Hypnôse

I am sad to find that Lancôme has discontinued this gem. :( Get your hands on a bottle while you still can.. I’d say this is a safe blind purchase if you love vanilla! Even though Hypnôse was created almost two decades ago, it’s still so modern and unique in its composition — yet nostalgic, because in the current era of cloyingly sweet gourmands, you can tell this one is from in another time. Nothing against contemporary gourmands, but Hypnôse just brings something different to the table. It’s a sweet vanilla fragrance, but neither cloying nor loud, and despite the dominant vanilla note, I wouldn’t actually even classify this as a gourmand. Hypnôse is definitely borderline delicious, but it has this dreamy, kind of ethereal, and cosmetic/powdery vibe, which I attribute to the addition of vetiver. Though not listed, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was also some white musk involved here. Despite being an „almost-gourmand“, Hypnôse isn’t a particularly warm scent, which I again find very refreshing among the current go-to designer compositions. The florals amplify the cosmetic feel (= further neutralize the gourmand aspect), while the passionflower, which you rarely find in other perfumes, gives off a subtle tropical/exotic vibe. There is also something happy and uplifting, maybe even innocent/angelic about it, which further differentiates it from contemporary gourmands that often seem to aim to be particularly sexy. Overall, this is so simple and sophisticated, one of my all-time favorite vanilla perfumes. Hypnôse is dreamy, airy, velvety, soft, feminine, ethereal, sweet, a little bit delicious, romantic, calm, and happy. I think the name and the beautiful bottle design are very fitting. It‘s also light and cool enough to be worn all year round, which I love! I would even say it thrives in warmer temperatures. Performance is great as well. All in all just beautifully done. (Lancôme, if you read this, bring it back pls) Edit in Spring 2023: It seems to be back in stock! Immediately purchased a bottle. If Lancôme lets me, I will always have this in my collection.

This fragrance is so beautiful! I can see this being a WEDDING 💍 fragrance, it’s soft, sweet, and powdery! The notes are blended so nicely. This perfume is sweet, but not gourmand or overpoweringly sweet. The powder is not overwhelming because it give a very nice touch of softness. Both the sweetness and powder mix well with the florals! It’s a teensy bit soapy but mainly very fresh/sweet. It makes me feel safe, womanly, and very COZY!!! ( ́ ▽ ` ).。o♡ It’s classy and elegant. I can see this being worn as an everyday fragrance (as a signature scent) but ALSO can be worn for ONLY special occasions. I think this perfume is versatile in that way, but the scent profile of this fragrance is unique! I don’t think I’ve smelt anything like this really.. I don’t think this is a great blind buy because of that! Although it is such a beautiful fragrance, it may not be for everyone. Sample this before buying a bigger size bottle so you can decide if this fragrance will only be for special occasions OR IF you really love and feel like this is you in a bottle then definitely get the biggest size (after getting your nose on this first). It’s giving lovely house wife, suburban rich trophy wife (with a great personality).. just very womanly and classy! 𐬽𐬼𐬽𐬼𐬽𐬼𐬽𐬼𐬽𐬼𐬽𐬼𐬽𐬼𐬽𐬼𐬽𐬼 A PLACE this perfume reminds me of: Suburban California 🎻✨ WHERE would I wear this perfume: Wedding, having a home warming or gathering, Cruise, Romantic Anniversary Date, Red Carpet Event, Museum. What would I DO wearing this perfume: Reading in a silky robe drinking champagne or wine (after a very nice bath), getting married, preparing dishes for guest to come over, eating fine dining. What would I WEAR with this perfume: WHITE ANYTHING (Sundress, wedding dress) white fairycore, classy-casual. Natural makeup or soft glam! Updoes, ponies, half up- half downs. Pearls and dainty jewelry. Wedges, small heels, classy sandals.

