Island Vanilla

4/26/2025 addendum to my 4/17/25 entry: For everyone heartbroken over the poor performance of this, be certain that you’re wearing the “parfum” spray in the pink glass bottle and not the accompanying hair and body mist in the aluminum bottle. I know it sounds like that should be obvious, but we all occasionally miss details! The “parfum” performs more like a body mist would, or a weak cologne. The actual hair and body mist of this new Island Vanilla though?— do not waste your money!! It’s ridiculous, it’s just water with a teeny tiny little bit of scent. Its performance is ... well, it’s so weak, there really isn’t a numerical performance level to give for it! It’s sooooo faint, I swear it has to have a negative number in performance rating. Its performance may be far from 100% but its performance IS 100% full of laughs! So laugh and forget the hair/body mist, it adds nothing. Mist your hair (clothes too) along with your skin with just the “parfum” instead. Doing this, it actually performs pretty well.

i was a huge fan of the original and i still love this one tbh. i agree with the hypnotic poison reference as this has a similar play dough thing going on. i personally love perfumes that give a play dough vibe (or dolls head, or lipstick, that kinda thing). i’m not sure if the longevity lives up to the original yet (that one lasted me ALL day with amazing projection) so maybe i’ll update once ive worn it for a while. but so far so good, this also kinda reminds me of love don’t be shy but without the animalic quality that smelled off on my skin. not a dupe really but just in the same vein

So I got a sample of this at Marshall’s in a discovery set.. so I’m not 100% sure what iteration of the formula I’m testing or how old the sample was. But I really loved the smell, it’s definitely a warm, more tropical vanilla. But the real kicker for me was the longevity. I work in food service and I was doing dishes where I was getting my arms almost completely soaked by soapy water early on in my shift. I could still clearly smell this on my wrists and inner elbows where I applied at the end of my shift, it did lose some of the initial sillage though. Crazy longevity!

I've never smelled this fragrance before the reformulation, but I can honestly say I love this version! The "just right" vanilla I've been searching for has been under my nose all along. Go figure! I'm willing to bet I like Island Vanilla so much because it's reminiscent of Cloud which is one of my favorites. The 2 together smell divine. Unlike many other vanilla perfumes, I'm not getting any play-doh with this one. It smells as advertised without aggressive spicy or floral notes that feel out of place.

I have never smelled the original version of this vanilla perfume, but I've heard that it was the best ever. This version of the vanilla scent is very clean and there is nothing "island" about it. After it dries down, it turns just a bit more sweet. Unfortunately, it is a weak perfume and you won't smell it after 1-2 hours. All in all, it is a good vanilla perfume.

Wow! At first a straightforward creamy vanilla, but I was surprised by the spicy undertones! There is a definite clove note. I love clove. Hopefully I don’t end up being allergic to this, as I have been discovering I am to many vanilla perfumes, including my beloved Nest Vanilla Bourbon :c

Pretty decent fragrance for something so cheap. Basic vanilla to my nose and I intend to use it to add a vanilla oomph to other scents. Doesn't project much in this cold weather but might be better when it's warmer.

this is a very nice affordable scent!! its pretty distinct, so it can easily be a signature scent. superrrr summery... the scent screams of hot days on the beach! would recommend; its also easy to layer!

This is probably my most favorite vanilla I've had, and I've tried about all of them. It actually reminds me a lot of Tihota, but this is sweeter. Straight up sugary vanilla

I am getting so many compliments on this! It is a very pretty, fresh vanilla. Oh how I wish it had better sillage and longevity but for the price it’s a great find.

This actually smells a lot like the original! Its a great layering fragrance!

My initial reaction to this fragrance was -'It's so cute!'- because truly, it is. I believe this has the potential to unite vanilla lovers and vanilla critics in agreeing that to this is nice. It opens with fresh, airy vanilla, it's kind of salty and fresh, but only gently so. It doesn't actually smell like tea to me, but it has an aquatic quality. As it dries it warms to you and becomes nearly a beachy scent, but more graceful than the typical sunscreen scent. It does indeed smell a little honeyed. I'm not sure people would identify this as a perfume, it just smells like lovely lotion or something. It isn't creamy or rich, but it's sweet and soft. This isn't heavy in the slightest, and that's ok to me because this can be worn in summer. I simply wish it lasted a little longer, but this is still a fantastic deal for it's price. 🤍⛱️☀️ (Cross posted from other entry.)

