Vanilla Romance

If you’re a vanilla fan you really need this one! It’s gorgeous, woodsy, sweet, warm, sensual, cozy, creamy, comforting, addictive, feminine, intriguing, elegant, unique, and even sexy and seductive! Yes, this is a woody vanilla, but I don’t find it as woody as Replica By the Fireplace (they’ll definitely pair extremely well together!). Don’t let that frighten you off because this is truly so very lovely and is going to really shine during the fall and winter! Don’t let this be the one that got away! This is such an elevated fragrance than the majority of B&BW fragrances (I love tons of B&BW!), one that’s just more complex and special. More addictive, intriguing, unique, and elegant. This is one of the best body care fragrances that they have released imo! I’ll definitely be getting more lotion because it’s going to pair beautifully with most vanillas, but especially warmer ones like Kayali Vanilla 28, Replica Afternoon Delight, Phlur Vanilla Skin, and Nest Vanilla Bourbon! This smells very similar to their Marshmallow Fireside candles and hand soap smells like. I imagine this would be extremely similar smelling to that fragrance if it were made into body care products. I also feel like I get a slight vibe of VS Vanilla Lace! This is definitely not a dupe for it, but there’s something about it that makes me think of Vanilla Lace even though that wasn’t a woody vanilla. I also find it somewhat similar to B&BW Wicked Vanilla Woods, Kayali Vanilla 28, and Replica By the Fireplace (less smoky, sweeter, much more vanilla forward).

What to even say about Vanilla Romance. I've struggled to find vanilla fragrances I really love; they have this extremely juvenile saccharine nature about them that makes them aggressive to my nose. When I first smelled Vanilla Romance, I understood what I was missing from many of those fragrances. The initial sweetness as it is applied is lovely, its vanilla absolute is very silky and not at all too sweet for my nose, at least. As it dries into its heftier notes, the cardamom does an immense amount of heavy lifting to make this a truly gorgeous scent. The spice as it settles into the skin is fantastic, and when it fully fades into its woodsier notes, you can almost forget it's a woman's fragrance. It's surprisingly simple for a fragrance that bills itself as the pinnacle of vanilla's attachment to love and romance. From that, you might expect something very loud and aggressive, but this scent's pride is understated and elegant. VIBES: Autumn Soiree, Cocktail Party, Selina Kyle, City Chic

One of my favourite fragrances from the 90's was Escada Act 2, now discontinued. What I love about fragrantica is that it allows me to recreate the network of who-was doing-what and when. So, yesterday night, I clicked on Ilias Ermenidis name, the perfumer who created Escada Act 2 back in 1995, to check what he's been up to. Surprise, he's the nose behind Vanilla Romance! It can't be bad! I've been on 6 months exploring vanilla trends, I'm blind buying this. I've never owned anything by Bath&Bworks before, and yesterday I bumped into one of their 40% discounts (or maybe they create those based on IP ad search information??? I dont' care). Let's see if I like it, I'll update my review. Meanwhile, I'm delghted to see that Mr Ermenidis is still at work and I got my hands on a cheapie body spray for the summer. Edit: one week later; Vanilla Romance perfoms wonderfully as a body & hair spray! not too sweet, a little bit spicy, and a wonderful bedtime scent! Have a nice day!

This review is for the body mist version, which honestly has great performance so if you want to save some money definitely grab the mist. I exchanged viva vanilla for this and I am so happy I did. At first spray this is fresh, light, airy vanilla with some soft woods in the background. It’s not a an overly sweet gourmand leaning vanilla, but I appreciate that as I find this more wearable. Gourmands can be sickening to me if I’m not in the mood for them, this is perfumey and expensive smelling. It’s clean and warm, very cozy. It’s creamier the longer it settles on your skin. I love it so much it’s become my favorite scent from bath and body works. Now viva vanilla on the other hand, it was so boozy, spicy and overly woodsy, very much lacking the vanilla I wanted out of it. It smelled so sharp to me, while vanilla romance is smooth. A lot of reviews are comparing the two but in my opinion, if viva vanilla didn’t work for you, definitely give this a try.

