XXI Art Deco Vanilla Orchid

This summer I was visiting family in Seattle when I got incredibly ill. The type of sick that when your family comes back from a hike, they take one look at you and drag you to the ER. I spent most of the week in a not fully lucid state but was determined to do one fun thing on my "vacation". Luckily my dad, who I recently got hooked on niche fragrances, was up to being dragged to Parfumerie Nasreen downtown. Now, two things. A, when I get sick my already overly sensitive nose goes into hyper overdrive and B, most vanillas make me want to ralph even when I'm healthy. After 30 minutes of smelling strips and admiring bottles, the (awesome, btw) woman who I'm going to assume is the owner somehow manages to talk me into trying Vanilla Orchid. I was avoiding the Clive Christians due to not being able to currently afford them but hey. Live dangerously. I'm still not sure if that was a smart decision. Smelled so good I had to talk my dad out of buying me a bottle and he's brought it up multiple times since then. I went home, puked, and passed out but not once was I upset or nauseated by the perfume I was wearing. I didn't shower because I'm a trash person and it still smelled noticeably amazing the next day. Finally had to go ahead and get a sample of it to make sure I wasn't remembering a fever dream. I wasn't. This is legit. This is the first >$500 perfume I've tried that didn't make me wonder if I just didn't *get* it. Open is a blast of stick-your-nose-in-it flower that smells like it's straight out of a garden. After about 10 minutes, the vanilla starts coming out but it acts to mellow, not to sweeten. Like, it makes the edges fuzzy and keeps the floral from becoming overwhelming. Actually, I'm not convinced that the orchid (or whatever the flower is) would ever become "too much" but I guess it could in theory. Vanilla Orchid isn't a complicated perfume, and there isn't a whole lot of evolution, but when I wear it I smell so good I feel almost high. On my skin, the sillage is sneaky. I'll feel like it's low or not projecting all that much and then *wham* I get a full force blast like it's been newly reapplied. I'll think it's dissipated and someone walking behind me will be "what are you wearing? That is fantastic". Longevity is solid as well.

More florals (and very g r e e n florals at that) than vanilla, this fragrance is a bomb that projects like crazy but I L O V E it!!!🖤🖤🖤 It smells like sophistication and opulence but all in a good way. Longevity is eternal, 24+ hours on my skin and days on clothes. It was a blind buy but I was confident I was going to like it and I actually love it. It is definitely not an everyday scent but oh my goodness, it’s a beauty that I will be wearing for dates or special events!!! Definitely give this one a try if able to get a sample, it’s quite an experience 💚✨✨✨✨✨

I was looking for a unique Clive fragrance. Not many reviews about this fragrance and it’s not popular which I like. This was a blind buy based off the scent notes, I know it have been said never to blind buy but I can honestly say I was lucky because it does smell great. It’s green and not a typical vanilla scent but very pleasant and I couldn’t stop smelling my arm. I’ve never smelled anything like it before, very beautiful fragrance. Sits close to skin. I think it’s a year round fragrance. I’m yet to wear it out, but I’ll update.

Very easy for me to wear this fragrance. It starts out with some fresh Galbunum that dominates throughout. The Vanilla I think just balances out all the bite Galbunum and Hyacinth bring to a perfume. The sweetness is minimal and non gourmand but still very nice. I find some powdery elements but not overly so. There is something going on underneath all the other notes that is both fleeting and magical. Overall I loved it enough to buy a FB. Can be year round easily. Sillage is moderate and longevity is good.

The opening and the dry down are my favorite part of this perfume. The opening is a very realistic cut plants from the garden, very green and dewy. Reminds me of hanging out in the garden while my grandmother tended to her orchids. The cut stem smelled like this. The dry down is soft floral but also smells realistic, as if you’re spending the afternoon in a garden full of fresh blooming flowers. I can’t smell sweet vanilla in it, I think it is used to smooth the sharp fresh notes of all the other things. It’s a day to night scent, but I’d say this is more of an evening scent. All year round for sure. I tried it in the middle of summer and it wasn’t cloying at all. One spray goes a long way as it is quite potent.