Thé Vanille

YESSSS!! Finally. The Vanille has arrived, not only in the Fragrantica database but also as a FB on my shelf! After purchasing Nette’s (very generous) sampler, I absolutely fell in love with The Vanille; a “green”creamy, cold type of vanilla with salty/ mineral notes elevated by an herbal matcha, soft notes of turmeric/ cardamom and rounded out with earthy white florals/ orris. It’s truly a unique and (to me) perfectly unisex scent with excellent longevity and moderate sillage. Not overtly sweet or dense and definitely far from gourmand land, thankfully! Which is precisely its appeal, especially as I recently find myself tiring of mainstream trends and their ubersweet vanillas. Some days I just don’t want to smell like a cupcake, mmmkay? Yesterday I did, but that’s irrelevant right now. Because right now I have The Vanille. The perfect antidote to my (sometimes) shameless overindulgences of Pink Sugar, Fantasy, Chocomusk, Sweet Tooth, VLJ, etc. Don’t judge me, or my inability to self regulate. I have my teen daughter for that when she hugs me and says, “BRUH”..so imagine my surprise when she actually complimented me the day I wore TV for the first time! SOLD. Got me a FB and more hugs. Ps. Nette’s entire line is definitely worth checking out! I also have Opening Night & next on my list is Coco Fleur. Their sampler is FIRE.

The Vanille is of its namesake: vanilla, tea. Very strong salty opening, but it mellows out and sticks around as you wear it. There's some mild spice between the cardamom and turmeric, and the florals subtly uplift this blend. It's quite soothing and even refreshing, but don't expect a gourmand - I don't know why it's labeled gourmand on the box! This is not a warm, sticky-sweet vanilla. There's a lot of disappointed reviews on Sephora because folks expected something truly foody - it's not, which actually makes this style of vanilla perfect for warmer weather and people who generally do not like gourmands. It's not a sheer perfume, but it's languid enough to overspray without any issues. In fact, it smells better and better the more you layer it on itself. Pulls perfectly unisex. I'm pleasantly surprised by it, definitely a new love. Edit: this one is really, really growing on me. I love it the more I wear it. Obsessed. It also needs time to mature. Spray, leave it alone for a couple weeks, then try it again. It gets a little sweeter and more calming with time. The astringency mellows out after a while.

WOW- upon my first time smelling this I didn’t love it, but that’s because I expected a simple warm gourmand vanilla. This is NOT that- so ignore its name🤣. How could I even describe this- okay bear with me here. This smells like a salty vanilla matcha latte being sipped on a cozy cloudy day out on the coast. It is so complex and frankly I am in love with it. For me, the spicier, saltier costal notes fade the soonest, which I am not mad about because what is left is a non-(too)sweet vanilla salted ice cream cozy skin type of smell. Personally, I feel this is warmer and cozier (for colder weather) but my friend really picked up on a coconut more costal scent and said she would wear it in summer. Either way, this is not basic, it genuinely is like art in my opinion. It also lasts FOREVER on my skin, possibly the longest lasting perfume I own, and the sillage can be pretty good if you spray a good amount, but it is a potent perfume with such a long wear time, so I only do 2/3 sprays and the sillage is moderate that way.

This is a really pretty, refreshing vanilla that has an airy and cold quality to it. It opens up almost savory with the top notes and dries to a nice woody, creamy vanilla that isn’t gourmand or sweet at all. I can be quite sensitive to green fragrances, and this isn’t green to my nose, but rather something kind of herbal that is enveloped in a mellow cold vanilla. It doesn’t read as intense or invasive to me, and makes for a nice work/function friendly scent. In my opinion, the projection is moderate and the longevity is a couple of hours before it becomes a subtle skin scent. If you’re someone that wants to consistently notice their fragrance well into the day (or well after spraying it), you might need to carry around a travel size of this one. Overall, I mainly see it as a daytime winter/spring fragrance, but it could also easily become a signature. Once I finish my travel spray, I’m investing in a full bottle. It’s unlike anything else in my collection.

How can something smell airy and earthy all at once? This scent is a beautiful, herby, salty vanilla that is somehow so addicting even though I don't particularly like it that much when I whiff it directly off my arm. But when I catch it floating by at an unexpected moment, I'm utterly floored. It reminds me of walking outdoors next to the sea in northern california, with the smell of fresh salt in the air, and wild grass underfoot. Or the smell of a mediterranean summer night when the air smells like sage, dry and vegetal. And then the vanilla opens up a deeper dimensionality and coziness that you can sink into. The salty green notes along with the vanilla create a beautiful drydown that lingers on my clothes until the next day. This isn't a particularly feminine scent, but it makes me feel like a serene and mysterious woman when I wear it. I haven't been able to stop reaching for this the last couple days. It feels like a scent for the end of summer.