Vanille Noire du Mexique

ETA: My hormones really change the way this scent smells! Near my time of the month, I get way more oppoponax and patchouli, it smells a bit deeper without as much vanilla, and is softer. Aside from that time, it's a very delicious vanilla (so I guess my hormones are changing the way vanilla is presented in this scent). On first spray, I was a bit disappointed because this scent smelled like Vanilla Bean Noel mixed with a hint of Lord of Misrule patchouli. I was waiting for the opoponax to show up but it never did, though I do smell something faintly milky (you'd have to hunt for it, though). Wearing it over time, the scent is quite comforting and it grew on me. Although I love dark and complex scents, not everything has to be challenging or intricate all the time. Overall, not bad - a slightly lighter alternative for when you want to wear LoM or other vanilla/Christmassy scents but it's too warm outside, though you could definitely wear this scent in the winter as well. I think this scent would also layer well with lactonic scents (e.g., Chabaud Lait Concentre, I'm already drooling thinking about it) or other gourmands! I don't smell much chocolate in here, though I guess many people perceive the patchouli to smell like chocolate in here. "Vanille Noire du Mexique" refers to Mexican vanilla, which is allegedly a richer vanilla compared to that of Madagascar. Maybe "hot chocolate powder" would be a more apt description. I am a patchouli lover and have a strong tolerance for it. If you want something patchouli-chocolatey, try Chanel's Coromandel, Serge Lutens Borneo 1842, Jovoy Psychedelique, Francesca Bianchi Sticky Fingers, or Oriza L. Legrand Horizon. P.S. There is no detectable citrus in here and this scent smells absolutely nothing like Shalimar or its flankers. I would know because I own them. This scent is closer to plain and pure vanilla than Shalimar, Lira, etc.

Vanille Noire du Mexique opens with a fresh, almost spicy, bergamot. This top note is very fizzy and almost like those dissoluble cold medicine tablets that I used to have when I was little. After a few minutes this settles into a powdery and velvety iris with a touch of patchouli. I find the patchouli, which some sites don’t list but is definitely there, more prominent and sweeter in warmer weather than colder. I, thankfully, don’t get any jasmine but I do get the faintest whiff of a dry and dusty rose. It’s rather earthy and I’m happy when the tonka-bean and vanilla finally appear in the base. It’s not too sweet and certainly not gourmand. This is possibly the darkest scent of the set – hence the noire. It has a slight soapy aspect which parallels with it’s slightly spicy aspect. It’s exotic and powerful but also contained. It can be alluring and dangerous. Something a warrior ninja would wear. The kind of person I imagine this on wears a ribbon in their hair, has a sad darkness to them, wears black clothing and has a femininity to them. I imagine someone like Blake Belladona from RWBY wearing this. It’s also slightly gothic ivy, stone and velvet aspect. It has medium sillage with about 4 hours of longevity similar to the rest of the collection.

It's funny when you revisit your first niche fragrance many many years later after putting aside and assuming you were done with it. This scent is so much history in it: my first boyfriend and the fall into the epic never ending quest to find the perfect vanilla. But let's begin that it is only years later that I can fully appreciate only because certain expectations have been put aside. First of all this does not smell like true Mexican vanilla (oh how I would love for someone to do a true Mexican vanilla perfume), but it is quite a lovely wonder on its own. What this fragrance is: this starts off with that delicious candied bergamot that is so iconic in Shalimar, but unlike Shalimar it is not accentuated by civet (thankfully), instead the support is musky rose and vanilla. The scent eventually evolves into caramelized iris opoponax vanilla with light support of patchouli with bergamot still accenting. It is quite a lovely little vanilla that is grownup but easy.

Mexique is a fantastic addition to this collection, it's a really nice and earthy sort of vanilla. On me the opoponax and patchouli are very present and i think in the first 2 minutes of wearing it almost smelt very similar to A*Men by Thierry Mugler but then it started to come into it's own and it's just really well done. The vanilla is sweet but earthy and the opening with the Bergamot is both inviting and very refreshing but what I really love is the beautiful iris note which adds a sense of powderiness to this scent. It almost makes it sophisticated in a way. I don't detect to many of the floral notes- perhaps some of the Jasmine but it's not very present which doesn't really bother me because I think the fragrance is perfect the way it is. It's so well blended and all the notes on my skin work very well together. I think this could easily be worn by both men and women- It's gorgeous!

Vanille Noire du Mexique might very well be my favorite of the La Maison de la Vanille sample set quintet (I still need to try one more). It's a dark, almost resinous vanilla that, while certainly overall vanilla-dominant, involves subtle influences of rose, jasmine, and patchouli. It almost comes off slightly boozy (in the direction of Perry Ellis Black Vanilla Absolute) but with more floral and spicy influences--again, subtly--in the mix. I don't explicitly get anything sharp like iris, either. The fragrance is unusually smooth (smoother than Vanille Givree de Antilles, even) without the big floral brightness of Vanille Divine des Tropiques. Solid performance like the others, definitely above average for an EDT. Again, the pricing on the whole line seems pretty reasonably priced, at $60 for 100ml on Luckyscent, so this might need to be one that I nab. 8 out of 10