Vanagloria

What a masterpiece this fragrance is. It’s a challenge to interpret, to capture everything its artistry can evoke. Incense, vanilla, sacred, and profane—but there’s more, something deeper that draws you in. Every ingredient is measured to the milligram, like the brushstrokes of a master painter. The air is warm and thick, like an embrace that fills every corner of an abandoned church, where the dim nave light casts deep shadows. In the back, amidst the mysterious twilight, stands a beautiful, sensual woman, blonde with porcelain skin, emerging from the darkness. She wears a wide-brimmed black hat that conceals part of her face, but her sharp, elegant features peek through. The fragrance’s intensity mingles with the profane, intriguing atmosphere, like a secret dance that challenges the sacredness of the place. The scene is an ode to mystery and desire, suspended between the divine and the earthly. After a few hours, the fragrance settles into a pure, high-quality vanilla absolute that fills the air, strong and intense, like a whisper that never fades. The incense, now softer, leaves behind a trail of warmth and passion, like an indelible memory. The atmosphere thickens with timeless sensuality, an echo of desire that lingers, filling every space with its intensity as the vanilla continues to drift through the air, like a secret promise. Once again, Ropion’s artistry shines through.

Today is my second day wearing this. It puzzles me still at every spray. The opening of this one is very diabetic. Imagine caramelized pineapple soaked in vanilla custard which is delicious. But the incense makes it more dense and gives unbearable weight to the opening. I can only spray this on my arms or on the back of my neck. I won’t have the guts to spray this on my chest because I know this will suffocate me. This sensation stays for a while which is quite a challenge. But the dry down is to die for. I kept sniffing my arm and smelling wafts of it in the air. As pretty as it is, I think I will declutter this one since this is too sweet and dense for my liking. I still don’t understand why a few people think that this leans masculine. Maybe I missed the trend of men loving ultra sweet fragrance. To me, this is unisex leaning feminine. UPDATE 5 December 2022 Oh my... I fell in love with this after a week of wear. The weather (0 deg Celcius) suits the vibe of the perfume too. I now spray this under my ear. Love this! I’m glad I didn’t declutter it. UPDATE 11 January 2023 Since we are facing a hot winter in Western Europe, I realized that this perfume is not the most versatile regardless of its beauty. So, I decided to sell it on eBay. My heart breaks but I need to make space for juices that I can wear most days of the year.

Stunning vanilla. Master perfumer Dominique Ropion, created an Ode to Vanilla with both creations: Babycat, and Vanagloria. With Vanagloria, the first minute you may think: it’s too sugary sweet, but it turns right at you into a smoky/incense note that mixed with the vanilla, balanced off the sweetness of the opening. If you can’t find Babycat, don’t stress over that and get Vanagloria. To put it simple. Imaging both, Babycat and Vanagloria are from the same house. Vanagloria would be an Eau de Parfum, and Babycat, a Parfum. Same scent profile, same perfumer, same longevity. Projection is where I can see the difference. Vanagloria has a great longevity, and projection. 4-5 sprays Longevity: 8-10 hours. Projection: 2-3 feet for 1.5-2 hours, then pull back to a personal bubble. On hour 6-7 it’s closer to the skin. If you spray on clothes, it lives for free for ad few days or until you wash your clothes. Babycat is a bit bolder, and goes straight to the incense. 4 sprays Longevity: +10 hours. Projection: 3-4 feet for 2-3 hours, then pull back to 2 feet on hour 3. After hour 6, personal bubble. On hour 8-9 it’s closer to the skin. Quality: both of them are A+ in quality. Why pay an arm and a leg, or follow the hype of Babycat, when you can get Vanagloria for half of the price? I own both, and this was my humble opinion.

This scent (and Sebastian from The Perfume Guy on YT) has opened my mind to incense fragrances! Vanagloria is the most gorgeous, sweet incense, ambery-vanilla fragrance with a touch of saffron I have ever experienced. Alongside Babycat by YSL. I have sampled both during a holiday in Milan a couple of times before deciding to purchase Vanagloria and I personally find them very similar, especially in the dry down. This must be hands down one of the best incense-vanilla scents ever created! I have chosen Vanagloria because of the cost! And fun fact, Vanagloria was actually created first by Dominique Ropion, not Babycat. If anyone was curious, Laboratorio Olfattivo didn’t dupe YSL with this perfume. I need to add though that on me Babycat lasted a bit longer. Vanagloria last and projects very well and it’s such an intoxicating smell that I had to have. The mix between the incense and vanilla is pure heaven, very addictive. This fragrance is sultry, alluring, sexy. 100% unisex, I wear it happily and my husband does it too. As a side note, I own Rosendo Mateu No5 and I find it a total different fragrance than Babycat and Vanagloria. Stunning scent for fall and winter season. Very good juice, one of the best, if not the best, gourmand incensy fragrance on the market. Only for incense and vanilla lovers!

