Vanille Givree de Antilles

La Maison de la Vanille showcases the world's greatest vanillas, from Madagascar, Tahiti, Mexico, Réunion, and the Caribbean. I've used up several bottles of Givree and I may just buy another one of these days. Vanille Givrée is a type of cured vanilla pods(in this case "Caribbean" vanilla) used for spice and fragrance. When dry vanilla pods are stored properly in arid conditions at the right temperature, vanilla is exuded from the pod, and it crystallizes. The crystallization is called Givrée"(or "cristallisée"), and it indicates that there is enough moisture to keep flavor in the preserved pods. These pods are considered to be the most outstanding of commercially preserved vanillas for scent and appearance, because they retain the most intense, and delicate fragrance. They don't necessarily have the best flavor, and are usually used by chefs for garnish. On me, Givree, as a perfume, is the heaviest of all LMvlVs, it has the most sillage, and it's the deepest. I was surprised to see that patchouli isn't mentioned in the notes here on Fragrantica, because I think the patchouli in Givree is nearly as potent as the vanilla! For me this is all about vanilla-patchouli, and I don't notice any mainline floral notes, such as are in Tahiti and Tropiques. The Maison-de-la-Vanille website lists Givree's notes as Bergamot, Tangerine, Lavender, Rose, Tuberose, Vanilla, Patchouli, Oppoponax, and Tonka Bean, so there must be a little patchouli in there. I notice heavy Tonka in Mexique, but I notice only hints of Patchouli in Mexique, but the fragrances have several notes in common. I feel Givree des Antilles is the least "gourmand" of the 5 vanillas, and the most Oriental. I can see why people notice similarities to Angel, because the vanilla and patchouli are prominent, but the rest of this fragrance is milder, warmer, and much creamier than Angel. Givree stays sweet on me, but Angel definitely does not. Givree is a feminine, womanly, alluring fragrance that radiates a boldness not found in the others from this line. With all that patchouli, this is a "sexy" type scent for me. If my husband liked vanilla fragrances, I'd be happy to wear it on date nights, but NOooo, he likes violet and jasmine...sigh.

Vanille Givree de Antilles opens on me as pure and sweet honey, despite not being a listed note, with a slight beeswax tinge. It remains this way through most of the scent’s progression. I am surprised that I haven’t read reviews referencing honey because it is definitely the stand-out element to me. I know that other notes must be combining to create this honey-esque vibe. I can definitely get the patchouli and vanilla combination though and, as I’ve come to expect of this set, it’s great. I think they must be the main notes creating this mock-honey note for me. After about half an hour the honey-esque element soften a bit and it freshens up a touch with, what I believe to be, a subtle bergamot and lavender combination. Many people have compared this to Angel, which was bound to happen with a patchouli/vanilla combo, but it’s much softer and subtler than Angel. It’s a lighter, warmer and happier scent in my opinion than Angel. The patchouli darkens and deepens as it goes on and the Tonka bean comes into play. It’s a touch powdery and rather earthy, almost woody, which gives it a natural feel. I don’t really get any floral notes, maybe tuberose, but I do get a slight whiff of oppoponax in the base which gives it a touch of mystery. It’s elegant and soothing. It’s a sweet scent but not too much so. It smells of smiles and sunlight and the colour yellow and happiness in a bottle. It’s easily wearable. It reminds me of Chuck from Pushing Daisies. I don’t get much vanilla from Antilles to be honest but I think this set is making perfumes based around vanilla.

One of my all time favs. Originally bought it for $5 years ago when Sephora was discontinuing it. I've repurchased two times. This starts as a bright, sunshiney, sweet citrus mixed with vanilla. A vanilla that smells like straight vanilla extract, but not sweet like cake. As it warms up, the Tonka and patchouli and myrrh meld together in such a perfect way, that I can't detect their individual notes. To me, the Tonka and myrrh seem stronger than the patch. I'm a patchouli lover and I can barely smell it in this. I mean it's there, but it's blended so nicely that I barely notice it. This perfume garners compliments ever time I wear it. If you like vanilla and sweet citrus, it's a must try. It's Not cloying or food like. My big issue is it turns after about a year. What was once a light and bright vanilla turns into a skanky, heavy syrup. The bottles are painted with a metallic silver and are impervious to light, and I keep my perfumes in a dark room away from humidity. So buyer beware. I think if you smell a well worn tester, you won't get the original brightness and lightness I love so much about it. Next purchase I'm going to try and get a smaller bottle as it's a waste. Also I hate Angel and I see no similarities on my skin between the two.

