Velvet Teddy

I only opened this page today because I saw MAC Velvet Teddy in the list of new reviews on the right side of my browser. I was curious what a MAC fragrance might smell like, and I became even more intrigued when I saw this being compared to Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille. Now, I've never had the pleasure of smelling TF TV (I have never even seen any Tom Ford fragrances in stores in my country, so either they are not readily available locally or they are sold in more exclusive boutiques), but after reading descriptions and reviews of it here on Fragrantica, I so wanted to try it as it sounded like something I'd love. Well, I still have no idea how TV smells like, but if Velvet Teddy is a dupe, oh my, it is pure love! I went right to the MAC counter at the nearby mall during my lunch break and was thrilled to find the Shadescents testers. I didn't even realize they were already available in the nearby branch because I don't really visit the MAC counter. I sprayed some on a tester strip and some on my skin, and oooh how delightful it is! I even declined to smell the other fragrances, which I would normally sniff just because I have the chance to see how they smell. (I'm the type who feels a bit embarrassed to sniff testers without buying while the sales assistant hovers by and tries to sell something to me.) Well, I don't own anything like this (my collection is rather small), and Velvet Teddy contains some notes I haven't encountered much or at all, and yet, it smells exactly as I imagined. Very warm and cozy, with the sweetness of honey and tonka bean tempered by spiciness of tobacco. I've never encountered tobacco in a fragrance before as until recently I've stuck to lighter, fresher or fruitier scents, and I never thought it could smell so delightful. And even though I don't have any real recollection of meeting a scent like this, it somehow feels so comforting and familiar, almost like coming home to a safe place. Needless to say, Velvet Teddy is now very high on my want list, and trusting what others have said about its similarities to Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille, I no longer feel the need to actively seek out the latter. EDIT: I agree with thesheppardess's observation above. Velvet Teddy did get stronger as the hours wore on. Initially, I had to press my arm to my nose to catch the fragrance, but about an hour later, I kept catching whiffs of the scent as I sat in front of my computer at work. To my surprise, it had gotten stronger and fuller. Also, it lasted at least a good nine hours on me. I could still smell it on my arm when I went to take a shower last night, reluctant to wash it off. It may have lasted even longer. Velvet Teddy totally dominated my afternoon and I could barely keep my mind off it as I savored the delightful smell, knowing I would have to wash it off in the evening. This is a fragrance I really must have!

The first time I smelled this was back in May this year. The weather was heating up here, and I was doing some browsing at the mall and saw the shadescents lined up at the MAC counter. Having heard about these I though 'why not?' and decided to spritz Velvet Teddy. I instantly regretted it. It was so cloying, nauseating even. I could actually feel my stomach turn every time I catched a whiff! 'How can anybody like this?' I thought. As soon as I got home I tried scrubbing the scent off my wrist to no avail. However, there was something about Velvet Teddy that spoke to me despite my initial repulsion. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Fast forward to September. The weather has cooled down considerably, the humid heat making way for cool, crisp autumn-weather. I was at the MAC counter again the other day and saw this standing there yet again. Against my better judgment I spritzed it again, and... my oh my! I can't believe this is the same perfume I smelled back in May! The cloying, nauseating sweetness (the honey) that made me feel physically ill in warm weather works splendidly in chillier conditions - honey is still the star of the show, but instead of it hogging the spotlight it shares the stage with musk, spices (that's what it smells like to me, anyway) and a slight hint of tobacco. I can't believe I went from straight up detesting this perfume to loving it! On me it leans very much feminine, but do not mistake this for a bubbly, girly scent! Velvet Teddy is grown up, womanly, mysterious and darkly sexy. Longevity and sillage is great. For me, two spritzes do the trick nicely. I am getting this ASAP. It's strictly an autumn/winter scent for me though, and I usually don't mind spraying a heavier scent in warmer weather, but it's a no-go with this one unless I want to make myself sick! Update 18th sept.: So I went and got a bottle of Velvet Teddy a few days ago, and can I just say that the scent is even more beautiful from a fresh, unopened bottle than from the tester bottles I've sampled! It's far more velvety and smooth and warm, it's doesn't have the sharp hit of alcohol in the beginning that the tester had. It's delicious! I can't wait to wear this all Autumn and Winter long!

