Don't be put off by this perfume note—it's a one-way ticket to a rich and sexy evening scent

I’ll admit: at face value, smelling of tobacco doesn’t sound as appealing as notes like jasmine or bergamot, for example. But trust me, if you steer towards richer scents like woody perfumes, this note brings a sort of intoxicating vibe to any scent that’s well worth trying.

Tobacco is used as a perfume note more often than you might think. It manages to balance being smoky, woody and earthy all at once. It may work in the background as part of an ensemble of a richer heart or base, or be noticeably present as one of the characterising notes.

Either way, don't be put off and assume that tobacco perfumes might be too intense for you—this note is found in many striking, wearable and unique fragrances. Intrigued? Here are seven of the best…

1. Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille

Easily one of the best known tobacco perfumes is the iconic Tobacco Vanille private blend by Tom Ford, one of the brand’s most popular scents. If you’re drawn to spicy perfumes, you’ll love it—tobacco is melded with warm spices, dry fruit accords and cocoa, cut with vanilla. It’s sweet, sophisticated and wears well.

2. & Other Stories Nocturnal Tales

& Other Stories makes some of the best affordable perfumes on the market and the bottles have just had this rather chic makeover. Nocturnal Tales is one of a handful of new scents it's just added to its portfolio—after a subtle introduction of citrus and lavender, tobacco intermingles with tea and vetiver on a woody suede base with a hint of vanilla. It sounds like a lot going on, but it’s the perfect balance of sweet and smoky.

3. Diptyque Orphéon

Housed in the classic oval bottle, the Diptyque Orphéon fragrance is inspired by the Parisian jazz bar next door to the original boutique, a place at which the brand’s three founders were regulars. It’s the slightest haze of tobacco, woody furniture and puffs of powder mixed with a little sweet jasmine, tonka bean and juniper berries—and yet it’s soft with a subtle fizzy quality. Needless to say, it’s incredibly chic, perfectly capturing the kind of cosy and dimly lit corner you’d find in such a bar. One of the brand's most iconic and best scents.

4. Byredo Tobacco Mandarin

Byredo’s Tobacco Mandarin is not for the fainthearted. Earthy and smoky, tobacco takes centre stage here, backed with a juicy ripeness from the mandarin. Though most fragrances today are genderless, you might argue this skews more “masculine” in the traditional sense, but it does have a hint of sweetness. As an extrait de parfum, the concentration of perfume ingredients is higher, hence the elevated price tag—but one spritz will last you hours and hours and hours.

5. Maison Margiela Replica Jazz Club

Drawing inspiration from the high-end cigars and heady cocktails found at a private Brooklyn Jazz Club, this Maison Margiela Replica scent of the same name opens with a distinct smokiness. As it wears, there’s a hint of spiced whiskey before it reveals a more ambery base. This is a romantic night out in a bottle.

6. KAYALI Oudgasm Tobacco Oud 04

A rich and sweet oud perfume, like all of KAYALI’s Oudgasm scents this fragrance smells opulent and expensive. After initial hints of mandarin, clary sage and white honey it makes way for spicy clove, saffron, tobacco and patchouli alongside gourmand notes of vanilla, praline and patchouli. A great evening fragrance. But one that you'll either love or hate.

7. Le Labo Thé Noir 29

Easily one of the best Le Labo scents—and one of my personal favourites—Thé Noir 29. A subtle hint of smoky tobacco leaf mingles with bay, fig, vetiver, cedar and musk for a scent that’s clean, fragrant and uplifting. It manages to catch others’ attention without being heavy or overpowering—I’m yet to come across another scent that’s quite like it.