Deep Dark Vanilla

This is definitely an unconventional vanilla. It is definitely NOT your girly girl cotton candy type, so if you are big on sugary gourmands, be sure to sample first, but what it is .. at least on me.. is a sparkling peppery almost treacle vanilla opening, which dries down to a stunning woody, dark toffee kind of base. To me, it is straight unisex. I wear it and absolutely LOVE it!!

Should be called Deep Damp Vanilla. This is a mulchy, moist, moody, forest floor vanilla. It’s not for everyday & definitely not for everyone but it’s intriguing, melancholic & on the right day, it’s perfect - 8/10

I'm almost afraid to say this but... I really like how this performs on my skin. Received a free sample today and read all the below reviews and was terrified! But honestly love feuermaiden's review lol. Totally can see how it could swing that way for people- there's a smokiness but on me I don't smell any 'meatiness.' I do get some vanilla but it's as though a vanilla bean pod was buried in the forest floor: A little muddled, very dirty. The patchouli is lovely. Reminds me a bit of a whisper of Tom Ford's Ombre Leather's patchouli notes. Need to wear this out around friends and hear what they have to say but again, I really like this. It's almost like Pistachio and Mississippi Medicine layered a bit. Almost. And now I'm curious what Pistachio + Ombre Leather would smell like layered. Definitely worth seeking out a sample as I think it's pretty interesting and clearly polarizing. Update 11/12/23: Wore this out on Friday and Saturday of this weekend and it was a huge hit. My bestie who always is a straight shooter said she really liked it and a person whose opinion on fragrances I really respect also said she liked it. I'm so intrigued by how people feel about this scent.

It's been about 6 weeks since I posted my original review (since deleted) where I mentioned I couldn't really smell the scent...well, I revisited Deep Dark Vanilla tonight and I can smell something. Ahh, the magic of time. Earthy, green, and camphorous pachouli dominates the opening. Like, that's all I smell - it reminds me of Psychedelique from Jovoy. Upon dry down, the pachouli takes a backseat and it gets woody, slightly herbal, and even more green. This is super interesting to me and I like it! Deep Dark Vanilla is, in no way, a gourmand vanilla. It's dark, dry, and moody. I do get a tinge of vanilla after about 45 minutes, and it's very, very (very) faintly sweet, along with the dry, dark moodiness of the other notes. I think any fan of woody, green, dry, and brooding scents would enjoy this. Projection for me was between intimate and moderate, and it lasted just five hours before it was hardly detectable on my skin. I am putting it back in its box and storing it in my dresser for the rest of the summer to see if it will continue to macerate. I do like the scent. I will wear it in the fall, day and night, on days when I don't feel like being cheerful. 7.8/10

Hot take: Deep Dark Vanilla should have been named Salem Gothic instead. The inclusion of Vanilla in the name attracted all the gourmand girlies out who wanted cake, but this is not really sweet or gourmand. Perhaps the mismatched expectations explain the low ratings. Instead, the bitter and medicinal vanilla, heavy patchouli, and dry hay notes evokes a New England landscape. There's a cold dirt element that I associate with sorcery and witchcraft — a witch in the woods, gathering up ingredients for spells. There's also a "rotting" smell, like a dying plant. If Deep Dark Vanilla had been marketed as a witch scent (as Coven or Hexensable have been), this perfume would have rightfully found its place among the goths. While I initially felt agnostic to this scent, this perfume grew on me over repeated samplings. It is a vanilla that leans more masculine to me. While I can't say that this is a love, its uniqueness does make me reach for it repeatedly and I managed to find a bottle on discount.

Not at all what I was expecting like many of the reviewers here. The opening is really bright and oily. Astringent and green like medicinal syrup. I put Deep Dark Vanilla firmly in my "wood lacquer" line up. Right there with Rotano and Encre Noire. There is a soft warmth when it dries that's really pleasant. I would hardly call the underlying rich, slightly bitter, sweetness here "vanilla" but I guess that is technically what it is. It smells old. Cramped sweltering attics, seemingly endless antique stores only ventilated by various roof leaks and standing fans, sweaty summer nights, and deep green overgrowth. After some time with this it's decidedly my new favorite wood lacquer fragrance. Not odd or good enough for a FB purchase however.

