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.

My initial impression of 2.0 didn't ping as too different, though definitely softer. But getting them side by side, they're more like siblings than twins. Most notably, it's lost a lot of its smoke, which leaves room for the other notes that might have gotten drowned out before. The scent profile is more rounded out and a little warmer, leaning way more gormand than earthy/spicy. The tradeoff, though, is that it doesn't really go anywhere over time, keeping the same impression from spray to fade. Overall, not a bad formula! I do like it! Unfortunately, I'm here for the smoke and just like the previous formulation way better.

I experience this fragrance as cool, sharp, metallic (?) and uplifting, like a refreshing peppery/ bubbly Vanilla carbonated beverage. It's not like the typical gourmand vanilla I've been exposed to (which tends to lean more similar to a warm, creamy, decadent dessert). The projection and longevity are fantastic (I continue to smell this on my outerwear days later), make this a good value, so no need to overspray. I really enjoy this interpretation of vanilla. It feels very current because of the iso-e super note in the composition, but also unique enough to not smell too trendy. (something that concerned me).

A beautiful blend of vanilla, woodiness, spices and comforting ambergris and cashmere as the scent settles on the skin. By no means a super sweet or gourmand vanilla- more on the hotel lobby side of things- the saffron and olibanum add a nice resinous suede appeal upon initial spray. Would love a full bottle for the F/W, very lovely for layering!

A perfectly unisex vanilla. This is not your ordinary sweet vanilla! It has just the right amount of sweetness without doing too much. It’s woody & spicy...a bit hard to understand at first spray mostly because it’s not what you are expecting. I got a travel size initially and now I have a full size on the way.

i initially hated this because of how uninspired it was when it was new. after letting it sit for over a month, i was surprised by how much the scent has changed. it got way more deeper and longer lasting. something about this reminds me of an old book because of how dry it smells, almost like an old library

It's rare I like a vanilla fragrance and I love that this has vanilla, but it isn't gourmand, not sticky sweet, and leans more on the masculine side of unisex. Yes, there is that incense accord in there that I love and what makes it lean more masculine.

The perfect vanilla for someone who doesn't like vanilla. The vanilla is fighting for its life and losing <3 Smells almost peppery at first, fades into a nice sweet woody concoction. Not very strong so you can really go for it with this one.

If you are expecting a gourmand, creamy, ice cream vanilla, you will NOT like this. But if you are like me, and love spicy, woody, not-too-sweet, interesting vanillas, it will be a love.

A woody, dry, powdery, spicy type of vanilla. My favorite type.

Smells exactly like Ellis Brooklyn Vanilla Milk on skin

This is Byredo Vanille Antique on a budget.

I am fairly new to fragrances! just a disclaimer lol I am a big gourmand vanilla fan, and this by itself doesn’t feel like a gourmand to me at all. I find that on me it comes off very floral. The beetroot is only really detectable to me in the first hour of wearing, but for some reason after that it starts to become slightly figgy. (Not in a bad way, but it makes me wish that it was intentionally figgy.) The vanilla is there still but it feels boozy, as some others have mentioned. I’ve found that when I layer it with my nemat vanilla musk oil that it pulls out the sweeter side of vanilla, but not that much. I def will only be wearing this in the cooler months, I think in the summer this could get incredibly overwhelming. It is quite androgynous smelling, and I do think for what I paid, it’s worth it. But I would def try a sample first before you go for a travel size. (I made that mistake) Coming back a month later to say that I actually love this scent and have found myself reaching for it incredibly frequently!!! idk what I was on about before but it really is a delicious masculine/leaning vanilla. I would def try a sample though before purchasing. I think this just works really well for me :) Coming back in a warmer month to say that sometimes.... this smells like dill. like dill pickles.

I don't seem to understand people complaining about the one-note sickly sweet nature they find in this. The vanilla exists like paper in a book, and I mean this as yes this makes up the bulk of it, it is in everything you smell, but rarely is it the focus at any given point. The wood and pepper notes are quite heavy, and though it may have a sweet base, it is nowhere near as sweet or juvenile as I find most vanilla perfumes to be. It is a fairly straight forward, decently priced adult vanilla. (also I have seen comparisons on occasion to the target brand vanilla bourbon, and maybe if you want something in the same ballpark it would do as an "in a pinch" substitutw. That said, I've tried both at length and the vanilla bourbon lacks maturity and quality (and silliage) vanilla era has. It's apparent even to the casual observer) As a final note, if you want your perfume to transform as you wear it, this is not the scent. It stays consistent throughout the day, though that is not something I have an issue with when it comes to a daily wear.

Wow, it's crazy how polarizing the reviews for this are! I found this quite lovely and honestly one of the more unique vanillas out there, but my mom totally disliked it, she said the incense was too strong. To me, it's very ambery, but there's a subtle sweetness to it that reminds me of something edible, and it's driving me crazy that I can't figure out what it is! Almost like that dry waffle smell you get when entering a fancy ice cream place. It's gourmand, just not your TYPICAL gourmand. Less cakey, more earthy. It actually reminds me of a more intense version of Eau Duelle from Dipytique, but other than that, I truly haven't smelled anything like this. Love it!

The more I spray it, the more it grows on me. The initial spray is peppery with a hint of sweetness, and you can pick up on the coffee too, along with some clean florals too. I like how the coffee note is subtle and not overpowering. As it dries down, the vanilla notes start to emerge, along with a soft cashmere warmth. Would I buy a full bottle? Probably not. But is it a good scent? Yes !!!