Vanisia

Creed's Vanisia opens with an odd sinus clearing hit of bergamot & strong vanilla, the effect of which somehow reminds me for a split second of bug spray. Moments later, the components mellow, & become recognizable to me, almost seeming minty. From this moment on it progresses rather quickly! Amber, more vanilla, -and this is not the ethereal & lightly crushed pods of Sublime Vanille, but an aged, rich, deep & oily vanilla enhanced by ambergris. With a very fine quality jasmine together they create a warm & welcoming fragrance, with a temperance & color which in my mind reminds me of sparkly Baltic amber that's been polished. I get almost a light baked apple scent for a moment I think a trick of the jasmine & maybe citrus plus the sweets. Its quite interesting, to sniff the evolution of a seemingly simple scent, but it evolves into so many possibilities, I can see how it could be a huge hit or miss based on chemistry. So, I've had bug spray, mint, apple, jasmine, amber, ambergris, rich vanilla, some kind of phantom spice, and a sandalwood base, which always seems to be a hit on me as long as its quality. Very interesting. I was a bit bored with the sniff I got from the vial, but this is an entirely different scent when worn. I wouldn't suggest a blind buy, the ambergris could throw it for some people. Fantastic for fall, I'm really craving a big bottle that I could have a big 5-6 sprays of! However.. My sample will have to do for now, and we shall see if its a full bottle sized craving when I run out! Right now it reminds a bit of Sushi Imperiale, a cozy, shape shifter of a perfume that makes me want to sniff myself again & again. We shall see how the husband reacts! I find myself wanting more.. Lovely perfume, listening to fall cicadas its absolutely perfect. Really craving a FB of this! Update, I pulled the trigger and bought a huge bottle of the Mellisime edition, and it really has secured a spot among my favorites! A classic beauty that will never go out of style!

When I first sampled this on a card at the Creed counter, I was immediately turned off. It smelled WAY too strong for me. However, I decided to give it another go with a sample vial. I put it on my skin and at first I still had the same negative reaction. It started off with a bang, just like Jasmin Imperatrice Eugenie (one of my favorites), but the "bang" lasted a lot longer. Whereas JIE dries down in 15-20 min on me, Vanisia took 30-45 min. And during that time, I could smell the bergamot, rose, and jasmine, but they were overwhelmed by the sea-saltiness of the ambergris. (I like ambergris in a perfume for its fixative properties, but I don't like it as a strong fragrance note). Even worse, I could not smell any vanilla at all. I was all set to conclude that it was a too-strong version of JIE that had too much ambergris in it, but then the magic happened. It began drying down and out came the amber, the sandalwood, and finally the vanilla! Now it is a warm and lovely combination of those three notes. I am glad I gave this one time to fully develop on my skin before casting it aside. Since this is so similar to JIE, I wasn't sure if it would be worth having both. But after that beautiful drydown, which is crisper and stronger than JIE, I have now added this to my "want" list. One other thing worth noting is that the sillage has remained in the heavy to moderate category for over four hours now and shows no signs of letting up. Also I will add that to my nose, this is sweeter than Samsara.

I agree with the very first review on this page, this IS luxury at it's finest. Vanisia is an amber centered fragrance rather than vanilla. I initially tested this because I thought it was a vanilla scent, but I was blown away by the scent. The only thing that prevented me from snatching it up right away was the $240 price tag. I lucked out and was able to have a small decanter filled free with purchase of another perfume at nordstrom. Total score as I heard that this perfume is going back into the vault. I don't pick up the bergamot top note, but there is something bright that jumps out at you right away. This only lingers to enhance the richness of the sandalwood and amber coupling. Rose is subtle in the background giving this a richness and depth (I am not a rose fan, so please know this is NOT a rose perfume). The vanilla and floral notes represent the base and offer a creamy support. I also note a hint of light musk that adds depth. Here is my recipe for decadence: shower, the exact friction of stars body lotion (creamy with a hint of salt), one drop of vanilla scented oil rubbed with both wrists, dust with a spray of vanisia. Absolutely divine! Of course it is also amazing on it's own.

