Sport fashion company Tocca is one of the more impressive mainstream perfume houses. They have continuously released beautiful and affordable fine fragrances since 2006. Their newest release Margaux not only fits right in with the earlier editions, as far as quality and craftsmanship, it surpasses them. Meant to be the scent of the deep and enduring love of two spirits, this captures a profound richness, tinged with a delightful sweetness and a very modern yet “old school” oriental aura pervades from start to finish.

The timelessness of that one true love was the inspiration for this perfume and I can honestly say I am already in love! Margaux has a very vintage vibe about her, like one who is young at heart yet has a defined maturity and the wisdom of experience behind her. She has a heady blend of fruits and floral notes, accented by greens and wood, that segues into an even more profound musky sweet warmth that is nigh on intoxicating to this perfumista. She is a modern gal, for sure, but has an old time style and vibe about her. She is not bombastically aldehydic; dripping in civet or swimming in oakmoss. She is everything else I love about vintage and oriental perfumes retooled into a modern floral woody musk that is elegantly ethereal, yet its longevity and presence are simply amazing.

Sweet juicy blood orange is framed with slightly bitter floral notes from bergamot blossoms. It keeps its succulence and berry-kissed aroma; even framed by the blossoms, rendering it just sweet enough without being too citric or overly fruity/flowery. Another bitter facet, this time cassis (currant stems and leaves), gives a sharp leafiness to Margaux while green gardenia buds add a creamy, yet innocent, fullness to the mix. One would expect these opening notes to be shrill and intense, yet underscored by the stunning heart notes and luxurious base notes this maintains an air of class and has both depth and character. Many perfumes open with citrus, citrus blossom, leaves and flowers, but no other “designer” perfume released this century smells half as good to me.

Flower Fairy ooak6 by ~HalloWeenPixie

I often roll my eyes at overly romanticized notes listed in perfume (sensual musk, black basil, solar woods, etc.) yet the “black” jasmine and “ambery” violet smell just like you would imagine and want them to. When the heart finally begins to beat, a truly dark almost gothic jasmine appears out of the opening, shadowy and sultry, and tantalizes with the promise of midnight trysts and moonlit embraces. The violets, dusted as they are with amber powderiness, are warm and inviting, as opposed to the cooler classic type, and feel playful and rather “warm and fuzzy”. Cashmere wood is the thread that connects these two very different scents together and it does so without a seam, as the aromatic and inviting woodiness softens notes that could have run amok and taken over.

As the ultimate dry down begins to settle on the skin, it is balmy and softly sweet, thanks to benzoin and vanilla, but balanced and anchored by heliotrope and an almost “too sexy” muskiness that has the soft nuances of anise and sugar throughout. Without being a run-of-the-mill gourmand, overpowering oriental or the typical “plastic fruity/ fake floral” Margaux is floral, woody, and musky, yet it’s not trite or what one would expect to smell, from the notes listed. Magical may be an overused adjective, yet this scent and its beauty have floored me-not only with its low asking price, under 70 US dollars, but also because this is a mostly synthetic fragrance. So despite my jaded nose and often-rolling eyes, trust me when I say this is one designer mass-market perfume worth sniffing, wearing and owning, if like me you love dulcet darker woody floral scents splashed with musk and greens. Sillage: average. Longevity: very good.

Disclosure: This review is based on a bottle sent to me from TOCCA via Lexamedia.

Thanks to Lexamedia we have a draw for a full bottle of Margaux. This is a US only draw. To be eligible leave a comment naming your favorite Tocca fragrance or what love smells like to you plus identify whether you are in the US. The draw will end September 29, 2013.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

–John Reasinger, Senior Editor