The initial opening is a little eeew! very strong incense/saffron, which I don't hate but will tolerate,, this strong opening dwindles quite quickly . Oddly , I don't detect much in the way of pineapple in the opening so assume it is very fleeting. The vanilla is absolutely stunning with a hint of smokiness and that tonka peaking through.. The projection to this is pretty big and at present this is still going very strong 3hrs into the wear. This is a beautiful scent for winter / fall .. Vanagloria is reminscent of Lune Feline and Absolute Aphrodisiac, Vanagloria being much more kinder on the bank balance though. It is a rich opulent sultry smokey vanilla .. Totally unisex, I would love to smell this on my man ;) Update - this fragrance has HUGE staying power. it literally lasts all day and even after showering I could still detect it on my skin... lots of compliments with this

Vanagloria was the first of Dominique Ropion's suede-incense-vanilla triumverate [Vanagloria-2021, Babcat-2022 and Eau the Audacity-2023], and in my view it holds the throne. Audacity is far too light and airy to fit this scent-profile, and Babycat, while appealing, is rather linear. Vanagloria is more nuanced, and sophisticated than either of its siblings. It envelops the wearer in a warm, cozy cloud of mysterious incense-vanilla. While projection is on the moderate side, it draws people in and lasts for hours. In my view it is a masterpiece of the perfumer's art, and accordingly deserves far more love that it has received in the frag community. Not a safe blind buy and probably best suited to fall-winter and evening wear. But I wear it year-round, day or night. Layered with Tonkade, a tonka-bomb also from Laboritorio Oflattivo,it becomes a revelation.

It really IS a potential substitute to BabyCat, the DNA is there, especially considering that the OG Babycat is discontinued and also more expensive, but there are a few differences: for me the opening is sweeter and milder, I guess it's the pineapple, in Babycat the peppers really hit your nose like a punch, and then it mellows down, Vanagloria has a bit softer introduction. However, the drydwon of Vanagloria on me feels VERY incense'y, like churchy-kind of incense'y, and I am wondering if that's cause I have sampled other sweeter more floral/feminine perfumes today and my nose is off, or is it really rougher, more masculine drydown, I get the vanilla but it's not so dominant. My Babycat decant is a bit far away right now to compare them in real time. Sample before you buy but of course if that's your type of perfume and notes it's excellent.

It’s wild to me that people say they can’t smell the pineapple in this, because for me it is by far the strongest note. Fresh sliced pineapple just now put under the broiler with some vanilla beans to caramelize. Smelled right on the skin, I get more incense, and that was almost a dealbreaker for me because I don’t like churchy perfumes... but in the air it’s this divine juicy caramelized pineapple with a hint of smoke and incense floating behind it and I LOVE IT. It’s completely unique. Full bottle for sure. I haven’t worn it in summer but honestly it feels like it would suit in warm but not humid weather... I want to wear it to explore colonial plazas and churches in Mexico City. To me, this bears absolutely no resemblance to Babycat other than they both have an incense note. The vanilla here is more subtle, too.

luxurious toasty vanilla that i got put onto after a tiktok creator suggested this one as a replacement (not dupe) for SDW's incarnate. it starts out super intense and the incense is a bit overwhelming, but let me tell you the payoff for that harsh opening is an edgy, boozy vanilla drydown like no other. it smells less like a catholic church and more like drinking a smoky old fashioned accompanied by a creme brulee in a dimly lit bar in chicago. while it scratches the same itch that incarnate does, Vanagloria is very different and i would say FAR more complex. I actually get compliments on this one, and the projection and longevity are both wonderful. i might have to live off of samples of this for now, but would love to own a full bottle of this once i've finished incarnate.

A brilliant take on vanilla, with a noticeable support of leathery saffron and tobacco-ish tonka and that manages to avoid the usual ultra sweet cliche. One can nearly feel the powdery feel of a vanilla bean just cut in two, bitter and woody. Some fruitiness in the top will be noticeable, but no worries, this time the pineapple accord is not really identifiable, and will not ruin this gem into a vulgar smelt-many-times-before thing. Same for the tonka, which result extra dry (no Chanel/Armani bro thing, no worries). Possibly the best expression of natural vanilla, but only who has already smelt a real vanilla bean will manage to fully appreciate (definitely not a Layton or Code styled pastry-like synthetic vanilla) A love for me.

I always love to try different variations of this DNA. My favorites are a tie between this beauty & Salas Bianco Eterno. I will admit, I found the opening of Vanagloria to be somewhat challenging due to the pineapple. Sometimes I find pineapple to be dusty and I experienced it here in the opening, but once the dry-down commenced I was immediately mesmerized. When it comes to this DNA Vanagloria is definitely the driest—The vanilla is more dry vs sweet, an inherent quality of Bourbon Vanilla. I truly appreciate how this makes it stand out from its counterparts. It has pretty good projection and creates a comforting cloud. I’d say it’s slightly less spicy than Babycat and lacks the burnt tire smell of Ros5. This is wonderful!!

