Vanilla Ice-cream
You can expect the realistic vanilla smell just as its names suggest:
Some of the best vanilla perfumes include:
In this article, we talk about the best vanilla perfumes. Whether you prefer “plain-vanilla” vanilla perfumes or those with interesting twists such as tobacco combination, we will help you find the best vanilla perfumes.
Oddly enough, vanilla has been colloquially used as a term to refer to things that are “boring”. But the valued spice is far from that! Vanilla originates from Mexico and was considered by the ancients as an aphrodisiac for its sweet taste and unique aroma.
The vanilla plant is actually an orchid and the vanilla bean where the flavor is extracted from was the key to its cultivation. A discovery of how to hand pollinate the flower to produce beans lead to wider production of vanilla in the 1800s. Before then, indulging in the rare ingredient was exclusive to the elite. Thanks to that, we are now able to enjoy the distinct sweetness and rich creaminess vanilla brings not just in food but also in perfumery.
The first thing that comes to your mind when you say vanilla is its sweet flavor. It is easily one of the most popular ingredients in the gourmand category. Perfumes in the gourmand range are scents that try to achieve the appetizing aroma you get from food. It tries to give you that delicious sensation in the form of a fragrance.
Vanilla is a consistent note to use here because of the rich, sweet aspect to it. You’ll often see vanilla in gourmand perfumes that try to replicate desserts or cocktails and drinks that call for smooth, creamy tones.
Here are a few yummy fragrances that smell like vanilla tastes:
Demeter is a fragrance brand that sells very interesting scents. They have perfumes that smell like Vanilla. Demeter also has perfumes that smell like baby powder. They have perfumes that smell realistically like many ingredients.
One of the tastiest scents from the Demeter line of fragrances, Vanilla Ice Cream is a light take on the vanilla gourmand category. Who doesn’t love ice cream? This perfume smells just like vanilla ice cream on a waffle cone. It’s rich and inviting, a scent that can really brighten up your mood. The interesting thing about it is it has a cool, water tone in the background. There is an icy element to the whole mix.
This is not at all a sickeningly sweet fragrance you would expect from an “ice cream” scent. Don’t expect much longevity on this, though. You might have to reapply after 2 hours of wear.
Pierre Montale has been producing great performing, wearable fragrances for over 20 years. His house distinguishes itself by its use of premium, high-quality ingredients. One of its earliest scents is Vanilla based and Montale is proud to say that they source the most decadent vanilla from Madagascar.
This is a delicious unisex fragrance that’s buttery smooth. The notes include milk, almond, caramel, vanilla, and meringue. It is a delightful dessert experience in the form of scent.
It somehow reminds you of baked sugary treats with a luscious vanilla crust. You get top notes of dry dough plus whipped egg. The caramel tone is quite present as well. This is as indulgent as you can get with a dessert-themed fragrance.
The longevity is quite good on this one. It can last for days on a tester strip. The strongly sweet opening trails off slowly as it dries down. The intense sweetness might not be for everyone, however.
In 2015, the house of Montale launched Sweet Vanilla. This is a more fruity approach to a vanilla scent. The key player is apricot added to the classic vanilla blend. It opens up a bit tangy and smoothens out as it quiets down. There is a bit of musk at the end and there’s a powdery tone to it. It’s like a light dessert of fruits in cream, a fresh approach that caters to the sweetness of vanilla.
Just like Vanilla Cake, Sweet Vanilla lasts a long time on your skin. It can be quite heavy with such an enormous sillage at the start but the dry down is pleasant and warm.
Vanilla Absolu was launched in 2008. It’s a spicy combination of cinnamon, balsams, and vanilla. This is a beautiful, deep take on the vanilla theme. You get that impressive dose of vanilla blending in the spicy notes in harmony. It’s a good showcase of what the vanilla flavor brings to a complex set of notes.
Imagine a sweet cinnamon tea.
There’s a certain dryness to this but it’s also cozy and romantic.
This would be a nice scent during fall or winter evenings. Out of the three, this leans more towards perfume and less on the gourmand vibes. But like the two featured fragrances from Montale, Absolu performs really well in terms of longevity and sillage.
The packaging on this one embodies its name and scent perfectly. This is a newer version of the original Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb and it truly is extreme. The previous version has accents of grapefruit.
An addition of pimento berries and black pepper sharpens the scent even further. Notes of cinnamon, cumin, and saffron are the heart of this scent.
While notes of amber with black vanilla make up the base. With such a wild blend of scents, the combination of amber and black vanilla brings everything together into a deep but sweet and sensual dry down.
It is just the right blend for an oriental scent.
Spicebomb Extreme is perfect for warm date nights and will surely get you a lot of compliments while you are wearing it. It has that addicting quality to it and you may even end up smelling yourself the entire day. Good thing the longevity of this product is remarkable. It lasts so long and maintains its depth for quite a while. Great sillage plus great longevity –what more can you ask for?
