Vanille Benjoin

Maybe I had extremely inflated expectations for Vanille Benjoin because it is a very smooth, syrupy and textured vanilla but it is a little fruitier than I wanted. Vanillas and ambers aren't my favorite genre of fragrance. For perfumers they are a saturated beginner's genre, somewhat low effort to make smell good. Even though pure vanilla extract is one of the most expensive perfumery ingredients it is still one of the most common ingredients used in modern perfume. Indie and established perfumers are easily able to churn out vanillas and ambers because vanilla and sweet resins are certified mass appealing scent profiles. So I tend to scrutinize quite heavily with the tired and overdone genre as most have generally bored me. I only have and need a handful of pure vanillas that for me wear better than the rest. So does Vanille Benjoin "make the cut"? In short, yes, but with a caveat. It smells wonderful one of the most balanced of the profiles from this house but it reminds me of the base of Guerlain L'homme Ideal Parfum or by association Tonka Imperiale. Maybe closer to Tonka Imperiale to be honest. That cherry, tonka bean, or benzaldehyde sensibility in the base is instantly apparent. But knowing this brand it is probably natural tonka bean oil used here in Vanille Benjoin. Natural tonka bean essential oil possesses coumarin which has a nutty, vanilla quality. It also contains benzaldehyde a molecule extracted from the larger molecule cinnemaldehyde which is extracted in the largest quantities from cinnamon trees. Benzaldehyde has spicy and fruity characteristics of cherry on top of being starchy and nutty suggestive of almonds. These qualities give tonka bean nuances of cherries and nutty nuances of almonds on its own on top of having sweet vanilla qualities and being used as an adjacent scent profile to vanilla. Vanille Benjoin opens smoothly with a creamy, nutty, vanilla and almond facets from tonka that smells slightly play-doh-y but with a much more refined, addicting and pleasing atmosphere. Like a scentless moisturizer, lactonic, thick, starchy and musky. Much later it shape-shifts completely and takes on a fruitier transformation allowing the cherry facets of the tonka bean to shine smelling now like a maraschino cherry dunked in an amaretto. I really appreciate that this is not just "another vanilla" fragrance and that there is transformation and character to the scent profile. Ultimately the kind of scent profile is slightly why I was underwhelmed with it because it just reminds me of a much simpler and dainty version of the accessible niche offering Tonka Imperiale made with similar quality ingredients. Ultimately like the inflated price of Tonka Imperiale, this is also not convincing of its high price point. The price is pretty much comparable. The cherry facet given by the rich tonka bean essence is very finely balanced, tasteful and is given performance, sleekness and a classy French flair by the ambroxan and cedar. It is never playful or juvenile but fancy, sophisticated and slightly boozy. Being more familiar with the niche offering Guerlain L'Homme Ideal Parfum, I am in love with Vanille Benjoin because it takes a fragrance I am very fond of and strips away some fluff making it simpler and improves upon it a bit with much richer ingredients. But Vanille Benjoin is also very derivative in this way so I am quite conflicted on whether I should allow myself to enjoy it at such a reckless price point. I do really enjoy Vanille Bejoin's execution my wearings of it and how easy it is to wear to bed and out in the world, I do find it a worthy vanilla to add to my wardrobe on par with Guerlain L'Homme Ideal Parfum or Tonka Imperiale but still unique in its construction. It is a very well-blended composition to be reserved as one of those fragrances I pull out for those days where I want to be showered with attention. It is a soothing slightly fruity vanilla that calms me while still feeling appropriate for special situations. Although as with Cedre Iris it is a bit too academic, 2 dimensional and safe to convince me to pay the premium outright. It also seems eclipsed by the rich tonka bean for a majority of its wear leaving me to forget it is a vanilla scent. However, it does return to its boozy and resinous vanilla roots later on in the wearing which is satisfying. A unisex, slightly feminine leaning composition with great wear length and polite sillage that compliments the personal space of the wearer. I will consider as a pleasing vanilla signature at a discounted purchase. All in all, a lovely composition that I would highly recommend trying. 9/10

Oh my god. Gorgeous! Buttery creamy resinous vanilla bean with warm benzoin. There is something soapy about this, trying to put my finger on what it reminds me of. Maybe one of the cotys, where it's soapy, but in a really warm, creamy, buttery, resinous fashion...aha! Kenzo Amour, like in kenzo and in L'Ecoudrey Ambre Vanille. Almost synthetic / doll's head, but the good kind. Must be that chemical note. Really beautiful, not getting the leather, might be on the far end of the drydown. Of course this beautiful scent is pricey and we all expect more of a lasting power and silage for this price... but no, it wafts delicately close to the skin. It's absolutely gorgeous though, and this will definitely be one of the few samples that I am keeping for myself! **My own find of a Kenzo Amour clone (cheaper, and better) is Christina by Nabeel - on me side by side with this now. Both gorgeous creamy warming doll's head vanillas and in my opinion similar in many ways.

Mmmm I am really swooning over this scent. It’s a warm, powdery benzoin paired with a unisex almondy vanilla. In fact, I’m surprised that almond isn’t a note- I am experiencing more almond than benzoin. The woody base is a tiny bit dry for my liking, but the vanilla note manages to soften its edges. Vanille Benjoin has shades of Bois Farine and the discontinued Honey & Crocus by Jo Malone. It’s a more sophisticated rendition of the two that radiates from your body as a “second skin” scent. The performance is weak- I can barely detect it on myself much longer than an hour, but others can smell you. It lingers on clothing longer than skin, and I find myself really huffing my wrists to try to experience it more. Normally the performance has to be phenomenal for this asking price, but I might just have to make an exception and splurge on this.

I think there are many perfumes that would sell better if they were in different pricing brackets, and this one is no exception. Many reviewers below call out the price tag, and while I'm not a fan of that, dollar thresholds come with expectations as to longevity, silage, complexity, etc. I like this fragrance; i'm not willing to give up my sample. I got it because my first perfume love had a strong base of benzoin and I have always been on the lookup for similar fragrances. This fragrance delivers, with a luscious vanilla note to boot. I think what reviewers are grasping for is 'something special', something to make this stand out which it is expected to do at the price point offered. I don't think anyone would make a bad decision if they were to blind buy this. They would run through the bottle more quickly than slowly, that's all.

This has to be the most beautiful, elegant perfume I've ever smelled. I have yet to encounter a fragrance as gorgeous as Vanille Benjoin, truly. It's a light, resinous & woody vanilla with a subdued sweetness. It's a feminine-leaning unisex fragrance to my nose, but I could absolutely see a man wearing this (and wish they would! Lol). After putting this perfume on for the first time, I immediately pictured myself getting married in an opulent wedding. The projection and longevity aren't as good as I had hoped for, but it's just too gorgeous to resist. I will forever repurchase this beauty.