Vanille de Zanzibar

A beautiful fruity, woody, vanilla! I get a lovely blast of citrusy mandarin and vanilla in opening but this is not a simplistic vanilla. There is a hidden depth to it that is revealed slowly, layer by layer. Of course, the sumptuous vanilla reigns supreme all through but once it settles on your skin, I get other notes - a clean light jasmine that stays in the background, a woody amber, a touch of powderiness sort of like powdered almonds and a creamy sandalwood. There is patchouli listed in the notes - I don't get it but sometimes I get a mysterious smokiness, that peeks through from behind these other notes which just as quickly, shies away. What's really special about this scent is that it doesn't feel overly sweet or heavy despite some heavy hitting notes and that is, I think, because of very airy, clean note of musk that lightens what would otherwise have been a dense gourmand, like Lira (the two share a lot of notes). While I prefer (and adore) the blood orange note in Lira, it is very fleeting on me, unfortunately and it just ends up smelling like vanilla caramel cupcakes with just the smallest hint of an orange note. Yummy but unexciting. Vanille de Zanzibar however, I find more interesting because while it certainly has the makings of a gourmand, the blend of notes is fantastic, giving me something lighter, fresher and more wearable. Another Vanilla I would compare it to would be Chopard's Vanille de Madagascar but this starts off very woody with a tart lemon note and is more masculine in my opinion, whereas, Zanzibar is unisex, leaning feminine. The only issue with this fragrance is performance. Longevity is 4, at the most 5 hours but after the 1 hour mark, it sits really close to my skin. Sillage and projection are on the lower end of the spectrum. Certainly worth picking up a bottle, if you like vanillas and can find it.

It's a very unisex classy and sweet scent. Yes it's a touch gourmand but it has a sophistication that prevents it becoming a mainstream girly scent. I immediately knew it reminded me of another vanilla scent. Finally I realised it was the french couvent des minimes. It's lovely but I don't need to it add to my collection. It's a well blended scent so picking notes was not easy. First and foremost it's a vanilla/sandalwood with a touch of pear. I can't pick out the Peru balsam etc. The sandalwood is good quality stuff. Not too scratchy. It is largely sweet on the opening. The sweetness eases a bit for the rest of the time line. The rest of the time line it is soft vanilla with with a touch of spiciness. Light weight yet comforting. I think you could wear this anywhere. The sophistication means it wouldn't be totally out of place in the work place. I don't think many guys with a sweet tooth should feel self conscious wearing this. I really like it but on my skin it is too close to my couvent des minimes. I get very good longevity but the silage retracts to arm length quite quickly. Boucheron always create elegant classy scents and this is no exception.

I am addicted to. It is a smoky-vanilla, almost caramelized but no sugary smell. I cannot detect the mandarine, but the pear is not the main star here: it gives just a little powdery note to the gorgeous vanilla. This pear is light and all the other notes seems to evoke the vanilla at its best. I could compare it to the vanilla used in shalimar - do not get me wrong the fragrances are very different but their creamy vanilla is very similar. I really had the impression of not very good silage and projection but my parents said they could feel it even after some hours and not being close to me... Maybe the light and "fading" sensation is not accurate. It is getting harder to find but I certainly would, if it was possible, buy a gallon of it because I just adore it.

Second day of wearing this frag, and I am absolutely in love. Yesterday I was on the fence when I first sprayed it as I thought it smelled a little 'thin' it felt watered down, like I could smell water. Also I get a bit of a musty vibe with it,like an old church. But as the day wore on I found myself sniffing and sniffing until I went to spray more on. I can smell the patch, but thankfully it's faint. I'm not a lover of strong patchouli. This is a subtle frag but it lasts and lasts. I can smell it around me all day! This isn't a gourmand vanilla bomb, its understated and classy I feel it can be worn for any occasion. Beautiful.

I blind bought the bottle and wow, it’s definitely a gorgeous vanilla, its a bit floral, a bit woody, I can also smell a bit of licorice that’s not listed in the notes. But overall, I’m not sure how it would sit on a men, because I believe this leans a bit more feminine (just my opinion). Also reminds me of Van Cleef and Arpels Orchidee Vanille mixed with Un Bois Vanille by Serge Lutens, but toned down a lot, this quite vanilla, I would say it does sit close to skin, very beautifully done. I agree with the review below, a must try for a vanilla lower.

Beautiful oriental masterpiece. Vanilla from start to end but the character is changing. It starts with yummie vanilla-fruit cake, continues as balsamic vanilla and ends with deep comforting woody vanilla. Sweet as much as bourbon vanilla is sweet, but no added artificial sugar. Fortunately patchouli doesn’t stand out on my skin. Perfect from fall till spring, best in the cold months. Sillage is soft to moderate, longevity is not bad (6 hrs), but not as good as Ambre D'Alexandrie.

Currently wearing, I enjoy it so much...

