Tobacco Rose, a creation by Papillon’s Liz Moores from 2014, was one of my favorite discoveries of 2019. As a rose fragrance lover, I knew early on there may be something special about this one. I had entertained the idea of purchasing it for months after having tested it a few times from a free sample – I simply couldn’t get it out of my mind. So, I decided to give this to myself as a Christmas gift.
A slightly tart and pungent opening reveals a realistic and verdant rose that brings all of the flower’s components to mind- stems, leaves, thorns, and even the soil it grows from – as mentioned by Liz Moores herself – in addition to the petals.
Despite the fragrance’s name and multi-faceted depth, I don’t detect any smoky notes that remind me of tobacco. In fact, to me this is a bright albeit sultry rose with no sweetness or softness in sight. It is bold and seductive.
The beeswax conveys an elegant roundness and makes the rose luscious, enveloping, and velvety. This isn’t a delicate rose scent but the queen of rose fragrances. It is regal, domineering, confident – a fragrance that wants it all.
This is a rose scent that is natural, but also highly versatile, with its contrasts of dark and bright nuances – a sensual chiaroscuro. These opposing qualities may be conveyed by the two different rose types used in the composition, the spicier Bulgarian rose and the brighter Rose de Mai. Unlike other classic rose scents this doesn’t contain musk and patchouli but its dry, mineral, and earthy quality is added by oakmoss, ambergris, and hay.
The fragrance notes appear below, as listed on the box of my own bottle and on the Papillon website:
Bulgarian Rose, Rose de Mai, Oakmoss, Beeswax, Hay, Ambergris.
I reviewed the fragrance after sniffing multiple times from my personal samples and bottle.
Tobacco Rose is available as Eau de Parfum in 50 ml bottles.
Photo by Sarah.
