— fragrance —

Smell Bent Tok’Yo Mama Perfume Review

August 18, 2010

Smell Bent Tok'Yo Mama illustration

Smell Bent Tok’Yo Mama EDT is in the Leisure Cruise Collection, a collection that takes your nose around the world with regional inspired scents with silly/ humorous names. Tok’Yo Mama is a tart and refreshing citrus fragrance that takes us to Japan. The name conjures up stupid insults from waiting at the bus stop in middle school. (Time for me to admit that “yo mama” jokes are some of my favorite). Now to the fragrance…

Tok’Yo Mama is a zesty citrus fragrance. At first is is very sour. It’s realistic. It reminds of the sour juice and the rugged rind of a mandarin mixed with a grapefruit. I can definitely tell that the citrus used in this is yuzu becuase it is so sour in comparison to other citrus notes. It really wakes up your senses. The sourness mellows out a little. It’s still a tart citrus fragrance but it does get a tad bit sweeter and juicer like lemonade. Yuzuade. It’s very fresh and refreshing. It’s one of those “Shiny Happy People” scents (EauMG, this fragrance totally reminds me of that r.e.m. music video because of the illustration on the bottle). Anyways, Tok’Yo Mama is a more than yuzu. After 20 minutes of wear or so, I get genmaicha, my all time favorite tea. So, the citrus tartness is still there but it has the complexity of earthy green tea and toasted rice bran. This adds an entirely different element of warmth to Tok’Yo Mama.

Smell Bent EDT Fragrance Bottles
Photo of Smell Bent EDT Fragrance bottles

I can see this as one of those quintessential “summer” scents because Tok’Yo Mama is such a bright and sunny fragrance. But, personally I think of citrus for the winter because that’s when citrus is in season. Yuzu is a fruit typically used in Japanese winter baths. It’s supposed to strengthen the immune system. I like citrus scents in the winter because smelling them feels like taking a Vitamin C supplement 🙂 And I need the energy and especially the sunshine (living in Seattle) in the winter. Tok’Yo Mama has enough “umphh” to be worn during the winter. It does wear like a typical citrus EDT. This fragrance wears on me for sometime as an EDT, 4+ hours in 90° heat. My skin has a tendency to “devour” citrus scents so this is a big deal. This is easily a unisex fragrance being that it’s yuzu and green tea.

Notes listed include fresh squeezed yuzu, hinoki, and steeped genmaicha tea (“brown rice tea”).

Give this a try if you like “Shiny Happy People” fragrances or if you want sunshine in a bottle. Or if you like tart citrus scents or fragrances like 06130 Yuzu Rouge, Sage Citrine Perfume Oil, Fresh Sugar Lemon , Moton Brown Enlivening Toko-Yuzu products, Parfum d’Empire Yuzu Fou and/or Diptyque Oyedo. If you really like tart/sour citrus fragrance, then you really should try Smell Bent Tok’Yo Mama. Currently, I can’t think of a better fragrance in the “sour citrus” genre.

This fragrance is available in an EDT spray or a perfume oil. I have reviewed the EDT. The EDT spray retails for $45 for 55 mL (about 1.9 oz.) and the perfume oil for $20 for 8mL. It is available at Smell Bent. The company also offers sample sizes to buy. UPDATE: This scent has been discontinued.

With Smell Bent’s knack for being “punny”, I’m waiting for perfumer Brent to launch the Martin Lawrence citrus  inspired fragrance collection “Yuzu Crazy” and “Daaammmn, Or-Gina”.  🙂

Oh, and  you’ll get major cool points if you leave a wonderful “yo mama” joke in the comments section.

Want more reviews? Try…

Lovely Android

Perfume-Smellin’ Things

Married to the Mirror

*Disclaimer- A sample of this fragrance was provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for this review or any others. This review and my opinions are my own.

13 thoughts on “Smell Bent Tok’Yo Mama Perfume Review”

  1. OH NO! I spelled my blog name wrong in my post above! When you click on my name, it leads to some bible page with all sorts of awful hateful things on it!!

    Can you delete my comment? I’ll just repost it.

    Thank you!
    JoanElaine

    1. OK, I deleted it. I’m sorry but I had to visit the misspelled site out of curiosity. Geez Louise! Not the nice fragrance blog I’m familiar with 🙂

  2. Great review!
    I have been curious about the line. I admit I am having a hard time getting past the goofy packaging..it makes me think there is kool-aid in the bottles, not fragrance!

    However the combo or yuzu, hinoki and ganmaicha (one of my fave teas too!) makes me temporarily forget the goofiness.

    I am also curious about “never never land”, “bollywood or bust”, “Tibet yr bottom $”, “horny little devil” and “prairie nymph”.

    I guess I should order some samples. It’ll have to wait because I went sample crazy earlier this month and one needs to eat!

  3. I agree about the packaging. They are “young” and some of the names border on well, frankly, offensive. I don’t know how to take some of them.
    I really do like this fragrance, but it isn’t very “me”. I am not a fan of “happy” fragrances or citrus fragrances without floral. Somehow it all works out in the end and I like it. Love it? No, but that’s me. I can see others loving this one.
    I’m interested in the other too. The only ones I have from your curious list are”Tibet yr bottom $” and “Never Never Land”. I haven’t tried them yet. I have tried Chile Vanilli (yes, you can groan) and it is very headshop on me: vanilla, cinnamon, and patchouli. Smells more like something I would of burned in my college days apartment. I do see Chile Vanilli wearing very nicely on a friend of mine. He wears heavy vanilla scents by Guerlain and Tom Ford.
    I know what you mean! I’ve blown through my beauty budget already for the month! You have to stick to your budget and realize that you can’t try them all! 🙂

    1. I also find some of the scent names and images offensive.

      I just read on thier blog that the scents are available at American Outfitters, a store known for selling racist and sexist t-shirts…yikes!

      I am def. NOT a happy frag person, but sometimes I need a scent that will help lift me out the funks I get into.

      1. I’ve noticed lots of lines are being carried at American Outfitters (one of my least favorite stores on the planet) now including Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, Paul & Joe, Juliette Has A Gun…hmm…
        My husband says that I like “depressing, contrary” fragrances. This is true. Give me oud, incense, tar, smoke, these are the things I like. With my “gothic” tendencies and living in the Seattle area, I know I need a cheery fragrance to get me out of my winter funks.

    1. It’s tart; I like it.
      The brand hasn’t been around very long. Smell Bent will soon be celebrating their 1 year anniversary.

  6. This is really a good summer/fresh fragrance. Smell Bent surprised me with direct fragrances that seem to have their proper identity. I don’t get too much sourness on this one, for me it’s more fizzy and leafy and reminds me of tangerine. It’s light, seems comfortable after a hot bath.

    1. I’m so sensitive to sour in scents and flavors. That’s why I think I’m not wild about citrus perfumes. BUT I like this one. It’s great for summer, a good prize and it lasts much longer on the skin than most citrus scents. It’s a happy fragrance.

Comments are closed.