Vanille de Zanzibar pays homage to Zanzibar, an archipelago located along the coast of Tanzania and called by the Arabs as Zanj-bar (Coast of the Zanj (black)). Inside the Boucheron La Collection represents the importance of the place, which was a base for the Arab merchants in importing ceramics and exporting ivory. The stone hunters were always behind the Citrine, a stone whose brilliance glows like the sun. The fragrance of Vanille de Zanzibar was created by Nathalie Lorson and composed through the union of mandarin, pear and jasmine petals, at the top of the olfactory pyramid, making way for notes of Bourbon vanilla, Peru balm and heliotrope absolute, in the heart, towards a base with patchouli, sandalwood, and white musk. On the skin, Vanille de Zanzibar is one of the fragrances with greater projection within this exclusive collection of Boucheron. And on the olfactory blotter, it gets even more powerful. The output is slightly citrus and its effect is ephemeral. It could last longer, but it is only the foreshadowing of a vanilla fragrance, which carries that image of various nuances between yellow and amber. The heart of the fragrance (or body, as some prefer to call it) is the true pillar of this construction. Bourbon vanilla is known for its liqueur and more natural facets, while other vanilla types look more gourmand and sweet. In addition, the perfumer used the heliotrope and its almond-like scent, which reminds of cookies and other vanilla candies being baked. From the base, what is most noticeable is the chocolate side of the patchouli, sometimes looking like a burnt caramel, well known in the fragrances of Thierry Mugler, for example. According to the company, the olfactory competitions would be Spiritueuse Double Vanille (Guerlain) and Orchidée Vanille (Van Cleef & Arpels). In my humble opinion, Vanille de Zanzibar is not an innovative fragrance. However, it is an indispensable fragrance - within an exclusive collection of high quality raw materials - to please the millions of fans of perfumes made with vanilla.

This is a light semi-gourmand scent suitable for mild & warm weather. It is builded around a beautiful warm but soft vanilla note. It doesn't have much presence so it could be used as a nice office scent although it feels cozy ie more suitable for free time and relaxing. On skin it feels totally unisex. The woods and the citruses keep it safe from turning into a feminine gourmand. I get mostly strong but delicate dominant vanilla and heliotrope. There are also strong peru balsam and sandalwood. The rest notes are very mild. It's a marginally long lasting scent (about 7-7.5 hours) with soft to moderate projection and moderate sillage.

Vanille de Zanzibar feels like a vanilla-infused balm. It offers a soft, creamy vanilla, gently spiced by resins. A hint of pear and jasmine lingers in the opening, but the scent dries down to a smooth, unsweetened vanilla, balanced by a subtle touch of mandarin. This is a very soft, velvety, powdery, and delicate fragrance - both comforting and refined - where each note harmonizes with elegance.

Warm & smoky vanilla with sandalwood. There is no complexity here, no twists or turns. Straight up woodsy vanilla. If you are looking for a sweet, feminine vanilla, look elsewhere this is not it. It’s a nice scent, but not earth shattering with poor performance and an unjustifiable price tag. Spent months hunting down a bottle only to end up returning at the end. What a disappointment!

It smells like a *slightly* sweet water. It reaaaaally sits close to the skin which is disappointing because this one isn't cheap. If you like light fragrances which no one can smell but you, this one is for you. UPDATE: After wearing this for a few days, I think I've trained my nose to detect the scent and I kind of love it. It's not overwhelming, but it's there. I enjoy it now.

This is an absolutely beautiful vanilla. The opening is a bit sharp but delicious like licorice that fades into a slightly woody but sweet vanilla. If you are a vanilla collector this is an absolute must.

This a nice, like a more feminine version of Grand Soir lots of vanilla and amber, but the woods are softer, and there's a very faint, cold almost medicinal note. Sillage seems fairly quiet though.

Nice warm & cosy vanilla perfume, but nothing super, super special, really.

I wanted to love this so bad but it didn’t work well with my body chemistry and smelled like rotten eggs. However, when I tried it on my friend it smelled so good! It’s weird but cool how fragrances react with different skins.

I guess I should be relieved; I did not fall in love with Vanille de Zanzibar and I’m not tempted to add it to my collection. Very underwhelming scent-wise and performance-wise, so much so that I thought I might have gotten a dupe after I read some of the glowing reviews below. Opening features a sharp synthetic vanilla. Luckily that dissipates after a few minutes, then stays linear with a blend of sandalwood and balsam and other notes until it fades away, 60 minutes tops. Nothing really extraordinary about VdeZ. My favorite part of this fragrance is the exotic name. My carded sample was purchased from Fragrencenet.com Edit: 2 hours after application, my husband commented that what I was wearing was nice. So I must be ansomic to this perfume.