If you're buying this for vanilla you will be very disappointed. The note tree is completely wrong and misleading. This is a patchouli fragrance through and through. It does have some dry vanilla but mainly patchouli which is smokey and has cacao facets. The vanilla is there to help lighten it up. It reminds me of Oriza L. LeGrand Horizon but not nearly as complex or good. If you haven't tried Horizon, then think about Dior Patchouli Imperial but Deep Dark Vanilla is not as strong or as good as Dior PI, and that will get you to this fragrance. It's not bad, but there's better patchouli fragrances out there from brands like Oriza L. Legrand, Dior, Jovoy, SL, etc. Scent 6.7/10 Performance 7/10

Deep Dark Vanilla is exactly what the name implies. An earthy, dry, patchouli inflected vanilla. It’s also got some dark incensey smoke and a sense of greenness, but not from fresh sweet greens. More like garden clippings someone left on top of the compost pile for a few days. I think the reason so many people didn’t like this is that they expected something different. A sweeter, gourmand type vanilla. This is dry, peaty, mature vanilla. It’s got a dark and challenging charisma. But it’s also very wearable, and perfect for cooler temperatures.

This is a tough perfume to review. Upon first spray, it is the most beautiful, natural vanilla bean. Not overly syrupy or earthy. As it settles, the more prominent note is hay. The hay itself is lovely, too, lending the perfume a "handsome" quality. My main gripe is that, even while in the store, the perfume settled into a close wear within minutes. It is difficult to justify the price tag, as a result. Overall, this is a dry, natural vanilla and I do think it'll find it's wearers! It's not as offputting to me, as others have found it.

Happened to come into the perfume store the same day they got this in this weekend. I gave it a couple tries about 30 min apart and I really liked it on testing paper. It's a handsome vanilla, very aptly named - it's sultry and has an incense-like character that I think a lot of people would really get along with. It's not a sweet or cloying vanilla, but woody and smooth. I'll have to return and try it on skin. I wasn't totally head over heels but I thought it was great and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people love it.

Contrary to the name this is definitely not primarily a vanilla, though it does have a lovely vanilla undercurrent. Very recognizable as DS & Durga- reminiscent of other smoky or woody ones they have without directly recalling a certain one. A slight impression of BBQ at times, but it's not overwhelming and works well for me in this blend. The patchouli is nice- it reminds me of the patch in Pistachio. If you're a fan of the woody DS & Durgas and aren't looking for vanilla to be the star check this out.

Almost mentholated opening that reminded me of Notorious Oud for a mili second. While I don't enjoy vanilla as a note in general, this was very refreshing to smell. DDV slowly opens up to be a little green, with some hay mixed and a good amount of nice edgy patchouli. Personally I wouldn't buy a full bottle since it's not something I'd wear often, but can't say it's bad. I think this is a complex scent that would be perfect for people who like vanilla and are seeking something different.

I thought it was going to be about vanilla, but it turned out to be about cypress, hay, hospital, iodine and bandages. It smells like the moment you realize in the operating room that you can't save someone. For some reason this scent has a wistfulness and a sense of hopelessness in me as my heart sinks in my chest. When the scent settles down, what's left is mostly iodine and menthol coldness. There really is something dead and hopeless about this scent.

This is a nice try to bend vanilla into something darker. I like the fact that it is not a sweet vanilla gourmand. It balances nicely with herbal and floral notes, creating something light and airy, in my opinion. Not dark enough for my taste though. In that sense Patchouli 24 by Le Labo is far better if you’re looking for more of an edge. Does anyone have a better reference for a dark vanille fragrance for me?

If you are looking for vanilla, this probably isn't the scent for you. There is vanilla in this, but it's an earthy, hay and patchouli scent. It makes me think of being on a hayride surrounded by fallen leaves, some still green, some dead, and someone else on the opposite side of the hayride is wearing a light vanilla scent. I do think this would be amazing layered with any gourmands you find too cloying.