Best honey/ tobacco scent I ever tried. Better than TF, too bad it's discontinued.... longevity and sillage is enormous, if you don't want to overdo it, 2 sprays are enough. It's a very stylish, strong, statement scent with enormous sillage. Warm, heavy, wintery and reminds me of campfire, incese, old gothic cathedral and vanilla scented candles. At the same time it's cosy, warm, empowering scent which develops on the skin during the day and doesn't leave for a minute. That's how strong it is, so easily I can categorise it as BEAST. It's loud, but still close to skin, if you enter the room, everyone will notice but on the other hand, if you're sitting in the office you keep sniffing yourself once in a while and it just transports you to a nicer, cozier place. By cosy, I mean it's a winter type, heavy scent which you love to wear with a heavy knitt, wrapped in blankets, or even if you're bold enough, in the office, but you keep thinking of hot cocoa, fireplace and more, the tobacco isn't "cigarette" type, it's damp. It's a rolling tobacco, actually pipe tobacco type, oldschool and classy, intriguing. Cosy as mentioned, but can also be "worn" when half naked and wearing black lace lingerie, will keep you feeling hot for sure. Not a summer scent defo. In the past years the only cheaper and more mainstream scent which I found and resemble this one is Prada Candy Night (apart from TF Vanilla Tobacco ofc), but that one is more feminine and has chocolate in it which makes it more gourmand. Mac VT is not gourmand as it has a lot of wood and also some leather notes. It can be easily worn by men if they feel this type of vibe. This is mainly honey, wood, tonka, amber in this speciffic order. It's a BETTER dupe for TF, shame it's been discontinued as it was £32 in UK when it launched. I have a backup ofc, otherwise I would've mourned it more. Sad anyway.

Ooh this is beautiful. As another reviewer has said, it's like chai tea with lashings of honey! It's a gorgeous blend of honey and beeswax, warm spices like chai tea, dried sugared fruits, vanilla, tonka, hay, and tobacco. It's super sweet. Opening I get a strong dry hay note appearing, which is very reminiscent of hot summers, horses and dry crunchy fields. The hay note does reduce as it progresses and the sticky sweet honey beeswax and chai spice is more prominent. I think it's best suited to cooler weather but I love it so much that with the sticky sweet honey and dry hay notes being prominent it could also work well in warmer weather depending on preference. It lasts forever on my clothing and skin. I can smell it on my silicone watch strap for weeks after wearing it. Sillage is also huge, my boyfriend said he could smell beeswax from the other side of the room about 8 hours after application when applied to the front of my jumper. The price is very reasonable at £36 for 50ml, but people are selling for much higher than the RRP on second hand sites. Patience pays off as I managed to get a second hand barely used bottle for 2/3 of the RRP. I've no idea whether it has been discontinued or not. It would be such a shame if it has been, it's an absolute steal for such a complex, well blended and beautiful scent. I have only ever smelled TF TV dupes never actually the real thing, and whilst I can see the similarities, I would say that this is much more honied and sweeter, and the tobacco notes in here are much softer and lighter than the copies I've smelled. It's like a TF TV honey edition, and I would say it leans more feminine to my nose.

I fell in love with TF Tobacco Vanille but really couldn't justify the heavy price tag right now. I had made up my mind that I was going to save up over the next couple of months, eat bread and water, re mortgage the house lol and would buy a FB. Someone recommended Velvet Teddy. Aside from the fact that the name of this perfume is ridiculous, and whoever thought of it must have been drunk at the time, this is an amazing dupe for Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille. The top, middle and base notes play out differently to TV, but in the end, it is hard to tell the difference. First spray is softer by comparison to TV but unmistakably similar, the notes are definitely there. Perhaps the vanilla is a little sweeter and the smokiness is not as obvious, but it is pretty good. As the top notes fade, there is a short lived burst of honey, which seems to tone everything down and complement the perfume. I'm not a fan of honey, but this is subtle and short lasting. Finally, the piece de resistance, the smoke comes into play. That gorgeous, unmistakable, smoky, vanilla, with soft tobacco leaf in the background. Its gorgeous, my husband couldn't stop complementing me on how amazing I smelled, (astounding as he hates every single perfume that I own and I own about 500)! 5 hours later it is a skin scent but I do keep getting a waft of two creeping up my nose. For £30 this is absolutely fantastic and I am really not craving the original at all. If you love TV but really can't justify a FB, try this first, seriously, you wont be disappointed.