Around late 00s to 10s, hypnose signaled either elegance or mysteriousness of some sorts. It may had been niche still but it had a cult following. I think hypnose was one of those "it" perfumes - at least in some countries - because it presented a contrast to both your typical fruity, floral, sugar bomb and flashy y2k scents like celebrity perfumes and body mists and whatnot, but also to the dated grandma trends that are too heavily oriental or aldehydic and spicy. So hypnose became something "refreshing" as it wasn't loud and sugary and flashy nor it smelt odd or too much for the young individuals. I like the comments that mention gilmore girls and frazzled English woman memes like totally, I agree. But I was so annoyed with hypnose back then. To me it was bc everyone seemed to talk about it, especially girls who are like 10-15 yrs older than you are. And I was like, this is just the scent of a body lotion or something, what's the hype. Hypnose isn’t really in some sort of vintage category yet, it's not that old and it's not new anymore, and lancome is coming with more popular releases and I am positively surprised that you can still find hypnose and it isn’t discontinued, and I am planning to get a back up bottle too. For some reason despite how I didnt like it back then, now I'm into it, maybe it's cos of some sort of nostalgia? Not sure. Also bc it isnt so well known and talked about anymore I think. And I found out from chatgpt that hypnose smells differently depending on the temperature. The true hypnose vibe thats creamy and vanillic and only faintly floral - that comes out in colder weather. In summer you get more of its floral qualities which really is a stark contrast to how it smells in winter. It almost feels like a sdj body spray in the summer in my opinion, and to me it's unnecessary to use that during hot days.

Wow. Pure, total, complete love. I enjoy vanilla fragrances but find that some of them are too heavy, cloying and serious for day to day wear. Then I bought this, because it seems to retail for a very good price lately (are people bored of this?). And I found the most wearable vanilla, the vanilla I can take with me anywhere, on a fluffy sweater, on a leather jacket, in shorts on the beach, in the middle of the forest, flying to see my family, watching a movie with my boyfriend. But above all, what makes this scent a complete and utmost love for me is its evocative nature. It reminds me of my childhood, in a weird manner that I cannot necessarily pinpoint. It reminds me of Paxeladine cough syrup, of eating sweets in the park, of admiring a beautiful lady neighbor, of heartache and love. I am convinced it's the blend of sweet vanilla and passion flower that does this trick for me. Everything feels cold and slightly distant, just like some artificially sweetened cough syrup in a silver spoon, tasting like burnt crystallized sugar... but then there's the 'thing', some note that transports you into a safe, happy, warm and nostalgic place. Smells like a clean doctor's office, kindness and that little excitement in your tummy that you feel when you're thinking of what could be behind a closed 'do not enter' door. I think the name suits the fragrance - not 'hypnotic' as in 'mesmerizing', but more like infiltrating into some parts of my mind where cherished but not often visited memories live. It speaks to my heart. Performance is decent. Bought a 75mL bottle, and immediately bought a 50mL back-up, 'just in case'.

The mid 00s were an epic period for perfumery. Of course, "Hypnôse" is no exception. Some other favourites of mine include "Prada Amber", "The One" by D&G, "Armani Code". I know "La Vie Est Belle" is far more popular nowadays but I definitely prefer "Hypnôse". What makes it beautiful is not its outstanding composition but its simplicity. There may only be 5 notes but they come together to create a beautiful scent. The simplicity makes this fragrance quite versatile, I feel like it will work in any season as long the weather is not too hot. The opening of "Hypnôse" has a fruity, somewhat sour note which I believe is the passion flower. "Sour" may sound off-putting but I mean it in the nicest way possible. It reminds me of a fruit yoghurt which I quite like. The vetiver also appears to be intense in the first few minutes despite being a base note. The vanilla note is also the highlight of the fragrance. It stands out since it is not the usual warm, sweet vanilla, but a creamier, colder one. It is somewhat similar to ice cream or whipped cream. The drydown is softer but still retains some weight. Like other "Lancôme" fragrances, the performance is great. If you spray on your hair and shirt, it lasts about 12 hours. I keep getting whiffs of it for at least 7 hours with ease. It does not need to be refreshed. Last, but not least, the name and package are very attractive. The 75 ml bottle is quite tall and massive. I love the shade of the liquid.