Something has happened to me. In the past week; I have fallen madly in love with Vanisia. I have read that there are discontinued Creeds such as this one that are not watery and are full of body and character, so I decided to try Vanisia . Now it is in my top 5 out of a LOT of fragrances and I cannot stop wearing it. It’s an addiction. It opens so much like somewhere between Shalimar and Samsara, but smoother than both- like a beautiful vintage. I feel that a dark vanilla is at play throughout the life of the fragrance, in a totally stunning, bourbon based way. After the first 30 minutes, it really gets exciting, when it starts revealing the jasmine and the rose. The Amber and sandalwood base last for so long and are of such quality... it’s hard to want to use any other fragrance again... for me it is a 10/10 and I can’t believe how inexpensive the bottle was for a Creed. I just purchased a bottle of Vanisia from the 80s and I can’t wait to test it! Onto try Royal Delight and Irisia next....

I got a couple carded samples. It is great. Smells like vintage Shalimar, a bit more citrus on top. One friend who knows Creed and loves vintage frags in general said this is his #1 Creed, and he knows most of them... I wore my vintage Shalimar the other day. So the quality and longevity are better with Vanisia. Shalimar has more vanilla in the dry down. Vanisia is more floral and feminine. This smells like a chypre. I seem to pickup a bit of oakmoss and cinnamon. It reminds me of a classic men's chypre Balenciaga Pour Homme, although more feminine. I like jasmine more than rose in general. I first thought I was getting more Jasmine than rose... Then I notice a definite rose as well. So a high quality jasmine and rose accord, 50/50. Update: I did purchase a 30 ml Creed Vanisia. It is like a vintage Guerlain with super quality notes. Maybe quality of notes is better than Guerlain. It only slightly leans feminine. Rating: 9/10 God bless. John 3:16

Vanisia is super classy and elegant oriental woody scent. 100% unisex but not for little boys or girls. No age limits but definitely limited for a certain glamourous attitude and self confidence. The sillage is humongous, but sprayed from arm's lenght onto the skin it settles and is much softer. That's how perfume is supposed to be sprayed I've heard. Longevity is also great but stays closer to the skin after two hours. But stays on for the rest of the day or night. Notes are mainly on the woody side of the spectrum. Ambergris and sandalwood, OMG the sandalwood - are on the frontline the whole time. But in the first hour there's soapy flowers (jasmine and rose and maybe heliotrope) in the background. Vanilla shares the stage in the drydown with the woods, making the soapyness turn ino sweetness. It reminds me of one of my favourite perfumes, Uninhibited by Cher. Just as luxurious. Made for the Diva Goddesses of the world.

I believe that the sandalwood in this beautiful fragrance is probably the best I have ever smelled. Vanisia is one of my many favourite fragrance and I always go back to it. I believe that Vanisia should have been labeled as unisex. The fact that Creed is using the feminine and odd looking bottle for presentation refrains male customers like me. I tried this at the Creed counter and the sales associate was surprised that I (200 pounds men) ask for it. I finally got it really cheap on ebay. As for marketing, I understand that this was created for a Spanish queen centuries ago... I do not know if this is really a sales argument. I am a fan of oriental and this one is one of the best in my collection. It shares some similarities with my signature scent Egoiste, because of the sandalwood. It is a reaaly strong and long lasting fragrance. Women who likes Opium or Samsara will probably love this one.

