In a world of recycled scents I am not a fan of the ‘barely there’, nor do I like the ‘fresh’ and ‘airy’ fragrances - the ones with just enough scent within them to be considered actual fragrance rather than bottled water in a more expensive (usually hideous) bottle.
Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille is none of these things, it is strong and lasting - there isn’t anything more satisfying than pulling my clothing out of the laundry basket only to be met with that familiar musky vanilla dry down on my shirt collar. It’s smell never seems to fade. I have worn it for about a year now and would completely consider it my signature scent. It is the complete opposite of everything I detest in perfumery - it is deep and earthy, a well dressed gentleman of a fragrance and that is exactly the image it conjours.
Now I am not a fan of cigarette smoke, nor am I a fan of tobacco fumes in any situation but Tobacco Vanille I would happily trap myself in a room with. The first sprays of Tobacco Vanille feel like a strong hand on your shoulder, a comforting grip that soon sweetens (but not too much) into something akin to burying your head in a pile of your old childhood books and taking a deep breath inwards. It’s comforting and warm and everything a man should be.
It is quite a simple perfume however, it is not crammed full of so many accords that you no longer know what you are smelling. What the name reads is pretty much what you get, it is a vanilla and tobacco scent with a slight hint of tonka on my own skin - but Tom Ford does it so wonderfully and with such class that I can’t help but think the simplicity is perfect, any more would ruin this for me.
Does it get compliments? Yes, every time I wear it. Is it worth the price tag? Yes! Is it for everyone? Definitely not, and to be quite honest I can’t think of anything worse than a world full of people wearing Tobacco Vanille. Is it one of my favorite things? Yes, and though I’m a complete fragrance fanatic this one is the one I always seem to come back to whenever I need a hug - and I’d probably dare to say that it is one of my favorite fragrances I’ve ever encountered (but don’t hold me that.)
“In a world where luxury perfumes are mass-produced and sold in places that look like supermarkets, where advertising campaigns try to fool consumers into thinking they are unique even though their ‘one of a its kind’ fragrances are worn by millions across the globe, we believe there is another solution. As a result, Le Labo has decided to take matters - and perfume - back in hand…”
In this day and age a perfume brand like Le Labo for me really is a treasure to behold. A brand where fine perfumers refuse to produce factory-made products, want to create scents that reawaken the olfactory senses, and create these master pieces fresh and on demand.
After a visit to Le Labo’s Devonshire Street store in London recently I have to say I am completely and utterly in love. The atmosphere, the surroundings, the branding, the sales assistant and more importantly the fragrances themselves had me completely in a spin. It was like finding my fragrance home.
The best thing about the fragrances on offer in Le Labo has to be the level of service and knowledge of perfume itself. The sales assistant spoke to me for the best part of twenty minutes about fragrance, essential oils and their company policies - letting me sniff bottles of their (none animal tested) oils from behind the counter and showing me every fragrance they had on offer. These blends are not only beautifully complex and made using the best ingredients but maybe most importantly are made right in front of your eyes. There is no stock, the essential oils and alcohol are kept separate until you choose a fragrance to buy - and then the magic begins. For perfume fans this place really is heaven.
Patchouli 24 really caught my nose and was definitely worth a second, third and fourth sniff but I have to say that Santal 33 was the scent that wrapped itself around me. I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind since. Santal 33 is a leathery, violet, sandalwood masterpiece that transported me back to every old book I’ve read, library I’ve been in, and vintage leather jacket I’ve owned. It seemed to span my childhood memories of hiding out in my schools library at lunch time, to my adult memories of dancing in a hot, sweaty club at 3am. It was perfect.
Normally in this kind of situation I would rush to Le Labo’s online store and order this fragrance immediately but in this case the atmosphere in the store itself is so incredibly unique that I can’t bare to buy it without getting it from the store itself. It may just be the novelty of watching them mix it in person, or it could indeed be my need for another long conversation about scent with the sales assistant - but either way my need for Santal 33 will have to wait until I can make it back to Devonshire Street.
