LES INDEMODABLES
VANILLE HAVANE

2020

PERFUMER
Antoine Lie

Tobacco
Rum
Cocoa
Vanilla
Dried Fruits
Amber
Leather
Jasmine
Floral Notes

While Vanille Havane is one of many in a field of sweet tobacco fragrances, it’s definitely a unique take on it. Straight from the opening the name seems misleading, as you get a very clear chocolate scent, rather than vanilla. More importantly perhaps, is the way the tobacco comes across.

Vanille Havane is not similar in any way to the Herods, Tobacco Vanilles and Enigmas of this world, but opts for a slightly dirty, acrid, boozy tobacco that seems to have more in common with the works of Prin like Strangers Parfumerie Burning Ben and Cigar Rum Intense.

It does however, go fully sweet and it’s not a challenging scent profile, just not a cozy, comforting one for many people either I presume. This is underlined when the leathery aspects come through more in the drydown. The leather is quite pronounced and very dry and it’s combined with the dried fruitiness and a sugary sweetness. A couple of hours in I mostly smell a benzoin-esque, linear and strong drydown in the style of Amouage Material.

All that being said, I do get a brighter tinge too, acting like a ray of sunshine over this composition. It’s the element that I can’t quite grasp in Vanille Havane; to my nose it smells a bit plasticy and balmy; reminiscent of the effect in Papillon’s Anubis, although much less pronounced in Vanille Havane.

Vanille Havane is unique and lovely. In the past days I’ve tested it in high heat, which might not be the best timing for it, but in colder weather it will absolutely shine. Have you tried it yet?