I love the work of Dominique Ropion. I gravitate to a lot of his work without even realising. This is delicious. Liberty still sell the original and it’s still in production. There is a nod to Babycat for sure. They are not the same though. Focussing on Vanagloria this is sweet but not cloying, light but very present, airy but incense and vanilla forward. It’s got a play doh note that I like. This is a gourmand that is summer friendly because of the deft and subtle balance managed by Dominique Ropion’s mastery. I love this. I’ve had it in my collection for a couple of years and find myself reaching for it a lot recently. A clean confection. Restrained and beautiful. Lovely.

This is not a straightforward and immediate love when I first tried it on paper, but I gave it another go and sprayed it on skin and now I want a bottle. Smokey, leathery vanilla, combined with the sweet fruit note gave me tobacco vibes. It's a dark sexy vanilla, swirling in incense, with the pineapple cutting through it with some brightness. I'm not a huge fan of saffron or leather notes, but those are the notes that really stood out to me on the paper testing strip. However, the leather actually melds with warm skin really beautifully and the effect is surprisingly lovely. Wears well with good sillage and longevity. Great cold weather (and scarf) fragrance!

If you know Rosendo Mateu N5, remove a little bit of its strong sweet vanilla (it’s still sweet) and add incense. For those who haven’t smelled RM5, Vanagloria is such a forward thinking perfume... It’s 50% modern molecular sweetness and 50% incense. The combination is just perfection, and it has something addictive to it that makes it smell really different and modern. Try to imagine you dip an incense stick into sugar and add some weird molecules from 2056 Longevity and projection are way beyond normal perfumes. Packaging is wonderful, the bottle very heavy and the sprayer is top notch. This is sexy as hell.

I wanna smell like... Velvet. Warm and unctuous and unmistakable. This is a texture that purrs for plenty and steers others away. Whether it's rooted in foolish thought or not –– I own both the original Masters Collection formulation and the newly bottled Intense version. The former feels as though the Olibanum was dosed heavier, the latter as though it's been dialed back. Irregardless, either bottle the composition still lulls me. Never tried Baby Cat. Rosendo 5 (which I adore) is a gentler interpretation of Vanagloria. Either way, this fragrance is beyond a siren song –– it's a whole symphony.

Holy vanilla what a scent this is. This is a smoky vanilla all the way, so smooth and cozy, this is perfect for the cold weather! This stuff lasts all day long and projects really strong off my skin. I have smelled Babycat which i also wanted to buy but obviously they were out of stock unfortunately, but i have to say they smell really similar , if you're having trouble trying to get Babycat i would get this one and save some money unless you are a collector cause i think it doesn't make sense to own both.... Once I finish my bottle i'll be definitely picking up Babycat.

Damn, this is really gorgeous. Bought blindly upon reading it's similar to Babycat that I got hyped on and suddenly needed in my life. I got the 30ml from the official site (and got pleasantly surprised by the fast service btw) and now I'm thinking I should have gotten the 100ml. Anyways, the only one I can compare it to is Encens Suave. It's similar, but this is slightly more fruity - I expected to dislike the pineapple note, but it's humble caramelised presence fits this fragrance so well. And it's sexy, not so churchy as ES. 110% satisfied with this blind buy.

Sexy Dark Mysterious On the first notes you get the dark leather accord but it soon blends and fades into this rich, deep, and smoky vanilla. The vanilla smells very dark yet warm, and woody with a tiny bit of sweetness. One of the most intense, raw vanilla scents. Smelling this for the first time i pictured leather strips dipped in the darkest vanilla extract and enlaced with incense. This scent is totally unisex although i feel that it fits perfectly on a dominatrix. Wearing this fragrance i feel super confident and in control (also a bit bitchy).

If you want a vanilla scent that smells grown up this is for you. It is proof that you can make vanilla smell unisex. What makes it interesting is that despite its vanilla core, it smells very masterful and almost intellectual in a way. As if it is trying to reveal a secret about this ingredient. It manages to smell a little mysterious without immediately verging on erotic. This is great for when you want to smell hot and attractive but you don't want anyone to know that that was your intention.

It has been a minute since I have smelled a perfume and immediately fallen in love with it. I can't stop wearing this since I got the decant two days ago. The vanilla that sneaks through is gloriously surrounded by just enough smoke and incense. I love most any scent that has saffron, and this one opens with the right amount of saffron to suit me. Now that the weather here has turned to fall, this scent will definitely be the one I wear the most throughout the coming months.