Smoking Hot by Kilian

Smoking Hot is a 2023 release from Kilian, under the banner of their ‘Smokes’ collection of fragrances. I had tried and enjoyed this one before, but saw a travel sprayer during the Black Friday sales, and decided to give it a more thorough testing.

It is a perfume that has started to gain some more attention as of late, but how does it actually smell? Is it a long-lasting fragrance? Is it even worth a try at all?

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Kilian Smoking Hot Overview

Notes include: apple hookah flavor, cinnamon bark, moss, Bourbon vanilla, tobacco absolute, Orcanox

Click here to try: Smoking Hot from Bloomingdale’s

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My Full Review

Here’s how Kilian describes it: At night, there are no rules but one: just be Smoking Hot! KILIAN PARIS newest smoky fragrance is a truly caramelized delight. Evoking everything from European clubs to Eastern hookah lounges, Smoking Hot redefines what a smokey scent is today, going almost where it’s too hot to handle

Smoking Hot begins with an apple and cinnamon blend being quite prominent.  It smells  to me, like Apple Brandy on the rocks, just swapping out that brandy note for a smoky shisha.

Which is good, because the brandy is a note that becomes too bothersome to my nose, after a while. So, I really like what I get here with Smoking Hot instead.

It’s fruity, sweet, smoky, a tad spicy, and fresh. The cinnamon note isn’t as powerful in Smoking Hot, as it is in Angels’ Share, for example.

I was wearing this one again, recently, and kept getting this sweetish/spicy smell in the mix that I couldn’t immediately identify. I had to look up the notes again, to see that it was licorice. Not too much, but it’s fairly prominent underneath during the start of this one.

Plus, you do get some moss and a faint clary sage note, adding a lighter and somewhat greenish dimension to this scent. This is a good change up that adds a lighter fresher clean to it, along with that crisp apple note.

The smokiness does tone down, as will the apple note. The transition is still utilizing that mossy accord, the cinnamon, and the purer tobacco note comes through as more of a standalone.

Vanilla, will come on and stick around for the rest of the way. It is joined by Orcanox, which is another synthetic amber or ambergris note. Those two are with the tobacco and some touches of light spice.

Not a super complex perfume, but it’s still delightful in the fairly linear development.

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Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one isn’t too heavy of a fragrance that bogs down on you. However, it is powerful with its projection, initially. This Kilian perfume is one that will absolutely be noticeable for most of the wear and gives you a long reach up front.

Though, I think it moderates nicely, as the fragrance transitions into the second act.

As far as how long it lasts, Smoking Hot will go 10-13 hours, on my skin. Very good performance, even if it isn’t the farthest reaching perfume out there.

No real complaints about this aspect of the scent. Sure, it’s an expensive fragrance, but it actually delivers what you’d want when dropping that much money.

Seasonally, this one is autumn through early spring. Maybe a bit deeper into springtime, depending on your local climate. That moss and apple freshness give this one enough lightness to work well even a past room temperature. Just skip the summer.

The versatility here, is obviously a weakness. It’s a fruity and spicy hookah aroma, not exactly what you might want to smell like on every occasion.

Nights out seems like the best bet. I’ve been using my travel sprayer a lot for that. Also, just around the house, for my personal enjoyment. I’ve still worn it out during the daytime.

I’ve gotten positive comments about this one and it’s pretty easy to like. Probably not best to wear it to the office, however.

On the plus, side it is a unisex fragrance, so the potential audience for this is wide, even if the use cases are pretty limited.

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Overall Impressions of Smoking Hot

Overall, do I like this fragrance? Yes, it’s one of my favorite perfumes from Kilian. Not perfect, but a very enjoyable one to wear.

I like the smoky hookah accord here versus what you usually get with more of a straightforward tobacco note. The fruity sweetness of the apple, the spice, and the warmer dry down are all great.

Early on, it has more freshness and the moss note is apparent in the transition. But, it will become a warm tobacco with less smoke, vanilla, and some spice.

The cinnamon and apple combination isn’t like what you get with Oajan, Angels’ Share, or even the old 1 Million Prive. Again, it’s closest comp to me is Apple Brandy on the Rocks and that’s still a way’s away.

They share apple, vanilla, ambroxan, and moss. I guess you could say the rum note, has a cinnamon spice to it as well, in that fragrance. Swap out the booze for hookah and it’s closer.

Now, is this one worth a buy? Possibly. It is expensive and might not have much opportunity to be worn, depending on your lifestyle.

It’s a great perfume. It’s also a perfume that you’d probably want to test out with a sample of it, before buying. Not that it’s a challenging scent to wear, but hookah smoke, isn’t a formal type of smell.