Since I have worn Thierry Mugler Angel edP almost every day since 1994, I know exactly what Angel smells like...and honestly this does smell very similar, but with a few differences. The initial spray of Givree de Antilles, on my skin, is a little sour (and not in the best way). Luckily within mins the sourness goes away and Angel edP makes its grand entrance. It stays very close to Angel for a while and then a very warm and cozy toasty cocoa notes comes in and stays. I would not say I like this more than Angel, but I like it A LOT and is a very happy Blind Buy. If you want a softer, less patchouli smelling Angel, this might be perfect for you. Like with ALL fragrances this is very unisex, but of course there are some scents that are more unisex than others....and this is 100% unisex.

daje con la vaniglia! anche questa, come le altre de la maison, ha la sua personalità. stavolta c'è vaniglia sì, ma anche fave di tonka e patchouli. un accordo più caldo e resinoso, rispetto agli altri della famiglia, peraltro assai simile al blasonato Angel di TM (noto come primo profumo gourmand mai pensato). a differenza di quest'ultimo peò, in cui spicca una caratteristica nota di cioccolato amaro, la vaniglia delle Antille è più monocorde, meno complessa ma godibilissima. la persistenza è notevole così come il sillage. molto buono.

I've enjoyed this perfume for years. It's relaxing, honeyed, cozy, and just a touch seductive. Sweeter on my skin, with a rich boozy warmth. It does seem to rest closer to my personal space, but my skin likes to eat fragrance, so that may be a factor. I prefer it in fall and winter, and it lasts well on clothing. It works like a dream layered with Molecule 04. But that's a fairly safe bet considering the theme of this line. Love it!

my favourite vanilla perfume so far because it smells so delicious! always get told that i smell like a dessert or coffee, it's very warm and comforting. does not have amazing complexity but i like it for that, good for layering with scents i find overwhelmingly spicy to balance it out.

I've yet to try one that I didn't adore! Fabulous scents. Antilles is my favorite..sweet and vanilla but not sickening..love love!

Out of the “Cinq Vanilles” series from this house, Vanille Givree des Antilles is one of my favourites. I shouldn't be surprised, given that Angel is a staple fragrance in my wardrobe...and this does have more than a passing resemblance to Angel. There certainly isn't the same piercing quality here that you get from the patchouli in Angel. However, the lavender and resins do add something that comes across as a much more toned-down version of the medicinal undercurrent in Angel. This is a smoother and more straightforward fragrance, and I also find it fruitier. The fruit notes are virtually non-existent to my nose in Angel, with the focus being on the creamy blend of vanilla, honey and caramel. In Givree des Antilles I get an equally sweet but simplified version of that gourmand accord, mixed with fruits. I smell the bergamot and tangerine distinctively, which lends a juicy and tropical vibe to this vanilla scent. Overall, I find this to be a sweet and smooth fruity vanilla that is somewhat reminiscent of a pina colada. I won't be purchasing a bottle at this time, despite the fact that I do think it's a very good fragrance. For me it just leans too close to Angel to justify owning both. In the future, perhaps.

Despite the fact that Vanille Givree de Antilles does smell a little similar to Angel, I wouldn't agree that people who bitterly dislike the latter will run screaming from this pretty little scent. I'll start off by saying that Vanille Givree de Antilles, while indefinitely an Angel dupe when smelt from the bottle, is much softer and more vanillary on the skin. It opens strongly, almost masculine, however once settled, this scent is warm and cuddly. Incredibly mysterious and sexy, this is vanilla minus the candy-like sweetness. The vanilla is sweet, but naturally so. I can almost sense vanilla icecream here. The vanilla, tonka bean, tuberose and aromatic lavender make for a very delicious, almost foody scent. The sillage of this fragrance is rather intimate, however it lasts really well. I have recently used up all of my Angel perfume, which I previously wore as my bed time scent. Vanille Givree de Antilles could be a good replacement, however it is much too good to be just worn to bed. I intend to wear this fragrance a lot.