Some fragrances make you view a type of person wearing it, while some take you to a destination. Velvet Teddy surely is an experience for me. The first time I wore it, it reminded me of an incense I used to burn while listening to my favorite music during my teenage years. But after a few wearings, it now takes me to a more recent and extremely sentimental time in my life. I met my husband on a trip to Cuba. Cuba is an interesting and amazing island and known worldwide for their tobacco. Vinales is a small town and Vinales Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the valley there are acres of greenery, beautiful mountains and the views are breathtaking. You can take a tour of the tobacco farms and see the Cuban cigar making process. Sometimes when making their cigars, the men use a touch of honey to seal the tobacco. The combination of the sweet honey and the tobacco in Velvet Teddy reminds me of it all. Not only is the visual imagery of VT enjoyable, but I also love how it’s so smooth and well blended. The honey, tonka, tobacco blossom and vanilla orchid make a beautiful combination. Ginger is present in the background but don’t worry it’s not in your face. I agree with a reviewer below who mentioned that it's sweet yet dry and that it has that “tin of dried tea leaves” smell. To top it all off VT is very long lasting! I’m sure TF Tobacco Vanille would have a more intense tobacco note and even better sillage but I live in a warm climate and this ‘softer’ version would do me just fine for now.

I got Velvet Teddy based off a YouTuber's recommendation and I was not disappointed. I tested both Velvet Teddy and Creme d'Nude and immediately was drawn to VT. The price point for this is excellent, especially for the quality. Packaging is ok, I'm not fond of the plastic lid but I do like how the bottle colors match the lipsticks! Upon initial spray, you are hit with the smoky tobacco and then the honey followed by the musk and Tonka. There is some spiciness to this as well which I attribute to the ginger. It's so good and addicting. I feel cozy and comforted. There were some reviews that stated there is a rooibos tea vibe to this and I totally get it, which is probably another reason why I enjoy this fragrance so much. If I could compare this to any other fragrances, it does remind me very much of E&J's Nirvana Amethyst, especially with the tobacco note. VT pulls a little sweeter to me with the honey while Amethyst pulls slightly more floral. I have never smelled Jazz Club of TF's Tobacco Vanille to compare. The longevity of this fragrance is pretty impressive, usually wears about 5-6 hours on me and the sillage is moderate. My husband can smell this on me or in the room after I have left it. Good thing he loves it! Ideally this smoky, addictive and mysterious scent is meant for night time, like a date night or a girls night out but I love it so much I wear it during the day as well. I really hope MAC never discontinues this scent, it is the stand out in the Shadescents line!

@Elsee—I was able to put one on hold today via their website. I called later to pay for it, but as long as you go into the store before the end of the following day, they’ll hold it for you. I’ll update this post once I pick it up tomorrow. Eep! I’m excited! Update=== Believe it or not, I finally picked it up yesterday after having purchased it mid May 😬. The reason wasn’t that I didn’t care, rather it was too difficult to make time to drive 🛵 into downtown 🌆 with all its parking restrictions and the chaos of dealing with the mall during the final leg of the current COVID shutdown. But maaaaaaaan, was it ever worth the wait. To me, this is a very sweet and fresh fragrance, without it coming off “🌸floral fruity🥭” . I’m going to assume it’s the Mimosa and honey, in which case I need to explore this combo in more depth. I don’t smell anything tabacco-ey at all, but I guess I do get a touch of 💨 Smokeyness💨 or something that takes the freshness and adds depth to it. From a longevity perspective, this doesn’t last long for me (I take it back, it’s been a good 10 hours and it still lingers) but I’m ok with that because I like touching up my frags throughout the day, and this just gives me an opportunity for changing things up if I want to, but still get that dopamine from spraying this on.🧚🏽♀️ == third wear update== Holy crap, this smells so damn good. That is all. It’s that good I had to come back here and just say that.

