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Which of these is a better tobacco frag?

post #1 of 28
1/10/09 at 5:56pm
Thread Starter 
In terms of overall smell, but also longevity and sillage.

Vintage Tabarome
Spiritueuse Double Vanille
Michael for Men by Michael Kors
Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille
SMN's Tobacco Toscano
SMN's Cuba
Cuba by C & S

P.S., I know the Santa Maria Novella's are EDC so how is the longevity and sillage on those specifically?
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post #2 of 28
1/11/09 at 7:52pm
Thread Starter 
I'm sorry.
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post #3 of 28
1/12/09 at 4:41am
We're going to have to spritz you with Kouros every time you apologize.
I only know two of these and don't completely love either of them, although both are really interesting. Tabarome on me has something of the 70's hairy chest frags like the original eponymous Aramis: the major accord is tobacco and something citrusy/animalic that I wish someone would identify for this ignorant sniffer. C&S Cuba is a spicy tobacco/rum affair. It compels you to dance in the sand and order drinks with little miniature tiny things sticking out. Beware.
Fer tobaccy, I myself, me, I personally, and this may be idiosyncratic, I go to PdN Nicolai pour Homme, Guerlain Vetiver, and Domenico Caraceni. But that's me. Sorry.
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post #4 of 28
1/12/09 at 12:43pm
I've tried three of those - Tobacco Toscano, Tobacco Vanille, and Vintage Tabarome.

Vintage Tabarome had a vaguely pleasant top note, but soon switched into a very chemical smell that was all chlorine. I would never wear this by choice.

Tobacco Toscano is a mellow, slightly rubbery tobacco with a large dose of vanilla. Despite the sound of that, this is actually the most pleasant and wearable of the three, though not very complex.

Tobacco Vanille has a very complex and interesting top note - I smell tobacco, vanilla, coconut, and a dried fruit note that reminds me of raisins. It's quite sweet and rich, but during the drydown it becomes a purer tobacco.

Neither Tobacco Toscano or Tobacco Vanille are holy grails for me, but if I was forced to choose I'd go for Tobacco Toscano, as I can picture wearing it on a daily basis more.
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post #5 of 28
1/12/09 at 12:44pm
Personally my favorite tobacco is Ava Luxe's Kretek, but only investigate that one if you really, really like clove.
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post #6 of 28
1/12/09 at 12:54pm
I have only tried

Vintage Tabarome
Spiritueuse Double Vanille
Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille
SMN's Cuba


and of these I liked SDV and TV. I own full bottles of both. They are what I reach for when the temps drop. TV is more tabacco to my nose than SDV. Vintage Tab was very nice but it was too formal for me. I don't remember what I thought about the SMN but I did not buy it.

These are not cheap frags so If possible buy (or swap) some samples of them before you buy. Everyones taste is different and what I love you may hate. Also both SDV and TV are on the sweet side.
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post #7 of 28
1/12/09 at 1:00pm
It strikes me that these are all niche scents. Would that be because tobacco is an ingredient only doing nicely in more upscale scents?

Having said that, good ol' cheap Tabac does a nice job as well.
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post #8 of 28
1/12/09 at 1:08pm
If tobacco is the most important aspect to you, I would recommend Tobacco Vanille.
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post #9 of 28
1/12/09 at 1:14pm
Tobacco Vanille is pretty amazing!

SMN Tobacco Toscano is also pretty darn good, and even though SMNs are called 'Acqua de Colonias' they are much more concentrated than an EdC.... they are at least EdT concentrations (if not more) and they last plenty long.

Don't forget there's also I Profumo's Tabacco, which is a very rich tobacco fragrance (but it's not sweet at all)
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post #10 of 28
1/12/09 at 1:19pm
I really do not get too much tobacco from Michael for Men by Michael Kors . To me, it is more of a patchoulli ( sp?) scent. I also get the smell of boiling spiced tea and some tobacco smoke ( but its not that prominent).
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post #11 of 28
1/12/09 at 1:25pm
The tobacco in M for M doesn't last that long, which presents a problem. For me the tobacco is too strong initially (unless you only spray once) then too weak later. If I spray only once, though, there's not much of any scent remaining after that first hour or so. I'm not used to frags like this, so I'll refrain from reviewing it until I've worn it several times with varying amounts of sprays.
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post #12 of 28
1/12/09 at 1:37pm
Although tobacco is an integral part of Cuba, rum is the star. In TV, both tobacco and vanilla share the spotlight. I would buy TV if I really wanted tobacco.
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post #13 of 28
1/12/09 at 1:40pm
A couple of thoughts here:

I don't smell even the slightest trace of tobacco in Spiritueuse Double Vanilla.

