Vanilla Bean Noel

What's in a name?...A Marbled Vanilla-Chocolate-Cheesecake maybe... I always wondered why this vanilla scent had the word Noël in it, it didn't make sense to me to limit a vanilla scent to the holidays since vanilla is so popular. I haven't tried this in the past, but so far I enjoyed it. Although I think I pick up on what other reviewers are noticing in what reads like a slightly fermented note, like in a chocolate-cheesecake (maybe a tiny bit of oud?). The note from the brand lists "sweet buttercream" rather than whipped cream, and "sugar cookie" rather than sweet notes. I don't get a whipped cream, but "sweet buttercream" is closer. I also get a rich & sweet vanilla with hints of caramel, and altogether it reads to me like a marbled vanilla-chocolate cheesecake, which works around this time of year although might be too rich & fermented for summer, and meshes perfectly with the title Vanilla Bean Noël. This is great on its own, or layered with other vanilla scents, ouds, caramels, musks, chocolate and more. Loved it. Enjoy! Contrast to Eclaire Lattafa: These are different, but there are similarities in a rich, deep vanilla with caramel. Eclaire is much more creamy caramel forward, while Vanille Bean Noêl has a fermented chocolate note more forward. Love both for different reasons. Contrast to Eilish Billie Eilish: These are different, but there are similarities in a rich, deep vanilla with chocolate. Eilish has the red berries up top while Vanille Bean Noêl has a fermented note more forward. Love them both. Contrast to Choco Musk Al-Rehab: These are different, but there again similarities in a rich, deep vanilla with chocolate. This may be the closest comparison that I've smelled, but Vanille Bean Noêl has a fermented note more forward. Love them both. Contrast to Vanille Sauvage de Madagascar La Maison de la Vanille: These are different, but there are similarities in a rich, deep vanilla. Vanille Sauvage has a lavender note up top, but Vanille Bean Noêl has a fermented note more forward. Love them both.

October 2002. All the girls on Beauty Buzz were raving about this. I was 28. It was brand spanking new and I've always (almost always!) been enamored with sweet, cakey, vanillic confections. I'd been living in CSP Vanille Abricot, Trish 9, and HM Butterfly, along with several etailer creations. I drove to my local mall and got my own bottle of the lotion, it had a green Christmas wreath on it. Not pop art, just a very realistic wreath. I remember the day. I was wearing a headband, went to Home Depot afterwards, and then had chicken parm at the Macaroni Grill. See, scent can capture a memory, capture a day in the past in glass. It smelled so heavenly my toes curled. I'd never smelled a vanilla so utterly delectable nor so...unusual. It had depth but not from tonka, oud, patchouli, amber, smoke or any other "darker" notes. It had a delicious burnt sugar, caramel edge with a buttery frosting note. Intoxicating. But the damn BBW did it again. Such a dirty deed. The quality of my beloved vanilla masterpiece kept dropping each year like clockwork. They do score points, however, for improving on the spray. They finally were able to capture the deliciousness of the lotion in body spritz instead of the blatant plastic tone it originally had. I stopped buying the lotion (it was one mint green color in the early teens!) and graduated to the cream. Then etailers began duping it and the rest is history. You can even get it in a lasting perfume oil. One of my two favorite vanillas, this gem and another ridiculous cheapie: Vanilla Fantasy (since 1996!) Vanilla Lace is third. Cocoa Pink makes a great dupe!

I only recently discovered Vanilla Bean Noel. Throughout the years I would spray it in stores but couldn’t really pick up anything probably because everyone is constantly spraying things in stores and the smells all mix together. I finally decided to blind buy and try it at home where it won’t mix with surrounding scents and oh my god I’ve been missing out!! This scent is deliciously sweet and gourmand. I wish I bought a lotion to go with the spray. The caramel note is particularly beautiful and unique to my collection. I even get a slight chocolate note. I will address the one time I did pick up a nasty “spoiled milk” smell and that was when I tried layering it with another vanilla scent (Choco Musk if I’m remembering correctly). Immediately after topping VBN over the perfume I picked up that gross spoiled smell and was so confused. It doesn’t smell bad at all on its own. It’s so bizarre but I learned to be careful what I layer this scent with. I never got that nasty smell again. It was a one time thing but I get what people are saying. If you had this experience, maybe avoid layering it and just use the matching lotion and body wash to avoid mixing scents and accidentally getting a bad combo. Chemicals interact with each other sometimes and our noses can also be tricked. It may just be the case that this is a scent that shines on its own but doesn’t layer well with anything due to its composition. Overall despite the one incident, I never had a bad experience again and I absolutely love the scent.

Sweet, warm, creamy, decadent, yummy, softly sweet musky, cozy, comforting A sweet, warm, creamy, and delicious vanilla with a soft touch of caramel. It’s a delectable and heavier vanilla that I would describe overall as a yummy frosting/icing scent. The notes that are the most prominent to me are the warm vanilla, sweet and fluffy whipped cream, cozy benzoin, some creamy caramel, and a sweet and cozy musk base in the deep dry down. Definitely a gourmand holiday and wintertime classic. I mainly use Vanilla Bean Noel in the body lotion and body wash (as I do with a lot of my B&BW) it makes a great base for layering other fragrances, especially during the colder months. It’s super nice because it’s very pretty, and pairs really well with a lot of fragrances, especially other vanillas. However, I do particularly love pairing Vanilla Bean Noel with B&BW Twisted Peppermint during the holiday season and sometimes in the winter too. It creates such a sweet, creamy, and yummy peppermint and vanilla treat. I get good longevity with Vanilla Bean Noel, it lasts 6-8 hours on me before becoming just a skin scent. The projection is nice too, it radiates out from me about an arm’s length.

The best vanilla is Vanilla Bean Noel. I love Kay Ali Vanilla 28 but this is better. Vanilla 28 is like a wearable delicious deep vanilla extract. I was not impressed with Bare Vanilla by VS. That fragrance was overkill Bare Vanilla is great to spray in a room and on towels- cutrains... the dry down is like a scented candle. Magic in the air by BBW was a light vanilla that is great for neutral feelings, pleasing and gives happiness. A clean barly there like fresh snow. Vanilla Bean Noel in comparison is a deluxe delectable edible smell without any screech. It smells natural but not like extract. It smells like desert but not over-indulgent. There is no overdoing this smell. It isn't too intense. It allows you to take it all in. The rich aroma is soft and creamy and delectable. It's warm and always pleasant on any given day when it is cool outside.