Vanilj

The word I said to myself as I sprayed this perfume was "YES". It fitted the idea I had of it in my head, only a bit smokier. As a swede myself, imagine this: you're burning incense in kitchen, while you're kneading a dough of Swedish cinnamon buns. The dough is raw (because this doesn't smell like cooked cinnamon buns, rather the uncooked dough), you get a whiff of icing sugar into your nostrils. In this scenario you're especially proud because you used freshly mortared cardamom instead of ready-made powdered cardamom. Ironically, crushing fresh cardamom makes the dough more "perfumey" :D Although, I had still anticipated/wished some more cinnamon in this perfume (it sounds funny but swedish cinnamon buns usually have cinnamon AND cardamom, so cardamom for me smells like cinnamon buns). I also miss some full fat milkiness or cream in this composition. But I do understand that this perfume is not made to make you smell like a baked good. It's sweet but it's not overly sweet, it's feminine in a mature way, a bit smokey, fancy, elegant, beautiful, and stand-alone. I imagine myself wearing this during cold winter days when it's dark outside all the time (like now in Sweden) or out in a fancy restaurant by the evening. It's cozy and I just want to wear it in a darkly lit room, while drinking red wine with your girlfriends. Fantastic!

As a Swede myself, I was immediately lured by the description of this - Swedish cardemum buns, a more mature and sexy vanilla with that touch of sandalwood. And scent-wise, I was not disappointed. This is probably one of my favorite scents ever, and every single person who've sniffed this has also loved it. Even those who proclaim themselves anti-vanilla has adored Vanilj. Since it's such a warm scent I'd probably say it's better for the colder months, but try separating me from this scent. You can't. However, and this is what really saddens me, the longevity on this one isn't that great for me. That said, I do have a problem with scents lasting on me, and yes, I've tried moisturising before. It just doesn't last as long as I would like it to, especially when I want this to last forever on my skin. I'll probably still get a full bottle of this as that's how in love I am - I can't get enough of this warm, comforting and inviting vanilla.

I have regularly heard this described as a cardemom bun (including by the reviewer below), but to my nose Vanilj is not quite as edible as all that. I am saying this because the reference to the bun put me off this scent, and it shouldn't have - and so I hope to invite any other gourmand-wary readers to try this. To my nose the cardemom competes with the cedarwood: Vanilj is fresh spicy and dusty wood chippings supported by a dry and warm vanilla that never veers too sweet. There is a rugged texture to this scent that I find very pleasurable: this is a vanilla with a personality. It could accompany you on the couch or on a hike on an autumn day. Definitely one to check out even when you're wary of vanilla scents (as I often am) - I have a decant for now, but can really see myself buying a full bottle once I finish that, for Vanilj is very addictive and versatile.

Haven’t bought it but it’s on my list. This perfume is gorgeous and so sophisticated, clean and great for daytime everyday wear. The cardamom note is really vibrant never medicinal , and same with the cedar which can be like toilet cleaner in some perfumes. It’s not a sweet vanilla whatsoever and really falls to the back of the other notes, holding them together. It’s really comforting and subtle, but the green notes perk you up on a cold winters day when you feel dull. I’ve not tried it in spring but I think it would work in warmer weather. When you first spray it it’s a bit sharp but when it’s warmed up it has medium projection and lasts about 6 hours. I would almost describe it as having a glowy quality. Like having a nice cardamom bun in front of Christmas tree on a snowy crisp night in a woolly scarf.

I’ve been searching for a cardamom forward vanilla fragrance, and this is by my favorite. It feels like the scent of home, a soft hug, a favorite sweater, an evening outside looking at the stars with a cup of cardamom chai in hand. There is no bonfire, no marshmallows, just the crispness of the surrounding wood your slightly lactonic spiced tea and a waft of vanilla coming from inside the glowing cabin next to you. It’s not a tea scent, but I can’t help but think of the comfort of tea. The vanilla is snuggly but round, no powder whatsoever. The patchouli is stronger to my nose than the cedar, but it’s a gloriously round patchouli with an almost herbal edge. The cardamom is the key player, no smoke, just cold beautiful spices.

Absolutely my signature scent. The most un-boring vanilla ever. In fact, I'd say it's mainly a beautiful, spicy, warm cardamom and amber fragrance, but so perfectly balanced that the vanilla creeps in without you even really noticing it. Sort of like a familiar friend watching over you without saying anything. It's just the best. It's definitely a cold-weather fragrance, but I've even been known to wear it in summer too, just because I love it so much and never want to go a day without wearing it. I wish Maya would make a candle of this scent because I would burn it at home all the time. I get so many compliments when I wear it too! Far more than with any other perfume. And I feel delicious!