Review is for the lotion and spray, not the perfume. Blind bought this without realizing this has amberwood (or some other similar amber aromachemical) which is my mortal enemy. Indeed, after the cardamom in the opening fades, I do get that distinct amberwood-y smell. It smells just like Lattafa Khamrah, because all that is to me is a potent amberwood bomb. However unlike in that fragrance, it's actually not too strong or overwhelming here, and it eventually fades away. I wouldn't say I like this aspect, but I surprisingly don't hate it. This definitely belongs in the same family as By the Fireplace. It's BTF's sexier, more feminine and perfumey cousin. It doesn't have photorealistic smoke or burning wood but it's just got an overall vibe of smokiness. The cardamom here is lovely. Somehow despite the amberwood, I really love this and can't stop smelling myself! I can't wait to layer the lotion & spray with BTF, it'll be a match made in heaven.

I love this scent! To my nose, it's a spicy, warm, woody, creamy vanilla. It feels like the perfect scent to wear curled up in a big wool sweater inside on a chilly day, it's warm, cozy, sweet, and spicy in a rather seasonal way because of the cardamom. I will say, the cardamom is very prominent, making it very spicy, and the woods notes do come across as a little bit smokey, but not in an overpowering or offensive way to my nose :) I really love it for fall and winter! If anyone has ever smelled Praise the Perfume by Oakcha, the base woodiness and the vanilla in that perfume is similar to the woody-vanilla scent in Vanilla Romance if that makes sense, but of course Vanilla Romance is much more spicy and doesn't have any fruity notes :)

This is not supposed to be a dupe to TF’s Vanilla Sex. I can see why one might think so given the name similarities, but this is very clearly Althair inspired. And they did great!! I IMMEDIATELY recognized it as such when I tried it in store. And I LOVE Althair. But I can’t justify the price tag. I think I love this almost equally too, after trying this I’m finding I prefer this perfume’s longevity and sillage, especially layered with the body wash and body lotion. This is great quality, I just simply don’t need a fragrance to last 24+ like Althair did on my skin... I’d like to wear a different fragrance everyday if I want to, you know!! This is Althair, just with the volume lowered. One day I may get it, but this is great for now!!

I love this scent profile - spicy, vanillic, a little woody, a little sweet and this has the added component, which isn't listed, of the orange blossom and the musk. Is it similar to PdM Althair? Yes, absolutely. Does it perform well? I'd say moderate. It lasted about 4 hours on my skin - longer than the body mist did. But I have to be honest and say that the other Althair inspiration, Liquid Brun, performs much better. Is it a great buy? Well, for roughly $60 usd for 1.7 oz. vs $40-50 for 3.5 oz. Liquid Brun - not such a great value. So yeah, it's a beautiful fragrance, I love it, but for an inspired-by scent it's over-priced. Wait for it to go on sale.

This is such a lovely fragrance. The cardamom smells so concentrated and pretty once sprayed. It really gives me men's cologne, but with a sweet Vanilla twist. There's also a hint of amber thrown in there somewhere. What's left after drying is a faint trace of cardamom and the amber with some woods. This can be worn by men, too. It just has the right amount of sweetness, smokiness, and woodiness. Quite expensive smelling, but the lasting power is quite meh. The pricing is appropriate, though. It's not too cheap nor too expensive for its potency. 8.5/10 for me.

Yes!! Yummy! It's made by Bath and Body Works, so it's what you expect. They usually get their vanilla gourmands done right and this is no exception. I agree with those who think it has a similar scent to Vanilla Vice. It's a less syrupy version. The only thing I am sad about is the poor longevity of BBW EDTs. Layering is a must. Edit: Came back 2 days later to say that the longevity is actually quite good. At least 3-5 hours even on the skin. I'm still enthused!

Sweet warm and spicy Vanilla that Develops more booze towards the dry-down. Its beautiful! love the whole line and my partner adores it. Smokey and sexy. I love to layer this with Khamrah by lattafa, Mirage gourmand by les Nobles essence. This vanilla has depth and not flat like most of the BBW previous vanillas. Cardamom with hints of woodiness make this so sensuous all wrapped in vanilla and warm amber goodness. I have several backups. its a 10.

This is a really great scent from Bath and Body Works! My first impression when I sprayed the mist was “Oh my, this smells like Althaïr!”. I have Althair and they are pretty close and I love it. It’s a nice woody vanilla with a little musky kick. This will be one of my favorites from this company. If they intended to dupe Althaïr, well they did a great job and I’m totally good with that. I have the body cream, body wash and mist.

