Vanille 44 Paris

I just picked up this fragrance as a blind buy - I have been looking for something vanilla to add to my collection and wanted something unique and naturally gravitated towards this one. I've got a couple of Le Labo scents in my collection already and this one I think is my new favorite. Others have noted this but the thing that stood out to me on first spray was the sheer depth of fragrance to this. The initial spray was met with a muted note of citrus, I believe bergamot and orange, with the smoky-sweet vanilla undergirding the entire fragrance through the whole time. I was then hit by a strong herbal-smelling note, something like rosemary and probably thyme which has wafted in and out, followed by a devolution into a powdery, musky-smelling vanilla. This even further devolved into a very complex accord of a slightly powdery, dry vanilla with a small amount of sweetness that for some reason evokes Chanel No 5 but in a very good way, backed up by a very nuanced accord of that signature le labo DNA where you have a complex mix of aldehydes and woods---specifically gaiac wood and something that's reading as sandalwood to me. There is also, of course, a very clean, high-quality smelling incense note that many others have talked about. On top of that, (as if this fragrance could get any more complex) I sometimes get wafts of a spicy, balsamic-style fragrance that wafts in and out perhaps backed up by a note like civet? There's a small touch of something animalic deep in there, but among the many notes (44 ingredients after all) it's like a french girl---ephemeral, teasing, and a bit fun and difficult to cloy out. Plenty of people have read it as churchy, which I think is fair, but what is Paris if not a city famous for some of its very old churches? I could honestly spend hours trying to pick apart these fragrance notes and probably fail and miss some. It's definitely a Le Labo fragrance through and through, and the complexity of this fragrance is unrivaled in my collection. Some have called it a bit linear, but I'm not sure they're trying hard enough. For the price, well, that's for you to decide. I got this as a gift and I am certainly excited about it.

Don’t listen to the naysayers: this is undoubtedly a vanilla scent but, more importantly, it’s also gorgeous and complex. The incense blends expertly with the vanilla, along with other notes I can’t quite put my nose on, to make this a sumptuous and supremely addictive scent. It’s inherently French, but oddly so: I don’t normally associate vanilla with Paris, yet I did imagine the scent of Vanille 44 while I was strolling the streets of Le Marais. It's the perfect balance of smoky and sweet - as though you just picked up a delicious croissant at a Parisian bistro after having a French cigarette with coffee. This is an extremely comforting scent – spray some on in a bubble bath, and imagine that you’ve been whisked away to a candlelit Parisian apartment overlooking the Seine, or to a chateau in the French countryside. If this scent were a movie or TV show, it would be Frasier (which, in case you were wondering, is a glowing endorsement): beige, sophisticated, witty, nostalgic and soothing. Vanille 44 has often been compared to Diptyque’s Eau Duelle but, as is the case with several of Le Labo’s fragrances, you get what you pay for. I own both Vanille 44 and Eau Duelle, and I can say with confidence that Vanille 44 is the far more nuanced and superior bottle. As a side note: I have several friends who love and compliment the scent of Vanille 44 on me, but they despise the scent of Eau Duelle. Like the fragrance itself, sillage and longevity are both solid. It’s a bit of a chameleon, as it’s appropriate for year-round wear: easy-going during the summer, cozy during the winter, pleasant during the day, and sultry at night. In five words or less: Cozy. Chic. French as hell.

