingers and disappears.

This is exactly it. This is Tomie. They got her perfectly right.

[roseus]

I agree with Grim there's sort of a humid element to the blend, but also I get a coldness at the same time? Light ethereal florals and vanilla, and sheer amber. The rose is soft and and I can pick out the almond blossom. It's sweet and almost candy-like (candy floss is a great description), it is very airy. 

[feyofthefellwood]

Though this does not smell exactly like The Girl or Ava, it's definitely in that same cold white amber + delicate florals and vanilla category. No strong jasmine here. Tomie has a slight woody aspect due to the sandalwood, but remains airy and delicate. It's a lovely, wearable perfume to me and I splurged on a backup bottle.

[doomsday_disco]

Tomie is a cousin to Ava. Who knew?

 

Seriously, I'm getting strong Ava vibes from this, although this features different floral notes, Ava is brighter with its mandarin, and the only notes they have in common are vanilla and almond. Tomie has the same perfume-y, mainstream quality to it. I'd also compare it to Lady Death, Savage, but I think the jasmine in this is smoother than the jasmine is in that one. The rose is not a main player here; I agree that this is just rose-tinted, and the jasmine in this is not an indolic variety. But overall, it is pretty hard to parse out the notes. I wasn't expecting something with a horror-theme to be so accessible!

 

While I don't feel the need to upgrade to a bottle, because I already have plenty of Ava and prefer that scent, I will absolutely be telling my mom about this, because she has bought and gone through so many bottles of Ava, it's ridiculous. I'm sure she would love this.

[Sjofn]

I took a chance on this one because I don't really like jasmine or a strong amber. "White" scents tend to give me a headache or make me feel like swooning in a bad way. I'm a sucker for vanilla & almond though (and liked reading Tomie). 

 

Anyways, this is incredible!

 

It is literally as described. It is so well blended and beautiful. It does have a perfume-y-ness to it. 

 

I can't really pin down the rose because my brain assumed I should be smelling a red rose, but it could be a white rose mixed up with the floral vibe.

 

I think it's the almond flower and bourbon vanilla giving it the dark edge far in the background. Like a hint of poison. 

 

No humidity for me. A very very slight sweetness though. 

 

I don't say this often, but this is a work of art. 

 

I would describe this as luminous, mysterious and expensive.

[frizzlechicken]

I also took a chance on this one! I was buying some other bottles from a fellow BPALite's destash and decided to give it a try. I am not a fan of heavy florals and too much jasmine will overpower anything I like. I am delighted to say Tomie does none of those things. The previous reviews mentioning it being light and ethereal are very accurate - Tomie has a light, gentle amber and floral when first applied, and dries down to a soft amber-sandalwood with a hint of vanilla. To call out any one note isn't quite fair, because they are all blended beautifully. It's a lovely scent, appropriate for any time of year, I think. I'm glad I have a bottle!

[sea turtle]

This particular blend of sandalwood and vanilla reads very similarly to some mainstream perfume I've smelled in the past -- it reminds me of the Chanel (either No5 or Coco) that a classmate used to wear back when I was a wee one; somehow spicy and peppery and rather piquant, contrary to my expectations. The florals are quite well blended together and I have a hard time picking out a specific flower. This is surprisingly strong on me but it disappears almost entirely after 3-4 hours.

[Ennikar]

Overall, Tomie is nice, light, and pretty. If pressed on notes, I would say vanilla and jasmine (gentle and soft, not remotely indolic), and looking at the list I can also pick out almond blossom. The rose/sandalwood seems quiet, and the white amber is blending in nicely. It's got decent throw, but nothing intrusive, and it's more "clean" than "dirty" but not in danger of smelling like detergent.

...however, I'd agree with the comparisons to more mainstream scents. It's Perfectly Lovely, but it makes little impression on me, which might be a good interpretation of the character. I'm not disappointed, though, because I got this as a gift for a younger person who likes the books and I feel like edgy-association-but-Nice-smell is very much up their alley.

[Amoraexcena]

A very sophisticated, cool-toned floral. I amp rose, but it's not getting out of control here (thank goodness, I have enough rose-forward blends to last me several lifetimes). The florals are well blended and I wouldn't be able to pick out a specific one here without notes, I think. I was also a tad worried about almond blossom (almond loves to go bitter cherry on me), but this is most definitely not bitter almond, but the gentle flower. I wish this was a tad sweeter for my personal tastes, but it's beautiful - something I'd wear to a very "grown-up" gathering, like a black tie party in a private yacht. As mentioned above, fans of Ava should definitely give this a try. 

[theseagrows]

this opens very softly, i think i am getting almond blossom primarily, with a touch of soft jasmine. the sandalwood blooms next, adding a soft woodiness. later i get some vanilla, sweetening things up a bit. overall, this is a soft ethereal somewhat creamy floral. very pretty and perfect for spring.

[sudenmorsian]

I do get the comparisons to Ava, but on my skin Tomie reminds me more of Eve than Ava. I was so sad when Eve didn't work on me and it would be just too unfair if that happened to Tomie, too. 

 

But I think we might get along well. Rose is very tricky on me (that was the problem with Eve) and rose tend to amp on my skin, so the rose-tinted sandalwood reads ROSE on me. Wet phase isn't very pleasant with all that rose, almond blossom might be noticeable too. But completely dry this is so much better. Rose softens, sandalwood and vanilla shows up with a hint of white amber. Is there any jasmine? I'm not sure. 

 

Dry this isn't so very complex at all. Tomie is white floral and amber, pretty and somewhat mainstream. 

 

ETA. Now as Tomie's been resting a bit more I really need to add that she's only getting better and better with time. Rose has mellowed significantly, sandalwood is more clear than before, vanilla is getting stronger and white amber is just lovely. I'm hooked.

Edited October 13 by sudenmorsian