Once you add tobacco and wood, vanilla turns from dessert into something closer to a leather armchair. These are the ones I wear on the coldest nights of the year.

Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille, launched in 2007, is the one every scent in this group gets compared to. It opens with tobacco leaf and ginger, then settles into a deep vanilla that lingers for hours. It is not subtle, and it is not meant to be. Two sprays, no more.

Kayali's Oudgasm Vanilla Oud pairs vanilla and praline with oud, sweet and smoky in equal parts. Tom Ford's Vanilla Sex is vanilla absolute and vanilla tincture over sandalwood, a purer, creamier vanilla than Tobacco Vanille and easier to wear at a dinner. Viktor&Rolf's Spicebomb Extreme, a men's scent plenty of women wear, adds cinnamon and woody amber to bourbon vanilla.

The 7 Virtues' Vanilla Woods is pear and rose over vanilla, softer and lighter, a good first step if the others feel like too much. Henry Rose's Queens and Monsters is neroli and freesia over sandalwood, which the brand describes as a floral vanilla. Replica's Afternoon Delight is Madagascar vanilla with a madeleine accord and sandalwood, like a warm pastry shop on a winter afternoon.

The wood is what keeps these from reading as sweet. Sandalwood, oud and oak ground the vanilla and give it a dry, slightly smoky finish, so it smells grown up rather than sugary. If you have ever loved the smell of an old library or a wood fire, start here.

Not every day calls for cognac and smoke. These softer vanillas keep the warmth but lighten the mood, and they are the ones I wear to the office.

Viktor&Rolf's Flowerbomb is peony, rose and freesia over a soft vanilla base, the floral you can wear anywhere. Miu Miu's Miutine is wild strawberry, gardenia, brown sugar and vanilla, sweet and bright in the best way. Burberry Goddess is vanilla three ways, infusion, caviar and absolute, and still feels surprisingly airy.

Kayali's Vanilla 28 is vanilla orchid with tonka and amber woods, a round, simple vanilla that works with almost anything. Yves Saint Laurent's Libre Vanille Couture pairs vanilla with orange blossom and a rum absolute, a clean floral with a little warmth underneath. LoveShackFancy's Secret Crush is whipped vanilla and a champagne accord, fizzy and fun.

For something cooler, Armani's I Will pairs vanilla with bergamot, violet and lavender over a leathery wood. Valentino's Uomo Born in Roma Intense is vanilla with lavandin and vetiver, a men's fragrance that reads fresh and green on anyone.

These work because the vanilla sits in the background. The top of each scent is fruit, flowers or herbs, so what people notice first is bright, and the vanilla only shows up as they lean closer. That is exactly what you want at nine in the morning, in a meeting room, next to someone who may not share your taste in perfume.

Warm, boozy scents grow on the skin as they heat up, so apply less than you would with something fresh. One spray at the base of the throat and one on the wrist is enough for dinner. Save the bigger doses for outdoors in real cold, where heavy scents behave beautifully.

Try them in the evening first. Vanilla and spirit notes smell best in low light, heavy knits and a room with a fire going. And if you love one, pair it with a plain vanilla body lotion, which helps the base last longer without changing the character of the scent. On a scarf or the collar of a wool coat, these can still be there the next morning. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Kilian Perfume Dupe and Ariana Grande Perfume, From Cloud to the Newer Vanilla Bottles.