I just got the body spray for $5.95. I bought it online so it was a blind buy. It smells like bonfire bash or by the fireplace to my nose. I have both of those so it’s a bit redundant. It’s very pleasant. I got it because it was said to smell like Althair. I haven’t smelled that scent but this is very much like others so a bit disappointed. Can’t complain too much for that price. I’ll layer it with BTF. Solid smokey vanilla.

i bought the body mist of this fragrance for the fall and winter and i am OBSESSED! i'm usually not into vanilla scents but i love how vanilla romance is a woodsy and spicy vanilla. if vanilla fragrances usually make you nauseous, i think this is a safe buy for you. reminds me a lot of devotion by d&g but without the candied lemon note

This smells so good to me, like a sexy vanilla cupcake lol. I think its the cardmom. I'm very particular about vanilla because they can end up pulling strong on me and become overwhelming, but the cardamom and woody notes balances it out beautifully. I think the slight spiciness of it is what I love, I love spicy scents.

This is such a luxe/aromatic vanilla! I could see this scent being loved by ppl who usually dislike vanilla! It’s unique to say the least and the body mist version performs like and EDP bc of how long lasting it is. This is such a lovely scent, one that I feel will be talked about for years to come.

A gorgeous fragrance! A warmer, smoother, softer, and rounder version of "By the Fireplace" by MM. When I wear it, I feel like a cuddly teddy bear. At the same time, it has an amazing smoky and spicy quality. Beautiful for autumn and winter but I wear it whenever the weather is a little colder.

This is such a perfect vanilla. It's not like the caramel vanilla scents that make me queasy after they sit with me too long. The only draw back is the staying power- I have to spray my hair throughly to smell it past an hour so you know I bought the lotion and body spray to help. just perfect.

Really balances vanilla with woods in a way that comes off as perfectly androgynous to me - neither note is overpowering, and compliment each other quite well. If you find many vanillas to be cloying or many woodsy scents to be too concentrated, try it. My favorite budget fragrance right now ♡

I have the body spray and i absolutely LOVE this scent. It’s a very rich and cozy vanilla. If you are looking for a pure vanilla scent, I’d say Warm Vanilla Sugar or Bare Vanilla at VS would be a better bet. This is rich, woody, and smells like an actual luxury perfume.

Review for the body spray This smells incredible. This is a sweet smokey scent very reminiscent of Noyz. Their vanilla DNA is exactly the same. They're about 90% alike imo. Vanilla romance is a great cheapie. I'd definitely recommend!

upon the initial spray it’s very woody and masculine leaning, but after the dry down it transforms into a creamy vanilla milkshake scent with a hint of cardamom in the background. this is quickly becoming one of my most used perfumes

Does anyone else get root beer from this? To me tis smells like either ink for calligraphy pens, or root beer. Vanilla is somewhere in he background, but for me this is a straight up slightly sweet vanilla root beer. I like it. 🙂

Omg this is so good! Hats off to B&BW bc they worked some magic here. I LOVE this vanilla, it’s spicy, woody, and warm. It is my absolute favorite fragrance right now and I think it’s a perfect transition scent for fall!

This is an exact dupe for Dolce and Gabbana's Devotion!! The body cream is nice, thick, and lasts long. The spray is typical sillage and length for BBW. I can't say for sure if it's worth $22ish but for a dupe then yea.

Literally my favorite right now, it smells nice warm and spicy balancing with vanilla just right, does go really well with my By the Fireplace sample with that same similar spicy note. I love the smell, so good.

Very nice Solar floral Vanilla. Picture yourself on the beach, tan, salty from the dip in the ocean, Pool boy brings your pina colada and some spills on your hand, you lick it and THIS IS THAT! I love it

I LOVE this scent but HATE bath and body works for making this temporary, even if its technically semi temporary. I can never get too attached to a bath and body scent, and its heartbreaking.

i dont get how people say this doesn't last when it stays on my clothes days after i spray it. anyways, this is warm and spicy and just smells SO good. oh and the lotion is even better!!!!

Clean, fresh, woody, mint vanilla is how i would describe it at first sniff. Dries down into something smells like burnt marshmallow fresh out of the firebon, that's where it gets powdery.

