The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Tobaccomore was conceived as a provocation. Annick Ménardo took the classic tobacco-saffron pairing, a perfumery staple, and pushed it toward something more. The name says it all: not just tobacco, but Tobaccomore. Excess by design, in line with the house's philosophy of combining unexpected materials with a clear sense of drama. For the Gold Collection, Ménardo created a statement piece, bold, unapologetic, and built to turn heads rather than blend in.
What makes this composition work is restraint within the opulence. The saffron doesn't overwhelm, it lights the fuse. The blond tobacco that follows is honeyed, almost vanillic in its sweetness, but grounded by labdanum's resinous depth. Patchouli keeps the base grounded in earth rather than sweetness. The result is a tobacco fragrance that refuses to be cozy, it's warm, yes, but with an edge that keeps it interesting long after the first spray.
The evolution
The opening announces itself immediately. Saffron's metallic, slightly medicinal brightness cuts through, no easing in, no gentle transition. For the first 30 minutes, that spiced edge dominates. Then the composition begins to shift. The blond tobacco arrives quietly but unmistakably, its honeyed, slightly vanillic character softening the saffron's sharpness. The base notes, labdanum and gurjan balsam, start to weave their resinous weight through the heart, creating a warm, balsamic undercurrent. By hour 4, the drydown settles into patchouli's earthy, intimate embrace. The projection becomes moderate, the sillage softer. What lingers is warm, close, and personal, the kind of drydown that rewards proximity over presence.
Cultural impact
Annick Ménardo's 2023 work for the Gold Collection marks a bold statement. Tobaccomore stands apart from safer tobacco flankers, offering something with real conviction and a willingness to provoke. It joins a lineage of fragrances that push tobacco into stranger territory, appealing to those who want their scent to make an argument rather than blend in.
