J’s image of Headspace Parfums Tabac
Headspace Parfums just released a quintet of extraits all composed by one of my favourite perfumers, Julien Rasquinet. Each extrait is bottled in a minimalist 50ml size adorned with a black label, keeping the same flacon design as the 100ml eau de perfume bottles. The new extrait 50ml flacons each hold one of the iconic ingredients used in perfumery, in this case tobacco. But Tabac’s headspace element, coffee beans giving this classic a twist. Headspace Parfums Tabac sets itself apart from the other tobacco fragrances out there as Julien Rasquinet sets a mood and composes a head-space where Tabac’s story reveals itself slowly, like an intriguing novel that is hard to put down.
Headspace Parfums new extrait collection (Oud, Tabac, Safran, Champaca, Acacia) courtesy of the house
Liquorice glows with ginger spice; it’s like inhaling a spark with a soft char of smooth rounded clove sizzling like an ember. A match struck with a gentle metallic zing, its spices shimmer as the enveloping scent of freshly brewed black coffee joins the air as you exhale into a room darkened with the aroma of open bags of coffee beans and letting the of previous cups of coffee still haunting the space around you merge into one. Headspace Parfums Tabac draws you in, wrapping you in its inviting aura as woody vanilla facets tempt you with a creamy sweetness. Dry nutty aromas with subtle leathery undertones give Tabac a mysterious allure (who’s that stranger dressed in dark tones sitting in the corner)? It’s hard to keep your eyes and nose off this visitor as more facets are slowly revealed. Tabac has a warmth you want to sink into, like a black cup of coffee, yet that suave aloofness eludes us, making us want to know it more.
Nicolas Chabot and Senior perfumer Julien Rasquinet of CPL Aromas courtesy of the house.
Tabac’s golden glow is irresistible as it starts to dry down, it’s a familiar feel yet one I can’t get enough of. One of my favourite things to do in the past, back when I smoked was to sit in or rather outside coffee shops and read a book enjoyed with a coffee and cigarette (P.S. I still enjoy this sans cigarettes, smoking is bad for you kids!). Julien Rasquinet has captured that memory for me here in Tabac, he sketches the soft aromas that swirl around a coffee shop as fresh beans are ground and extracted for their dark delight, as the conversations soften into a murmur as you get lost in the pages of your book letting the gentle aromas of fresh cigarettes and coffee wash over you. Tonka bean and hay conjure a stunning tobacco texture as if you’re reaching into a pouch about to roll a cigarette, there’s a soft dry rolling papery feel that’s gives a lovely contrast to the almost powdery tobacco from hay and velvety tonka bean that pushed more vanillic.
courtesy of the house.
The ginger from the opening gets creamier as it’s stirred like milk into the tonka bean that teases out some of its gingerbread warmth. Think of the velvety texture of a latte’s foam as it touches your lips and you will know how Tabac feels on your skin and in the air around you. There’s a dark flowing warm sensation enveloping you, drawing you in as get lost in your book drowning out the afternoon’s noise. A dusting of chocolate whispers as more vanilla is revealed, letting the subtle tobacco leaf smoke keep you warm like your favourite leather jacket. You sense the soft ember of clove still burning deep, darkened but not ashy. Tabac keeps that delicious fresh tobaccos cigarillo feel throughout the wear.
courtesy of the house
More coffee aromas are released like a new bag has been torn open, you feel it’s presence softly, like it’s in the air, rather than having your nose in the bag. Subtle floral aromas add to the quiet complexity with flickers of stone fruits off in the distance. The openings nuttiness is smoothed out by the creamy tonka bean and vanilla with a kiss of caramel giving Tabac a soft ambery feel. Julien Rasquinet uses ambroxan in a rather clever way here, not only for its cosy warmth but also it gives a stunning atmosphere to Tabac. It has a subtle density that gives weight to the composition, that beautiful mix of steam and coffee as it merges with smoke as fresh coffee is brewed. Tonka bean gives Tabac a suave feel, hinting at Fougères, I sense a touch of a lavender aromatic freshness haunting the rich tobacco and woody vanilla aroma. The hay enhances this feeling while making Tabac glow on my skin.
Coffee and Cigarettes IMDB (2003) movie clip
Tabac doesn’t shout, rather it wraps you and those around in a dark, relaxed cloud, one that’s comforting yet rich with a reassuring endless depth you want to sink into. It makes me feel at home when I wear it, something which I’ve been doing all lot since I received it; it feels like me, my memories and also how I’d like to be perceived. It’s cozy and sweet yet with an allure of mystery cloaked in a soft haze of coffee darkness. Beautiful work by Julien Rasquinet- classy, refined and suave.
Notes: Anise, Ginger, Cloves Heart, Coffee (Headspace), Hay, Tonka Bean Base, Tobacco Leaf, Ambrox, Vanilla.
Disclosure: Headspace Parfums Tabac was sent to J for review, thoughts and nose are his own.
-J Wearescentient, Senior Editor artist & olfactive writer
Headspace Parfums Tabac courtesy of the house.
Thanks to the generosity of Headspace Parfums we have a 50ml bottle of Tabac for a registered reader in the EU (EXCEPT FRANCE) or US. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on J’s review of Tabac and where you live. Draw closes 10/22/2025
Headspace Tubéreuse was a Finalist for the 2023 Fragrance Foundation France Awards: Best Perfume from an Independent Brand. Enjoy J’s review of Kirsch which was in his top 10 of 2023 along with reviews of Rose, Cedre and Santal.
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Headspace Parfums are available on the brand’s website, and fine stockists worldwide
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