A review + a tasting of TONIC, a 100% organic Abel Organics EdP for the discerning woman or man. Why “tasting”? Because you can drink it – and I did!
Disclaimer (of sorts)
Just because Abel Organics fragrances are based on food grade grain alcohol and can be consumed, it doesn’t mean that other fragrances, including organic ones, are food grade products. This review does NOT suggest that you can now perk up your gin o’clock with your favourite Eau. Be adventurous – not stupid. Don’t drink and drive, and certainly, don’t drink your fragrance!
Abel Organics TONIC Review
Oh what a name.
TONIC is buoyant, cheerful, careless, subtly bitter and fresh.
Of course, this fragrance can (and should) be worn everyday, but it will remain your constant, upbeat reminder that brighter times are ahead: maybe a night out with friends or a titillating date. Just 1693 bottles of this noble juice are available worldwide, and I’ve bought one of them – from the Amazingy online shop.
TONIC retails at €92, refills cost €88.
[Check here for stockists next to you or shop directly at Abel Organics]
Ingredients, Full Disclosure:
Lime Oil, Bergamot Oil, Peppermint Oil, Vetiver Oil, Ginger Extract, Indian geranium oil (Palmarosa), West Indian Sandalwood oil (Amyris), Vanilla Absolute, Grain Alcohol (food grade). All ingredients are independently certified organic.
What strikes you when you get your bottle is the eco-friendly reduction of packaging: there is none. The heavy glass bottle (refill) sits in a sexy sleek wooden cutout dress – or, more prosaically, a case handcrafted and upcycled from old Amsterdam canal beams (gorgeous, golden Oregon Pine wood with a beautiful ‘pinstripe’ structure).
TONIC is the only Vetiver-based fragrance that I can wear. Vetiver tends to cling to my skin, suffocating other scents and pressing itself into my lungs to the point of no-return-headache. I’ve got to be extra cautious, even with The 7 Virtues Vetiver of Haiti which I dearly love (on a paper strip anyway). Abel’s premiere perfume, Vintage ’13 is also pretty heavy on me, but TONIC is perfect.
TONIC is breezy yet intense; too sharp to be lovely and yet beaming; radiant but not the innocent way. Perky? Maybe a little. Definitely not saucy. Downton Abbey’s lady Mary: noble but a little maverick.
Abel TONIC: A Tasting!
There is a bar in Berlin called Fragrances, serving elegant, lush cocktails inspired by niche fragrances. And Abel Organics’ Vintage ’13 has its place on the drinks menu with an exotic, strong Black Forest concoction thanks to the creative spirit (pun intended) of team Amazingy.
I wonder when or whether they will add TONIC to the menu.
Okay, I admit it: I’ve put TONIC next to a bottle of gin for the obvious visual fun of it only, I didn’t mix any drinks as I don’t have a very alcohol-heavy diet 🙂
But a TONIC-infused matcha latte? I wonder how good it would be. Probably not very.
Still, I can solemnly report that my inner child (the same who had tried to eat a strawberry scented soap bar when she was an actual child) that inner child rejoiced and simply spritzed the fragrance into my mouth. What can I say… It was nice, like an essential-oil based, Indian breath refresher. A very luxurious breath refresher! Or maybe like drops of Bach Essences 🙂
Obviously not enought to “get in the mood” and certainly not lasting enough to impermeate you with the fragrance from inside and out, but should be fun dusting it over some delicous food. Dark chocolate perhaps? Or a chocolate and cherries cake? Ginger and chocolate bread? Cinnamon cookies? Mulled wine for Christmas, maybe? A spritz over ginger ale? Hmmmm. Will try and report! Ideas welcome 🙂
It goes without saying that TONIC is what perfume marketers sell you as “unisex”. But of course, fragrance is as unisex as food, unless you’re Ned Flanders, but that’s another story.
Happy weekend, Adventurers!
[…] over-the-top luxurious, 100% organic (even based on food-grade grain alcohol) Eaux Vintage‘13 and Tonic, the young Amsterdam-based perfume house launched a new collection in Autumn 2016, Vita Odor.I had […]
[…] 10. RARITY: finally, a fragrance that will not be available for a long time in this incredible clean quality as only 1693 bottles dressed in handcrafted Oregon Pine casing made from old Amsterdam canal beams are available worldwide. This TONIC quality you see here is a 100% food-grade organic product, an alluring, noble harmony of vetiver, citrus, ginger, sandalwood with a hint of dark and powdery vanilla. Grab yours at Amazingy, before it’s replaced by Abel’s still natural, still gorgeous but not food-grade anymore TONIC follow-up that is White Vetiver. 50 ml, €92. [TONIC detailed review] […]
Thanks so much for the lovely review Nath. Thrilled to hear you’re enjoying Tonic. The Macha tea cocktail is an inspired idea ;-)… perhaps an homemade iced tea! x
Wow, Frances, thanks so much for dropping by! I will experiment with TONIC in the kitchen for sure 🙂 The idea of it being edible – drinkable – is too exciting not to try!
Can you reuse the bottle and wooden holder? As in buy a refill? What a tonic is tonic! 😉
Yes – yes, you can remove the bottle and get another one. So you get to keep the wooden holder. It’s so pretty, I’ve been thinking of removing the bottle anyway and using the wood for my incoming ‘snail mail’ letters 🙂
That’s a good plan.
That use of timber from Amsterdam canals is absolutely inspired, how I wish Australia would catch up with it’s European friends in terms of recycling.
Funnily, Abel founder Frances is a former winemaker from NZ 🙂