Okay, so take this review with a grain of salt since I haven't tried this on skin just yet, HOWEVER my God this is heavenly. Since Maya grew up in Sweden, I will give a description for all the Swedish gals here: this smells EXACTLY like the bakery at Skansen, specifically their vanilla cardamom buns. It is one of the (to me) best smells in the world to step in there, like yo, BLISS! You feel the smell of the old wood of the building, the darling people baking these delicious goods, the childlike happiness from your parents' promise of a custard filled pastry with crispy sugar on the rim. I would be fine drowning in this, yes yes

Beware: this is not a pure vanilla scent in the way Vanille Haze by Fugazzi is or Tom Ford's vanilla sex, for example. Not safe as a blind buy if you're looking for a (pure or sweet) vanilla perfume. But I love this one. Very modest and quite unique. On my skin, it opens as a lovely warm scent of sweet milk or bread dough, with plenty of cardamom, a little vanilla and some pine resin. It stays very soft on me and, after around three hours, becomes more of a skin scent. A warm woollen blanket beside the Christmas tree ... something like that.

Maya Njie describes Vanilj as sort of a flanker of Nordic Cedar, with an added note of vanilla. Vanilj improves upon Nordic Cedar in my opinion, by amplifying the subtle sweetness of the cardamom, and adding a warm vanilla note. Vanilj is not nearly sweet enough to be a gourmand, and in fact remains very unisex. It is a great scent for when you'd like to smell clean and cozy, and perfectly suitable for offices, doctor's offices, movie theaters, etc. I found Nordic Cedar and Vanilj to be sort of like "Jo Malone goes Scandinavian."

I ordered a 7.5 ml of this to test it out, and I'm thoroughly in love. I lived in Sweden for a year and inhaled many a Kanelbullar during my time there, so I was hoping this would give that, as many have described. And? A few sprays of this instantly transport me to a Swedish bakery, mid-winter, comforted by a warm, cozy, cardamom-y Swedish cinnamon bun. HEAVEN. I'll soon have to upgrade to a 50 ml :-)

So good. It's warm and spicy, but there's no baked or cookie note that I can detect, much more like raw ingredients than a sugar punch. Lives up to its unisex description I think. Not really sure why the naming note is vanilla, it's nice in the mix, but I would call it a cardamom perfume above all.

This is a softer, sweeter version of Nordic Cedar. It opens with a smooth cardamom and becomes a sweetly spiced vanilla with a subtle powdery patchouli and deep woods. The amber here adds a comforting warmth and the musks ground everything in the dry down to become a comforting, woody, sweetness.

the most delicious vanilla ever. honestly, I thought I hated wearing vanilla scents, but this is perfect. warm, toasty, spicy, sexy but not shouty, and not cloying at all. I especially love it in the winter

I love this! Spicy cardamom with smooth vanilla. Perfect for fall and winter. The cardamom its a bit peppert but the vanilla notes make it creamier.

Wow this is delicious! Normally I am not so big on vanilla, but this one is just beautifully balanced. Vanilla is present but in a soft subtle way.

wow! smoked vanilla. smoky wood and cardamom that is so warm and comforting. better than eau duelle

Smells how cardamom buns taste, I absolutely love it, great vanilla cardamom scent

First spray I got a huge blast of just cardamom and got nervous. What have I gotten myself into? Then it quickly settles into the most lovely, warm cardamom vanilla scent. It’s like a soft cardamom vanilla bun straight from the oven, delicious! The scent is linear and stays until next day. I can’t get enough of this one, had to order the full bottle immediately after trying the tester. The vanilla in this is not sweet, it’s there to add warmth and additional spicyness to this perfume. It is very unique, haven’t smelled anything like this in another perfume. It’s a fresh and modern take on a vanilla perfume. Very cozy and warm scent!

In the opening - heavy cardamom. Straight up just cardamom. Then it gets more woody and calms down. The vanilla is very old fashioned, not necessarily in a bad way. This fragrance reminds me of how my great grandmother's apartment smelled like. It's giving old antique store / fancy older lady vibe. This brought back some memories for me. In a pleasant way. But I'm not sure I would wear this fragrance myself. Maybe just for comfort. The more I smell it, the more I like it.

This is one of the few fragrances I get compliments for, its an earthy but still pretty fresh fragrance with some warmth but its not cloying or sweet! It fits pretty well both at the workplace and at the bar, I wouldnt wear it to the gym or an intimate date though, because its not very sexy! The easiest way to describe it is that it smells kind of like a fancy scented candle that you find at expensive hotels, yes, it smells kind of expensive!

