Vanilla Era

This may be my favorite fragrance from the brand so far. I liked it from the first sniff, but it turned into love when I stepped outside in a warm humid evening - it got only better. How does it smell? It's a rich, decadent, dusty, balsamic, a bit spicy, warm vanilla. It has a vibe of niche perfumes. Very addictive and special. If you enjoy all sorts vanillas, including the darker and complex ones, you may consider blind-buying it. It does have a similar style to some other scents from the brand, in particular, it's in a similar realm as Woodphoria (which I also liked). Notably, it's one of few scent with papyrus that I like. Where would I wear it? Certainly for going out in the evenings when dressed up, any season. It's on a deeper, heavier side, but surprisingly, I did enjoy it during a warm, humid evening. It may be too much for some people indoors, especially in an office setting, but it really shines outdoors in the autumn. This is not a low-key, easy reach, universally pleasing scent, however. It's potent. I can't get enough of it and I'm planning to get at least a travel spray.

I am usually a very calculated buyer of perfume. Read notes, read reviews, look at the 'reminds me of' section, sample on paper, sample on skin, buy 5mL tester bottle and then decide if I want a full bottle. It’s whole system. Vanilla era broke that system. I sampled it on a paper strip at the store and the smell was so delicous that even after trying several other perfumes on paper, I had to go back and try vanilla era on my skin. I thought to myself, depending on how this wears throughout the rest of the evening I might come back to the store tomorrow to purchase a bottle. When I say, I only lasted a couple hours after getting home before thinking to myself "I can’t wait, I need a bottle now", I am not exaggerating. That evening I went back to the store and bought a full bottle and never looked back. It is gorgeous and warm. Woody and sweet, maybe a little musky, maybe a touch of something herbaceous — just very well blended. Definitely worth a sniff.

I'm so glad I bought the full size before they changed it, because I like the original formulation quite a bit. (I say this without trying the new version, maybe it's good as well.) I hate gourmands, I don't like to smell like anything resembling food so I was skeptical about trying this one when I got it in a Boy Smells sampler last year. To me it doesn't smell much like vanilla. It's spicy, creamy, and interesting to experience. It's got some staying power as well, two sprays on me is more than enough and I can smell it all day. I think it's great for winter and colder months since it's got a good amount of coziness as well. One huge gripe about the old bottles though...god it's so stupid. It makes me angry to look at, it's so unnecessary and inelegant. I'm glad they changed that for their new launch.

This reminds me of a toned-down (but still fairly potent) Instant Crush because of the vanilla/saffron/amber. I enjoy IC but it is a bit too ostentatious for me, and I find VE to be a bit smoother and versatile with good projection and longevity. I often times find vanilla-dominant fragrances to either be too cake-like (Vanilla 28) or too dry (Eau Duelle). The vanilla here is sweet but not too sweet, and the saffron gives it that metallic edge. Amber and cashmere wood warm it up. I haven't spent enough time with it to try to pick up on the other notes. I'm not a fan of pepper notes when they're too prominent (like in This is Her), but I didn't even notice it in VE. Overall, it's a lovely vanilla that is sweet and comforting without being too gourmand.

This is, like most Boy Smells scents from what I've experienced, an extremely polarizing fragrance. I happen to be on the side of adoring it. There is a time and a place for a cakey, sugary, sweet, gourmand vanilla - this is not the fragrance to wear if that is what you're looking for. The vanilla here rounds out a lot of deeper, woodier, spicier notes rather nicely. There's also a bit of unexpected earthiness (maybe from the saffron and papyrus?) that really ups the intrigue for me. It is not for the faint of heart - on my skin, which I feel like has a bad habit of eating fragrances up, this spreads far and lasts long. Synonymous with colder weather for me. For me, it's a novel take on vanilla - somewhat unusual, but strangely hypnotic.