On the opening spray, I pick up the vanilla with a dose of spicy wood. The opening is very soft and airy to my nose. This is not a modern sweet vanilla, but true to its Parisian roots; it's a subtle vanilla that genuinely shows its French chic roots. By 'French chic roots ', I mean it exudes a sophisticated, understated elegance that is characteristic of French perfumery. After about three minutes, the incense comes in, adding depth to the light opening. The incense is sweet and smokey, reminiscent of a Catholic cathedral you would visit while in Paris. Honestly, this scent does give off the vibes of a softly perfumed Parisian at a church service on a cold Paris afternoon. Vanille 44 is no projection monster with its aroma. At certain points, I would forget I had this on, but then I would get whiffs of the incense softened with vanilla every so often. This perfume has a similar vibe to Juliet has a gun - not a perfume, in that you forget that it's there, but it always finds a way to return to your nose later that day. To me, the perfume was projected off my skin for the first four hours. After that time, I would have to go to my arm and catch the aroma. However, to my surprise, the aroma is still there at the eight-hour mark, so while soft, this perfume does have the longevity expected of a niche perfume at this price point. In conclusion, this is an excellent bottle for someone who wants to have their aroma discovered and not announced—a perfect example of French chic perfumery.

Slightly floral, slightly boozy, and sweet but not too sweet, Vanille 44 by Le Labo is a welcome entry in their City Exclusive line and their total catalog, as the house doesn't seem to offer an abundance of sweet fragrances, otherwise. It's agreeable and not likely to offend, since it does not push the extremes of concentration, sweetness, or floralness. Rather, it sits in a comfortable unisex medium that makes it a greater year-round option for fans of vanilla. I certainly wouldn't go the route of emphasizing that this is so much more than vanilla, as the signature note is certainly the star of the show, but there are other elements that give it some depth. For some reason, the incense and guaiac (per the note listings) are giving me a musky vibe in the base, I suspect, and I don't get the orange or any citrus at all, really. I can imagine Vanille 44 being a fragrance where subservient notes resonate differently for wearers. While it carries the same burden of price as the other City Exclusives, it's one of the better offerings of the line, but surely not one that I would buy. In the vanilla scheme, it's still inferior to Tauerville Vanilla Flash and Dame Perfumery Black Flower Mexican Vanilla, that I can attest are significantly more affordable, as well. 8 out of 10

It's odd to me that some people think this scent doesn't smell like paris. Paris is a city known for its abundance of patisseries (Vanilla) and its old churches (Incense). This fragrance combines what I think are two very well-known cultural stereotypes into a magnificent fragrance. They could've gone for something overbearing here, like a cake shop on the street, but it's a surprisingly intimate fragrance. The opener is fresh and delicious, with citrus and a hint of ginger spicing it up. The drydown reveals the best vanilla scent I've ever had. It would've been easy given the pastry inspiration for them to lean gourmand, but Le Labo doesn't do that. It's a pure, excellent vanilla that's backed up with a batch of smoky incenses and something very palo-santo inspired, patchouli and gaiac wood add a really pleasant depth. I also smell some herbs lingering in the background and a fair bit of that le labo amrboxan aldehydic DNA that's in a lot of their scents. Projection and sillage will be kind of disappointing to some, and I get it. But the fragrance is just so out of this world for me that if I ever have an occasion I need to play it safe like a corporate meeting or a wedding, this is the scent I reach for. It's a little bit enigmatic and mysterious.

2 years ago a friend of mine who is now a former employee of Le labo prior to me knowing this fragrance felt life fall apart. Every other weekend he would visit us in Virginia with a bag of amazing samples for free. All was good until one day downstairs I found this atomizer of the most beautiful fragrance ever Vanille 44. Fast forward a month when he returned to sense this smell in the air losing his mind knowing I had been overusing this juice. Unaware of the history, location, or schedule of its release I destroyed him. Now relocating to California we still get a kick out of this because this is hands down a must have and apparently you can purchase a bottle in New York during the month of September. Soooo I guess I'll see you guys in September. Don't miss out on samples or any authentic form of this beauty.

I've never worn this and not gotten at least one compliment (it's usually a cacophony of compliments!) One of my top 3 favorites. Daytime I like to wear this one in my hair, and at the nape of my neck so when I'm out in the sun it wafts up and creates a cloud around me. Subtly nuanced, not overwhelming at all; soft. I'd call this a comfort scent but it's got a bit of adventure in to it too. This is work-out safe, work safe, but at the same time totally sexy enough for a night out or a date. I find that so many of the vanillas out there are too sweet, too foody, or turn into something unlike vanilla in their dry down. This one only gets warmer and more intricate as time goes on. It was totally worth it to me to look past the price, as it's becoming my signature scent.