Bought this as an blind-buy after some reading forums and looking back and fourth, Really love this fragrance. Yes it's abit more feminine than TV. But still very masculine with the tobacco being very strong troughout the opening. Opening is very "in your face" but it becomes an very nice blend after 30 mins - 1 hour I got to say this is VERY similar to tobacco vanille, but not really 100% similar. It's an very good alternative for TV on a budget. After 2 hours i can barely feel any diffrence. I have a sample bottle of TV and sometimes i forget if it's Velvet Teddy or Tobacco Vanille i'm wearing, I think this tells alot about Velvet Teddy. Also performance is 3x times better than TV. Projects like a beast and longetivity is insane. Perfect for winter. If you like Tobacco Vanille and don't want to spend alot of money and want an 90% reselmlence This is for you. Would actually rather get this than TV. It's very similar and better preforming and it's pricing is very affordable. But be aware, you need the confidence and style to pull this off correctly, this doesn't fit anyone, Wear with confidence. Or else will be too femenine!

A beautiful, soft, comforting, rainy day, reading-by-the-window-with-a-warm-cup-of-tea-and-the-cat-on-the-lap scent. Soft clouds of musky, velvety tonka dipped in honey, with a hint of tobacco and vanilla, and a light touch of ginger (only in the opening). It’s definitely not a dupe or replacement, but it is rather more like the young niece of TF Tobacco Vanille. TFTV is much more tobacco-forward and rich, and smells of wealth. Velvet Teddy smells soft and youthful and office-friendly. If you can only afford one, get the TF. If you can’t afford TF, put a few dollars a week aside until you can, because it’s awesome. If you can afford both, this is a nice one if you don’t feel like smelling as dunked in richness, but just want a very light fluffy cloud of dopamine-uptake-inducing deliciousness around you. Just....not a dupe. Go to the department store with one wrist, then walk across the street to Sephora with the other wrist, and compare both for yourself.

I bought Velvet Teddy when I was too gunshy to buy Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford. I will say: if you don't have the money for Tom Ford, this is a great alternative. In fact, I was disappointed by the sillage on Tom Ford, and part of me wishes I had stuck with Velvet Teddy! However, they are not the exact same. I find that Velvet Teddy is actually a little harsher than Tobacco Vanille. The tobacco note stands out straight away, and it isn't enveloped in the same spice and cloves that Tobacco Vanille is. I suppose this is a byproduct of a 'cheaper' scent - it isn't as complex. On the drydown, however, they are very similar. Velvet Teddy doesn't have the same warmth as Tobacco Vanille to me in the sense that I don't get the same cinnamon and cloves, BUT the dominant scents are nearly identical. They both dry down, essentially, to 'tobacco with something sweet'. Velvet Teddy is a little heavier on the tobacco, but that's it.

Just tried this baby for the first time last night (blind bought a bottle off eBay.) As someone who owns Tobacco Vanille, I definitely can understand the comparisons. But to me, Velvet Teddy smells more like someone layered MAC’s Crème d’Nude over TV. Crème d’Nude smells like a suede handbag full of makeup and an open pack of cigarettes, and I definitely pick up that “makeup smell” (high end makeup, no doubt) here as well. For that reason, I would say this leans a little more feminine than Tobacco Vanille, which is a true unisex, in my opinion. This scent is lovely and performs very well, just like TV. I can still smell it where I’d sprayed it on the inside of my elbows a few hours before bed. I’d say this is a safe buy for someone who likes TV but is on a budget. It’s a very elegant and classy tobacco scent. Grab a bottle if you can find one!

Wow i am SO surprised to see it listed as a floral. Like the other commenter below said.. very spicy and sweet and i also smell Cinnamon, clove, vanilla absolute and, though faint, ginger. My nose is picking up tobacco and incense too. I really like it. I think it smells heady and sexy and very warm. Nice for night time especially in colder months. I really like the frosty cool brown bottle. The whole thing totally reminds me of a teddy.. not the cute furry kind you cuddled with as a kid.. im talking about the sexy sheer black one with velvet detail that you pair thigh highs that you wear for a special lover! I always favored MAC for their edgy fun and creative products and I like the concept of matching scent to lipstick. Now i want to try the other Shadescents! I'm sure Velvet Teddy will be my favorite though.