I switched from Nordic Cedar to Vanilj - where nordic cedar stayed cold, vanilj is warmer. I agree with other reviewers that there is a similarity to Eau Duelle, but not overly so. This smells like Swedish cinnamon buns to me, which is perfect. Not overly sweet (not even gourmand exactly), and the cardamom smells fresh.

This opens and smells like tiger balm which is pretty medicinal to me. However, within just a few minutes it calms down to a more subtle vanilla/cardamom/cedar. It’s like sipping an extra creamy chai latte right outside of a cedar steam house. It reminds me of Kenzo L’Elephant but more subtle.

Cardamom and dodgy musk is all I get from this. It also happens to smell exactly the same as Nordic Cedar from the same perfumer. The vanilla is undetectable and much better cardamom perfumes exist.

Unfortunately I only get a woody patchouli, maybe a hint of a vanilla but the name is misleading. Not a bad scent, just not for me.

I mostly get sharp cedar and patchouli. Too masculine for me.

I thought I would love this but to my nose it smells exactly like Vicks First Defence Nasal Spray, yuck!

Smells like raw cardamom + something earthy, this does not smell like cardemum buns in my opinion. I was expecting something that smelled cozy, warm, cardamom and sugar like straight from the ovin.. a warm slightly gourmand but not too sweet scent but this is not it. To me this smells cold not warm. So just raw cardamom and maybe some other spices slightly and something earthy, mossy and woody. Maybe cardamom sprinkeled on the ground in a forest.. This is very much a skin scent, not any sillage or projection. Compared to Orchidee Vanille (that is described as a skin scent), Vanilj is at least 2 times weaker and closer to the skin. This is definitely unisex, nothing sugary or sweet in it, which probably is the biggest reason it does not smell like cardamom rolls like I expected. Compared to other unisex scents I would say this is actually unisex where as most unisex scents lean masculine to my nose. That is because this one is true to authentic cardamom smell and lacks those other facets that make it lean to either direction. In Maya ́s page the description says slightly boozy but I cannot detect it.. I would say it is not only cardamom but a tiny bit some other undefined soft spices and that is the "boozy" bourbon part in it. Does not smell boozy or alcoholic at all. This is a very soft "cold" cardamom scent that stays very close to the skin. It is not stingy or masculine cardamom but true to the real thing only less strong than real cardamom a soft cardamom that is like a whisper, inoffensive, enjoyable, not sweet or gourmand. I can ́t imagine anybody disliking this scent it is so inoffensive. Other people will only smell this when they hug you I suppose. But for yourself this is nice to enjoy, it is lovely and cozy. My husband said it smells like baklava and yes it kinda does minus the sweetness. Don ́t expect cozy like in a warm cottage with buns in the ovin, this is cozy like a calm walk in the forest with cardamom in your pocket :D.

The opening of Vanilj is that coolness you get at the kneading stage of baking. It smells like cold, sweet, dough. At the heart, it spices up with a burst of cardamom and becomes dusty dry with a huge dose of cedar. Dried-down, Vanilj hints at the pages and ink within old books. On my skin, it pulls very masculine indeed but I truly think that's my skin: this is a fragrance for anyone. Vanilj is full of true vanilla. If it's gourmand in any way, it's a doughy gourmand not a sugarbomb. In many ways, it reminds me of Dolcelisir. Vanilj is a lovely creation.

It's an understated, unsweet woody vanilla--simple and inoffensive, definitely not gourmand. This is the epitome of what the fragrance influencers on tiktok are calling a "Hotel Lobby Vanilla." Friends of Eau Duelle will find this to be a cousin. I like this a little better than Eau Duelle, but I already have Eau Duelle in my wardrobe and I really don't need both.

This is beautiful. An unsweetened smooth cardamom & vanilla. If you like Dirty Vanilla by Heretic or Coeur Noir by Heretic, you'll probably love this. Unfortunately the sillage is super intimate and it only lasts about an hour on clothes, but it's gorgeous while it's there.

Smells like Nordic Cedar (which I love!) topped with cheap vanilla like Outremer Vanille (which I absolutely do not). If you love the latter you’d probably like this too. For reference Nordic Cedar smells kind of like raw dough.

Vanilla, yes. But also clean, transparent, bright. Cardamom really lifts it and the other notes add a much needed "perfumey" quality that keeps this from being gourmand. I really like this!

effusive cardamom, then shy vanilla steeped in milk. a friend gifted me a sample because i was running a fundraiser bake sale and she said this was the smell of preparing many cakes <3

I was nervous at the opening of this because I thought it smelled like a dialed down Lune Feline, but in the dry down this smells like a very warm pine. Like a cozy Christmas tree

I really enjoy this. I have an extra 7.5 ml travel bottle to swap.