Note Vanillée

Love this fragrance! For the longest time I was dying to try Guerlain's Spiritueuse Double Vanille. I had my hopes up so high for that one, hearing all the praise it gets and such. When I finally got a chance to try it out I was a bit underwhelmed. It's a great scent, but not as vanilla centered as I would have hoped. The vanilla note itself was beautiful, not too sweet, not too dry, "Double Vanille", so I suspect a mix of two vanilla notes(duh), and blended nicely with the rest of the notes... Which brings me to my point, the other notes. The woody, spicy, and boozy notes rounded it out and kind of detracted from that awesome vanilla. Not making it a bad scent but just not what I expected/wanted. Also worth note, to me, it is not AS boozy as everyone makes it out to be. It's more of a light backdrop of rum. Anyway, onto Note Vanillee. M. Micallef Note Vanillee is what I expected GSDV to be like. Straight up vanilla and booze, with some notes of subtlety to round it out. The vanilla, is sweet, gourmand, yummy, delicious. Everything I want in a vanilla. The cognac stands out more than the rum which is nice for me as I prefer the note of cognac over rum, but it is mixed superbly. But I guess I should mention the immediate top. I do get a nice light orangey note, not sure if it's strictly mandarin or some kinda mix, its almost tangerine-like, but it's light so doesn't take away from the vanilla. Kind of just makes the nose wonder, hey what's that, just to keep you interested after the vanilla smack to the face. After the top notes dispel, the heart sticks around for a few hours, 4-8 on me depending on circumstances(weather, activities, etc.) and it's that gorgeous vanilla, cognac, and even some soft soft sandalwood. The sandalwood never really picks up too much for me, but that's exactly what I want, just enough to keep it rounded and interesting. I don't really get much floral notes either, maaaaaybe some white florals that soften it up a tiny bit, but I would attribute that to the sandalwood so, eh. No biggie there either. Finally the long drydown, still pretty much the same, of course softer than earlier on in the fragrance but still a vanilla boozy core,just now with a little more sandalwood and amber. Though perhaps just a little more benzoin than amber, but, components of the whole... So yes it's a somewhat linear fragrance, with subtle changes throughout, to keep you interested and make sure it's not too cloying, if you don't like sweet ones though you still may not like this one though. But it's exactly what I was looking for in a vanilla scent. For comparison, I have Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille as well, and it's almost as sweet, just a little more airy and powdery. The wood notes, licorice and musky notes balance the sweetness in SLUBV. Performance with Note Vanillee is great on me. All day. I can put this on at 8am, and will smell it on my skin still before I shower at night, getting sweet wafts throughout the day. The projection is above average as well. As stated earlier, I get a good 4-8hrs depending on the conditions, then a close to body, more than skin, scent for the rest of the wearing. I never really wear it long enough for it to become a strict skin scent, which speaks to how great it performs. Of course your results may vary. Price is the only gripe with this one. It is a little on the pricey side, but I was able to nab it for an amazing deal, probly an over 95% full 100ml bottle for $135 USD. There's just an engraving of "Christine" on the bottle, but I can just say I bought it for my sister(actually named Christine) and she didn't like it. Btlut at retail price, I'm not sure I would have purchased so soon; I would have eventually but only after collecting some extra income. Nonetheless, I have my bottle and can enter the land of boozy vanilla bliss whenever I want. I think the only other vanilla that I would think to buy next would be Indult Tihota, but that is in the same price range, if not more, and though it's a heavenly vanilla, it is a little less interesting and more strictly vanilla, so I'm in no rush to purchase that one yet. Overall - 10/10 (keep in mind I love gourmand, sweet fragrances not to mention the note of vanilla)

Review starts on second paragraph: Queen Victoria is said to have paved the way for the white wedding dress craze that is the prevailing choice of attire for western brides to this day. Her wedding gown was made of Spitalfield silk and an intricate lace flounce. Later the pattern used to create the lace was destroyed so nobody else could have the same finely woven lace as the queen (gatekeeping much? Lol). She also decided to forgo the typical regalia of a jeweled crown and instead donned a wreath of orange blossoms and myrtle. You would think that over the years brides would become tired of the this tradition, yet this custom is alive and well today and we see an incredible variation of the white dress, some even reaching an iconic status. I own a bottle of this fragrance in its newly revamped bottle. To me this scent is like an exquisite royal wedding gown. White dresses and vanilla perfume have both been done before, but it’s the design, the structure, and the craftsmanship that makes this perfume stand out. It’s definitely a more demure style of scent, the opening starts off like an illusion neckline made of silk tulle it’s sheer but dimensional because of the floral notes which are first seen in small hand-stitched clusters. Soon glimmering floral appliqué becomes bountiful as you reach the heart notes of the fragrance or what I consider the bodice of the dress. It carries that same delicate floral vanilla but is now swathed in an amber dressing which creates a shapeliness and form, like a corset covered in French Chantilly lace. From here we meet the final dégradé of this scent as it descends to its base or the skirt of this haute de couture wedding ensemble, like a gradient organza it begins with a boozy drop-waist and gradually fades into a soft, mellow sandalwood train. I’m surprised that fragrantica reviews call this a deep/bold vanilla, perhaps mine still needs to macerate (age). For me this carries all the dialed-back airy elegance of an altar-ready white dress rather than a full-glam look parading a red carpet. Perfume Realm 💙

