Needle in a Haystack. Perfume Review: Cherigan Fleurs de Tabac

My random sample pick of the day is Fleurs de Tabac by Cherigan. Finally I have unearthed from the dark depths of my samples chest a scent of utter obscurity. So obscure is Fleurs de Tabac that not only have I not been able to google up any information, but neither my H&R Guides nor Osmotheque have it, or the company that produced it, among their listings. The only proof that it has in fact once existed was an image on a carte parfumee from some long-ended listing on eBay. For a creation so obviously vintage, the fragrance in my vial, received from a fabulous fellow perfume lover, seems absolutely untouched by time. The initial accord is very intriguing. From afar, the scent at this stage smells of sweet pipe tobacco, a warm, enveloping, supremely comforting aroma. However, when I put my nose right to my wrist the smoky-floral, appealingly pungent scent of tobacco flowers becomes very apparent. After a while vetiver appears in its green-earthy glory, and when it does, Fleurs de Tabac becomes not altogether unlike Guerlain's witchy brew, Djedi. When the dry greenness subsides, the floral and tobacco overtones reappear, accompanied by amber, and the scent acquires a pleasantly powdery quality. Fleurs de Tobacco is a satisfyingly rich, opulent creation. If it were a fabric, it would be heavy, dark brown-green velvet with golden ornaments depicting intricate heraldic flowers. It has the kind of warm, nocturnal depth of which an old Guerlain scent would be proud, and the kind of bewitching strangeness that would not be out of place in a Serge Lutens collection of scents. In other words, it is absolutely gorgeous, and it makes me sad that this smoky and luscious beauty is so very hard, if not impossible, to find. To read about Ina's random sample pick, please visit Aromascope.