This scent reminds of me Nishane Ani or even Diptique's Benjoin Boheme. It skews woody, almost cedar in intensity, rounded out with musty vanilla and a few background vegetal notes. I don't find it displeasing, but I'll be passing my 8ml to my husband. It's a bit masculine for me.

I’m surprised! There’s lots of folks here talking about the dearth of vanilla in this fragrance but imo it’s pretty dominant — it’s just not the type of vanilla you’re used to. Herbal and raw and green but definitely still vanilla, which I smell prominently through the whole wear.

pure vanilla extract and woods with a slight booziness. comes off medicinal like cough syrup

First impressions based on a dabber sample on skin. Vanilla is a note that rarely shows up in this line so I was curious what they would do when finally making a stand alone vanilla. The twist is that The Deep Dark here is a jungle, not an amber. Starts with a hit of vanilla and incense, a bit of mushroom must(orchid?), but dries into a mostly green and floral concoction blended with vanilla creme. The “jungle vines” accord also comes through adding a bit of green dust and their signature weirdness. I agree with the comparisons to Pistachio, they are defiantly related thanks the the vanilla patchouli combo. More cool than warm. I like this more than other green vanillas I’ve sampled. Will need to give this a full wearing and update afterward, but so far I like it. May get a bottle if the performance is good. Update: the performance is too quiet and the scent isn’t special enough to make up the difference. Performance is all over the place with this brand, some scents lasting all day and others gone in hours with a trend toward the latter in recent output. I still think this is a nice scent, but it has problems.

Root beer and patchouli, more bitter than sweet. I don’t get a ton of green notes but I absolutely get vanilla - it smells like expensive bourbon vanilla essence does in the bottle, with the alcohol astringency to it. The medicinal/root beer/bitter vanilla accord feels very similar to the original edp version of Mugler Aura but without the floral notes (and to my nose less green-forward) and more... savoury, definitely agree with there being something briny in here. This is a skin scent to my nose though prepared to believe I’m nose-blind to some of the green notes in this based on how much other reviewers are getting them. Would be good for layering to add complexity to other vanilla scents I think, don’t love it on its own enough to consider a full size especially since I think something in it irritates my skin a little. Clearly in the minority here but I think this is one for warmer weather - I think the kind of medicinal notes this has perform really well in humid weather, cutting through mugginess.

i’m still fairly new to fragrances, so i only get samples from decanters. I’m so glad i didn’t spring for a larger sample of this because it was honestly not what i was anticipating or expecting. this in the sample smells sooooo strongly of what i can only imagine to be the orchid??? I am having a hard time discerning what i’m actually smelling. the whole thing smells like licorice to me, and i barely get any vanilla at all. On myself, I layered my vanilla perfume oil to try and pull some more of that note out and it did nothing to help. Maybe this would be pleasant for some but this is very earthy and punchy for the first several hours. it’s been about 6 hours now and i can only smell it when i actually sniff my skin, but it still is a disappointment. def don’t blind buy this. if you’re a gourmand lover, this is prob not for you. the DS & Durga site makes this look soooo delish and i guess i wish i could experience what they anticipated but maybe its just my skin

I'm underwhelmed. Generally speaking it reminds me of the fireplace genre of smokey patchoulis (like Le Labo Patchouli, which I wear and enjoy). There is a bit of booziness in the opening, but it then veers into a weird camphorous smoke. Like the took their own El Cosmico, which is weird, smokey, minty, and put a drop of vanilla and added a huge hit of patchouli. From far as I was walking around, the impression was BBQ smoke. Up close I got the nuances. I kind of liked El Cosmico, but found it completely unwearable. This is wearable, but perhaps is trying to do or be too many things at once, except for vanilla which is the least impressive note here.

Upon spraying it smells great; earthy, dusty patchouli mixed with powdery, non sweet vanilla. I sprayed on my jacket and left. One hour later, the magic is gone. It's not the thick, powdery, earthy scent I imagined it would be; it somehow became thin, smokey and very woody, which reminded me of one of their other scents, I think Mississipi Medicine. DS & Durga scents change a lot from top to bottom, taking you on a journey, which in itself is great. But, the 180° change here doesn't suit me personally. Again, not a bad scent, but I wanted the powdery vanilla and patchouli. Another unfortunate pass.

