Vanille Antique

Imagine you walk into a vintage store that is owned by an old man who seems like he has seen every lifetime imaginable and tried to capsule every obsolete object possible in a store - and there right next to the dust-covered vinyls you see a pile of old books, whose pages have been sun kissed and the sweet smell of old paper fills your lungs. Vanille Antique is the encapsulation of this exact scenario. Byredo has mastered the art of juxtaposition by crafting simple notes with such a complexity that the experience takes a whole 180. Classy yet innovative. Simple enough to harmonize with others, but eccentric enough to demand some sort of attention that cannot be helped but be given. This is no different - In fact, one of the classiest perfumes by the brand. Quaint essences are complimenting the beautiful vanilla base. To my nose (which should be given the benefit of the doubt as I'm not on K9 level... yet) it almost give ever so slighty sweet tobacco smell. Just as the color suggests, it is warm, cozy almost. The sillage reminds me of -as aforementioned- old books that have sat on the shelves and were kissed by the sun for years and attained some sweetness from it. The woodiness assuages any possible overwhelming of the warm notes, making it super balanced. As far as its orientation is concerned, it is of upmost importance to mention that it is faintly more feminine leaning but of course any gentleman flamboyant enough can carry it I am certain. On skin, the notes are omnipresent - they don't take turns to make their way to your nostrils; you get each note at the same time, which I'm assuming could be perceived as the notes 'falling flat' - which would be half true. And yet, it doesn't take away the majesty of it all. One of the few non-gourmand vanilla perfumes I've found myself being drawn into. So until I obtain the financials to store it on my shelf, I will be going back to the vintage stores and digging my nose into old books, hoping to catch a glimpse of this fragrance.

The ultimate chic vanilla. Timeless. Elegant. I hate that I ever smelled this. Because the price is beyond ridiculous for 50ml. The bottle is not very attractive either. This scent deserves a stunning display worthy bottle. But oh my god this scent is amazing. It is heavenly. It's warm amber and has a boozy sweetness like rum. Immediately transports me to a beautiful ornate old library with dark wood and that delicious smell of dusty old books. A more grown up version of Whispers in the library. It's like a warm hug. Super comforting, quite a clean scent, very well blended vanilla with a hint of fruit. I imagine people on the Titanic wearing this. Cosy like candlelight, a fireplace, warm tea and a soft blanket. The dry down is lovely. Like a soft cloud of labdanum, pleasantly tame musk, amber and just a hint of plum. It settles so nicely. A special occasion scent. A great signature scent. It is very powerful. This will last for days on clothes, even after washing it hangs around and at least 24h on the skin. I cannot say enough good things about it. I genuinely would give up almost all other scents just for this. Obsessed. And furious because that price is astronomical, ludicrous, laughable, insanity. And I still might buy a whole bottle. Sigh. Cries in poor... Edit: If you're a fan of this the Cremo Vanilla Tonka shave cream is really nice and very similar vibe! Wish they made a body wash and lotion in the same scent as layering these would be lovely!

Much has been told (or more actually, argued) about this perfume. I don't understand the peole who say it's a waste of time and it's something of a bad creation. It is NOT. However, I find the term "antique" misleading. I'd call it "Millenial Vanilla", because it heavily reminds me of Amber by L'occitane en Provence. The only issue with Amber was its poor longevity (and it has been discontinued). As an extrait, Vanille Antique got that one better, of course. The scent itself is very comforting and uplifting. When I spray it on myself, I'd immediately feel better and happier. It's not the typical sweet-sugary, or sexy vanilla, it's not too complicated, or interestingly refined, but somehow it's a well-blended, "polite" vanilla with medium depth and a hint of metallic traces, which a gives a bit masculine vibe to it. This can be your all-time higher quality scent, it's suitable for office days, or date night, or for lunch with the family as well. The only drawback is the price, which for me is a bit high for not being so groundbreaking. Plot twist: I bought it. :D

This is the only Byredo fragrance that I actually understand the hype for. I spritz myself at the storefront on Newberry street in Boston. I had a flight two hours later, a 6 hour flight back to Vegas. By the time I landed, I could still smell this on my wrists as if I had just sprayed it. Incredible longevity. Sillage can be strong, and I was worried about wearing a heavy perfume before going onto a plane as I am prone to headaches. Luckily, one spray was the perfect amount. The vanilla is sweet but sexy. I was worried the "antique" would make this scent too powdery for my liking, but it ended up being a perfect blend of sweetness and musk. Very unique, sort of reminds me of Seven Virtues Vanilla Woods, but better. Besides the price tag, the only thing holding me back from purchasing would be that this is strictly a cold weather scent. Living in Las Vegas, I'd only get a chance to wear this maybe 3 months out of the year. If I win the lottery, or bonk my head one day, maybe I'll get the courage to buy a full size. But for now, the samples will hold me over!

