Best Tabac Tabou by Parfum d'Empire Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

An ancient king named Yuvanaswa had great wealth, good fortune and many queens. But no children, which he wanted more than anything. So the sages prepared a magic potion to bestow a mighty son upon whomever drank it, which awkwardly turned out to be the thirsty king, instead of the queens it was intended for. The baby was delivered by cutting a hole through the king’s thigh, and the breastfeeding conundrum was solved by the god Indra, who slit his own thumb to feed the child with life-giving nectar. And that’s why babies, born with the memory of their divine ancestors, still suck their thumbs.

Thumbsucker illuminates this legend with the narcotic flower power of narcissus, melding its dirty floral appeal with animalic honey. A vintage violet drifts through a comforting cloud of leathery styrax balsam and candle wax.

“Živeli” (ZHEE-vuh-lee) is a common Serbian toast used to wish good health and a long life. In this extrait, a juicy burst of plum brandy melts into a leathered tobacco, encapsulating a celebratory night out with friends. Giddy joy is further fluffed by cherry and raspberry notes, while the leather aspect is warmed by honey, saffron and labdanum.

This composition is 24% parfum concentration, with 70% natural ingredients. Capped in Mexican Riviera Gray marble in a delicately etched glass bottle.

New 2019 packaging: crimped spray (as opposed to the previous design of screw-on self assembly spray).

Perfumer: Bertrand Duchaufour.

Or du  Sérail exudes almost gooey intoxicating sweetness of a cigar soaked in rum with hints of candied fruit and honey at the edges.

You can relate to this perfume if you ever discovered that secret cupboard your grandma kept spice, vanilla, honey, cognac, candied oranges and chocolate among other fragrant treasures reserved for festive cake making. When you finally locate it, you just linger at the open door and marvel at the rich, sweet aromas, before checking if there’s anything worth secretly tasting. 

Tobacco, very much present in the formula probably stands for the antic cabinet itself. 

The Sniff on Au de Serail:

"There is a sugared, decadent and festive tone about the start of the scent without a doubt. The feeling that it evokes is of a Victorian Christmas celebration; opening a giant box of Christmas sweets and staring at the amassed rows of candied fruit lying in their little compartments, the jewelled colours glinting in the light of the log fire."

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Perfumer: Christophe Raynaud accepted the challenge of translating into a perfume the soft and sensual voice of Marvin Gaye singing Sexual Healing…

Perfumer: Julien Rasquinet

Touchable, lickable, snuggable: that’s you after a misting of this sexy suede. A rich resinous leather blend, laced with wisps of chocolatey immortelle.

Moonlight on wet cobblestones. A bottle of white wine in the pocket of a suede coat. White flowers and kissed skin. Cherries and cigarette smoke linger on warm hair. The punks are in charge.

Perfumer: Nicolas Beaulieu

Conjuring the complexity of iced absinthe where the balance of heady wormwood and fresh ozonic greenery surrounds violet leaf for a seductive euphoric tone. This is set against a dark aromatic base that is smooth and warming. The head-turning diffusion of sweetened leathers and earthy woods offers a contemporary enticing edge.

Taiji, the symbol of Yin and Yang, refers here to the light and dark facets of the narcissus flower. This complex floral shimmers between the green of freshly-snapped stems and an animalic honey facet. Narcisse Taiji is a darkly luminous wonder, its narcotic allure underscored with leather and patchouli accents.

Perfumer: Marie Hugentobler