The fragrance of vanilla is an odd mix of sensual and calm making it one of the most romantic and sophisticated scents out there. Because of its soft yet sexy quality to it, it has also been a go-to when it comes to feminine scents. Some scientific studies have also been done suggesting that vanilla has calming properties to it.
Two Perfumes that has captured this essence are Coty Vanilla Musk and Guerlain’s Shalimar Parfum Initial:
This classic fragrance has been a go-to for a lot of ladies since 1994. If you want a perfume that’s easy and fun, this may also become your staple. It is a light, fresh, charming scent that’s perfect for day wear. The simplicity of its scent is what makes it so alluring. The packaging even matches the mood it gives which is quite feminine and soothing.
Vanilla Musk perfectly features the soft and calming properties of vanilla. It leans more to the sweeter side and has notes of sandalwood, cedar, vanilla, and musk. You will definitely want to wear it for a bright and pleasant day out. It will remind you of the days when you can just relax and daydream all day.
The longevity of the fragrance isn’t that long, though. So you might have to reapply after around 5-8 hours of wear. That’s not so bad, though. It’s one of those fragrances that won’t make you or everyone around you have a dizzying headache.
Launched in 2018, Thierry Wasser’s creation for Guerlain is Shalimar Parfum Initial. It opens up with citrus notes of bergamot, orange and grapefruit with jasmine, iris and tonka bean at the heart. All of these lay on a lush vanilla base. The iris adds a powdery tone to this making it light and airy.
If you’re after a sweet and soft scent, go for Shalimar Parfum Initial. It has that romantic vibe to it, perfect to wear on cozy nights and evening dates. Thankfully, this is a long-lasting perfume. Definitely, one that can be a staple fragrance in your collection.
Vanilla in fragrances has both pleasant and sharp qualities to it. When mixed with other scents, it becomes the perfect bottom note as it can be both soothing and uplifting.
The next perfumes show off how well vanilla performs as a base note:
Black opium has notes of coffee, pink pepper, orange blossom, jasmine, and vanilla. The scent opens up with a bright, addictive coffee tone and then comes together in a bed of floral notes sustained by a vanilla base.
The adrenaline rush you get from the coffee balances so well with the vanilla as it settles into your skin. It gives off that caramel scent to it – strong and creamy.
This is another example of how vanilla can work with other scents to create a distinctive mix of notes while serving as both its background and main feature.
The floral notes just give it more excitement and texture. This fragrance is not for the bored. Black Opium is ultra-feminine and chic. It will give you that boost of confidence. You would want it with you on days you want to feel sexy and free. It’s bold, energizing and romantic!
The longevity on this is also intense so you wouldn’t have to worry much about losing that mesmerizing scent on you. It is for the young and modern females ready to take on anything and everything.
Vanilla notes are easy to complement and blend in with a diverse set of other scents. A lot of perfumes take advantage of this to play around with different moods. The reason for this is vanilla molecules are bigger and fades out slowly.
For example, when mixed with cacao, it creates an earthy balance while furthering the sweetness of the chocolate. Mix it with flowery tones and you get a soothing yet colorful fragrance. Bring in some spicy notes and the vanilla highlights it at first and then blends it in beautifully. From sweet and calm, to sharp and exciting, vanilla is the versatile ingredient to make almost any perfume wonderful.
St. Barth West Indies is a favorite in the vanilla category. It is inspired by the heat of the Caribbean beach. This is warm vanilla all throughout. If you’re thinking pure, lush vanilla, then this is for you. It is the quintessential vanilla perfume with a little musk at the end. There is a smokiness to this as well. A somehow salty caramel tone that’s present.
The sillage is just impressive. It’s a head-turner and compliment grabber. Luckily, it’s a long-lasting fragrance too. This is something vanilla is really good at as a base. It improves longevity in a lot of scents, blends well and lingers for quite a while.
If St. Barth West Indies was inspired by warm weather, Tobacco Vanille is a rather nice scent to wear during autumn and winter seasons. The opening has tobacco leaves and spices. At the heart, you get tonka bean, tobacco blossom, vanilla, and cacao. Your base is a combination of dried fruits and woodsy notes. This is a great unisex fragrance that reminds you of calm winter nights by the fire. It is comforting and romantic.
This is another good performing fragrance with an enormous sillage. There is great depth to this fragrance that holds up boldly and smoothly. The longevity gets a 10 out of 10 on this one. The scent lingers on and on.
Aptly named after the magnificent mythical creature, Pegasus is the sixth perfume to come from the famed Parfums de Marly in 2011. A spritz of this fragrance lifts your mood up and then leaves you with a soft dry down.
The perfume starts off with notes of bergamot, heliotrope, and cumin. And then cruises through with jasmine, almond, and lavender. With notes of amber, vanilla, and sandalwood as a base. It’s a mix of spicy and floral tones and reclines into a fresh, powdery scent throughout its dry down. It is the perfect scent that caters to both male and female as it is not too sweet compared to other vanilla based scents.
The great thing about it is that it lasts for a good amount of time. The formulation can be quite dense, so a little definitely goes a long way. Some people also find that there is a subtle metallic scent to it.
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