Literally BEAUTIFUL what the fuck. Do not listen to people who say it smells bad because they're literally lying to gatekeep. I'd love to gatekeep this too but just no. This is literally the prettiest vanilla I've smelled. It projects freshly at the start but then as it sits the vanilla and amber-wood smell kick in and they are what make the fragrance unisex for me, but to me it's more than unisex, it's something like androgynous to me. Usually, at least to me, most unisex perfumes smell like straight Axe deodorant on me (basically just smell like manly man) but this is so cute! To me it leans a bit more femenine because it smells more interesting; a lot of men's perfumes have this background and it is wayyy overrated and oversmelled, you literally can't escape it. But this on women smells luring and enticing and I love it. On a head turner and neck snapper scale this gets ♾️. If I smelled this outside I'd turn my head 360°. So gorgeous and I will definitely have to purchase. Sad that it's only 50ml.

Ok so I'll just go ahead and kill myself. $400 dollars for a bottle of the sexiest most perfect fragrance I have ever smelled in my entire life. Thank you to the friendly gay man at neiman marcus for recommending this to me I owe you my life... While this fragrance starts as an incredibly musky and plummy vanilla, the drydown (after about 8 or so hours) ends with a beautiful cakey vanilla! The fragrance ending so sweetly was such a huge shocker! The layers to this scent are so, so beautiful. It reminds me of how I would spend a perfect day; gallivanting around a dusty antique store picking through the books and old cigar boxes and after I leave picking up a yummy pastry from a bakery. I just love this scent! If you're looking to buy a present for the quirkiest girl in your life and absolutely make her day, get her a decant of this. She'll love you forever ;D

This is one of the best vanilla scents I have ever owned. I remember trying the Byredo scents in the Stockholm boutique a few years ago and when I smelled this... it was love at first smell, literally. I have immediately purchased it and loved it ever since. It opens with a somewhat spicy, even a bit animalic plum and then, almost immediately, a very sweet and elegant vanilla comes in. To my surprise, this doesn't quite lean into the gourmand profile that I expected. Then, for the majority of its very long wear, it is a very complex, musky-ambery vanilla that is just perfect. In my opinion, this is a scent for all seasons, day or night, hot or cold, as long as it's worn with confidence and a more elegant outfit. Despite the high price point, I really think this is worth every penny and will continue to repurchase it over and over again.

Just dropped my review of this on my YouTube "Rotten Rebel" and wanted to share how I feel about it here on lovely fragrantica! This to me is a very soft and smooth kind of vanilla and quite different from a lot of other vanilla focused perfumes currently on the market. The vanilla/plum duo is AMAZING and I love that soft vanilla that has a fruity touch to it. This duo sits on top of a woody and musky base that is as soft as that duo and there's a hint of something smoky and ambery about it all. That smokiness and the ambery side is to me softish and nice. Overall I find this to be one of the better releases from Byredo and I REALLY enjoy it. If you love the scent of vanilla then you pretty much have got to try this one out. Try before you buy, but make sure you try it if you love vanilla-focused perfumes! // RR

It was a mistake trying this perfume. I got a sample decant during my hunt for the best woody/dry vanilla. This astronomically priced potion is MAGIC on my skin, and devastatingly everything I've hoped for, for years during my hunt. I sprayed on my wrists yesterday around noon... it's 10am the next day and I can still smell it. It's close to the skin now obviously, but still has all the essence of the initial spray. I do not understand, my wallet is not happy, but I am absolutely in love. There is almost a soft incense vibe to the dry down. Not smoky on me at all, more like getting a soft whiff of unburned nag champa incense stored in a wooden box. Intoxicating. Not a safe blind buy, but I cannot recommend trying it enough if you are also on the hunt for a dry, woody, captivating vanilla.

I read the descriptions here and was intrigued by the negative ones. Those negative descriptions gave enough information that I will possibly like this scent. I wouldn't really have read them but there was a good deal available for a half of a bottle so I wanted to know something. I was right: it smells very nice. Whatever the sweetness is there, the "antique" is a very good addition to it that makes it interesting. It is that very thing some people dislike. The sweetness part reminded me a bit of Seminalis and Erba Pura, but only a bit. I found that on my hand it eventually turns into chocolatey patchouli scent, on my shirt it was more modest, it didn't change that much, just a little weaker there. So I just enjoy it, it is something different and interesting. Very nice creation.

I do not own this fragrance, but I feel the need to defend it. I smelled this several times in the store, sprayed it on my skin and all and it lives up to its name. What did all of you expect? The "antique" is in the name. It smells like vanilla - a 50 year old vanilla perfume you would find maybe in your grandads/grandmas room. The plum note combined with vanilla and wood note makes it reminiscent of dusty books and parchment. An antique store. Its exactly what it promised to be. Im not a vanilla person, in fact i mostly avoid her. BUT THIS??? If I would smell this on a stranger you best believe I am chatting them up. This perfume is for the mysterious dark strangers, the cute librarians, archeologists, historians, ancient Greece & Rome students perhaps.

