Fragrance Review: Tabac Rose By BDK Parfums

A small table for two, soft piano twinkling in the background, you and your sweetheart getting lost in each other's eyes. This romantic evening includes a candlelight dinner, slow dancing, and their head on your chest sniffing your newest fragrance.

Luscious plum, velvety rose, and dark chocolate, an aphrodisiac for the senses. This is Tabac Rose by BDK: a sophisticated, seductive scent that should come with its own Barry White soundtrack. This elegant elixir is unlike many fragrances on the market today.

Who Is Behind It?

Tabac Rose was created by expert perfumer Julien Rasquient. Julien has 162 fragrances under his belt at the time of publishing this article. Some of his other creations include Royal Oud by Creed, Enclave by Amouage, and Russian Tea by Masque Milano.

Note Breakdown:

Tabac Rose by BDK Parfums is an extrait de parfum.

Top notes: Italian lemon, pink pepper, plum

Middle notes: Cinnamon, chocolate, Turkish rose

Base notes: Labdanum, patchouli, tobacco

"Tobacco Rose [noun] 1 - A velvety rose blended with note of tobacco, with praline facets. 2 – A mysterious, powerful, and generous elixir. 3 – A blend of the most beautiful musks and spices, enhanced with a citrus note. 4 – Layers of pink, red, purple, and golden highlights."

Packaging: 

Tabac Rose by BDK comes in a dark blue box with gold lettering and a pencil-thin gold border. The front of the box shows the name of the house, the fragrance, and the notes in French. One side of the box has a small description (which we translated from French to English just above this paragraph) and the other side has a lip used to open the box like a drawer, revealing the bottle.

When you slide open the side of the box, you are greeted by the clear rectangular bottle of Tabac Rose with its large gold cap. The bottle sits tightly nested in a foam cut-out.

The bottle of Tabac Rose is quite hefty and features a label in the same colours as the box but with raised areas that remind me of a topography map. The liquid inside is gold and so is the atomizer under the large rounded square gold cap.

Opening:

Rich plum, dusty rose, and a hint of sweet pipe tobacco fill the air. The rose isn't sweet or overly floral like other rose-based fragrances; rather, it smells like old love letters that have been tucked away in a wooden chest in the corner of an attic. It has a vintage appeal that is somewhat familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on what it reminds me of.

Once the mist begins to settle, I detect a faint hint of citrus and pink pepper. It's there, but it lies under the other scents in the opening.

Development: 

Tabac Rose begins to transform within a few moments after spraying. The dusty rose is met with cinnamon sweetness, a hint of baking spice, smokiness, and dark chocolate. The sweet tobacco note lingers as well, but it has fallen into the background as new notes emerge.

The dark chocolate note has a slight bitterness reminiscent of cocoa nibs. This combined with the dusty rose note reminds me of fancy Valentine's Day chocolates, not the sickening sweet mass-produced cheap stuff that comes in heart-shaped boxes.

Drydown:

Patchouli becomes very noticeable. There's an oud-like smokiness, likely the labdanum/patchouli/tobacco mix, that develops and envelops the other notes. This makes me think of a jazz bar from the 1950s where a lone pianist plays to the last few couples on the dance floor just before closing time.

The dark chocolate and rose are still there. The rose has become jammy and the chocolate remains dark. There's also a sweet cinnamon spice that drifts in and out every so often.

Performance:

With two sprays directly to my neck and chest (and some on my shirt), Tabac Rose radiated well beyond an arms length. It remained like this for close to 2 hours before slowing down to an arms-length.

This powerhouse was going strong even after 8 hours from the initial spray. By the 12th hour it started to lose a bit of steam, becoming a skin scent and remaining that way throughout the night, although the next morning I could still smell it on my skin and on my shirt from the prior day.

Tabac Rose is an eternal scent that will remain on your clothes for a few days. If you plan on wearing it, apply it directly to your skin or an undershirt.

When To Wear Tabac Rose By BDK Parfums:

Tabac Rose is best suited for the colder months in fall and winter, although it could be worn in early spring as well. Because of its darker, almost sultry, composition, it works better as an evening fragrance.

Because of the dusty rose, chocolate, and spices in the composition, Tabac Rose is a great choice for a date night fragrance. It should be reserved for special events like anniversaries and romantic evenings on the town. It is too potent and polarizing to wear to the office.

Who Is This Fragrance For?

Tabac Rose is a unisex fragrance that leans slightly feminine. Men can definitely pull it off, but it may not appeal to those who gravitate towards more traditional masculine scents. Younger people may find this fragrance to smell dated, but older generations may find nostalgia in the powdery rose and sweet tobacco notes.

If you are daring or like to try unique scents, grab a tester of this first before committing to a full bottle. This is not a fragrance you want to blind buy as it will set you back a few hundred dollars.

Overall Thoughts On Tabac Rose by BDK Parfums:

If you are looking for seduction in a bottle, Tabac Rose by BDK should be on your list. The complex blend of plum, rose, incense, cinnamon, and dark chocolate creates an alluring scent perfect for romance. Sensual and deep, it is a fragrance that will send you on an olfactory journey from first spray.

Interested In Other Fragrance Reviews? Check Out:

Upper Class by Royal Crown - What Cary Grant would wear if he was alive today.

Duro by Nasomatto -  Refined masculinity. Dark and mysterious with rugged appeal.

Liqueur BPM by L'Orchestre Parfum - Imagine walking into a fine cigar humidor with a cognac based cocktail in hand.

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