Late last year, I wrote an article focusing on jasmine perfumes. (Jasmine Perfumes For Every Season) I wanted to showcase four jasmine perfumes, pairing each perfume with a specific season. For instance, I selected the jasmine/citrus combination of California Reverie from Van Cleef & Arpels for summer and the greyer, darker Tapis Volant from Liquides Imaginaires for autumn. It was an easy exercise because jasmine is a versatile ingredient utilised for heavy and light compositions.
I wanted to challenge myself for this blog piece, so I’ve chosen tobacco as my next note. When we think of tobacco in fragrance, we anticipate heavier, darker, sweeter perfumes designed for colder weather. There aren’t too many tobacco scents that lend themselves to the warmer months. So, I had to think long and hard, digging through the depths of my collection to come up with four tobacco perfumes that fit the bill. I’ll start this article with the easy seasons of autumn and winter and then get to the trickier spring and summer months at the end.
Autumn’s selection comes from the Italian house Masque Milano. Montecristo might not be for everyone, but its heavy dose of hyrax, skanky musks, funky leather, and dried tobacco makes it a perfect choice for when the leaves start to fall. As the fragrance develops, some sweeter, ambery, boozy notes register. However, Montecristo always retains its animalic growl, with the hyrax note apparent throughout.
Montecristo Notes:
- Top: ambrette, rum, cabreuva.
- Mid: tobacco, labdanum, celery seeds, benzoin.
- Base: hyrax, patchouli, styrax, cedar, guaiac.
Winter’s selection is an old favourite from Burberry. Many say London for Men reminds them of Christmas and the holidays. I agree. Christmas falls in summer down under, so this perfume doesn’t suit. I wear London for Men in June and July. Still, the cinnamon spices and the woody pine-like undertones immediately make me think of that festive time. The tobacco here, combined with the opoponax, lavender, and leather, smells warm, cozy, and sweet. Undoubtedly, it’s the sweetest of my selections, but its nostalgic elements make it a no-brainer for winter and a Christmas in-July celebration.
London for Men Notes:
- Top: cinnamon, pepper, lavender, bergamot.
- Mid: port wine, leather, mimosa.
- Base: tobacco, oak bark, guaiac, opoponax.
Now, for the trickier two. For spring, I’m going with the rather stupidly named Gucci by Gucci Pour Homme by Gucci. They need to work on their fragrance names, right? As for the scent, it’s a versatile option for any time of year. But I chose it for spring because of its green cypress aspects. Elemi instills a fresh pine-like quality. Fortunately, the violet here remains green and dewy without smelling like those dreaded Parma Violets. It almost behaves more like a violet leaf note. Indeed, the scent has a slightly powdery dimension, but overall, it’s more woody and fresh, with the hero tobacco note lending the whole an air of aromatic sophistication.
Gucci by Gucci Pour Homme Notes:
- Top: cypress, bergamot, violet.
- Mid: tobacco, jasmine.
- Base: amber, elemi, olibanum, patchouli, leather.
In the end, my summer selection was easy to pick. Tabacco Toscano by Santa Maria Novella is the lightest tobacco I own. Despite the presence of vanilla, birch, and leather, Taboccao Toscano has a sheer quality that makes it the perfect perfume companion for Florentine poolside parties in July or Australian beachside barbecues in January. It doesn’t possess the overpowering dried fruit effect of Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille. If anything, I notice a malty, creamy, rubbery aspect akin to Bulgari’s Black.
Tabacco Toscano Notes:
- Top: bergamot, tobacco leaf.
- Mid: amber, birch, leather.
- Base: vanilla, sandalwood, musk, cedar, guaiac.
So there we have it. The warmer-weather scents are the most versatile of these selections. Indeed, I’d struggle to wear the Masque Milano and Burberry in the high heat. But as it’s Autumn here in Australia, I will wear Montecristo as my scent of the day. What would your tobacco selections be?
Note: All images are my own. And I paid for all the featured bottles.