I really wish I didn't discover this perfume as it was being discontiuned and sold out everywhere! There was one left at my local MAC counter (on sale, yay!) so I was able to snag it but I would have purchased a back up if available. I have never tried Tobacco Vanille but Velvet Teddy in its own right is beautiful. It starts somewhat peppery and has a pronounced smokey note from beginning to end that settles into a honeyed, incense. Unisex and good for year round, especially colder months. The sillage is strong & longevity is great! Edit: I smelled Tobacco Vanille in store and I actually MUCH prefer V. Teddy (at least based off the card) - the honey, spice and smoke blend together more seamlessly while still being individually pronounced. Something in T.V. was too sharp in the top. They did settle similarly!

THE GOOD: This to me is pure honey-d resinous-y smoky deliciousness. Not like Shalimar... this is... sweeter? It’s so different from anything you’d get at a makeup counter. Sillage and longevity are impressive for a fragrance at this price point. Definitely an excellent value. I love it. THE BAD: I would not consider this a safe blind buy. It’s different and strong. That’s not a bad thing to me, but it may not work for everyone. THE UGLY: My son said this smells “ancient”. He is 17, however, so please gauge his distinctive description accordingly. 2022 Update: I’ve had this bottle for a while now, and there is a strong minty / menthol note that has developed at the top. It is quite medicinal but not unpleasant. I’m guessing it’s the ginger. Also, this reminds me A LOT of TF Tobacco Vanille.

Ok I just got this one from MAC online store Germany. And it is sooooo F* good, it is a killer. Have you smelled the Captain black Dark Crema cigarettes? or Captain Black Gold pipe tobacco? this smells like them, if you love the smell of tobacco and honey, get this one, and I can smell it on my hand even after the shower :D really good stuff. I bought it cause I love the smell of tobacco and I've heard it has the same vibe as TF TV, I am not sure, I will get back to u when I received my TF TV sample :) Edited: I received the TF TV sample today, smelled it and It is sooooooo close to VT Mac, I can say if someone sprays them on the wrest and ask me to smell them, I can not distinguish them right away, MAC is more feminine but they are sooooo similar :D

I don’t usually do reviews; I don’t consider myself a strong enough authority to comment on something as subjective as a fragrance anyway. But this, I had to write about. This is stunning. As someone did mention, it smells like quite a dry rooibos tea infusion, and sometimes just that. Sometimes it’s combined with musk (from the body heat?) and sometimes it’s quite linearly just the herbal tea/menthol-y vibe. But it stays the entire freaking day. Like, one spray lasts me forever, even in peak summers (and nothing too cloying or gaggy even then) and I stay in India, so that’s sometimes upwards of 35 degrees. Gorgeous in every weather, and my signature scent. I wish it were still available; I could wear this all my life.

Velvet Teddy starts off kind of harsh with a really strong tobacco note, but it gets softened by a rich honey soon after...it makes me think of cigars drizzled with honey. The sweetness here is not overpowering though and I do get light florals and musk. This can easily be pulled off by any cowboy/girl. This is amazing in colder weather...it's like throwing a warm blanket over your shoulders. It is a shame that this has been discontinued. I hoarded as many bottles as I could. It lasts ages on my skin. On clothes, it stays until laundry day. For a fragrance put out by a glossy cosmetics company, I'm surprised at how rough-and-tumble this comes off. This is a love for me...I wish they would bring it back.

At first I get a strong tobacco note, with a little bit of sweetness to it. Then, maybe an hour later, the tobbaco is hardly there and I'm left with a very strong honey with spices scent. It has a good projection and in me lasted around 9 hours. I use it for afternoon to night ocassions, in the colder months (in fact i used it in the recent christmas eve). I really love it. Is rich, strong, sweet, balmy, deep. You have to like sweet fragances in order to enjoy this one. I do, so it's perfect for me. It feels like an expensive perfume, but is pretty affordable. the only drawback is that the cold seasons are very short where I live, so I won't have many chances to use it. Highly recommend it.

Stunning, stunning, stunning!!! This is extremely close to Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, but with a slightly softer, more feminine touch (I found TV to be a tad too masculine for my taste). This one is downright addictive for me. The first day I got it, I wore it out and about and I kept catching whiffs of it even through my mask. It seemed fairly linear on me throughout the wear, which was long on my skin, and I was not the least bit bummed at the lack of change. I'm not sure if it would ever wear off of my clothes if I didn't wash them. Fun thing to try, I layered VT with Kayali Vanilla 28 and I felt myself embraced in the most magical, warm, cozy bubble!