Eau de Rizla is set for stores as cigarette paper announces luxury perfume - but will the scent have a subtle hint of tobacco... or the stench of Britain's busiest smoking areas?

It's the cigarette paper of choice for thrifty smokers, so plans by Rizla to bring out a luxury perfume will no doubt cause splutters of surprise.

Tomorrow's launch date – April 1 – may also raise knowing eyebrows, but the rolling paper manufacturer insists its move is not an April Fool.

In keeping with these gender-fluid times, RIZ by Rizla is being developed as a unisex perfume.

Its draws from the brand and the word 'rizz', Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year 2023, meaning style, charm and romantic appeal.

Bosses say the first bottles are being sent out to influencers this week – and then the perfume will go on sale at upmarket department store Selfridges by June.

The company says there is an initial run of 200 bottles of the fragrance, developed with TAC Perfumes in the United Arab Emirates. The price is yet to be fixed.

It's not quite as unusual a move as it first sounds – Dunhill and Davidoff have successfully diversified from tobacco products into luxury goods, launching a range of expensive perfumes.

A spokesman for Imperial Brands, which owns Rizla, told The Mail on Sunday: 'If Dunhill can do it, then game on. So can we – and we'll do it better.'

But what does it smell like – a cloud of dope smoke, perhaps? Instead, the firm says it is cedar and vanilla based and is enhanced with pheromones – the chemical signals that often play a crucial role in finding a mate in animals.

Its PR blurb describes a dizzying confection of saffron, jasmine and bergamot top notes, which is the smell when the scent is first applied; amberwood, melon and pineapple heart notes, the main character of the perfume; and the cedar and vanilla base notes, which give the scent its depth and warmth.

Brands Partnerships manager Jamie Burns-Smith said: 'Rizla is a true lifestyle brand and is thrilled to be leading the way in the niche haute perfumery industry.

'April 1 is the perfect time to grab attention for RIZ by Rizla – because trust us, it's not a prank!'

The company is using a series of upmarket images to advertise the fragrance and to signal a move away from Rizla's traditional association with thrifty smokers and casual drug use. It has roped in influencers to help position the perfume as a 'scent for socialites'.

Among them is 30-year-old former Made In Chelsea star Daisy Robins. She told the MoS: 'I've got a feeling this will be a signature scent to all leading socialites.'