Plain and Not-So-Plain Vanilla

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Vanilla is a real crowd-pleaser, both as a flavor and a fragrance. A study a few years ago even claimed the scent of vanilla was a major turn-on for men. Women love it too, so it’s no surprise that vanilla turns up in many, if not most, perfumes. It’s warm, grounding, and beautifully neutral. Vanilla can be sweet or dry, take center stage or linger quietly in the background.

Below are a few of my favorite (and not-so-favorite) explorations of vanilla in perfume.

BDK Parfums Vanilla Leather

Violet, Pink Pepper, Tuberose, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Vanilla, Orris, Leather, Benzoin, Oak, Patchouli

This is a lovely fragrance, but honestly, I don’t think there’s enough leather here to justify the name. Your mileage may vary, of course. On my skin, the floral notes, especially tuberose and jasmine, take the lead, slowly wrapped in a cloud of vanilla warmth. “Vanilla Tuberose” might’ve been a more accurate name, actually. It’s pretty, it’s soft, and that’s about it. Definitely tuberose, probably vanilla. The end.

Electimuss Vanilla Edesia

Bergamot, Mandarin, Bitter Almond, Heliotrope, Pink Pepper, Frankincense, Ceylon Cinnamon, Cumin, Coriander, Rose Centifolia Absolute, Gurjum Balsam, Ylang-Ylang, Creamy/Milky Notes, Vanilla Absolute, Patchouli, Cypriol, Haitian Vetiver, Sandalwood, Virginia Cedar, Amber Woods, White Musks

Vanilla Edesia is a challenging scent. It’s not gourmand at all, and it’s certainly not dominated by the vanilla in its name. Instead, it throws a lot at you—rose, citrus, cumin, coriander, pink pepper—all appearing in rapid succession. The rose and cumin linger, joined by an ashy, scratchy dryness I’m blaming on incense and woods. The result is a bit overwhelming, making it hard to find the vanilla here.

There’s a trace of warm sweetness (maybe that’s it?), but the cumin sticks around longest, thankfully without crossing into “dirty underpants” territory. It adds interest, if not comfort. I can’t decide if I like it… actually, no, I don’t. But it’s intriguing enough to include in a vanilla roundup. Worth a sniff, at least once.

Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille

Incense, Pink Pepper, Bergamot, Cedar, Ylang-Ylang, Bulgarian Rose, Jasmine, Vanilla, Benzoin

This has long been my holy grail vanilla. It was love at first sniff during a breakfast presentation at Bergdorf’s one Sniffapalooza weekend. Back then, Guerlain’s L’Art et la Matière collection was pricey (~$200), but I had a generous perfume patron who’d just given me funds specifically for fragrance shopping.

For a while, SDV was the most expensive perfume I owned, and I babied it, decanting a few milliliters at a time into a travel spray so I wouldn’t risk breaking the bottle. I used maybe 30ml before tragedy struck: despite being stored properly, the box fell sideways, and about 98% of the remaining perfume leaked out. I didn’t even smell it at first, just found the bottle nearly empty and my heart utterly broken.

It’s $440 now (gulp), which is about $250 more than I’m willing to pay for a replacement. But oh, that scent… dark, rich, spicy, smoky, and sexy. Boozy and intoxicating. A vanilla for grown-ups. It's not shy, not sugary, just gloriously decadent.

Apparently it’s been reformulated, and newer reviews call it “plain vanilla” or “weak.” If true, that’s a damn shame. The original 2007 version was truly special. I haven’t dared revisit it (why torture myself with something I can’t afford?), but I’ll keep hoping the naysayers are just missing its magic.

Obvious Parfums Une Vanille

Tonka, Madagascar Vanilla, Musk

Some vanilla perfumes can be tooth-achingly sweet, but Une Vanille isn’t one of them. Like most of Obvious’s early scents, it’s quite linear. What you smell at first spray is what you get until it fades. On my skin, that’s until bath time.

It’s a lightly musky, powdery vanilla with a generous dose of tonka, warm and cozy but never cloying. It’s one of the few vanillas I can comfortably wear in warmer weather.

I also own Un Patchouli and Un Musc, and I’ll likely buy more from the brand. I love their ethics: minimal, eco-friendly packaging, recyclable glass, no unnecessary cellophane, and corks sourced from wine industry byproducts. Ostentatious packaging for no good reason drives me up the wall, and I’ll be ranting about that in an upcoming post.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks