Vanilla Musk

Received my vintage bottle this evening. Pure, unadulterated nostalgia. Immediately transported me back to summer 1995. Undoubtedly one of the very best summers of my life. ~~Chills~~. I got this for Christmas 1994, along with the anomalous Guess Original. Boy, do I deeply regret tossing out my large bottle when I moved in 2006. Several extraordinary perfumes met their fate. I honestly did not know about fragrance longevity in terms of shelf life. Delicious, addicting musky, sexy vanilla with ceder. No vanilla cake or candy, scents I find myself tiring of. Not particularly sweet, at least compared to Tihota, Outremer Vanilla, CSP Vanilles, West Indies Vanilla. Certainly different enough to own both this and Vanilla Fields. I think VM is spicier. The glorious advertising campaign of 1994 autumn made me thirst for this fragrance. A silhouette of a woman's back, all warm rosy tinted amber tones. Very 90s. I think I saw it in Sassy. I was 20 ( soon to be 21 in March 1995) and reveling in my new found sexuality and frankly having the time of my life partying and being very carefree with my eccentric friends. Short, swing skirts from Express in flowered patterns, body suits, long honey colored Cher Horowitz hair, high heeled mules, MAC Spice lipliner all over lips glossed up with a slick of Naturistics Coconut gloss in a tin. Fizz and Outback Jack clubs, Closer by NIN, Mockingbirds by Grant Lee Buffalo, Sabatoge by The Beastie Boys. Great times. Oh, fragrance, why do you do this to me? Fragrance shoots us right back in time, the strongest connection to memories. Too true. My vintage bottle is true and strong, what a treat.

Let me take this time to apologize to my mom because I snagged this—stole👹—from her vanity. I know she’ll notice a familiar face in my collection soon and realize that one of her perfumes has magically teleported in my room. Ok! Anyways. Sooo, as i said, i found this in my mom’s vanity with about 20ml left and I’m so glad I had to give one of her “vanilla” coty perfumes another chance because this was beside her dreaded Vanilla Fields by coty and let me tell u, that perfume scarred my existence. I expected it to smell like a gourmand vanilla with the slightest bit of florals but god I was wrong. It was pure aldehydic, powdery, white floral without any trace of vanilla. Regardless of the vanilla tragedy I experienced, I THANK VANILLA MUSK FOR BEING THERE FOR ME. Vanilla musk starts musky and nail polish remover/acetone-y which is reminiscent of one of the best celeb perfumes SJP Lovely. These perfumes are very “trust the process,” so just hold on tight and get rewarded with a pleasant surprise. This had a rough start on my skin but it just kept getting better because after a few minutes it started smelling like butter cookies and it was pretty gourmandy but not sickeningly sweet !! When I stick my nose to it, it doesn’t smell like what I described, I mostly smell woody vanilla but wow whenever I catch it off-guard, I get lovely whiffs of lactonic notes like a creamy vanilla buttercream. Sorry, mom. Finders, keepers. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to enjoy every drop of the remaining 20ml, and be grateful lol !!

I thought I would leave my thoughts on this perfume on here like everybody else did... I've read a lot of the comments and all I can say is this.... this Vanilla Musk perfume was made in 1994 and I've been wearing it ever since never faltered from it, this is what a TRUE Vanilla Musk smells like.... It doesn't smell cakey or candyish or like cookies because that's not what a Vanilla Musk is, IT'S A MUSK.... I see some people are in love with it, some people are saying it smells animalistic, skunky even.... I heard somebody even said it smells like urine, it's definitely NOT urine, animalistic? skunky? absolutely... it's a MUSK, I don't understand what you guys are expecting from this or maybe you're expecting it to smell like that Nemat Vanilla Musk which is not a vanilla musk at all, it's an Candy Vanilla, there's a huge difference between these two Vanilla Musks.... One being a true Vanilla Musk and the other being a Candy Vanilla advertised as a Vanilla Musk.... Furthermore I would have to say to the people that call themselves perfume connoisseurs or perfume collectors I'd like to think that you guys actually know what you're smelling but I'm realizing that you don't aside from a few people.... If you don't like Vanilla Musk by Coty, then you're not a true Musk fan. And as I mentioned you cannot go to a Musky perfume and expect it to smell like candy, cookies, ice cream and cake. This is the best Vanilla Musk around and its still here for a reason.

Vanilla Musk is so light and demure, yet powerful on its spices. It's a gentle vanilla musk to go to bed with, to hold a baby with, an unassuming fragrance that won't turn heads but will make your skin smell very, very good. It's a faint musk with strong spices and an over wash of vanilla that hits you immediately on the first spray in a delightful mix that makes you come back for more. Its' initial spritz is glorious with a zesty lemon that has one drooling and dreaming of lemon cream pie. It's absolutely delicious. I can't get enough of the beginning notes of this cologne spray. No alcohol whizz, just immediate gratification and pleasure from the first spray through to the end. It's a little stronger than one might think for a cologne spray, and it does radiate well. Lasting power is not that well, two hours at best. Although, for a cologne, that would be decent. Considering some of today's Eau de Parfums, it holds its own in longevity. A little bit of burnt logs thrown in for good measure which only adds to this old stand-by of drugstore classics. A creamy, cooked vanilla pudding from scratch comes to mind when I smell my wrist with Vanilla Musk. The type of pudding that's been left on the stove a little too long and has some burnt crisp edges along the sides of the pot. A scrumptious winter-time fragrance for those snowy days in front of the fire, watching the snowflakes fall.

Can you tell by my username where this is going? Years ago I remember smelling this creamy soft cozy smell, and I asked my classmate what she was wearing. This was the first ever time I had felt the need to ask something. All I remember her saying was vanilla and walmart. Yes those were the descriptors! I went on with life and never found it where I had lived but I never forgot that scent. Just up until a year ago, I did some research on vanilla scents from walmart, and came across Vanilla Musk by Coty. I figured this had to be the one based on the description. I went into walmart to test it for the first time, and it was the same heavenly smell that I remembered from all those years ago. I ended up buying two bottles and wear it almost daily. If I had to describe Vanilla Musk, it would be creamy, soft, cozy, warm, and one of a kind. I have never found anything better for a vanilla, which is crazy to me given that this is such an affordable perfume. It lasts 5-6 hours on my skin and I love love love this scent. I think I have read on here, and agree that the opening smells kind of like a London fog (vanilla with earl grey steamed in milk). Anyways, I think this is such a beautiful scent and I am so thankful to have found my signature scent. If you haven't tried it, please do!!