Vanille Tonique

The opening few seconds was a really strong blast of.. Something... I forget as it only lasted half a minute. Then out comes a gorgeous creamy sweet vanilla, with I guess the woods or musk mallow (whatever that is) mingling in. This smells to me, exactly like Ferrero Raffaelo chocolates, the white round balls with creamy white choc inside and a nut covered in wafer and coconut. It's delicious and I can say different from other vanillas I've tried of which there are many. I'm using the oil, curious if the EDP will have the sane effect. Will update on wear later. Ok I've now tried the EDP too, the scent is the same but in some fragrances I tend to prefer the oil, which is slightly the case here. I don't know why. I enjoy both. Maybe I'm just confused.... Also should add that this frag has a smoked note in it, almost like an ember of something almost woody but with a streak of medicinal in it. This is all just supporting the beautiful vanilla of course and don't let that put you off trying this as it really is something different in the world of vanilla.

This fragrance, out of all I own, garners the greatest number of comments, possibly due to its enormous projection, and its fascinating blend of sweetness grounded in frankincense and sandalwood. It’s a stand-alone stunner,, but has been compared to Tobacco Vanille and Avignon with honey by a few of my colleagues. It’s a fabulous unisex vanilla that really turns heads. This is for the EDP spray.

(If you're entomophobic you should probably skip my review) "Crushed ants!" It didn't occur to me right away, but upon second wearing the ylang and olibanum opening of Vanille Tonique brought me straight back to the days when I lived in the tropics, where tiny brown ants coexisted peacefully with people in the households, but occasionally would be too intrusive to be ignored. A quirky start, but within seconds this interesting insect pheromone smell fades to reveal the beauty of boozy vanilla and medicinal benzoin in the perfume oil. There's a dryness, a very particular type that bears great similarity to that of Tauer perfumes. Specifically I was reminded of how Tauer's Phi Une Rose de Kandahar smells. That dry, deserted landscape with brown scrambles and find golden sand is common in both Afghanistan and Australia. But Vanille Tonique isn't exactly like a Tauer: it's a little bit sweeter, nicer, and less astringent. The smokiness is very transparent thanks to the use of olibanum. As it dries down the scent becomes muskier and catches the faintest hint of moist, sweet aroma of fresh cut wood. Then it transforms to a sweet vanilla custard smell with an ambrette undertone. This is a very unique and solid vanilla scent in my book, and I like how I found a Tauer-alike that I can wear. Last important thing to know: this oil, similar to other creations from this house, has monstrous longevity and projection. ONE drop is enough to perfume yourself for a good 3 hours so be cautious when you sample, cause too much of a good thing can be bad. Worth a try if you're not afraid of an evocative vanilla!

I probably didn't need another vanilla fragrance, but this one stands alone. This is a fragrance for grown ups of both sexes. It's just the right amount of sweet and the vanilla is KaBoom! But it goes so far beyond being just a vanilla fragrance. It's smokiness and earthiness is mysterious and oh so sexy. It wraps it's way around your senses and lingers far into the evening. This is a perfect date fragrance - it smells yummy and lickable without that "cupcake" feel. The drydown is a warm vanilla smoothed over musk and a complex, perfectly blended spicy/woody base. I'm a vanilla tragic, I'll admit, but this is a very welcome addition to my collection. It's quite unique, balanced and stands out amongst all the others. It's a love for me. A little goes a long way - moderate projection and it still lingers the morning after. Perfection. This review based on the EDP.