Of the scents listed, I prefer Czech & Speake's Cuba, but my favorite tobacco-heavy scents are, unfortunately, the discontinued Havana, the hard-to-find Or Black, and Habanita, which stirs up lots of controversy over its gender appropriateness. Among more easily obtained fragrances, I'd suggest adding Lauder for Men to your list. It's a vell-constructed, rich fougere with plenty of tobacco at its heart.

Hope that's a help!
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post #14 of 28
1/12/09 at 1:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Galamb_Borong View Post

Personally my favorite tobacco is Ava Luxe's Kretek, but only investigate that one if you really, really like clove.

I just tried this one and really wanted to like it, since I have fond memories of smoking these in college. At first, I thought it smelled like the box clove cigarettes come in, but then it started smelling just of cardboard, clove, and maybe raisins? Disappointing.
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post #15 of 28
1/12/09 at 1:45pm
I can't answer your question since I have not smelt any of those(I do have a sample of TV ordered and it NEEDS TO HURRY UP AND GET HERE), but I can hijack your topic and pose some questions of my own.

1. Tobacco seems to be a predominant winter scent, but are there any that works well in the summer?
2. Are the discontinued Havana and the Reserve Havana the same?
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post #16 of 28
1/12/09 at 1:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ibarney5 View Post

I can't answer your question since I have not smelt any of those(I do have a sample of TV ordered and it NEEDS TO HURRY UP AND GET HERE), but I can hijack your topic and pose some questions of my own.

1. Tobacco seems to be a predominant winter scent, but are there any that works well in the summer?
2. Are the discontinued Havana and the Reserve Havana the same?

1) Well Guerlain Vetiver is not predominantly tobacco, but it has a nice tobacco accord that I like and wear in summer (truly year-round).

2) No. They are different fragrances.
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post #17 of 28
1/12/09 at 2:44pm
I don't get it, isn't Spiritueuse Double Vanille a female frag???
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post #18 of 28
1/12/09 at 2:46pm
"Officially," but I believe most would call it unisex.
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post #19 of 28
1/12/09 at 7:18pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
1. Tobacco seems to be a predominant winter scent, but are there any that works well in the summer?

Why?
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post #20 of 28
1/12/09 at 8:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ibarney5 View Post

I can't answer your question since I have not smelt any of those(I do have a sample of TV ordered and it NEEDS TO HURRY UP AND GET HERE), but I can hijack your topic and pose some questions of my own.

1. Tobacco seems to be a predominant winter scent, but are there any that works well in the summer?

I'd wear Tobacco Vanille in summer - there's a fruitiness that lightens it up a bit.
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post #21 of 28
1/12/09 at 8:30pm
Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille is pretty awesome. A bit sweet, but still a marvel of a fragrance.
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post #22 of 28
1/12/09 at 8:34pm
Okay, M for M seemed to make a "comeback." Probably what happens is that it's so powerful for an hour or so that when it fades you have to wait for your sense of smell to recalibrate. So, one spray of M for M was quite good. I'll try 2 sprays next time. LOL.
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post #23 of 28
1/12/09 at 10:06pm
I'm surprised no one mentioned Scent79. I love the tobacco note in this one.
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post #24 of 28
1/12/09 at 11:10pm
No tobacco in Michael Kors...its more suede, plum, and patchouli. If there is tobacco, its barely detectable by nose. That said, its a incredible fragrance.

TNMA
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post #25 of 28
1/12/09 at 11:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Galamb_Borong View Post

I'd wear Tobacco Vanille in summer - there's a fruitiness that lightens it up a bit.

are you serious

For me this stuff is hardcore, for the winter.
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post #26 of 28
1/13/09 at 8:16am
How prominent are the tobacco notes in Burberry London? I'm thinking about ordering some. Also excuse my ignorance, but I still don't get while gourmonds and tobacco frags are considered a predominant winter scent.
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post #27 of 28
1/13/09 at 12:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gupts View Post

are you serious

For me this stuff is hardcore, for the winter.

Totally serious, but our summers are quite a bit different than yours - temperatures mostly in the low 20sC - so that probably effects my opinions on this.

As an example of some fragrances I'd find too heavy for summer: Ambre Sultan, Ambre Russe, Cuir Ottoman, Shalimar, Kolnisch Juchten.
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post #28 of 28
1/13/09 at 12:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gupts View Post

are you serious

For me this stuff is hardcore, for the winter.


A Melbourne winter isn't too different from a Vancouver Island summer.
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