Vanillary

Absolutely gorgeous sent it has 3 progressions. The first progression is Jasmine forward like a bunch of flowers with a bit of an orange twist and you live in there for about an hour. Then you get the sensation at 2nd stage that there’s a a cake maybe a day or so old that is vanilla and it smells nice but not entirely edible which is the Tonga piece of the fragrance and this mixes in with the flowers like there’s these flowers and then there’s a cake that’s in another room but it’s still quite flower prominent and then within about three hours you finally get this sort of soft soufflé spongy vanilla edible yummy soft thing happening that becomes very forward and you’re living in the base and just the hint of the floral you might imagine there’s a bit of an orange citrus to this vanilla yummy custody cake that the most delicious part of the perfume. It’s a total joy. I love to wear it to bed and I love to wear it around the house. It has a strong projection but there’s something about it. that’s quite intimate and sort of thrives in the quiet slower type of times. I would not necessarily be wearing it to a club or even in the office it seems like it’s just too cozy too sweet for that sweet in the sense of just too charming for that. gorgeous scent with high complexity. What seems to be so basic just vanilla per its name has definitely beautiful journey if you give it some time. There are times when I perceive the jasmine to be a little bit rank like how some people say but if I spray it and within a bit of time the same progression happens and that indolic beginning just fades away.

This is, hands down, my most complimented perfume. I've had ensorcelled shop assisstants into tracking me down to ask me what my perfume was. I've had complete strangers walking up to take a sniff. I even had one lady ask me to type it into her phone so she could go buy a bottle in her lunch hour. It is a decadent, boozy, buttery vanilla that even the bougiest designer vanilla can't touch. It's like you've crushed an actual vanilla pod between your fingers. Despite there only being three notes, it has a depth and richness that is incomperable to anything else I have in my collection. This is the standard I hold all other vanillas too, and over ten years on, it's still unbeaten. If I could only have one perfume for the rest of my life, this would be it. It has perfect sillage, and it lasts for forever - I have a scarf that I wore as a student a decade ago, and I can still catch whiffs of this perfume. There are however, as with all things good, a few catches. Firstly, it has to agree with your skin. When my friend sprayed it on herself it morphed into a plasticy play-dough that was an instant scrub off. Secondly, it is very much a cold weather perfume. It is okay in the warm weather, but it's nothing compared to the magic way it smells when it's cold outside. Thirdly, the initial spray is... a choice that was made. It's like two stroke and rubber had a child, and you smell like that for fifteen minutes. You just have to get through it. It's character building. It'll be worth it in the long run.

I have the one ounce spray and I've used about half. First of all, I love jasmine and it loves me. And I have the same relationship with Vanilla. In me, this opens with probably about 60/40 jasmine to Vanilla. Then the ratios switch. Once it sits for a minute or two, tonka teams up with the Vanilla and the two tag-team against the Jasmine and nudge it to the background. Then, it spends the rest of its time as an almost nutty (but not peanut) sweet vanilla dream. I don't see sandalwood ever mentioned as a note, but it seems like it's in there... not especially strong, but enough to keep this "perfume-y" as opposed to fully edible. Maybe it's the tonka mixed with the remaining Jasmine. This is one that clings to clothing really, really well. If it's on one of my cardigans, I will definitely know it even if it's been two weeks since I last wore it. Not quite as strongly as Lust, but close. TBH, on me, this is a man magnet. I had this on layered with Snowcake on a windy day and several people (mostly men) raved about how incredible it smelled. I also layer it with a tiny bit of Lust. Unlikely pairing, I know, but on me it's a match made in heaven.

Pretty bored of the gourmand-Tik-Tok-girlies describing anything with a bit of intrigue, artistry or complexity as "old-ladyish". I personally aspire to be as glamorous, self-assured and good smelling as the old ladies I know! With that out the way it's true that this isn't a sugary sweet vanilla and doesn't work with everyone's chemistry. I'm not quite sure why it's so divisive though - perhaps it's the dissonance between the super-sweet smell you expect with a name like Vanillary, and the one you get? It's buttery, bourbon-y and almost a bit savoury, but I find it so pleasant (and it does still have some sweetness!). With my skin chemistry, I often get told I smell like cocoa butter when I wear this. Because of the floral notes it would work year-round, but I love wearing it in winter because it feels like a soft, fluffy, well-worn old jumper. I think it's a really unique take on vanilla and I'm happy it exists!

I don’t know what it is but this has become my favourite perfume of all time. My first 100ml bottle only lasted 6 months - it’s that good to me! There’s something indescribable about this, the way it hits you with a unique heavy nuttiness, the indolic jasmine, the smooth, sweet vanilla... it’s beautiful. It’s the perfect all rounder. In colder weather it leans gourmand and warm spicy. In hotter weather, the jasmine and tonka are more prominent and it’s reminiscent of walking through a grassy field with the sun shining and birds singing - I’m reminded of hay in the best possible way. I love that I can wear this anytime, even to bed, no headache, and it layers beautifully with almost anything. It lasts for hours. I’m not sure that it really projects but I don’t wear this for anyone but me, and for the price I’m not complaining if I’m the only one smelling it. It’s a stunner and I will wear this for life 🤍