What I like about this is that it smells very natural, never synthetic. It features several notes other than vanilla, each which complement the vanilla but don’t overpower it. The vanilla itself has the dense chewy feeling of pods, instead of that synthetic kinda chemical baking vanilla that so many modern vanilla fragrances I’ve smelled do. Out of the bottle there’s a shadowy patchouli, it underlines the chewiness of the vanilla pods but never takes it to too dark a place. Tuberose highlights the upper register of vanilla, and gives the fragrance a light tropical satiny feel that is delicious but not sunscreeny. After a while everything melds into the vanilla and presents as kind of a vanilla monolith, a vanilla cupcake, undeniably delicious but I admit maybe a little simple for me. Still, if I was going to recommend a good vanilla to someone this would definitely be on the list, it’s very attractive and it lasts a decent 6- 7 hours on skin.

This is a surprisingly elegant and non-foody vanilla. It's sweet but not overly so, more in a cuddly, comforting way that feels perfect for cold weather but I assume would not feel out of place in summer either. It smells feminine and pretty rather than girly or cookie-like and I definitely consider a FB purchase. The lasting power however is not good at all, 3-4 hours at most. As to the Angel comparisons, I don't really see the similarity. Yes, they are both heavy on the vanilla but this is much more elegant and much less sweet than Angel which is a scrubber for me. Update: Got a bottle at last in a swap, and the lasting power turns out to be amazing! 12 hours at least, with some generous spraying I admit. It's also a tad sweeter than I thought from the sample, but maybe the overspraying is the reason. All in all, very happy with my swap, as it's a very comfy scent.

I'd have to agree with those who think this smells like Angel. There is no denying it, but having said that, I really think that Vanille Givree has a more pleasant and natural smell about it. Less synthetic and less dirty smelling (sometimes Angel smells extremely of dirty sweat to me). It begins with heavy patch, but almost immediately sweetens up. It is a great balance of tonka, vanilla, and sweet mhyrr - a borderline delicious combination but the incense vibe keeps it from becoming edible . The patch earthens it up just a bit, and keeps it from becoming sickly sweet. It is sweet though, and a simple, soft, and lovely vanilla. I don't detect any florals. The sillage is quite good for the first hour, but quickly quiets down after that. It becomes a skin scent then, and lasts a few hours at best.

It is official: I love it. Recently I was given a sample of another vanilla that tops this, but it's a hard act to follow ( and the sample was unfortunately not labeled ;) ). This is all about vanilla on my skin. As usual it eats up the earthiness and leaves the lighter notes with a barely-there rich undertone. Some patchouli comes through, as does the tonka bean and apoponax. I usually assume that any vanilla that turns out this well on me has some kind of white floral. Vanilla: I used to dislike it. Now I'm just really particular. I find they become 'loves' if they have animalic or balsamic notes. This one has the wonderful addition of being aromatic as well! I do not see any resemblance to Angel, but people may be recognizing the patchouli depth.

This is one of the nicest vanilla scents I have ever had. It smells like Thierry Mugler Angel if you somehow "sanitize" the patchouli and dilute its power until "barely there" amplify every aspect of the vanilla and resins, add some sugary powder, almost like a marshmallow note. The notes here in fragrantica mention lavender and orange, tuberose, bergamot and rose..I do not get those...I do get a ripe pineapple note coming on and off between the resins and vanilla. I thought the longevity was not so good..but hey it was on my sweater after a couple of days! this is a gem :) Update: Husband said "you smell like chocolate cake..just yummy"! we have a winner!

