Tabak Kretek
Tabak Kretek is a clove-forward Ava Luxe scent built around tobacco leaf, amber, cinnamon, incense, cardamom and sandalwood. On skin, the clearest feedback points to metallic cloves, warm spice, amber sweetness and only a limited tobacco effect for some wearers. It suits curious fans of spicy amber perfumes more than shoppers chasing a guaranteed realistic kretek cigarette scent. Sample first if sweetness.
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Performance Metrics
76 VOTESOpen Performance Breakdown 1 TAKE
The available performance votes suggest Tabak Kretek can wear strongly, with longevity leaning long lasting and sillage ranging from moderate to very noticeable. Because the evidence base is small and the clove note can project sharply, a light first application is sensible. It appears better suited to wearers who like their spicy fragrances to remain present.
Notes Pyramid
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Tabak Kretek opens around cloves, cardamom and cinnamon rather than obvious tobacco. The scent can feel cool and metallic at first, then warmer as amber, incense and sandalwood give the spices more body. The dry-down may turn sweeter than expected, so the overall profile reads as spicy amber with a tobacco idea, not a full, dark tobacco fragrance.
Main Accords
9 MAPPEDThe warm spicy accord leads the fragrance, with clove doing most of the talking and cinnamon and cardamom adding haze around it. Amber brings sweetness and warmth, while the tobacco accord appears less literal in the reviews. Woods, incense and smoke seem to shape the background rather than turning it into a heavy smoky tobacco scent.
Community Data
85 TOTAL VOTESCOMMUNITY SENTIMENT
OWNERSHIP STATS
GENDER APPEAL
REVIEW SENTIMENT
When to Wear
TAP TO VOTETIME OF DAY · TAP TO VOTE
OCCASIONS · TAP TO VOTE
It looks easiest to wear in fall and winter. The vote picture leans most toward night.
Pros & Cons
Quick take before you sampleWHY PEOPLE MAY LIKE IT
Distinctive clove-led spicy profile
Interesting take on a kretek-inspired idea
Amber adds warmth and sweetness
Cardamom and cinnamon give the spice more movement
Incense and sandalwood add depth behind the clove
Likely to last well for many wearers
Projection can feel strong and noticeable
Good fit for cooler weather
Unisex style with a clear personality
Worth sampling for indie spice fans
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
May not smell strongly of tobacco
Can feel metallic in the opening
Sweet dry-down may be too much for some
Not a safe blind buy for tobacco lovers
Clove dominance may feel sharp
Possible cool toothpaste-like nuance on some skin
Projection may be too assertive if overapplied
Small review base means buyer certainty is limited
Not ideal for people wanting smooth pipe tobacco
May feel younger or sweeter than expected
Fragranxe Review
EDITORIAL“Tabak Kretek Ava Luxe Review”
Tabak Kretek by Ava Luxe is built around a simple but evocative idea: clove cigarette warmth translated into perfume. The note list supports that direction with cloves, tobacco leaf, amber, cinnamon, incense, cardamom and sandalwood. On paper, it reads smoky, spicy and resinous. On skin, the available wearer feedback suggests something more specific and more divisive.
The most consistent impression is clove. Not soft bakery clove, but a sharper, almost metallic clove effect wrapped in cardamom and cinnamon. One reviewer who expected a strong tobacco scent was disappointed, saying the sample did not really smell like tobacco to them. Another described the first minutes as metallic cloves with cardamom and cinnamon haze, while also sensing amber and little tobacco.
That matters because the name sets up a clear expectation. If you are searching for the smell of kretek cigarettes, Tabak Kretek may not land as directly as the name suggests. It seems to capture the spiced, clove-led side of that idea more clearly than the smoky tobacco body. The incense and sandalwood likely help give it a darker frame, but the review evidence does not point to a heavy, leathery or deeply smoked tobacco fragrance.