This smells like I just cracked open a fresh package of Jack Link’s beef jerky. Or, as my husband perceived it, like a big meat stick from the gas station. Sure, there are nuances of other notes in here, like patchouli and woody/herbal notes, but the overall composition to someone you walk past on street is going to be some iteration of smoked beef. Don’t be acting like the average joe is gonna be picking out the pink pepper, cypress, and hay notes in here. It’s BBQ all the way down, my friends. 4/10

I’m always fascinated by fragrances where the namesake is not the star of the show. This is not a vanilla fragrance, vanilla is hidden way under the surface. Someone below said it best, this is like a dewy vanilla bean buried in the moist jungle floor, covered by the scent of weeds and decaying, briny green matter. I’m not repulsed by it, but I don’t love it at first spray. It may work its charm on me in time, wouldn’t recommend for a blind buy.

Initial blast is not for everyone, very sour. Smells like chugging down cherry Robitussin cough medicine. Almost nauseating if you have an association of that smell with being sick. Nevertheless, this grew on me. After 10min, dries into a spicy dark/dried leaf green scent. Also agree with notes of dill or olive. After the first hour, finally get reminiscing of vanilla bean notes. But this is definitely not a sweet gourmand vanilla scent.

At first sniff, it had overwhelming notes of pure vanilla extract and pepper. It's a darker, moodier, more exotic vanilla with notes of a smoky dark wood. It fades to a much softer and warmer scent while still keeping to that smoky pepperiness that I've come to be quite fond of. Would wear wonderfully in the winter/fall and would definitely consider it to be a nighttime perfume. Much too heavy to wear day-to-day.

It's an ok fragrance on the whole, but this is a patch perfume, not vanilla. Smells almost identical to Montale's Patchouli Leaves, which I loved, wore often and eventually sold. For me this is like a lot of other patch perfumes I fell in love with around that time. I don't really get any green, hay, nor vanilla orchid at all. Just misses the mark for me, personally.

where is vanilla in this vanilla perfume?. :D I smelled a lot of patchouli which is really nice, but vanilla? I felt tricked :D

dry vanilla. pretty but nothing more. probably good for layering.

Definitely deep and dark! Don't expect a classic vanilla direction. I get the olive at the beginning then it mellows out into something close to play-doh (which I like lol). Like the smoky steak sauce olive smell's like gone after 10 minutes on my skin. However honestly overtime I does feel like darker earthier patchouli scents and I already own Tempo so full bottling this might be redundant for me. I think this is one of those scents that might've benefited from a different name because you have an expectation that vanilla will be the key player, and with you coming into it you're really looking for where it is in the smell. This reminds me of Le Labo Tonka 25 where I gave the decanter a negative review because I thought the bottle was fake or old. When I actually got to smell Tonka 25 in a Le Labo store turns out strangely tonka isn't the main note you smell. Anyway lol yeah I think if this was named "Olive Patchouli" or something it would've been received very differently. It has a nuance that reminds me of their Pistachio release, but instead of the springy nougat-y bite you send it back down to the earth. Tldr! Manage expectations!

Oh dang okay never mind I tried this a year after my previous review below. Somehow it's smelling unpleasant today lol. Yeah same feedback generally but further in it smells like very dry corn husks to me, like oscillating between playdoh and corn husks but closer to the corn side 🌽 It barely projects too! Now tbh it's not deep, dark, or vanillic. On another (lol) note, I would looove to encounter a corn fragrance someday, and you know it sounds like it's right up DS and Durga's alley! Come on! Just commit to the corn, David and Kavi!!! 🙏

I have a very specofic scent memory of old coffee cups with mouldy coffee sitting around an abandon house....thats what this smells like to me and I cannot get over it. I dont get any notes of orchid or patchouli, only rotten coffee and spoiled creamer. So glad I only purchased a small tester. Its still quite vanilla forward though. I get vanilla and it is deep but for me, not in a good way.

