Vanilla Perfumes
Marcy Goldman
This is a very rough, on-going but helpful list of my favorite vanilla perfumes. They're perfect if you both love to bake and love perfume or love vanilla or love compliments! You can also check my MistressofScents blog which is woefully not up to date. http://www.mistressofscents.com/.
I'm a bit of a perfume collector. I’m not a hoarder but certainly not a 2-3 ‘signature’ perfume person either. I like changing my perfumes as per season). Vanilla is also a good base if you want to layer something on top - I layer vanilla with green tea perfume and a touch of rose in spring.
Some personal favourites:
Vanilla Smoke
by Mandy Aftel
Vanilla Botanique
By Dawn Spencer Hurwitz at DSH Perfume
Bois de Vanille Serge Lutens
Flower Bomb
Kiehl Vanilla (hard to find/discontinueud)
Bigelow Vanilla Oil (indispensible!!! from Bigelow online)
Body Shop Vanilla
Love’s Vanilla Pop
Heaven Sent Vanilla
Sexual Sugar, Michel Germain
(Angel but barely – I love/hate it)
Some vanillas are pure vanilla and then others go the route of :
Vanilla/leather
Vanilla/tobacco
Vanilla/cotton candy
Vanilla-licorice
Vanilla Berries
Vanilla Floral
AND.... most vanillas have some musk or amber or sandelwood mixed in as the anchor or basenote but these days, that’s changing as perfumers try untraditional match-ups to showcase vanilla.
Here are a few suggestions - things that are always in my perfume rotation - and some newer ones to explore at the end. This is probably too much to start with but a good list. When something is a blind buy I either try and get a scent sample (Facebook, Etsy) or buy a dupe (tons of great dupe companies. Sometimes, rarely but sometimes - I like the dupe better; I certainly prefer the price. The dupe market is better than it’s ever been so if you have any bias about ‘imitations’ – just know it’s a whole new ballgame out there in scent.
Also if you don't already know it-Fragrantica.com is good for finding out the notes of perfumes and other people's comments - (also Reddit of course but Frangrantica is a good starting point because they list all the perfume notes, and give it an overall rating)
$Outremere - https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Outremer/Vanille-16338.html
A staple for any vanilla lover - straight up vanilla sometimes available online especially at Archipelago stores. Great for layering
$ Solo Vanilla Notes (Solo is a company that designed single note scents to layer)
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Solinotes/Vanille-10787.html
$Aqualina Pink Sugar
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Aquolina/Pink-Sugar-975.html
Good to layer but on its own - good - long lasting.
$$La Vie Est Belle
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Lancome/La-Vie-Est-Belle-14982.html
$$$ Jean Paul Gaultier Classique (i think I like the EDT better than the EDP both long lasting)
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Jean-Paul-Gaultier/Classique-427.html
$ Al Rehab "Soft" - very bakery reminiscent
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Al-Rehab/Soft-20116.html
Smells like a vanilla lemon caramel cupcake - very inexpensive. Ebay has it or search Al Rehab - the Middle Eastern perfumes - there are a few companies are known to be inexpensive and long -lasting
$ Kurumba Vanilla Oil (Amazon sells it)
https://www.tiktok.com/@ssadesmarie/video/7274469315158494506
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Kuumba-Made/Vanilla-Bean-32020.html
#Al Rehab Choc Musk (i get it on Ebay) -not vanilla but cocoa and musk - really nicehttps://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Al-Rehab/Choco-Musk-20139.html
$$$ Flower Bomb
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Viktor-Rolf/Flowerbomb-1460.html
$$$ Mon Guerlain EDT or EDP - both amazing - feminine, elegant, romantic or office friendly (but not sporty 🙂
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Guerlain/Mon-Guerlain-43297.html
$$$ Hypnotique Poison (complicated vanilla but nice)
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Dior/Hypnotic-Poison-219.html
$$$ Serge Lutens Bois de Vanille
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Serge-Lutens/Un-Bois-Vanille-478.html
The Phlur vanillas at Sephora (often out of stock due to TikTok influencers)
https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/brand/phlur?om_mmc=ppc-GG_6572008557_76866684377_dsa-2327047489084__445569692532_9000441_c
$Britney Spears Fantasy INTENSE
Not vanilla but a bargain great summer perfume:
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Serge-Lutens/Un-Bois-Vanille-478.html
Ditto for Jessica Simpson's Fancy - (get it before it disappears)
Dior Addict - very holiday fragrance - vanilla base but somehow smells like Xmas morning
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Dior/Dior-Addict-215.html
Ellis Brooklyn Vanilla Milk
https://www.ellisbrooklyn.com/products/eau-de-parfum-vanilla-milk
Kaylai Vanilla 128
This company has a few vanillas but this is a consistent head-turned, compliment getter
https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/kayali-vanilla-P439406?country_switch=ca&skuId=2224491&om_mmc=ppc-GG_20549719106___2224491__9000476_c&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-5y1BhC-ARIsAAM_oKnjT4SrE6lh5V8mPjhVyxi4GYR90ohCk7xugzdlbwN6YHEEgM7fcecaAlVLEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Malanotte Vanilla Brulee
https://www.malanotteparfum.com/en/
And yet more vanilla niche perfumes….
https://www.fragrantica.com/news/10-Modern-Niche-Vanilla-Fragrances-Worth-Exploring-19554.html
