Tobacco Collection Intense Dark Exclusive by Zara

It’s a clone of Carolina Herrera’s 212 VIP MEN, or at least it hits the same DNA. Smells great for winter with a subtle trail. Notes of green apple and tobacco. A cheap option for the cold. 7/10

Rich aroma with good longevity of 5 to 6 hours, but it has become very similar to CH 212 VIP MEN, lacking the passionfruit note.

Aroma practically identical to Carolina Herrera’s 212 VIP. Like all Zara perfumes, quality goes hand-in-hand with the low price, but they offer good taste.

For the price, you can’t expect more. In two words: dispensable yet pleasant. You need to spray 15-20 times on skin and clothes to generate a trail, but it projects no more than a meter. With that, after 30 minutes, it’s skin scent. I insist, for the price, you can’t ask for more; you’ll need to reapply every 1-2 hours. The aroma is very good: tobacco, apple, and a hint of mint. Final note: 7/10

It’s simply very good, tobacco/apple.

These are first impressions, not a full review. In my country, it’s spring with 30-degree heat, so I won’t test it thoroughly, but I’ve used it on nights after a shower. What I perceive most is the tobacco and a fresh fruity note, which I assume is the apple, sustained by a non-invasive vanilla (I appreciate it, even though it’s not one of my favorite notes). In the initial, mid, and final phases, what stands out is the tobacco and vanilla, making it hard to distinguish other notes, though a very attenuated fresh touch remains. I think it’s a good option for winter, intermediate seasons, and summer nights below 25 degrees; that fresh touch makes it more versatile. It lasted about 6 hours with 3 or 4 sprays and projected moderately for at least 1 or 2 hours. I’ll test it more to properly evaluate performance, but given the price and the mentioned performance, I’m satisfied. I liked it a lot from the first spray, and that initial fresh touch gives it a plus that I adored.

It doesn’t smell exactly like 212 Vip, but it’s incredibly close; a top-tier option at an absurd price, especially since it comes as a duo with RWA, which is Zara’s king for me. Average performance. The 212 Vip scent is already very well-known, so its ubiquity is obvious, and in my opinion, it loses freshness over the years; it’s not timeless like Versace Pour Homme, for example. Totally worth it for the quality-price ratio. God’s plan 🦉

It caught me off guard: I wore it with Roch Warm Addictive (a total disappointment) and I loved this one. It’s very masculine, fresh, and woody, with nothing outdated. The fixations and trail could be better, but for the price, it’s worth it.

Lately, I’ve been trying low-cost fragrances, and honestly, they haven’t failed me; some have even caught me off guard. With this Zara Tobacco Intense Dark Exclusive, it smells good, though it’s not a rocket ship in projection, you can tell. You have to reapply every 2 or 3 hours because the trail is very faint. It reminds me of 212 VIP, but this one hooks me more… they aren’t identical, they follow the same line. It would be great if it were more potent and long-lasting, and for the price, it’s a mistake not to have it. I’ll buy another because I liked it, and since it runs out quickly due to reapplications, I think they designed it that way so you keep buying it. Scent: 8.0, Projection: 4.0, Longevity: 6-8h max (4-5h on skin).

I picked it up yesterday, buying blindly based on the reviews circulating on social media. The first impression is good, it has a nice opening, and it reminds me a lot of Halloween Man by Jesús del Pozo. In the end, after 2 hours on skin, it leaves a slight resemblance to CH’s 212 VIP. If you’re expecting beastly duration and projection, count on it not being so. But in terms of price-performance, it delivers on the 3 Bs: Good, Beautiful, and Cheap.

I’ve already received several compliments with this fragrance; it was a blind buy due to the good comments on Zara’s Tobacco collection. On my skin, it had excellent performance. It’s very similar to 212 VIP, but as it dries down, I feel it’s more mature, dark, and less youthful. PS: I think I’ll buy another bottle before they discontinue it or alter its composition (Zara are specialists in this).

Super rich. Smells like Carolina Herrera 212 VIP but with a juicier, more elegant opening. Once it dries down, it’s 98% identical to the original. The trail and longevity are similar, maybe just a tiny bit shorter. Like everything from Zara, the price is an absolute steal, though it’s not eternal. For about $18, it’s worth it if you can’t quite afford the real deal. Verdict: Scent 9.5/10, trail 7/10, longevity 7/10, price 10/10. Final score 8.3. If 212 VIP is too pricey, this is the best option.

If you’re looking for something similar to 212 VIP without a doubt, Natura Amò is the most faithful. It’s the clone at an unbeatable price. Either you buy the 100ml 212 VIP, or for the same money, you get five 75ml bottles of Natura Amò. Excellent option.

The dry-down reminds me a lot of Armani Code Profumo, though with a tobacco accord and slightly less intensity. It seems like a good perfume for its price. Scent 9, longevity 8, trail 6, value 10, overall impression 8.

Disappointed. I bought it blindly based on the good reviews. On me, it’s neither intense, nor dark, nor exclusive. It smells good, but nothing special. I prefer its adopted brother. I’ll use it, but when it runs out, I won’t be buying it again.