Vanille Exquise

It's Fabulous! I'm so surprised at all of the negative reviews, on multiple sites. This is a beautiful almond/heliotrope/vanilla with slight woods and powder. Initial spray is very vanilla, like vanilla extract or slicing open a vanilla pod. It's quickly followed by heliotrope and I get that wonderful playdoh smell that I love. I realize this is a dealbreaker for many, but if you love playdoh, it's here! For once my bizarre chemistry is working in my favor, as I'm not smelling the medicinal or bitter elements that so many others experience. There are no sharp edges on me. It's very smooth, soft and comforting. Slightly fluffy in the beginning, it stays sweet on me all day. The woods start showing up about 15 minutes in. Sillage is very close and wear time has varied on me, but it's below average. This is definitely gourmand on my skin. There are similarities with Farmacia SS Cara and Etro Heliotrope, at least to my nose. I'm really in love with this, but suggest you find a sample as this seems to be a very polarizing scent. Almond lovers, I think you will really like this! Edit: I'm wearing Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille tonight and it very much reminds me of Vanille Exquise. UBV is sharper due to the licorice note, but smells a lot like VE with some wax thrown in. I much prefer VE, UBV is ruined for me by the licorice.

I’m going to be honest, I used to review and post on Fragrantica quite a bit. But awhile back the ads and pop ups make it difficult (especially on my iPad) so I have cut way back. It’s simply annoying. So now when I post it’s because I feel I really want to say something, and that’s how I feel about Vanille Exquise. It’s the perfume that in the past month I’ve reached for more than anything else in my collection. And it’s rare for me to wear a scent more than two days in a row. Anyway, this is an easy reach. For me it’s the definition of French perfume: A true, gentle and soft beauty. With a slow, languid development into a vanilla musk perfume from a louder opening. A tiny bit of green, herbal Angelica makes it very interesting, as it peeks in and out from behind a vanilla-almond curtain. And because it’s an EDT, it behaves that way: softly projecting, in the most non obtrusive way imagined. The opening is more of a powdery and sweet almond scent, maybe a tinge too synthetic for me—but this slightly strange opening passes in less than 10 minutes. First released in 2004, VE is the kind of scent that is the opposite of the vanilla bakery gourmand bombs that are popular today. I have a lot of vanilla centric perfumes, and nothing comes close to this Goutal masterpiece. Now, if only this website wasn’t so annoying.....

Finally getting around to doing this review! Have had so many other samples that have been testing out this past week! First of all, I bought this blind, as stated on my first review. I rushed into it, when I could have bought the sample first, but being impulsive, went ahead and bought it. First of all, when I first sprayed it on, I thought, OH No!! vanilla essence! I was terrified it was going to stay like that, just plain old vanilla (cheapee type essence). But after a few minutes it changed. (great sigh of relief:))). A lovely unusual dry vanilla is how I would explain it. The almonds are faint, but come through slightly. very pleasant dry down, bit of a musky powder affect. I am very very happy with this one! It is a completly different experience compared to L Lolita., as L is sweeter, and has the spicey orange in it.As I have said in my other reviews, these fragrances should be tested first in my opinion. Some of the others from this house are not to my liking at all. I see that it is available again, and, in some places online, the price has even gone up. But all in all, a lovely unusual vanilla fragrance, and I know I will enjoy wearing this very much!

I got mostly almonds... Vanilla is that fragrance that was made or blended for easy loving, especially in the dry down. For me vanilla blends well with almost everything and made them a good substitute where it let them shine first and settle for the base notes. This 'vanille exquise' maybe too exquisite to even shine for me. But I bought it. Mostly because if you put your nose close enough to the place you spray it, it is heavenly and addictive. But take your nose away for the real cloud of fragrance to introduce itself, all i got was almond... a faint nutty smell, where if you were to walk in a bakery that roasting almonds, the same smell will stuck on you for a brief period. tadaa, vanille exquise. Sorry but i got no woody smell from this, up close, down far, heart and base, just almond.. a few types of them... I compare this to Diptyque eau duelle edp which i have and the vanilla is what it should be. But yes, i did fall in love with the first introduction of this fragrance and the name of course. Tried a few times to love it but to no avail. My advise it to try and wait for the dry down, if the 'vanille' lived up to your expectation

With Vanille Exquise I got exactly what I expected, a cloudy, naturally sweet vanilla. I mostly catch hints of angelica - not so cloying here as I usually think it is - and a bit of powdered almond, which work extremely well with the vanilla bean vanilla and the woody notes to keep this scent from straying into cupcake territory.It's soft and cosy, but persistent and this is what surprised me most. In all my experience, Annick Goutal scents have extremely poor lasting power, maxing out after about three hours or less. Vanille Exquise is however an all day affair, which is fantastic. This scent is simple on one hand, and very clever on the other. The only other real cuddly vanilla scent I like as much as this one is Lalique Le Parfum, however that one is more more aromatic and fresh in the opening, putting it somewhere between the crisp brightness of Vanilla & Anise and the gentle comfort of Vanille Exquise. If you want a natural vanilla, that is work-safe and grown-up, while still holding on to the childish delight of baking with vanilla extract then Vanille Exquise is well worth a try.