So as someone who works really hard not to get sucked into the hype, I got sucked in, but it was worth it. This fragrance is straight up addicting. Not a power house like Love & crime but enough to literally make you want to smell yourself all day. The citrus opening is fleeting at the top but quickly dries down to a boozy vanilla. Not ground break or earth shattering, but smooth as hell. The cognac hits just right to give it a spice but not over do it. Doesn't scream Christmas or a holiday which makes it versatile IMO. How it opens down to how it dries, its just cozy. So well blended so delicate yet not, if that makes sense!! The juice is gorgeous. I have an army full of vanillas but this is a new FB NEED. I can see this being used at any time of year. I also am someone who will wear oud for greatness to the dentist though so maybe I don’t help in that area. I did reach out to M.Micaleef and they said Feb 1 is the restock, I believe a new bottle but same juice...so they say. We shall see!! Also for the price, I am on the fence. I only say yes to the price because this company hand paints the bottles with care and they are stunning, along with stellar customer service and wonderful owners. **Edit, I bought a full bottle of the new one that was released last month. New packaging but said the same formula. I hate to say it, but it does not smell the same as my sample :( it is wayyy softer. The color is almost clear. Almost cream soda vibe. I am hoping it needs to macerate or sit for awhile to get that deep amber color. I will be super sad if it does not. The new bottle design is gorgeous. Contrary to a few others, I prefer the new bottle. It looks stunning on display. They also give you a travel spray in a nice pouch when you purchase directly from them.

I love this! From the name alone, I thought that this would be a very gourmand and creamy vanilla centred fragrance. But it is so much more than that! This is a powdery, and extremely boozy vanilla with alot of depth to it. It’s very warm and sophisticated. Now I know that this may sound weird but it also has a Vanilla Coca cola quality to it. A warm powdery vanilla flavoured Coca Cola. I know this might sound a bit off-putting but it actually really works and I mean it in the best way possible. It’s like a warm cozy boozy hug of vanilla. I can smell the citrus notes slightly, but more of a creamy mandarin or orange, not sharp or lemony citrus.🍷🍦🍊 I can see why some people are saying that it smells mature but I don’t really think it smells “grandma-ish”. Yes it is mature but in a sophisticated, elegant and boozy powdery way, not in an out dated way if that makes sense. I usually love super sweet, delicious, decadent and over the top gourmand vanilla fragrances, but I’m completely in love with this! It’s semi-sweet (not too sweet at all) but it has the most addictive quality to it. Once again, M.micallef never disappoints with their high quality fragrances. I know many are saying the longevity is not great after reformulation, and I sadly never got to try out the pre formulated fragrance, but this current one seems to last pretty well on my skin. The sillage is not huge but the longevity is definitely great. Also, there is a new note vanille nectar which smells the same but is much stronger, so maybe check that one out if you are upset about the longevity of the reformulated one you if you are having problems with the longevity.

I’m jumping back into the fray because of the reviews immediately below. One of the biggest points I can make about Note Vanillée is that you mustn’t go into it expecting a sweet, juicy, dessert-like fragrance. No. To me, the vanilla note is like a double bourbon vanilla versus how vanilla smells once it has been sweetened to make desserts and pastries. And it’s boozy because of the liqueur notes, versus smelling like an alcoholic beverage. I suspect some people dub it “powdery” to describe that it is neither juicy nor sweet. Decanting fragrances can change notes, too. Indeed, my decant of this fragrance smelled like body odor on me. While it doesn't smell like Angel's Share or Baccarat Rouge 540, I'd put it in the same category for warm richness and complexity. Finally, Note Vanillée is magic when it has macerated and turned a nice dark color. It should then smell dramatically different from fresher/newer product. I love mine more than ever now at the two-year point. The folks at M. Micallef verified that this is the same formula as before, but that letting it evolve and mature results in an ideal aromatic presentation. Let yours macerate. It will be worth it. It was for me.