Oh how I enjoy this one. I ordered a sample vial of this in search of a perfect vanilla. The price point and lack of general availability has downgraded this from a "love" in my books. I am not sure this one is worth the high price. But it is a solid perfume offering if your pocket book permits. I should know better as this is a Le Labo perfume, but I bought this expecting the vanilla to be the star of the show. At first sniff I wasn't sure I liked it. This one is heavy on the woods to my nose, and lesser on the vanilla. After trying a few times, I did come to enjoy it, and notice the vanilla on the dry down. Very unisex leaning and not a gourmand whatsoever, the vanilla is dry. Longevity is a good 6 hours on me. Somewhat similar to Eau Duelle by Diptyque.

This is a vanilla fragrance that is smokey and sexy without being sweet or foody at all. It swirls around you like the finest incense with the vanilla coming into play in the heart and even then it never overwhelms the entire fragrance. The vanilla provides a softness, a supporting role as opposed to the main star and it works well. All the notes seamlessly meld into one another without any of the little transitional hiccups that can occur with some scents. This fragrance just seems to smoulder on my skin, very soft and sultry never ever making me think of food. It is not at all powdery on me, but dry and smooth. This is one I could see wearing in the summer as well as the winter. Formal attire or jeans. So sad it can only be purchased in Paris.

My favorite from the city exclusives! I knew I would love this before I even smelled it and when September finally came around I had to grab a full size bottle. It's so feminine without being sticky sweet. I'm a big vanilla girly and having something that isn’t a gourmand is very exciting! I wanted to updated after owning the scent for 7 months now. I'm already 1/3 of the way through my bottle which with a collection as big as mine is quite impressive. This continues to be one of my top favorite vanillas and one that I would repurchase again and again and again. It's perfect and appropriate for any occasion, workplace, event, a wedding, day or night. I feel so beautiful and put together when I wear this and I am just so so in love.

Frankly I love. Sharp and aromatic wood and creamy vanilla. The incense is notable too. Tbh sometimes I struggle with this kinda scent because the deep intense notes like incense are in such sharp contrast to the lighter sweeter notes. But I dont have that issue here. I dont find the wood and incense sharp like I sometimes do. And the vanilla is wicked creamy and rich. Like french vanilla ice cream sans ice cream. Then to me the citrus manifests in kind of vague greenness which I also appreciate here. Definitely has a musty or maybe sweaty quality. Not bad, like an old wooden house, and hair. Not clean hair not dirty hair. You'd think I'm pointing this out as a drawback but it's all very tasteful. I think this is wearable sue me!

I just want to thank everyone who suggested Diptyque Eau Duelle de Toilette as a dupe for this. I fell in love with Le Labo Vanille 44 last year during their annual selling of city exclusives but could not justify the price. Bought and loved Eau Duelle and today I received a sample of Le Labo Vanille just to compare how similar they are. Le Labo Vanille 44 definitely has more of a candied vanilla vibe probably from the citrus, whereas I find Eau Duelle more heavy on the Juniper notes (think almost Christmas Tree). But on dry down they are very similar. I think I still slightly prefer the sweetness of Le Labo over the pepperiness of Diptyque but is the small differentiation worth the $340 price difference? For me, no.

Vanille 44 is not a sweet vanilla — it’s a clean, airy, skin-like interpretation of vanilla. Soft citrus opens the scent, followed by delicate incense and warm guaiac wood. The vanilla here is subtle, blended seamlessly with musk and aldehydes, creating an intimate and refined aura. Not a loud fragrance — but one that feels elegant, personal, and quietly addictive. ليس عطر فانيلا حلو — بل تفسير نظيف، خفيف، وقريب من رائحة البشرة للفانيلا. تبدأ الرائحة بحمضيات ناعمة، يتبعها بخور رقيق وخشب دافئ من الغاياك. الفانيلا هنا هادئة ومندمجة بانسيابية مع المسك والألدهيدات، لتخلق هالة حميمة وراقية. ليس عطرًا صاخبًا — بل عطر أنيق، شخصي، وإدماني بهدوء.