Ahh yes,deja vu with TM Angel. If you like that, you'll probably like this. I prefer it over Angel as I cannot stand TMA. TMA smells like fruity cold berries and gag-sweet. This is still quite sweet, but the berries are not as "frozen" somehow, and where I completely do NOT smell patch in TMA, I do smell it here, however lightly. This is a fruity-centric vanilla. I was in the mood for a warm vanilla today, feeling a bit blue and the weather is cold, getting an inversion layer, so I thought this large sample might do the trick. And it did. But I won't visit this one again soon. Not a scrubber, but meh. Longevity and silage are good to very good.

Divine...gorgeous...divine...did I say this was divine? Givrée des Antilles is hard to describe for me, it's a slightly spicy Vanilla...can I smell spicy coconut and caramelised bananas? I'm not sure, but I do, strangely, think of that when I smell it! Although, it's not foody or sweet (though, I love foody so wouldn't mind if it was), but this is more refined. And it reminds me, just a touch, of TM Angel too! A floral oriental, it has in it, Vanilla (of course), patchouli, rose, tuberose, oppoponax and tonka bean. I would like it if it lasted longer, but I don't mind reapplying.

My third try from La Maison de la Vanille, Vanille Givree des Antilles. There's definitely some of the Thierry Mugler Angel & Angel Men DNA in this with the relative intensity of the patchouli. I get a little citrus and lavender but beyond them it's just a patchouli/vanilla mix that's slightly powdery. Another strong opener in terms of projection, this is likely to project just as well as the other two I've tried. Tropiques is probably my favorite so far of the three I've tried. 7 out of 10

A wonderfully comforting scent for winter - I get compliments whenever I wear this one. I don't normally care for gourmandes, but the vanilla is boozy and the patchouli, lavender and bergamot give this some buzz, like a cat curled up and purring in your lap. I find it much smoother and softer than Angel, without the loud red currant/camphorous cacophony that frightens me so.

this smells exactly like angel with a bit more vanilla at the beginning- it's vanilla, patchouli and fruits. i think after 2-3 minutes i get a hint of lavender but that unmistakable angel-fruitchouli is there. i guess it's skin chemistry, but i can't believe others don't think this smells like angel. it's almost exactly like it, minus the chocolate.

thanks to Agent Provocateur 101 sending me a sample :) woop woop this is really nice! this is not the throat drying patchouli nightmare, smells divine. Similar to Angel - which I hate due to that nasty chemical smell. Only downside is - it does not last long. I have it on my wrist for 2 hours now but like the La Maisons , fading quickly.

Yep, that's Angel's patchouli right there, but gone is the almost moldy chocolate and ethyl maltol overdose. If you hate Angel you might still find this tolerable, depending on what aspect of it you hate exactly. This reads almost like a spicy vanilla coke, it smells kind of sticky like dried cola, but in the best way.

This one is a nice vanilla for everyday, but for me it is not one to write home about. I much prefer the Lavanila (and sometimes the Comptoir) fragrances.

The individual notes here are right up my alley but, not sure what it is that makes this so similar to TM Angel but they both made me gag. I can't put into words a description of my experience . . . my nose wouldn't let me get past the opening to find out.

It's not a vanilla for every mood and occasion, but it's an absolute banger nonetheless. It's both simple and complex enough at the same time. It's bright and playful, but not in a juvenile sense. There's just enough complexity to give it a distinct character. It's giving me a strong sense of nostalgia for some idealized scent memory of the ideal vanilla smell I am looking for. I'm no longer sure if such a thing ever existed and if it's not just a collage of things such as the "barbie head smell" and my memory of the very first formulation of The Body Shop's Vanilla scent. Opens with a blast of patchouli that initially hides the vanilla. There's tonka, resins and lavender in there as well for depth and an aromatic touch, so it's never taken over by florals or fruits. I get the comparison to Vanille Patchouli by Molinard, that immediately popped in my head as well, but they're only partially similar during a particular point in their development early on. Can't agree on comparisons to any rendition of Angel though. The latter is characterized by the combination of patchouli and chocolate, with vanilla being in the background. I could never wear Angel myself so if there was a strong similarity between the two, this would have never appealed to me in the slightest. So if you're like me, fear not. I don't understand where this comparison comes from. I even tried Angel again just to confirm.