I just bought a large bottle of this as a blind buy and it is gorgeous. I love love vanilla. I own full bottles of Guerlain SDV, Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille, Annick's Nuit et Confidences and on and on. There are few vanilla frags I haven't tried expensive or cheap. I have tried Le Labo BUT...IMHO this is different enough from all the rest to own your own bottle of this lovely. So this baby is gorgeous if you love your vanilla soft and a little smokey and it lasts for hours on my skin. I don't get the heady boozy effect like I do with SDV and Lutens is heavy sandalwood to me. I am in love with this and am so glad I bought a big bottle. It's vanilla and soft and hazy with the the peru balsam swirling around in the back round. This is not a tobacco scent like Tom Ford's. It is not a screecher in your face. I don't feel the patch coming through and in this case I'm happy. Sometimes patch can come across as a little dirty (if that makes sense) and I was hoping for something that is is soft and warm and luxurious. And this is exactly that!!! Another beautiful well done scent from the house of Boucheron.

Finally got this one. Its admirably spicy and smokey on my skin, and kind of ambery at times. Its closest to Ambre De Alexandrie in the line, so if you like that one give this a sniff as well. I was expecting this to be light and airy due to all the reviews here and on youtube, but its not like that on my post-it note or my skin as im testing. It, actually, has a good depth to it and isnt all that sweet. I wouldnt quite classify it as gourmand. I do detect the sandalwood. That peru balsam in this is show-boating and standing out because Im really picking up a spicy smokiness to it. Some "close" cousins to this are By the Fireplace and Noir Exquis. I pickup that same sweet smokiness in Vanille De Zanibar that I do in those, but VDZ is less dense than those. Another gem in this wonderfully satisfying and sophisticated collection from Boucheron.

I L-O-V-E Vanille de Zanzibar! Wish it cost a little less...But I found a bottle on Ebay for $150 so I went for it :-) This is in my top 5 favorites of all time! It is a unique vanilla that morphs on me, and every stage of the dry down is enjoyable! I haven't found any other vanillas that I would count as similar to this one. It doesn't remind me much of Orchidée Vanille by Van Cleef & Arpels--it's so much better, and just a different vibe! A must-try if you enjoy true vanilla scents!! This vanilla is delicious....and a lovely scent for the current Fall weather-but it's summer now and I wear it all the time too. The light scent lasts all day for me, and makes me smile :-) Amouge Sunshine....I don't see the comparison at all to Vanille de Zanzibar...I have both. Sunshine is far more musky to me, but a really amazing and unique scent as well.

Sharp vanilla opening...fades quickly...then smooths out Then...for some reason..I am getting a "anise" vibe..?? Is that due to the peru balsam/pear notes mixing in..?? Yes,balsamic & powdery-ish. I got put-off by that vibe...but then...I could not stop sniffing the top of my wrist...again and again. There is something "exotic" transforming....(NOT tropical exotic)...but...exotic in a way of old antique...mysterious places..exotic...??? I guess..maybe it IS Zanzibar..??? (lol). This is so different than other "vanilla inspired" scents that I have tried recently, therefore, I am enjoying this sample with glee.The dry-down is where it ends up being more "mainstream"...and sillage and projection are not gernerous....but...I think it will be going on my wish/want list for full bottle. Yup !!!

Gorgeous! Of course I would love this, pear, vanilla, peru balsam heliotrope. Just enough doll's head vibe. Super nice. Having said that.. I find this a very soft scent. Very understated vanilla. For me personally, I like the rich, ooey gooey nature of in your face resinous and powerful vanilla bombs. Well this is not that, this is the sophisticated, understated, barely noticeable on others kind of frag. Not a buy for me, but big like. ***Let's swap samples! UK only ***

Sophisticated unisex vanille scent, not your typical feminine sweet vanilla, but rather mature vanilla with soft sandalwood base. It smells amazing, but I hoped for a better performance coz it's kinda skin scent with disappointing longevity. Scent : 8/10 gender neutral Projection : skin scent Longevity : 2 hours max.

This is not a gourmand vanilla. It's floral, balsamic, and a juicy kind of green. The powdery sandalwood shines as it dries down, with a light and ambery sweetness. I don't think I've ever smelled a more beautiful vanilla-based scent.

This one is my favorite and probably the best vanilla scent I’ve tried; unfortunately, it’s been discontinued 😭 But would love to find an accurate dupe or similar fragrance to it. It’s amazing! ❤️

IT IS SO DELICIOUS FOR A REASON....IT'S IDENTICAL TO AMOUAGE SUNSHINE! AND THE PRICE IS CHEAPER COMPARED TO AMOUAGE, DELICATESSEN, IT'S LIKE A SUNSHINE SAYING HELLO IN YOUR SKIN, LOVELY.

-Opens smelling nice and smoky. Reminiscent of Goutal- Nuit et Confidences. -If only it stayed linear..but no, Zanzibar had to morph into this fruity scent. (-)

Nice vanilla perfume, but nothing special. Kind of disappointing for a very expensive perfume!

Such a classy vanilla! One that would be great to wear to work.

The drydown of vanille de zanzibar reminds me of Lira very much