Fragrance comparison

Tonka Sublime vs Vanilla & Anise

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 9 Oct 2026 840 ratings analysed

7 wins

Tonka Sublime

Houbigant

4.2532 votes

Rank #38,827 AmberSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

Vanilla & Anise

Jo Malone London

4.05808 votes

Rank #2,953 Soft SpicyAnis

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Tonka Sublime takes 7 of 8 categories.

Tonka Sublime
Choose it for a amber and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Vanilla & Anise
Choose it for a soft spicy and anis character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Tonka Sublime7/8

Vanilla & Anise1/8

Ratings & consensus: Tonka Sublime
Community sentiment: Tonka Sublime
Longevity: Tonka Sublime
Sillage & projection: Tonka Sublime
Value for money: Tonka Sublime
Versatility: Tonka Sublime
Note pyramid (duration): Tonka Sublime
Fragranxe ranking: Vanilla & Anise

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Tonka SublimeHoubigant

Vanilla & AniseJo Malone London

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.25/ 5 · 32 votes

Have 10%Had 5%Want 85%

4.05/ 5 · 808 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerTonka SublimeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

41%Love

50%Like

3%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

32 votes

38%Love

44%Like

4%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

808 votes

Category winnerTonka SublimeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityTonka Sublime

SillageTonka Sublime

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value42

Category winnerTonka SublimeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

sweet92%

fruity84%

woody77%

vanilla69%

powdery61%

soft spicy100%

anis92%

vanilla84%

floral77%

powdery69%

white floral61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both vanilla and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

AlmondStar AniseMirabelle PlumNeroli

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka BeanDavanaJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodAmber

Top15-30 mins

Star AniseFennelNeroliBergamot

Heart2-3 hrs

FrangipaniOrchidCloveTuberoseJasmine

Base4-6+ hrs

VanillaTonka BeanVetiverAmber

Category winnerTonka SublimeLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring38

Summer6

Fall94

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Spring91

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night39

Category winnerTonka SublimeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men11

Unisex68

Women21

Date 34%Work 27%Casual 24%Party 15%

Men4

Unisex36

Women59

Casual 40%Work 36%Date 16%Party 8%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#38,827

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#2,953

PerfumerCeline Barel

Launched—

Reviews112

Category winnerVanilla & AniseHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Houbigant Tonka Sublime approaches gourmand territory with classical French discipline. The opening is tart and boozy, driven by ripe mirabelle plum and sharp star anise before raw almond smooths out the edges. It settles fast. Within twenty minutes, the star anise recedes to let coumarin-rich tonka bean and herbal da…

Reviews →

Jo Malone London Vanilla & Anise is an unconventional, dry herbal gourmand that dodges bakery sweetness entirely. It feels crisp. The first spray releases a brisk flash of star anise, crushed wild fennel, and bitter bergamot peel. Rather than heavy confectioner sugar, you get an airy vapor of green spice. Within twent…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Tonka Sublime or Vanilla & Anise?

Tonka Sublime takes 7 of 8 categories. Tonka Sublime is rated 4.25/5 from 32 votes; Vanilla & Anise is rated 4.05/5 from 808 votes. Choose Tonka Sublime for a amber and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Vanilla & Anise for a soft spicy and anis character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Tonka Sublime or Vanilla & Anise?

Tonka Sublime lasts longest (Tonka Sublime 68/100, Vanilla & Anise 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Tonka Sublime or Vanilla & Anise?

Tonka Sublime projects furthest (Tonka Sublime 60/100, Vanilla & Anise 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Tonka Sublime and Vanilla & Anise smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla and powdery accords. Common notes include Star Anise, Neroli, Tonka Bean and Jasmine.

Is Tonka Sublime or Vanilla & Anise better for summer or winter?

For summer, Tonka Sublime is the stronger pick. For winter, Tonka Sublime is the stronger pick. Tonka Sublime suits evening wear; Vanilla & Anise suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Tonka Sublime and Vanilla & Anise?

Tonka Sublime has top notes of Almond, Star Anise, Mirabelle Plum and Neroli, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Davana and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood and Amber. Vanilla & Anise has top notes of Star Anise, Fennel, Neroli and Bergamot, heart notes of Frangipani, Orchid, Clove and Tuberose, a base of Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Vetiver and Amber.