I was super curious about the reformulation so I sprayed this on myself last time I was at Target. I can totally see the Britney Spears Fantasy comparison that the reviewer below me is making. I think it smells nice but it actually is crazy how much they changed it from what used to be their Island Vanilla. The original was very straight-up vanilla extract with little other complicating factors. For better or worse, it was super simple and soft. It was a great option for folks who don't like "perfumey" fragrances. I always appreciated it for what it was even though it didn't have a fixed spot in my rotation. This new version reminds me of Cloud, honestly. Not saying it's a dupe but it's more akin to that than it is to the OG formulation, to give you an idea. It's got a lot more scratchy DNA to it. The "yum" factor is gone. Some people will love that and in some ways it's more sophisticated as a result. But it also devastated a ton of loyal fans of this fragrance as you can see in the Target reviews, lol. I do like that the bottles are 2oz now but I can just tell I would get a headache wearing this. Strange choices being made here by Pacifica imo.

Got a sample of this as a gift. Smells strongly of sweet vanilla and is somewhat synthetic. Reminds me of cheap vanilla body spray I would wear as a kid.

Here are the new notes from Pacifica’s website: Top: Lily of the Valley, Lime Blossom, and Vanilla Infusion Middle: Jasmine, Vanilla Orchid, Sandalwood, and Vetiver Bottom: Vanilla Bean, Sugar, and Cacao I agree with the other reviewers. There is something in this reformulated version that has the same medical note as BR540 and Cloud. I HATE that dentist’s office note, so the reformulation ruined Island Vanilla for me.

Don't buy this. Buy the original Island Vanilla (the one in the clear glass bottle and a body mist) instead. They thankfully brought it back after discontinuing it for a while *This* iteration of Island Vanilla barely smells like vanilla at all. This is all smoky, masculine vetiver that smells just like CAMPFIRE ASHES. Absolutely awful.

I created my account to review this one. It STINKS. It smells like actual shit and fermented garbage. Do not buy >:[

This vanilla is probably one of the best cheapie vanillas I've tried (and I have a lot). This is not a light airy vanilla, to me it's actually pretty heavy but not in a bad way, it's very much a true vanilla but doesn't lean way too gourmand either. The other notes in the background that round out the fragrance a bit more, I definitely smell the slightest spicy sandalwood note in here. I see mixed reviews on longevity but for me it lasts a long time. If you're looking for a good vanilla that won't break the bank I think you should give this one a try, only people I don't see liking this are ones that only like airy type vanillas.

This is definitely a vanilla forward fragrance, however it’s not a cloying vanilla. The first sniff the first thing I thought was “this reminds of Ariana Grande, and Pink Woods came into my mind. I’m not a fragrance expert by any means. The sandalwood and vetiver ground this from being cloyingly sweet. The florals are subtle as well and do not overpower the vanilla - like background complimentary notes. To me this smells more like a Vanilla Woods fragrance versus something like a gourmand cafe vanilla type. I was surprised at how much I like this, and the price point is good.

This review is for island vanilla in the hot pink glass bottle .This scent is beautiful and I cannot imagine why it would get a negative review.It’s a light,fluffy vanilla extract,cotton candy,angel food cake scent.It is the only vanilla I can actually wear in the heat of summer.It lasts forever in my hair and gets soooooo many compliments.I think of this fragrance as a hidden gem!

I love this vanilla! its very sweet. it can however be a little cloying when you spray it. I am dying to know what the previous version smelt like because this one smells amazing to me yet all I see people saying is how bad it smells compared to the old one

I don't know what goes thru a morons mind when they decide to take perfection & make it horrid. If you are new to this perfume, you missed out on one of the BEST vanillas ever. My condolences.

smells like a pure vanilla to me. this was one of my favorites until it was reformulated and hasn’t been the same since. now currently stuck to buying secondhand bottles

Why change something that was so perfect. It was truly one of the most unique best smelling vanilla out there. Now it's ruined.