Prepare for a divisive experience. Bois Talisman swings between being a refined, sophisticated smoky vanilla, and a 'basic', uninspired take on a very well-trodden scent profile. It's either an elevated classic or an expensive disappointment, depending on who you ask.

A close budget read of Dior's Bois Talisman - that roasted-marshmallow-over-a-campfire idea of sweet vanilla on smoky cedar. Talisman Oud nails the cosy core but pushes the smoke harder and drier, reading more like tobacco-smoke than the original's polished log-fire glow. The Dior's refinement is traded for a slightly louder, simpler sweetness, but for the price it gets you most of the way there.