Vanilla Bean

Vanilla Bean by Kuumba Made is a delightful discovery I picked up at Whole Foods, and it has quickly become an indispensable part of my fragrance collection. This perfume oil is perfect for adding a touch of sweetness or an extra layer of vanilla to other scents, making it incredibly versatile. Despite my usual ambivalence towards amber, I suspect there's a hint of it in Vanilla Bean, and it surprisingly works well for me. One of it’s standout features is it’s impressive projection, often outperforming some of my fragrances with atomizers. It heats up beautifully on the skin, releasing a warm, inviting aroma that lasts throughout the day. I can apply it before work, and eight hours later, I still catch its comforting scent on my drive home. However, a word of caution: be mindful of how much you use, especially in the summer, as it can become quite cloying. The amount you apply significantly influences it’s wearability. Vanilla Bean is a super simple scent, but its possibilities are endless. Whether worn alone or layered with other fragrances, it adds a lovely dimension to any perfume wardrobe. Not to mention, it's extremely reasonably priced, making it an excellent value. As my first perfume oil, Vanilla Bean set a very high standard, and I've yet to find another that matches its quality.

Probably my favorite vanilla perfume oil I own right now. Finished my little tiny rollerball and immediately went on. Amazon and bought the bigger bottle. This is such a sweet vanilla oil. No musk, no coconut, nothing woody. Just simply a vanilla. Love that. It obviously layers well under anything, and my favorite way to wear this (and all my other perfume oils) is to mix this in with whatever lotion I’m wearing for the day to stretch the scent and keep it on my skin all day, as well as to pour some in my hands and rub them together and spread it all over my clothes. This prevents staining, and ensures you smell like this scent ALL DAY LONG, no kidding. Will forever repurchase. If I had to rank it’d be this oil (sweeter vanilla and more affordable) the Nemat vanilla musk oil (smaller bottle for about $6 less than the kuumba which isn’t great but that oil is amazing) and then the nest Madagascar vanilla oil (woodier coconut vanilla, still sweet and lasts forever on skin, but the price!!!!!)

This one has to macerate a few weeks. I use a just-purchased bottle to get some air into it, then stopper it and store in a cool, dark place for ONE MONTH. It can easily go longer. This perfume has been a frequent repurchase over the last few years. No fresh bottle can match the beauty I have come to expect from this scent; it *must* sit a while first. Unfortunately, I am not a perfume person; just a dabbler. Further, my perception is not coloured by any experience with a similar-smelling sunscreen or Play-Doh. All I can tell you is that this Vanilla Bean perfume is intoxicating aromatherapy to me. It is a sweet scent that is offset by what seem to me like floral notes. Whatever it does on my skin is entrancing, and also simultaneously energizing and relaxing. I suppose this is what happiness feels like. Happiness under strong summer sun in a garden filled riotously with invasive species of flowers. I will be wearing this scent until I am dead.

A really lovely, smooth, mostly linear comfort vanilla that's just sweet enough. Gourmand in that it's vanilla, but not in a way that smells like baked goods if that's not your thing. There's a very light touch of amber, perhaps a barely perceptible patchouli later on in the wear and maybe a faint floral note - jasmine? ylang ylang? It's nice to get these little hints of other notes, but the warm vanilla stays center stage throughout. Wonderfully soothing on its own, and endless possibilities for layering. This is incredible layered with Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, Le Labo Patchouli 24 or Bvlgari Black, three frags that are absolute perfection on their own, but this seamlessly boosts the vanilla when the mood strikes for something more conventionally femme and sweet. Could sell for well more than $10, but I'm not complaining!

WOW...this is an AMAZING vanilla perfume oil. I love that the base is jojoba oil, as jojoba oil is the closest thing to our skin's own sebum. This perfume oil is sweet, cozy, warm and very vanilla...but does not smell juvenile to me at all. I wear it alone, but my fave is to use it as base before I spray edT or edP. This pairs amazingly well with Angel, Tobacco Vanille, Angel Muse, Van Cleef Vanille Orchide, Obsession, Opium, Cher eau de Couture.... When I use this as a base, it makes any fragrance I wear warmer and sweeter and hugely extends the longevity!! Kuumba Vanilla Bean will last on my skin until the next day, albeit it very faint...but for the price, this is IMO the best vanilla oil perfume in the world!!