Sonoma Scent Studio Tabac Aurea: A Review and a Free Sample Drawing!

Tabac Aurea makes me feel like Bette Davis, devastatingly confident, bold and sultry, lounging on a velvet sofa, head tossed playfully back in enthusiastic laughter.

The soundtrack in my head are the lyrics to Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes -
Her hair is Harlow gold
Her lips sweet surprise
Her hands are never cold
She's got Bette Davis eyes

She'll turn the music on you
You won't have to think twice
She's pure as New York snow
She's got Bette Davis eyes

Tabac Aurea is a drop dead gorgeous tobacco fragrance. I think I’m transported to a Bette Davis’ frame of mind because Tabac Aurea is so well done it feels as if it’s vintage, from a time and place when there weren’t unnecessary restrictions on perfume ingredients, when fragrances were created slowly with utmost attention to detail, each one a work of art, each one crafted as if to stand the test of time, each bottle a small luxury to be treasured on a woman’s dresser.

And she'll tease you
She'll unease you
All the better just to please you
She's precocious
and she knows just
what it takes to make a pro blush
She's got Greta Garbo stand-off sighs
She's got Bette Davis eyes

She'll let you take her home (it whets her appetite)
She'll lay you on the throne
She's got Bette Davis eyes

“Aurea” is a latin word translating to mean “golden” in English. Tabac Aurea is a smooth blonde pipe tobacco scent blended with woods, refreshing earthy textures, amber, labdanum, leather, tonka and a smidge of vanilla knitting it all together. Some say they smell leather prominently but I don’t, this is all woody tobacco perfection for me. I find the quality of Sonoma Scent Studio fragrances easily on par with Serge Lutens. Yes, I’m serious. Particularly her woody notes, definitely remind me of the Lutens Bois series. Tabac Aurea is not smoky; this is fresh, unsmoked pipe tobacco, it is smooth, clean and refined. Laurie Erickson, the perfumer, treats the tobacco note as if it was a flower; a gorgeous golden tobacco flower unfurling atop a stem and leaves which are actually a cherry wood pipe.

She'll take a tumble on you
Roll you like you were dice
until you come up blue
She's got Bette Davis eyes

She'll expose you
when she snows you
off your feet with the crumbs she throws you
She's ferocious and she knows just what it takes to make a pro blush
All the boys think she's a spy
She's got Bette Davis eyes

Tabac Aurea is not solely a masculine – it’s effortlessly unisex. I’ve tried Tabac Aurea first as a sample – dabbed it on from a glass vial, then later, sprayed from the bottle. I was impressed with the fragrance from the vial but once sprayed it became apparent that the scent is over the top gorgeous. When sprayed, Tabac Aurea exhibits more of its cherry pipe tobacco quality and the ambery, spicy notes emerge more predominantly. The slight fruity notes are subtle but linger throughout. Ms. Erickson describes the perfume as having some sweetness and an overall golden aura and I definitely see that. Especially the golden nature, the aroma of Tabac Aurea wraps around me and recalls sitting outside on a warm, dry afternoon watching the sunset across a freshly hayed field.

And she'll tease you
She'll unease you
All the better just to please you
She's precocious and she knows just what it takes to make a pro blush
All the boys think she's a spy
She's got Bette Davis eyes

Important note! There will be a drawing for free samples of Sonoma Scent Studio Tabac Aurea. Please leave a comment with your email address to be entered into the drawing by Monday night (April 5th). I will randomly choose 2 lucky winners. I have carded samples directly from Sonoma Scent Studio but because I enjoyed spraying the scent so much I will also include a spray samples.

Please visit Sonoma Scent Studio online by clicking here

Notes: amber, woods, spices, tobacco, leather, tonka, labdanum, patchouli, and vanilla.