Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille has been the default answer to "what is a good tobacco fragrance" since 2007. Maison Crivelli just launched Tobacco Carnaval to take that spot.
They are both tobacco. They are not the same idea at all.
The one-line difference
Tobacco Vanille is tobacco made cosy. Vanilla, tonka, dried fruit and cacao wrapped around the leaf. Warm, thick, comforting, almost edible.
Tobacco Carnaval is tobacco made boozy. Tobacco leaf steeped in rum with a fruity liqueur edge. Sharper, wetter, more like a drink than a dessert.
Side by side
| Tobacco Vanille | Tobacco Carnaval | |
|---|---|---|
| House | Tom Ford | Maison Crivelli |
| Launched | 2007 | 2026 |
| Perfumer | Olivier Gillotin | Quentin Bisch |
| Notes | Tobacco, vanilla, cacao, tonka, dried fruits, spices | Tobacco leaf, infused rum, fruity liqueur |
| Concentration | Not published | 32%, published |
| UK price | £395 / 100ml | £220 / 50ml, £375 / 100ml |
| Aromara version | Tobacco Vanilla, £40, in stock | Carnivale, £40, waitlist |
What the reviews actually say
Tobacco Vanille is a modern classic. Nineteen years on it still gets bought, still gets recognised, still gets called cloying by people who find it too sweet. It is a love or hate scent and most people love it.
⚠️ Tobacco Carnaval has a problem in its reviews and it is worth knowing before you spend £220. It scores 3.97 out of 5 from 170 Fragrantica votes, which is fine but not remarkable for a top-of-line launch. The complaint that keeps coming up is that it smells like a conventional sweet tobacco at a niche price, with Mancera Red Tobacco named repeatedly as the comparison.
Mancera Red Tobacco is £160. Tobacco Carnaval is £220 for less liquid. If reviewers are right that they are in the same territory, that is a hard sell.
We make a Red Tobacco version too: Crimson Tobacco, £40. If you want to test that theory cheaply, buy both 5ml samplers and decide for yourself.
Which should you buy
Buy the Tobacco Vanille direction if you want warmth, you wear fragrance in autumn and winter, you like vanilla and sweet gourmands, or you want the tobacco everyone recognises.
Buy the Tobacco Carnaval direction if you already own a vanilla tobacco and want something with more edge, you like boozy notes, or you want something new that nobody else has.
The £40 versions of both
- Tobacco Vanilla, our Tobacco Vanille. In stock, £40 for 50ml. 22 bottles in the last 90 days, 4.6 stars. Tom Ford charge £395.
- Carnivale, our Tobacco Carnaval. In build, waitlist open. Crivelli charge £220.
Both at 35% Extrait. Crivelli publish 32% on theirs, which we respect, they are one of the only houses that prints a number at all. Tom Ford publish nothing.
Try both for £13.98
Two 5ml samplers, same 35% juice as the full bottles. Against £615 to buy both originals.
Or build a 5ml x5 starter set for £24.99 and add Crimson Tobacco, Tobac Oud and Golden Honey to run a proper tobacco flight.
Full ranking: best tobacco perfume dupes UK.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tobacco Carnaval like Tobacco Vanille?
Both are tobacco-led but they go different ways. Tobacco Vanille is sweet and creamy with vanilla, tonka and cacao. Tobacco Carnaval is boozy, built on tobacco leaf infused with rum.
Which is more expensive?
Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille is £395 for 100ml. Maison Crivelli Tobacco Carnaval is £220 for 50ml or £375 for 100ml. Per millilitre they are close.
What concentration is Tobacco Carnaval?
Maison Crivelli publish 32% extrait, which is unusual, most houses publish nothing. Tom Ford do not publish a figure for Tobacco Vanille.
Is there a cheaper alternative?
Aromara makes Tobacco Vanilla for the Tom Ford and Carnivale for the Crivelli, both £40 for 50ml at 35% Extrait.
Does Tobacco Carnaval smell like Mancera Red Tobacco?
Several Fragrantica reviewers say it sits in the same territory. Mancera Red Tobacco is £160. We make a version of that one too, Crimson Tobacco, at £40.
Related reading
- Best tobacco perfume dupes UK
- Is Tobacco Carnaval worth £220?
- Tobacco Vanille, the scent that made niche mainstream
- Best Maison Crivelli dupes UK
Aromara is an independent UK fragrance brand. All scents are original creations inspired by well-known designer fragrances. No affiliation with Tom Ford, Maison Crivelli or Mancera. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
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