I was surprised by this one, as I generally tend to see Byredo as heavily overrated. But it turns out they're just heavily overpriced. This one however, is amazing. It's the best Byredo by 10 country miles and then some. It goes down with a thick, drippy syrup laced with sweet woodsy notes (nothing sawdusty or scratchy at all) and a touch of fruit, like a very faint stone fruit. It's very smooth, yet the sweetness comes in thick bold waves that are luxurious and totally indulgent. The amber is 10x better than anything Tom Ford's Private Blend uses; heavy yet dainty, sweet and thick. Possibly one of the best Ambers I've ever tried! Brilliant by Byredo! Now please , pleasee reduce that eye-watering price tag. My rating: 9/10.

This fragrance had so many negative reviews across the internet when I first ordered a sample. To my surprise when I received the package and finally got to smell this, I was absolutely blown back! I have never had such a huge smile on my face and my nose absolutely glued to my arm over another fragrance before!! The plum mixed with the vanilla in a way that makes me think of a syrup with those flavors, thick but not sweet (this is def not a sugary sweet frag). Warm, cozy, addictive. Lasts forever on me, and especially on clothing. When I wear it out at night, the next morning I smell the creamy base notes lingering long after. 10/10, after ripping through my 5ml decant, I just splurged on a bottle for my birthday! 🥳

This smells like Vanilla and pipe tobacco to me, upon first sniff. I really like it. I was shocked not to see tobacco in the notes listed. I really like the musk plum opening. It has a very chameleonesque quality to it. I don't know what i was expecting, but it was not this. I see why it is called Vanille Antique. It's the note that smells of pipe tobacco that is so mystifying and gives it that aged quality, like it has been stored and left to mature in a dark basement somewhere. I imagine it in an aged oak barrel, maturing, next to some drying herbs and a wine selection. If it wasn't $300+ a bottle, I would be all over it. Alas...

The color of the liquid gives off a different vibe compared to the actual scent—it doesn’t originally smell as dark as the liquid looks. The first time I tried it was in a perfume store, and my nose was already exhausted, but I kind of liked it back then. Later, I bought a 10 ml decant, but I didn’t touch it until today. It used to give me headaches just smelling it from the cap—it had this weird metallic note, no idea why. But now, I finally sprayed it, and it smells... kinda clean. Like, how?? It’s like a worn piece of clothing that’s been sprayed with a soft vanilla perfume and washed with a musky detergent. Totally unexpected.

This is hands down my most prized bottle of perfume. If I were someone with a signature scent, this would 100% be it. It is easily as close to one as I have. I understand why some people do not like that medicinal type opening and, in spite of my obsession, do not think this is blind buy safe even without considering the exorbitant cost. Thus far I have tried nearly 20 "dupes" or "smells like" scents and literally none are quite right. Close, good, but not quite right. Now that being said, if they reformulated this scent for the 2025 version, I may not emotionally recover. This scent is my happy place. 😫 WHY ALWAYS MY FAVORITES?!

I am a vanilla wood lover so I knew I would love this scent!! I was taken aback by how pleasant and smooth this fragrance is. It has a powdery note but not like baby powder, it’s like the fine dust on an antique piece of wood furniture. The sweetness isn’t overpowering nor dessert like, but is prominent and like a fluffy floral kinda sweetness. I have to say it is really well mixed and comes together to create a great smell. I think this could be an everyday casual scent honestly. If you are a vanilla lover too you have to check this out!

This is the most unique interpretation of vanilla ever, and totally unisex. Bone-dry vanilla with woodsmoke and a hint of medicinal camphor. It is exactly how I thought the inside of Japanese temples would smell (they don't, but well....). I could sample this gem yesterday and kept smelling my wrist. I was instantly transported back to our holiday in Japan a couple of years back every time. Were it not for the price-tag, I would definitely consider buying a bottle, just to have it in my collection. Reminds me of "Winter Palace" by Memo.

I love this fragrance so much. I return to it over and over again. It calms me down emotionally. Never have I had a scent affect me this way before, but I’m open to suggestions! I feel safe and cozy when wearing it. I didn’t think I’d like it so much in the summer, but here I am. It lasts all day on my skin. The plum and labdanum stand out especially to me, but I do adore all of the notes. This is in my top 5 fragrances. It makes me want to discover all of the Night Veils, if I could pull my nose out of this one long enough!

Its a gem! Its like wrapping yourself in a warm, cozy blanket on a chilly day. The vanilla is rich and creamy, but it's not overly sweet there's this gorgeous depth to it that keeps interesting. You get hints of spice and a touch of woodiness that add a sophisticated twist. Its perfect for any occasion, whether you're out and about or just chilling at home. Plus, the bottle looks super chic on your vanity. Overall, its a must try if you love a nice, comforting scent that feels both luxurious and inviting!!