The Cigar Vixen
CIGARS, STYLE & THE LUXURY OF KNOWING WHO YOU ARE
Long before every person with an iPhone, a ring light and 10,000 followers decided they were
an “influencer,” Delicia Silva was doing something considerably simpler: she loved cigars, knew something about them, and enjoyed talking about them.
Cigar Vixen grew from there.
Today, Delicia is one of the more recognizable female personalities in the premium cigar world, but what makes her interesting isn't simply that she's a woman operating in what remains a heavily male-dominated business. It's that she has put in the time.
“When I started, there really wasn’t an ‘influencer’ career,” she says. “I was just a woman who loved cigars, loved talking about them, and happened to have a camera.”
There was no grand social-media strategy and no influencer handbook. She showed up, smoked cigars, learned, traveled and met the people who make them and built relationships with them. But she admits, being a woman came with assumptions.
“There were people who saw a woman on camera and assumed the appearance was the reason people were paying attention, rather than the knowledge behind it. I never felt like I needed to become less feminine to be taken seriously. I just needed to know my stuff.”
That's a damn good philosophy.
Eventually, people began seeking out her opinion, asking questions and respecting her palate.
“That’s when I realized I’d earned credibility—not because I was a woman who happened to be in the cigar world, but because I had genuinely put in the time and loved the craft.”
Delicia has watched the cigar world change dramatically. Social media, she believes, has made it both better and louder. It has opened the doors to people who might never have wandered into a cigar lounge, given smaller brands a voice and created an enormous digital cigar community. But there's a downside.
“Sometimes the conversation becomes more about being seen than actually enjoying the cigar.”
For Delicia, the challenge is maintaining the authenticity and camaraderie that made cigar culture special before likes, followers and algorithms entered the humidor. That authenticity matters because Cigar Vixen isn't really a character.
“The things you see—my personality, my femininity, my love of cigars, my style, my relationships with people in the industry—those are genuinely me.”
As the audience grew, the business naturally became more sophisticated: branding, partnerships, public image and deciding what parts of yourself you put into the world. But the basic formula for Delicia hasn't changed. “Cigar Vixen is really just the part of Delicia that I chose to put a spotlight on.”
When the conversation leads to ‘style’, it’s obvious this is where Delicia fits particularly well with Va Bene Style. When we ask her about luxury, she doesn't immediately start rattling off handbags, cars or five-figure watches.
“Luxury is having the time to slow down and actually enjoy your life. It's coffee with my husband, or a cigar without somewhere else to be. Maybe a beautiful meal, travel and of course family”. She pauses and says, “The older I get, the more I realize that time, health, family, peace, and meaningful relationships are things you can’t simply buy more of.”
And for Delicia, expensive doesn't automatically equal luxurious.
“If something is expensive simply to show people that you can afford it, that’s not particularly luxurious to me. Luxury should feel effortless, with quality, craftsmanship, beauty and the ability to enjoy what you have”.
Then comes the confession. “I will admit to being a total shoe snob!”
Now we're talking.
So naturally, we asked her to build the perfect Va Bene evening.
We're heading to Napa. The sun is setting over a beautiful winery. There's great food on the table and nowhere else she needs to be. Delicia is dressed elegantly but effortlessly in perhaps a fitted dress or beautiful skirt.
On her wrist? Panerai.
On her feet? Louboutins.
In her hand? A Padrón 1964 Natural.
In the glass? Caymus Cabernet.
And sitting across the table?
Her husband.
That answer probably tells you more about Delicia than another hundred questions about cigar wrappers ever could.
Some of her most memorable cigar experiences have happened where the cigars themselves are born. She recalls visiting the Davidoff factory and doing a completely broken-down tasting of the Grand Cru with Hendrik Keller, tasting the individual tobaccos and understanding how each contributes to the finished cigar. Then there were visits to La Aurora with Luis Falto, Manuel Inoa, Guillermo León and Nestor Miranda while talking tobacco, sampling cigars and drinking La Aurora rum.
She fondly says, “You realize you’re not just smoking a cigar. You’re experiencing the culture and the people behind it. Cigars are personal. A limited-production cigar in a private lounge can be wonderful, but so can an inexpensive cigar smoked on the patio with good friends. The cigar world is at its best when it brings people together, not when it becomes a competition over who has the rarest box or the most expensive collection.”
We gave Delicia an imaginary hundred-dollar bill and asked for three cigars.
For great value: Foundation Charter Oak Maduro-$8.00
For something that punches above its price: Sobremesa Brûlée-$16.00
And for the person convinced they don't like cigars: Padrón 1964 Natural-$21.00
Depending upon the vitolas, she says she's keeping a pretty good chunk of change and lighting up!
Our final question had nothing to do with cigars. "Who was the most stylish person she ever knew"?
“My grandfather. He came from Mexico and didn't have a great deal financially, but he had tremendous personal style, often wearing his classic fedora-style hat, paying attention to details and somehow making what he had look special”.
She says it was never really about his clothes.
“It was his presence. He taught me, without ever really saying it, that style has nothing to do with how much money you have. It’s about how you carry yourself, how you treat people, and having enough confidence to know who you are.”
And then Delicia gave us a line that could practically be the Va Bene Style manifesto:
“You can buy beautiful clothes, watches and jewelry, but you can’t buy presence.”
Maybe that's the real appeal of Cigar Vixen. Yes, there are the cigars, shoes, Panerai, Porsche, Cabernet and trips to some of the great cigar factories in the world. But underneath all of it is something refreshingly old-fashioned.
Know your stuff. Don't pretend. Appreciate craftsmanship. Treat people well. Enjoy what you have. And don't confuse the price tag with style.
Va Bene, Delicia.
THE VA BENE QUICK TEN
Nicaraguan or Cuban? Nicaraguan.
Bourbon or Martini? Bourbon.
Porsche or Ferrari? Porsche. “100%.”
Big watch brand or independent? Independent.
Hotel bar or cigar lounge? Cigar lounge.
New York or Miami? New York.
Little black dress or gown? Little black.
Espresso or cappuccino? Espresso.
Sinatra or Springsteen? Sinatra.
One cigar for the rest of your life? Rose of Sharon Lancero by Southern Draw.
Delicia is a member of The Va Bene Style Circle, our group of friends, contributors and personalities who share our appreciation for style, craftsmanship, luxury, great experiences and in her case, a great cigar.
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