The similarities to Angel are uncanny but I'd say this is more closer to the Summer flankers of Angel than the original. It has that presence that Angel has but it doesn't have that over-powering almost obnoxious sort of over-confidence that every bottle of Angel possesses. This is far more cool, calm and collected. On me the vanilla and patchouli are very present and so is the lavender. Normally I'm not a huge fan of lavender but it works well in this fragrance for me. The sweet, bright citrus notes from the bergamot and tangerine gives this fragrance a freshness and a brightness which I would never associate with Angel as well, but the patchouli and vanilla are centre-stage and they give this scent a lot of warmth and depth. I think at some stages this can smell quite earthy on my skin. There is a lot of refinement to this fragrance and I imagine this is what the re-imagined version of Angel will smell like some time down the track when they decide to reformulate it and delete most of it's current notes.

I definitely see the Vanille Givree de Antilles and Angel comparisons, mostly in the base notes of Vanille Givree de Antilles. I will say, at initial spray, the sharpness I smelled had me thinking this would be a definite NO for me. But it does soften quite a bit by the drydown. Angel has always been migraine inducing for me, though I love getting wafts of this from others who wear it....just can't wear it all day on myself. Also, I usually do not like much patchouli in any perfume. However, I would say this particular scent has lovely, woody/sweet/vanilla base notes that work for me! This one is probably my 2nd favorite from the La Maison de la Vanille sample collection of vanillas that I have. Update: Ok. This doesn't happen often with fragrances for me, but I CAN'T STOP SNIFFING MY WRISTS when I wear Vanille Givree de Antilles!!!!! I feel like this one offers such a beautiful but dirty, sexy vibe ....it's really amazing!!!! I think I'm gonna need a FB soon of this gem....

Strikingly similar to Angel! This one is very sweet, uplifting, and outgoing. Of course the main note is vanilla, tied along with tangerine, tuberose and tonka bean. It's delightful and it almost makes my mouth water :) This one and Tropiques are my favorites out of the 5. Antilles is so perfect for summer on days you just want to be happy and feel good. It's a very interesting and different way to approach vanilla perfumes! Antilles, and the entire line of La Maison vanillas last forever, great staying power. Wonderful! If you love vanilla, you will love this.

Yeah, for me this is a lot like the ethylmaltol-patchouli drydown of Angel (which I loathe) - I'm kind of stunned that there's no patchouli listed in the notes. This might be attractive for people who don't like the opening of Angel and want to skip the fruit, white flowers and kitchen sink and get straight to the drydown.

I tried this again years after my first review and boy, do I like it a lot less than I did then. I can detect other notes in that creamy rich vanilla that I dislike. The citrus and floral notes add a nose-twisting sweet cloy that really overlays the vanilla too heavily for me. I'll stick with the simpler Le Maisons.

I think I left this bottle at my parents house but I used it over winter and it's such a bright, tropical vanilla. This and noire du mexique are the only ones I'd wear on their own and still feel like I smelled "interesting." I have a 15ml that's very aged, about 10 years, and these have only gotten better over time

Does not smell like TM Angel...to my nose. Beginning is citrus...then...lavender/vanilla//citrus...the patchouli/balsamic vibes enter....then add the floral aspects of rose/tuberose combo...slight and not overly pronounced, but .."there". Semi-sweet...I like this one.

I sort of wish I got the other notes too, but mostly what I smell here is a rich, lovely vanilla/tonka scent. It's very well executed, but it isn't terribly different from vanillas I already own. Won't be buying this, but I might use up my sample. Lasts very well.

Doesn't smell remotely like Angel to me. A simple straight forward vanilla with smoky sweet notes on dry down. I can detect no other notes. Very nice, but nothing like Angel, which is much more complex, heavy and in-your-face.

Yes I also saw the similarities to Angel. Nice patchouli-chocolate combination but sillage is not nearly as strong as sillage monster Angel.

Pretty much Angel, but quieter, softer throw, and not as much development. Depends if you like that or not.

A flanker of Angel by Thierry Mugler but; closer to the skin and more honey.

Angel with Vanilla being the main star over everything else.