The sweetness is also important. The fragrance is warm spicy and ambered, but one detailed reviewer found the dry-down too sweet, even slightly nauseating, despite still calling the fragrance interesting. That same review mentions a cool, peppermint-like impression, almost toothpaste-like, which helps explain why the scent may feel unusual rather than straightforwardly warm. There is warmth here, but it can come with a cool metallic bite.
Performance looks noticeable from the voting pattern. Longevity votes lean toward long lasting to very long lasting, and sillage votes include moderate, strong and enormous. With a clove-heavy scent, that kind of presence can be a strength or a problem depending on setting. It should be applied carefully until you know how the spice and sweetness behave on your skin.
Tabak Kretek is most appealing for fragrance wearers who enjoy indie perfumes with character, prominent clove, amber spice and a slightly offbeat tobacco suggestion. It is less convincing as a safe tobacco blind buy. If you want plush tobacco leaf, honeyed pipe tobacco or realistic smoke, sample first and judge the first hour and the dry-down separately.
FAQs
What does Tabak Kretek by Ava Luxe smell like?+
Tabak Kretek smells mainly warm spicy, with cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, amber, incense, sandalwood and tobacco leaf. Reviewers describe the opening as more metallic clove and spice haze than deep tobacco, with sweetness becoming more noticeable in the dry-down.
Does Tabak Kretek smell like real clove cigarettes?+
It may suggest the idea of kretek through clove and spice, but the review evidence is cautious. At least one tobacco lover found that it did not smell much like tobacco, while another reviewer noticed metallic cloves more than a cigarette-like tobacco accord.
Is the tobacco note strong in Tabak Kretek?+
The listed notes include tobacco leaf, and the accord profile includes tobacco, but the available reviews do not consistently describe a strong tobacco smell. The clove, cinnamon, cardamom and amber facets appear more obvious to some wearers.
Is Tabak Kretek more spicy or sweet?+
It starts with a strong spicy character, especially clove, cardamom and cinnamon. The dry-down can become sweet, and one reviewer found that sweetness too much, so it is not a dry spice fragrance for everyone.
Is Tabak Kretek unisex?+
Yes. Tabak Kretek is presented as a fragrance for women and men, and its clove, amber, incense, tobacco leaf and sandalwood profile sits in a broadly unisex warm spicy style.
Who is Tabak Kretek best for?+
It is best for someone who likes clove-led perfumes, warm spices, amber, incense and unusual tobacco-adjacent scents. It is less ideal if you want a rich pipe tobacco, a realistic cigarette smell, or a smooth sweet amber without sharper edges.
Is Tabak Kretek a safe blind buy?+
No, sampling first is the better move. The small review set shows curiosity and interest, but also disappointment from a wearer who expected more tobacco and found the dry-down too sweet.
How long does Tabak Kretek last?+
The performance votes lean strong for longevity, with several voters placing it in very long lasting territory. Because the review sample is small, it is safest to expect noticeable wear and test on skin before judging the full day.
How strong is the projection of Tabak Kretek?+
Projection appears stronger than average based on the available sillage votes, with moderate, strong and enormous all represented. Apply lightly at first if you are sensitive to clove, amber sweetness or incense.
When should you wear Tabak Kretek?+
The seasonal votes point most clearly to fall and winter, with support for night wear as well as daytime use. Its warm spices, amber and smoky facets make the most sense in cooler weather or situations where a noticeable scent feels appropriate.
Rankings
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Compliment Signal
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Dupes & Alternatives
COMMUNITY DUPESCORENo dupes submitted yet. The first useful DupeScore can come from your community.
There is not enough supplied comparison evidence to name a reliable dupe. Treat Tabak Kretek as a clove-focused spicy amber with a tobacco reference rather than an automatic substitute for other tobacco fragrances. If you are comparing options, look beside it for clove perfumes, incense ambers and tobacco scents separately, then decide which part of the kretek idea matters most to you.
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