This is becoming my favourite amber vanilla perfume for the cold months ,It's rich and comforting , I love how it starts out with a blast freshness due to the bergamot, jasmin and rose, spraying it on is like a blast of the past to me, it's bursting and rich but has a lightness to it , it's never too heavy , it can be easily worn by a man ,,it's just a really amazing smell, neither too feminine nor masculine. . .. as I smell the refreshing soapy notes I also smell the heavy underbase which is in the end what attracts me most to Vanisia, yes it's all about amber vanilla and sandalwood , which are so heavenly and naturally presented in here with an animalic edge . This is class in a bottle, beats most vanilla scents out there, it's a fragrance with substance and weath , dries down warm cozy and comforting , dry down is on the sweet side. Love it !!! 10/10

Samsara vintage and new, Sandalwood and Vanilla usually do not work for me. Sandalwood almost always causes me a sneezing fit. So, it was quite a surprise to me that Creed Vanisia is out-of-this-world gorgeous on my skin. The opening is rosey-sweet, not at all sour. Vanisia is a shape-shifter, and throughout wearing it, it comes across differently... at changes in temperature, body heat, and freshly-applied vs. dry-down. The Sandalwood is smooooth and a bit spicy. That capricious Jasmine goes pretty darn animalic and makes me feel like jumping for joy. Not animalic like the fragrance, Patou Joy (although I love that one), but a somehow more purry and gentled animal. The only other Creed I've tried so far has been Aventus, and this beauty makes that one seem.... boring. I am loving Vanisia!

A perfectly-balanced blend. The opening is a little bit of a shock, with all the notes mingling, but still individually recognisable (although nothing like the opening hit of Love In Black). The bergamot provides the brightness, but soon the rose, sandalwood and amber settle into a vanilla accord that is quite rich. This reminds me somewhat of Shalimar, but not like a copy or impression -- just vaguely (there's no leather). I give this a huge thumbs up. I find it hard to judge how much Vanisia to put on -- even with the firehose Creed atomiser, I still go three sprays. It has excellent longevity, and the Ambroxan adds a nice fuzziness to the drydown. For those Creed fans, this is an excellent companion to Royal Delight. Enjoy!

This is so gorgeous! The bergamot is really well done in the opening, and for 10 minutes it remains enjoyably tart. However, once it burns off, the sweetness of the vanilla begins to hum (not sing...this is very soft) and forms a cozy bubble around your body. It's mildly resinous, but mostly this is a soft sandalwood with vanilla. I don't get a whole lot of the florals, but they're there, just not in abundance. Today I felt as if I wanted warmth, and this provided beautifully. It has a calming effect on my psyche, and feels like an olfactory snuggle. Something about it is vintage-y, and it adds to the reassurance. A sweet, powdery, oldschool comforting amber!

Vanisia is a classic, quality, amber perfume. It seems like predominantly ambergris blended with sandalwood, and nothing synthetic whatsoever. It smells like powdered amber, so it is indeed powdery, but not like talcum powder at all. Vanisia seems old-fashioned because of the heady sillage and the quality of ingredients. This is by no means a modern perfume that was made to smell vintage, like the new Chloes or Lipstick Rose. This perfume is the real deal.

Luckily I don't get any Rose with this one, for me it's all about the Amber & Vanilla which I usually don't like but this is so subtle and smells like such good quality. It's almost as if you made a high quality version of Altamir by Ted Lapidus and then gave it a feminine twist but left enough to keep it unisex, 20 minutes in is when it really shines for me

A place far away from the hype train rail way, wandering in the forgotten treasures land where diamonds can be found on surface only if you dismount from the back of hypnotic trends and influences

I love this so much that the only thing that makes me crazy is the need to re-apply. I get 3 hours or so, at this price?? For those 3 hours...feel like a Queen, it is incomparable.

Creed is not a preferred perfume house for me, but one day while shopping at Nordstrom I found myself at the Creed counter trying to figure out its appeal. I went through 5 or 6 test strips and wasn't really impressed, then I picked up the bottle of Vanisia and as I sprayed it I said, "wow, this has got a vintagy vibe". From that statement the SA and I began conversation about the Creed line and she told me that Vanisia and a few others were created specifically for members of the Royal families. She ended up giving me samples of Vanisia, Jasmin Imperatrice Eugenie, and Fantasia de Fleurs. When I finally got around to trying my Vanisia sample I was actually quite impressed. I'd never heard anyone mention anything about this perfume, and there aren't many reviews on it either. It's heavy on the amber, but there is no shortness here of sandalwood, bergamot, rose and jasmine. And then there's ambergris that gives it that distinct smell. I'm really liking the way this smells and I'm glad that I took the time at a fragrance counter that I normally would have discounted. This seems to be a hidden gem within the Creed house. For anyone interested in classic and vintage fragrances I recommend giving this a try.

