Part of Tom Ford's Private Blend collection, a smooth, oriental Tobacco Vanille opens with notes of tobacco leaf and aromatic spices, blending into heart notes of tonka bean, tobacco flower, vanilla and cocoa, finishing with sweet fruit accord and sweet wood sap. A complex and smooth scent, it would make a luxurious gift.
I say:
Firstly, I’m dispensing with the usual top, middle and base notes description here as I think Tobacco Vanille is quite linear – it more or less stays the same, but gets weaker as the hours go by. It is very much like like a vanilla scented un-smoked pipe tobacco that you (or more likely your grandfather) might have bought from an old fashioned tobacconist in years gone by. The best way to describe it would be “dark vanilla” with a hint of chocolate, cocoa and honey thrown in for good measure. Sweet and nocturnal but not sickly.
I’ve had it since last September, used it on plenty of occasions since and it’s never failed to get remarked upon. Most people like it, some think it’s a bit unusual and the “I want everything to smell of fresh air” brigade didn’t like it at all (somewhat unsurprisingly).
Do I like it? Unhesitatingly, yes. It is a wonderful and enveloping scent that reminisces of an age long past – where men smoked their pipes in their private members clubs, read their newspapers by the fire whilst sipping their scotch, without the worries of a world they could never have imagined. It's not my ultimate TF scent (more on that another day), but it's damn close.
It lasts rather well, as should be expected for an Eau de Parfum with all these strong and pungent aromas – a little goes a long way. It is definitely not an office or even a daytime scent where it would be too overpowering and frankly wasted. Best used after darkness has fallen, when you want to be at your most confident and, dare I say it, seductive.
Like all Tom Ford perfumes, this one isn’t particularly cheap (though there are much more expensive scents knocking about) – the smallest bottle (50ml EDP) will set you back £135 at Selfridge’s or Harrods, so my advice would be definitely go and sample it before even considering a purchase. Even though I've raved about it (I'm not on commission nor work for TF, I promise!), it will interact with your own body chemistry and you might not like the end result. The Tom Ford concession staff at Selfridge’s and John Lewis on Oxford Street were exceedingly helpful when I visited them and I often call in to see (or should that be smell) their latest scents. Well worth a visit if you happen to be in the area.
My rating 9/10
Would I miss it if it were stolen? Yes, and desperately so.
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