Oh. My. God. I love this vanilla, after trying so many and especially after finding that I hated SL Un Bois Vanille which so many others loved, I have found this, the most beautifully sweet but not foody vanilla, with a bit of incense and a bit of wood and a bit of amber. Everything blended to perfection so that none of the notes are dominant but its a luminous composition, but its got a definite dark edge to it. Its comfoting but sexy too in equal parts. Oh lord help me. I currently have a large decant from TPC, I just hope there is no way for me to get a FB from Paris, because if I can I'll happily spend the big bucks for this one.

Opens with vanilla. It’s a semi sweet vanilla and not very thick. The whole fragrance is pretty thin, however contrary to others I get solid longevity. After the vanilla, it transitions into incense- in a fascinating way. Really enjoyable from 30min - 2hrs. The incense here smells exactly like Gossamer Spirit from Univeral Flowering; but it has vanilla in the opening. After 2 hrs the incense dies down and it converts back to a vanilla skin scent for the next 3-4hrs. I consider 6 hrs for a fragrance solid. This is really nice, price point has to be considered, and I’m going to pass - but won’t deny it’s a nice fragrance.

okay picture this: your girlfriend just got home from pilates class (in this scenario you have a lustful spirit like me) and she’s wearing some like. vanilla lotion from lush and one of those native aluminum free deodorants that’s like. orange vanilla flavor. and she’s kissing you and all you can smell is vanilla and that naturalized musk that you only really get to smell when someone you REALLY want to fuck is hot and sweaty. basically that’s how this one smells on me. overpriced obvi like everything else from le labo but jesus christ if this isn’t divine

Ah, such a lovely, dry, refreshing vanilla! On me it's basically a pure vanilla + incense-blend. The vanilla is a true vanilla, exclusive, natural, not sweet but beautiful. And right next to it the incense. They both vary in strength throughout the day, they take over the lead in turns, but they are both always there. Sillage is good, but it decreases in strength a bit too soon. I would still get a BIG bottle of it if it was a bit less expensive. If anyone wants to get rid of a bottle, please let me know, I'll swap half my collection for it ;-)

My favorite city exclusive so far! Nothing mind-blowing but soooo pretty and truly the perfect slightly smoky, resinous vanilla for a night out in fall/winter. The bright mandarin and bergamot in the top make this scent very balanced along with the smokiness of the incense and gaiac wood notes. Alberto Morillas really did his thing, the longevity is solid and the drydown is deep and creamy with a hint of tobacco. I would honestly get a full bottle of this for F/W, but with the pricetag there are a lot of other cheaper similar options.

The vanilla note in Vanille 44 is more of a shadow rather than in full spotlight. Smoky, incense kissed, and woody, with vanilla drifting through like a warm mist rather than taking center stage. It feels cozy and has a nostalgic pull that reminds me of Catholic church with stone walls, candlelight, and incense in the air. As the city exclusive for Paris, it captures that atmosphere perfectly, refined and old world. Personally, I’m obsessed. However, it’s worth noting that if you’re after a gourmand vanilla, this is not the one.

Definitely vanilla, but not like other vanilla fragrances I've tried. Vanille 44 is a dry, peppery vanilla. Woody, warm, not sweet. It's kind of a cerebral, adult vanilla scent. If Vanille 44 was a person it would be an architect with cool, trendy eyeglasses. Unisex and wearable year-round - it's not too cloying in warm weather. Minimal projection, average performance on my skin. Overpriced, yes, but special to me as I got it on a trip to Paris and it's tied to those memories. RIP Colette:(