The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Tabacca opens with a crisp, direct hit of red apple that makes an immediate impression. The composition then reaches toward something warmer and more complex, with jasmine threading through tobacco the way light threads through a half-open door. Costamor's debut centers on the crop itself, not the smoke it produces, but the leaf in its raw, aromatic state. There's a freshness here that feels almost unexpected for a tobacco fragrance, a brightness that invites you in rather than overwhelming you. The jasmine doesn't compete with the tobacco for attention; instead it deepens the composition, adding an extra layer that rewards patience. The tobacco itself reads green and alive, more plant than product, and that distinction shapes the entire fragrance from top to drydown.
The real move here is the tincture of rose. Not rose oil, not rose absolute, tincture. That means rose steeped in alcohol, which carries a slightly different character: greener, less sweet, more like the actual plant pressed between pages. Paired with rose tea in the heart, it creates a floral presence that doesn't smell like a florist. It smells like tobacco that's been cured near a rose garden. The jasmine doesn't compete, it deepens. And the apple skin in the top notes does something unexpected: it makes the tobacco feel fresh, almost bright, before the warmth settles in.
The evolution
The opening hits fast with red apple, spice, and a quick tartness that catches you off guard before the tobacco fully arrives. The green tobacco asserts itself, not the smoke, but the living leaf. Jasmine comes in quietly, supporting rather than overwhelming. The rose tea is the quietest note, but it's doing the most work, smoothing the edges where tobacco might otherwise feel too heavy. Over time, the woody notes develop. Not heavy woods, something warmer, softer. The amber starts to emerge, holding the whole thing together. The sillage comes down from strong to intimate as the hours pass, but the fragrance remains present, amber and woods settling into skin like a memory of warmth. There's something clean and faintly sweet left on the wrist the next morning.
Cultural impact
Tabacca was discontinued at some point, then revived as Frank No. 3 by Frank Los Angeles. The rose-tobacco pairing gave it a character that stood apart from conventional masculine tobacco scents, with a distinctly feminine floral heart that drew attention. For those who encountered it, the fragrance offered a different way of thinking about tobacco in perfumery, showing how the material could be shaped by surrounding notes into something unexpected and memorable.
