Dueling Dupes - Tobacco Vanille vs. Tobacco Touch (re-up'd)

Hey frag fam! Today's frag: Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille (Maison Alhambra Tobacco Touch) What can I say, Maison Alhambra has such balls to close copy not one, not two, but seven different fragrances from the Tom Ford private blend! With such cajones, I just had to throw this one in the dupe lineup against Tom Ford's highly successful and uber popular Tobacco Vanille. Let's see what we got!

Test sprays had TV project loud and strong. So sweet and masculine, I didn't want to overdo it in the warmer Florida climate. Six sprays spread out across chest and shoulders. I put our dupe on my left arm for our comparison wearing.

Doing a little research, I found Tobacco Vanille to be a 'linear' fragrance, having largely the same scent profile throughout the wear. And OMG, right out the gate it's a potent tobacco and vanilla scent, very upscale and mature. There are spice notes along the edges that contain and tame the raw power of the main accords. Without balance, this scent would become cloying and overwhelming. Thankfully, the blend is smoothly done and what I get is a wonderfully sophisticated, classy and mature fragrance. Tobacco Touch does its best to copy this profile with it's tobacco notes, but again, is unbalanced, favoring the sweetness from the vanilla and the spices playing more of an NPC role rather than a supporting actor...

Throughout the wear, it was Tobacco Touch that was trying to keep up with Tobacco Vanille. TV's projection was much louder and its longevity was much longer than the dupe. Both scents dried down with the tobacco and vanilla notes, but TV anchored them with a woody base that continued its overall sophistication through to the end of the wear. TT petered out with a sticky sweet cinnamon like base.

Tobacco Vanille I feel is more for the mature, refined gentleman. It's tobacco scent is smooth and refined while vanilla adds depth and character. Definitely a scent suitable in the colder months only. It could be worn during the day, but leans more toward the nighttime. Also, I see this in more formal settings, like at an upscale bar or wine club or to a formal dinner event. Longevity is beastly, 10+ hrs.

Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille 30ml Retail: 180 USD, My Cost 30 USD (I love raffles!!)

Maison Alhambra Tobacco Touch 80ml: 21 USD

Final Verdict: Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille is an excellent sweet tobacco fragrance. Smooth and sophisticated, the scent exudes gentlemanly class and refinement. Expertly blended, it is a projection and longevity beast. It's versatility is limited, but I don't think that was Tom Ford's intention. While Tobacco Touch does a decent job of copying, it's lopsided mixture and tendency to overplay the sweet accords sets it apart from TV. In the end, it transitions into a basic sweet, vanilla-y scent. An all-to-familiar drawback for Tom Ford fragrances is the price tag. An overall excellent, but pricey, blend, the Joe Average take, grab a decant to see if you want to splurge on a full bottle. It's a top tier scent for very specific settings. Score 9/10

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