Tabacco Toscano

I received a sample a few weeks ago when travelling to their London shop and from my tiny 1ML bottle, the tobacco and vanilla smell creamy enough to eat! So having loved the scent but wanting to save a few pennies, I bought a used bottle on eBay, where the user told me she bought the perfume back in winter 2022 (the bottle is engraved and frosted compared to their more recent bottles that are clear with a sticky label). The 2022 bottle smells WILDLY different to my sample... It packs a heavier punch of musk and it's a lot less sweet than the recent sample I received. The tobacco note is hella smoky now. It almost smells historically otherworldly and vintage / old. I'm not sure which one I prefer because the longevity of the 2022 is also somehow worse than my more tame sample... Neither fragrance, new or old lasted me for more than 3 hours. I am also reading that SMN had a different formulation for Tabacco Toscano again *before* 2022 so I guess all I can recommend is when buying this perfume, be aware SMN tweak their perfumes ALOT! When reading reviews here, it's even more important to check the date of the review because the scent they're raving about might be different to the one you're buying today, despite being under the same name. I've even read Reddit reviews of someone buying the discovery set and enjoying Tabacco Toscano from that, so they bought a full bottle, only for the full bottle to smell different to their discovery set... both discovery set and 100ml bottle were seemingly purchased in the same year... (source: https://www.reddit.com/r/fragrance/comments/17bftqs/comment/k5lzvmg/?utm_name=web3xcss)

I work in Florence and often take my students to Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, so I've become quite familiar with the house's offerings. Most of the fragrances are "old school" classics, but Tobacco Tuscano is a stunner and its scent profile can definitely compete with contemporary contenders. The opening is fresh tobacco leaf with a touch of smokiness, sweetness, and smooth suede. On skin, the opening is quite fleeting but sprayed on clothes it lasts a bit longer. As Tobacco Tuscano dries down, powdery vanilla steps forward and is what makes this fragrance perfectly unisex. The overall combination is smooth and just a touch sweet—comforting and cozy. This is my favorite tobacco scent of all time and I've smelled many. The downside is definitely the longevity. I don't mind that it doesn't project, but because it's an eau de cologne concentration, it's not meant to be long-lasting. Bummer. I would love to see a stronger concentration option someday. It's full bottle worthy for me and I plan to pick it along with the accompanying body lotion. On a side note, if you plan to visit Florence you MUST visit Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. It's the oldest known pharmacy in Europe and is celebrating its 800 anniversary. There's a special dried floral display that is quite breathtaking. Display aside, it is a gorgeous building with an opulent interior and a rich history, and because it's a retail space, there's no entry free. The staff are also incredibly kind and knowledgeable, which is very often not the case in other retail establishments in Italy.

A perfect unisex offering from Santa Maria Novella. Tabacco Toscano offers only a few notes, but they’re well-balanced and beautiful. If you can find it, get it. It’s worth the price. I know its tobacco note is modeled after a type of cigar, but I don’t get much of a “traditional” tobacco scent. The vanilla, amber, and malt come together well for a classy, tasteful, pipe tobacco kind of scent that radiates. It’s warm. It’s cozy. What makes Tabacco Toscano unique in my collection is that it’s sweet without being sugary or terribly boozy - an unusual feat for vanilla fragrances in my experience. On me, Tabacco Toscano is an exceptional performer. It only requires two sprays and it stays on my skin until the following day. Apart from Maison Margiela’s By The Fireplace (which isn’t similar), it’s hard to imagine a fragrance more evocative of escaping cold weather and relaxing fireside with cider, glühwein, or coffee. To me, Tabacco Toscano is a cashmere sweater in an artisanal coffee shop or an après-ski chalet in Chamonix. It is worth mentioning though that Tabacco Toscano is not exclusively made for cold weather, I think the amber and malt combination gives off a musky vibe that makes it compatible for the warmer, sweatier months too - particularly at night. If you’re looking for an unusual vanilla scent that is classy, warm, inviting, and intriguing, Tabacco Toscano is a strong offering from a great house.

I have the SMN discovery set of 8 fragrances, and this was a completely unexpected standout for me. My only previous experience with a tobacco fragrance was with Maison Margiela Replica Jazz Club, which was a massive failure on me (two words: wet ashtray!). So I was quite nervous about Tabacco Toscano and sampled it thinking it would be another case of instant dislike. ...and happily, I was so wrong. This is light, spicy, and woody, with a touch of smoke and sweetness. Like the scent left on your clothes after standing around a bonfire, but lighter and a tad sweeter. If you’re like me and generally hesitant about tobacco fragrances, please try this one! I promise you will not smell like a chain smoker or a barbecue grill. It has an intimate sillage, so the scent sticks close to you, and it’s just soooo cozy and evocative of fall to me. Also, I do see a lot of men reviewing this and loving it, but I am a woman and I feel like I can wear this too. It’s truly unisex. It’s in the same general vein as soft, spicy, woodsy, vanillic scents like Diptyque Eau Duelle and MM Replica Whispers in the Library (sadly discontinued), which is what makes it so wearable in my opinion and why it appears to be such a crowd-pleaser. Contemplating a full bottle of this one, and god knows I don’t need any more full bottles right now!

This one has been a grower for me since I first tried the sample vial I purchased. I am now a proud owner of my first bottle. I'm a fan of some vanilla, sweet woody scents and the creaminess expressed by reviewers is what initially attracted me. I was indifferent but intrigued by the scent at first. It comes off as a bit of an aromatic tobacco leaf scent. If you dislike the smell of cigarettes but don't know what actual tobacco leaf smells like, I wouldn't turn away from this one. The tobacco mixes with the bergamot and brings a very creamy, sweet woody smell at the beginning. This initial bit evolves into this very smoky, woody base that accompanies the sweetness of tobacco leaf and the vanilla and begins to journey into a deeper and smokier base. The scent feels slightly gourmand to my nose — I believe this is due to the smokiness that the gaiac, cedar, birch, and sandalwood come together to evoke. I get a strong scent of smoked foods.... very akin to smoked meats or fish if you've ever had them served on a block of wood in addition to being smoked. Its not the smell of the actual meat but rather the taste and smell of that smoked barbecue/grill flavor. If you want this to last longer I recommend applying the body lotion underneath the scent. Each additional wear has me loving it more and more.