On first spray it’s like straight up mold, like after you left something in Tupperware in the fridge too long. Then after the dry down, I get vanilla extract and wet moss, not sweet in the slightest. Maybe it’s just my body chemistry mixing with the scent wrong. We’ll just leave it at it’s not my cup of tea.

The opening smells like olive brine to me, like in those giant cans of Turkish olives. Soo disgusting lol. But then the hay and patchouli come through, giving it a very dry greenness. Ultimately the dry-down is a super dry and green vanilla that I actually enjoy. But fuck me that opening is abhorrent lol!

It immediately reminds me of bottled vanilla extract for baking. But in that same way, there’s something that seems “underbaked/raw” about it. I guess it’s all the green notes in the heart, but I don’t get any sense of warmth or coziness that the name “Deep Dark Vanilla” would suggest.

The initial spray is crazy medicinal.. like jarring. The dry down shifts into this pleasant dried herb and vanilla extract mix which can literally only be described as “deep and dark” lol. No matter how good the dry down is, I don’t want that first spray near me ever again.

This is the smell of an old bottle of vanilla flavouring, and doesn’t have any of the warmth, sweetness and depth of vanilla fragrances. I get hay and not much else.

I'm here to defend Patchouli 24. This smells nothing like that. 😉

Camphorous patchouli. A little vanilla in the dry down.

Wow! The perfume rating on this as of today is only 2.87! I don’t think I’ve ever seen one this low, but I totally understand it. I wore this yesterday and from beginning to drydown it was just a weird, mismatched chemical soup on me. I rarely ever say this but I hate this. Despise it. It is nothing like the notes show at all. Patchouli is my favorite note and I didn’t even get any here. There are some aromachemicals overpowering this fragrance, and that along with the clanging notes completely ruins this fragrance for me.

Deep Dark Vanilla smells like a donkey suffering from constipation for a full month was finally able to relieve itself atop a damp, moldy pile of hay on a humid day in August just before a sweating farmer with unwashed hindquarters came along and sprayed bargain bin pine air freshener on the whole mess rather than cleaning it up. It is such a horrible perfume that I made a Fragrantica account for the sole purpose of writing this review to hopefully save other people from the olfactive assault I experienced.

Inhaling this scent caused burning in my eyes and throat and felt like I swallowed a tablespoon of Vicks Vapor rub. Do not reccommend.

If you wanna smell like smoked charcuterie, this is the one for you. I'm sorry, but it was disgusting.

Not for me, smells pretty much the same to me as Pistachio. One Note medicinal Patchouli. Bleh

It smells like a sink full of dirty dishes with rotting food and spoiled milk. Truly horrific

Just mildew and olives. Revolting!

Deep dark forest woods, patchouli takes the spotlight from the beginning. Some woody undertones and in the distant drydown you perceive some good quality vanilla, but it is again, overshadowed by another greenish/black note that I can't define, the only way I can describe it is, imagine you have a jar of black olives, you remove the olives and use them in a dish, but you save the jar and the liquid of the olives-black unseasoned olives- then you put vanilla scent and vanilla pods inside that jar...I guess this might be nice on a well dressed man? I can't imagine myself wearing it, it is too green and bizarre. Vanilla is not the protagonist here.

Not particularly green or bright and not sweet at all. Mostly a powdery bitter patchouli, powdery instead of earthy, with a medicinal leaning wood (to me, cedar), like a cleaner patchouli frag, but STILL very much beware: patchouli! For a patchouli extremist, it's missing any of the elements they'd love, like sweet pepper, cacao/chocolate, animalic notes, ambers and resins, leather.... And for a patchouli fragrance, it's not p a t c h o u l i enough. A skip for any patchoulihead and a skip for anyone who hates patchouli, too.

I thought I was going utterly mad, because this really does have the exact smell of those very black and shrivelled turkish olives that I like. (At least, it's mainly at turkish restaurants that I encounter them, sorry if theyre not turkish at all) Now I see that quite a few people are getting olive from this. Is it bad? Hahaha not really... If I met someone who used olive perfume I'd be, like, super interested.