The rose is very subdued, and the subdued florals in the mid are blended beautifully. Although the florals may impart a slight feminine lean, the scent is quite unisex overall. Obvious vintage feel of course, with slight animalic accord due to indolic Jasmine. Shalimar is an obvious comparison. I've never tried Samsara so I can't comment there, although I've known of it as an iconic sandalwood fragrance. The sandalwood in Vanisia is well blended in. Vanisia isn't my favorite vanilla fragrance, nor amber fragrance. It's not my favorite Creed. It's not the heaviest of Amber's or Vanillas out there, but of course it is heavier than the traditional classic light Creed "freshies". Its a nice Vanilla. Typical classic Olivier Creed quality, balanced and beautifully blended. The Vanilla accord should definitely be listed higher in the stack than the Rose accord, and for me even on top of the Amber accord, which is too prominently perched on top of the stack. This is not a Rose fragrance. It's a vanilla fragrance. Interesting that there is a listed Balsamic accord. Not sure the constituent notes for the Amber, but it's not heavily resinous to my nose.

I reviewed Vanisa from a sample before. I can't remember the date; it was some time last year. I thought it smelled like vanilla coke at the time, was not impressed and dismissed it right away. My husband adored it. He recently bought me a bottle in secret LOL and asked me to try this again in the hopes that I would come around and like it. So, I told him that I would delete my previous review and try again. The bottle arrived today and so here I am again, and I still get vanilla coke straight away, which almost made me want to scream because now I have full bottle of this stuff! But I promised to be patient and not scrub my hand straight away like I did last time. As this perfume progresses (which seems like ages when you are smelling nothing but vanilla coke) I start to smell aldehydes, like old school aldehydes and the perfume transforms to a very old school type of make up/dusting powder amber vanilla scent and I am really liking it a lot. Hopefully over time and w/ more wearing I will get over smelling vanilla coke when I put this on and just smell the heavenly powdery vanilla amber this scent becomes.

This is a gorgeous, dark vanilla fragrance. There is an almost boozy quality to it, and I can say that it would make for an absolutely amazing fragrance for a cold winter night. I think Creed was unwise to market this as a female perfume. It would seem to me that, by doing so, they isolated a large chunk of people who would’ve taken a keen interest in this fragrance. I’d go so far as to call it Christmas in a bottle. This is, of course, assuming you are in the northern hemisphere. To the reviewer below who commented on the parallels between this fragrance and Royal Delight, I have to say that I agree. Vanisia, however, lacks the incense that Royal Delight puts across so convincingly, instead replacing it with a dark, sensual amber and vanilla combination. All in all, I would recommend Vanisia. Considering its female centric marketing, the pricing of it hasn’t exploded in relation to other vintage Creeds. If you like darker, heavier fragrances and can handle a strong vanilla, this may be the frag for you.

At first this scent is like a freight train. WOW! It hits you HARD. I wanted to give it some time to mellow out, so I went about my business. Then I thought to myself, what is that lovely smell? I was decanting perfumes at the time so I thought it was just a mixture of everything I was decanting. But then I smelled my arm. Mmm, this is scrumptious! But hang on a sec. Where is the vanilla? Is there something lost in translation here? I thought vanisia meant vanilla, but what I get from this fragrance is pure amber (well, amber and sandalwood). Granted, it's a lovely, STRONG, almost spicy amber, and the drydown reminds me of Givenchy Organza Indecence but with less vanilla and no patchouli. I swear I smell cinnamon, just like a previous poster mentioned. There is something comforting yet sexy about this scent. But please, if you seek vanilla, look elsewhere, for I'm afraid there's not much to be had in this bottle.