Tolu balsam is a fragrant resin from a South American tree, smelling warm, sweet and cinnamon-like with hints of vanilla and dried fruit. It is softer and more powdery than Peru balsam, with a gentle, almost floral sweetness underneath the resin. Perfumers use it in oriental, amber and powdery compositions to add warm, comforting depth. It blends beautifully with vanilla, iris and soft woods. In India, tolu balsam shines in winter fragrances, where its gentle warmth feels like a soft shawl on a cool evening. It is rarely a star note, more of a skilled supporting player that makes everything around it smell richer and more expensive. You will find it quietly elevating many classic orientals and powdery ambers.