Tobacolor by Dior

It is not my style. If it were under the Maison Margiela Replica label, it would be called ‘Shoddy Bar’. It smells like that: walking into a place full of smokers mixed with sweat, beer, ashtrays and remnants of honey dessert with a fruity aftertaste. It is not what I imagined with those notes, something sweet and sexy vanilla-tobacco. No, it is a harsh, wild, rancid and hostile tobacco, and those sweet notes instead of softening it make it seem more dense, murky and heavy. I imagine several people smoking and dining and that strong smell reaching your whole face. For those accustomed to such places or who are smokers, it will be familiar and pleasant. For me, not at all.

Not my style. If this were a Maison Margiela Replica, it would be called ‘Shabby Chic’. It smells like that: a place full of smokers mixed with sweat, beer, ashtrays, and remnants of honeyed dessert with a fruity aftertaste. Not what I expected with those notes, something sweet and sexy vanilla-tobacco. It’s a harsh, wild, rancid, and hostile tobacco; the sweet notes instead of softening it make it feel more dense, murky, and heavy. I imagine people smoking and dining with that strong scent all over their face. For those accustomed to such places or smokers, it will be familiar and pleasant. To me, nothing.

Many of my favourites have tobacco, like Naxos, Herod or Code, but this Tobacolor, at least on my skin, smells of pipe tobacco at the beginning. Although it later evolves into something pleasant, fruity, ambered and sweet, I find it impossible to wear.

Dior’s Tobacolor with notes of plum, tobacco leaf, tonka bean, hay, peach, honey, licorice, mate, rum, flouve odorante, chocolate, and narguileh accord. I wanted to revisit the classic composition of a ‘tobacco’ creating a surprising trail around the paradox of a cold narguile. I enveloped the smokiness of the tobacco with sweet, fruity, and warm, cheerful notes. Tobacolor is as powerful as it is cheerful. It’s an enveloping fragrance, comfortably nostalgic.

From the very first moment, it’s clear that Tobacolor has no intention of being subtle. The initial hit is undeniably sweet, like burying your nose in a jar of thick, golden natural honey. That honey intertwines with a dry tobacco leaf, evoking a box of sealed Cuban cigars. The tobacco notes are rich and evocative, almost tactile, like the smell of a cigar in a dark wood library, without becoming overwhelming. As it settles on the skin, the smoky notes emerge slowly, adding depth and texture to the constant honey and tobacco. The smoky touch feels like the soft smoke of a pipe or freshly extinguished cigar, rounding off the sweetness without making it excessive. As hours pass, other fruity notes appear timidly, like plum or peach, adding a fruity twist, almost like a dried fruit infusion. Although it seems designed for cold nights or formal events, Tobacolor has surprising versatility. Despite its sweet and smoky profile, it doesn’t feel oppressive, allowing use in informal moments if the weather is suitable. The fresh touches of amber and musk soften it enough to avoid weighing it down, although definitely not for warm months. It’s an autumn and winter fragrance, perfect for those who enjoy intense perfumes but don’t want something excessively dense or cloying. Compared to other tobacco scents, Tobacolor feels more fruity than Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, which tends more towards spice and vanilla. Tobacolor opts for a more natural sweetness and less gourmand, making it less enveloping but more refreshing. Among similar perfumes, Herod by Parfums de Marly could be an easier option to wear, with tobacco softened by a warm base, although it doesn’t offer the same fruity touch. In terms of performance: strong projection in the first hours, evident trail. Longevity very good, over eight hours, with a musky base that keeps the fragrance alive until the end. Tobacolor is not for those who prefer fresh or discreet fragrances, but it’s a must-have for aficionados of tobacco in perfumery.

Tobacolor is an oriental fragrance based on tobacco with sweet and smoky nuances. The first minutes you feel a prominent and harsh tobacco that is slightly balanced by the honey and plum. At the same time, you feel a quite smoky aroma from the tobacco inspired by a narguile or shisha, which also reminds me slightly of an electronic cigarette. It’s an oriental interpretation of tobacco with a complex and distinct aroma that might not please everyone, as it’s intense, slightly dark, and can saturate. In the dry down, the honey and plum feel more prominent and the smoky point of the tobacco decreases, but the tobacco continues until the end. The longevity is 6 to 8 hours with intense projection for the first 3 hours.

The notes are incredibly clear. It’s unisex, but I enjoy it more on men. As an aesthetician who works with waxing wax, I must admit it smells a bit like that wax or nail varnish. There are plenty of men’s fragrances that mimic this scent. It’s good, but it doesn’t drive me wild.

What can I say about this beauty? I own over 100 fragrances, almost all high-quality and reasonably priced. Tobacolor is simply the best I have ever smelled in my life. Namaste.

My first impressions are that it smells strongly of shisha tobacco, which is usually mixed with fruit. It’s rich, but I don’t see it as suitable for everyone.

I’m combining my decant review with the full bottle I’ve now purchased: At first, it smells intensely of honey (yes, lots of it), but the tobacco is also detectable, resulting in a quite distinguishable tobacco/honey/pure blend. Yes, it still retains a gourmand quality, but for me, this definitely falls into the tobacco category rather than the synthetic ‘sour strawberry’ vibe of Red Tobacco (despite its potency). I later sampled Tom Ford Tobacco Oud by Divain and it is very similar. I wore it while eating (one must do other things as well…) and it was as if I were taking puffs from a pipe while dining x’DD. It has already lasted several hours without fading, so I am quite pleased. €128 for 40ml seems excessive… but I absolutely love it.

I smelled it out of curiosity and it seemed like a blast of tobacco to me 😅. I passed the bottle to my friend to smell and she heaved a retch… then lots of laughter, I don’t know… intoxicating.

I sniffed it out of curiosity and it smelled like a blast of tobacco 😅. I passed the bottle to my friend to give it a whiff, and she gagged… then there were many laughs, I don’t know… intoxicating.

The king of tobacco on my skin: smells like pipe tobacco sweetened with pure honey. I love it more than Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille; here the tobacco shines on its own. Brutal projection and all-day longevity without a touch-up.

TOBACOLOR BY CHRISTIAN DIOR: Here, harmony is key. It blends bitter, raw tobacco with a just-right, sweet honey. The result is a naturally and very sexy scent. Perfect for dates, nocturnal, sophisticated and refined. It is one of the most brilliant unisex fragrances I have tried; it works on both men and women, highlighting each with its own magic. In my life, few perfumes have achieved this effect on both genders. It is a fabulous, outstanding and captivating aroma. Scent: 10. Projection: good (4 sprays, 3 hours). Longevity: good (10 hours). Recommended.

Heavy, sweet, cloying and very dense… but rich. It opens very sweet, with a slight citrus that dissipates quickly leaving an ultra-powerful and marked honey halo. There is a lot of honey, very realistic, accompanied by tobacco notes that are not the protagonists. The name Tobacolor is misleading because the honey plays a super relevant role and the tobacco is always in the background, dry, like a cigar box, but at the bottom. In the dry down it is very ambered, very slightly spiced and with a dark part that gives it class. It is gourmand, do not expect an ultra-masculine scent (it tends towards feminine for me). In fact, it has that part of Lu’s Yayitas honey biscuits, absolutely delicious. Even a bit of toffee with a lactonic touch reminiscent of Black Phantom. Pity it loses charm as it dries and links with Kilian. Update: it has a little bit of original Angel (Mugler) and the honey note is spot on with Serge Lutens’ Bois de Miel. Good longevity and projection. I liked it. After Fève Délicieuse (also feminine), it is my favourite in the collection.