Love this. Great longevity for a BBW fragrance. On me, this is very close to Vanilla 28. It pulls boozy, sweet, with a woody base. Lovely, cheap alternative to more expensive vanillas.

this DOES NOT smell like viva vanilla. its more reminiscent of bonfire bash if anything, maybe the mixbar vanilla bourbon fragrance mist. got one and a backup :)

I just got donna Karan Palo santo & cashmere and it smells similar to it!! I’ll definitely be pairing them together. Such a great vanilla for fall and winter!

This reminds me of Xerjoff Dama Bianca. It’s a modern vanilla musk. Multifaceted with a cold brew of vanilla. Not an overly sweet vanilla or cloying musk.

It’s like they took Bonfire Bash, grew her up and gave her a spicy mouth. This stuff is Amazing! I wonder who the perfumer is... it’s giving familiar😉🤔🤔

this is vanille antique. the performance is not the same, but the fragrance definitely is. took me months to figure out why this was so familiar!

LOVE this scent! I have this in the form of body wash and it has such great notes of cardamon and winter spices! Very nice dry down too.

kinda like a lighter, less musky version of silken tent by alkemia. almost smells kinda like a rootbeer float on me? i like it

Just got a travel spray of this. Pretty darn good I must say. It's got just enough extra spice to make the vanilla stunning.

can y’all add it’s male counter part vanilla noir? they’re marketed together

I LOVED this at first, but... the love faded into just "like" pretty fast. One of my coworkers said this smells like it came out of the freezer and honestly, I didn't smell it at first but now I get what she means. I personally pick up a lot of the spicy accord, which makes it great scent for the holidays--something about it does remind me of going christmas tree shopping, or taking a bundled-up evening drive to the mall for some last-minute gifts. I was so excited to wear this one, and I'm sad my hype for it died down so quickly. I don't see myself reaching for it over my other fall and winter scents (especially since it reminds me of work lol), so I'll be passing it on so it doesn't go to waste. Still, I vouch for it being one of the better B&BW scents and would recommend vanilla lovers at least go in and give it a try! (Mildly regretting my declutter a few months later... also I just have to say I think they really fumbled the packaging for this, especially the full size perfume. what an eyesore lol) edit: i repurchased 😆 it grew on me again, big time! it really encapsulates the romance of the wintertime to me.

Woody and spicy in the beginning, dries down to a nice, cozy vanilla. I see so many different opinions on how this is compared to hundreds of vanilla fragrances that already exist, which says so much about how there is nothing really special or different about it, but don’t get me wrong, it’s still good and I personally like it a lot. I ended up getting the body mist which smells great. I will be trying to layer it with other creamy and gourmand fragrances i already own :D

Hear me out: this smells kind of similar to Babycat by YSL. Not dupes, but the same deep slightly spicy woody vibe is present in both perfumes. Babycat is obviously more complex with the suede and incense and pepper, but upon trying Vanilla Romance for a few days, I keep thinking of babycat! Good transitional fragrance as I save Babycat for cold winter days and VR is the daytime fall version .

It’s a very lovely scent. A little bit generic, but very lovely, a bit comforting and warm. It stood out to me after smelling almost everything in the store. Loving the spice note. I notice it tickles my nose and sinuses a little. Could be headache or cough inducing for sensitive people. Husband enjoyed it. It can also be interpreted as unisex bc of the spice and woods notes.

Vanilla Romance is an aromatic vanilla that truly smells like the sweeter, non-smoky cousin of MMM's By The Fireplace. It's a pretty simple spiced vanilla but the cardamom really comes through, tempering the sweetness so it doesn't feel too sugary. If you like non-gourmand, woody, aromatic vanillas then you may really enjoy Vanilla Romance.

for some reason, the mist is nauseating, whereas this isn't. i think the scent is pleasant. i get more of the woody cardamom note here; it's spicy, a little musky, and a bit ambery. reminiscent of an old cafe. it's a bit synthetic but i get that from all BBW scents (still one of the few BBW perfumes/mists i like...)

I don't get that much spice here honestly. On me it's just a nice, albeit flat, vanilla. Surprisingly good staying power too for something so cheap. The only downside IMO is that it smells really synthetic and alcohol-y until it dries down.

Just the sort of Vanilla I love...not too spicy and not too cookie gourmand-just the perfect in-between. It’s soft and clean.

A good perfume, Although it might smell a little synthetic and overpowering. Perfect for cozy climates. Really long-lasting.

This smells like a lesser Phlur vanilla skin but not as good. Good to layer the lotion with it tho.