Vanilla is one of the most misunderstood ingredients in perfumery. It is associated with sweetness, accessibility and simplicity. And that is only part of the story. In the hands of a skilled perfumer, vanilla can be spicy, dark, almost animalistic, or so warm and enveloping that it is mistaken for one's own skin. These seven perfumes prove that vanilla fragrances have much more to offer than we usually expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The vanilla used in perfumery is not the same as the one that flavours a sponge cake. Synthetic vanillin is merely a flat version of an extraordinarily complex material. Natural vanilla absolute, extracted from the Vanilla planifolia orchid, contains hundreds of aromatic compounds that give it depth, richness and a fixative quality that makes it one of the finest base materials in perfumery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Combined with leather, with spices, with wood or with resins, vanilla transforms. The vanilla perfumes<\/a> Niche perfumes explore that transformation in ways that mainstream commercial fragrances rarely allow themselves. What you will find here is a selection of seven perfumes that do something genuine with this ingredient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BDK Parfums starts from an idea that sounds almost contradictory: a dark vanilla. Vanille Caviar, created by Alexandra Carlin, is built around Madagascar vanilla absolute and CO\u2082 extract, and what it does with that material is take it into a dense, textured and slightly mineral territory unlike any other vanilla on the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The opening notes\u2014calamus, blackcurrant, cardamom\u2014provide a spicy and slightly saline entrance before the vanilla takes charge with all its depth. The cacao, Peru balsam and labdanum anchor the base in something resinous and almost animalic. If you are looking for a vanilla that is opulent without being sweet, dense without being heavy, and that lingers on the skin for hours in a way that hardly goes unnoticed, Vanille Caviar is one of the most interesting options to have come out in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aur\u00e9lien Guichard, co-founder of Mati\u00e8re Premi\u00e8re, designed this perfume as an exercise in contrast: dark Madagascan vanilla paired with the vertical white wood of Ecuadorian palo santo. The result is neither a sweet nor a gourmand vanilla in the conventional sense. It is powdery, clean, with an almost silvery texture that sets it apart from almost everything else in this category. The powdered coconut and heliotrope in the opening create an enveloping and soft first impression; afterwards, the vanilla absolute takes centre stage, creamy and deep, while the white musks and palo santo support it without weighing it down. The projection and longevity are exceptional given how understated the sillage is. One or two sprays are enough. If you are looking for a vanilla for skin that wants something refined, unconventional and truly long-lasting, Vanilla Powder<\/a> It deserves a trial before deciding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sambava is a region of Madagascar famous for producing some of the most highly-valued vanilla in the world, and No\u00e8me departs from that to build a fragrance that celebrates the raw material before any artifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perfumer Emna Doghri opens with a citrus and tropical accord \u2014 bergamot, orange, apple and coconut \u2014 which is fresher and more luminous than the name might suggest. In the heart, chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg appear, giving it a warm, spicy twist that is reminiscent of the finest oriental spiced vanillas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The base of vanilla, tonka and rum is what turns this perfume into something truly enveloping and addictive: a warm, slightly boozy, rich vanilla with a staying power on the skin that far exceeds what the price might lead one to expect. For anyone looking for a vanilla with tropical character and generous projection, Vanille de Sambava is one of the house's most solid bets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVanille Caviar \u2013 BDK Parfums<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Vanilla Powder (normal) \u2013 Matiere Premiere<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sambava Vanilla \u2013 No\u00e8me<\/h2>\n\n\n\n