Provanilla

When I was first starting out getting into fragrances a few years ago, I was very much a purist. I wanted only natural perfumes. I've since relaxed my search parameters but I found quite a few nice scents along the way, Providence Perfume's Provanilla chief among them. I've always had a weakness for vanilla. I like smelling sweet, like any kind of food you might find in a bakery. It's my 'safe' zone. Provanilla is all of that - sweet, creamy, mouthwatering - with a little bit extra that keeps me coming back for more. That extra, I learned (thanks to Kafkaesque's review), was a melon accord. I believe this is what the other reviews refer to as 'aquatic' or 'musty'. I'm happy to report that I don't get the mustiness at all. It actually only lasts about a minute maximum, then the vanilla takes over. But every time I spray, I swear it takes me back to my childhood. I had one of the lip smackers in a pot with a twist off lid and the flavor was some watermelon falls or something. The opening reminds me exactly of that and for whatever reason it just makes the world around me melt away for that moment. Then the vanilla slowly coaxes its way up through the melon and by the time it takes over I feel completely relaxed. This is a sweet vanilla. I don't consider it too sweet but it reminds me of maple syrup when it crystallizes. If you've ever eaten maple syrup like that and crunched your way through it, there's a bit of that crunchiness in Provanilla (bizarre as it might sound). One spray of this gives decent projection, about ten inches. It stays like that for around an hour, it's a creamy, sweet haze that seems to draw people in (I've had a few people sniff me while in an elevator.) It does get compliments, it gets noticed. Most people that make comments seem to like it and it comes across as a vanilla (no coconut, melon, etc) scent. Total run time for this is eight hours max, and it will be a skin scent by the end of it. As with a few other Providence perfumes, the juice is dark and it will stain anything it comes into contact with (protect your light colors!). That said, I've had the enjoyable experience of smelling this on clothes weeks and sometimes *months* later (ex: a jacket I wore for a special occasion and didn't wash right after. I was floored.) The scent left behind on clothes is very sweet, like a caramel. Obviously, I have a very personal reaction to this perfume. But I honestly think this is a must try for any vanilla lover. Providence Perfume was one of the first perfume houses I explored (natural or otherwise) and I have to say I'm a proud owner of a full-sized Provanilla.

Light natural vanilla pod with some aquatic type of effect which is unusual but is a beautiful way. The more I wear it the more I find how multidimensional this combination is; there is some rose and coconut highlights that act to accentuate the vanilla(s), it is difficult to detect those notes as standout at any point- seamlessly blended. Definitely a beautiful vanilla scent! The balsam and myrrh ground the sweetness of the vanilla and add a beautiful depth. Lasts a solid 4 hours on my skin (projects about mid arm's length then remains skin level after a couple hours) which is great for a natural scent! I still smell it on my jacket from yesterday. I have gotten quite a few compliments wearing this; it is nice to know that friends and clients enjoy it as much as I do :)

This has been discontinued and I bought a small roller ball just to try it (wasn't able to sample) It is nice. A very syrupy, sweet, sugary vanilla w/ a bit of a watery, aquatic note to it. This is a summer vanilla, the coconut really makes it beachy a light for warmer weather. It is a simplistic fragrance but fun and flirty and just right for summer

This is an aquatic/aldehyde vanilla. The aquatic/melon note is quite strong at the opening. The melon note eventually mellows down to reveal the warm, sweet vanilla. Melon and vanilla make an interesting combination and the composition is quite creative. The projection and silage is only moderate.

First off, here’s what makes this vanilla driven fragrance different from others in the same category: this is a summer vanilla. With the addition of coconut, it feels light and sweet. Imagine a salty vanilla you could wear on the beach. Drydown brings out the balsam, the vanilla gets a little smokier with myrrh. At this point it is a skin scent, at about the 30 minute mark. This is an easy to wear, natural vanilla, but a pass for me. I can imagine if you are the kind of person who is sensitive to aroma chemicals, this brand would be on your radar. I don’t mind synthetics myself, as long as the composition smells natural overall. The synthetics usually help give the composition better performance, and with a 100% natural based fragrance performance suffers. But that’s also a benefit to some....just depends on what you are looking for in a perfume. My first from the brand, and I look forward to trying more. Even though a pass, not a downvote.