Estate Vanilla

This is beautiful - it smells of real natural vanilla - FINALLY. It’s so hard to find real vanilla - with the wordwide shortages prices these days are incredibly high for vanilla absolutes and most of my regular suppliers are OOS. This is a very expensive perfume to produce - it’s absolutely packed with beautiful and real raw materials. I think comparisons to vanilla extract will be natural because for many people that will be the only opportunity they’ve had to smell a product that is made from real vanilla bean as opposed to ethyl vanillin, caramel furfural and the other aromachemicals that go into the creation of synthetic vanilla accords. This - however - doesn’t smell like straight vanilla extract... There’s the beautiful depth of the absolute that captures more depth - more of the subtle warm spicy, rich and caramel like facets of the bean. There’s added creaminess and a tiny little bit of sweetness like a dab of fluffy marshmallow that’s been applied with restraint. It is without a doubt the most natural smelling vanilla perfume I’ve ever tried - because of the high concentration of natural vanilla absolute and tincture the perfume has a very slight brown tinge but that’s only because it’s packed with some of the most expensive ingredients in a perfumer’s palette. I definitely wouldn’t say it’s « too foody » although that’s subjective - if your palate is conditioned to associate natural vanilla exclusively with the products that are used for baking because that is the only context you’ve smelled it then I suppose it would make you think of baking. To me it smells of beautiful absolute - which is quite a bit more prized than simple extract - which I obvioisly see as perfumery and aromatherapy component because it’s not really edible. This is a very unique scent - I’ve yet to come across anything quite like it. It’s absolutely beautiful and is also a great deal.

Is this... the perfect vanilla? It might be for me! Estate Vanilla is not heavy, not cloying, not juvenile, not a skin scent but not beast-mode - to me, this is the perfect vanilla. This smells the most like high-quality vanilla extract and really evokes baking to me; I'm almost tempted to lick my wrist. The wear time and development throughout the day has seriously impressed me; on my skin with just two sprays it lingered throughout my seven hour work day and remained pleasant throughout. After the initial alcohol in the spray, I don't notice any liquor or boozy qualities. I do notice the marshmallow sweetness though, rounding everything out. Out of my collection of mostly-vanilla perfumes, it's most similar to Dulce by Rosie Jane as they have similar levels of sweetness and both have a slight powdery quality. I don't know if I can justify getting a full bottle of this as I have one of Dulce currently, but this will definitely win out to me over a second bottle of Dulce.

@KowltheOwl the creamy and milkiness may be coming from the marshmallow and whipped cream notes, and after trying many other houses I have found that Solstice Scents does marshmallow the best. I will agree with "zephyr1973" that it DOES smell a bit TOO foody, strongly reminiscent of a vanilla extract used for baking... at first. That particular vanilla seems to be more of a top or mid note, and after several hours I find that it starts to sit more into the background, letting the other vanillas take the spotlight. I enjoy the mid and drydown much more for that reason. Excellent for layering. In a market saturated with vanillas, I am not aware of any other fragrance like it. Although I do still believe Tihota by Indult to be better-smelling, I respect this fragrance for being a deep, rich, multi-faceted, pure vanilla.

This is an excellent vanilla perfume. It smells like a lovely vanilla extract, the creaminess is there making the entire scent so very velvety smooth. The creamy vanilla sits on top of a sprinkling of sugar that peeks through from underneath. I don't feel that it's fully gourmand, there's something else in there that also makes this more than your average vanilla scent. It's not cupcake-ish at all, there's something beautifully sophisticated about it. It's darker and perhaps woodier/earthier than Tihota and not as sweet. Longevity is moderate and sillage is very low (on me anyway). If you're a vanilla fanatic like me, definitely try this out.

This might be my favorite vanilla, it’s really lovely. It’s creamy in a way that reminds me of Tihota. Gourmand and mildly creamy/milky but not overwhelmingly sweet. I get the marshmallow note too, but somehow it’s not juvenile, it also has a depth to it, baking vanilla but a little deeper, really well balanced. It passed the hubby test too, he thinks I smell mellow, like marshmallows.

It smells so much like vanilla extract, in such a good way! Good vanilla extract. It's so rich and creamy, it almost reminds me of Shea butter in the beginning. It lasts long and smells so comforting and warm. Highly recommend for a truly gourmand, non-sweet vanilla.

The opening smells like brownies soaked in liquor. I’m glad I read the description, because this fragrance is supposed to have rich, chocolately nuances, reminiscent of smelling actual vanilla beans. I don’t love the opening and find it a bit harsh, but thankfully the drydown is much better. This is the closest I’ve found to a fragrance that smells like real vanilla extract. Despite having a cream note, I don’t find it as smooth and creamy as I like my vanillas to be. I’ve also realized that I prefer something resinous and woody to anchor vanilla in a fragrance, and this isn't “round” enough for me. Doesn’t have the best longevity and projection, but still a must try for vanilla lovers.

This one is a lovely boozy vanilla that's creamy and a little waxy to my nose. It's not cake-like but rather a creamy vanilla. Smells yummy! I bought a sample pack from Solstice Scents after reading the fragrantica article the house and being very intrigued by their offerings. I like every single sample I ordered. They smell natural and some are quite unique. -

I want to love Estate Vanilla, but there is something very off-putting about the dry down that caused me to sell my bottle of it. I think it's wonderful in a lot of her blends when used as a base, but by itself there is some kind of strangeness to it I can't quite put my finger on. At first spray, it's very lovely, honestly quite like I'm spraying vanilla extract on myself. But I've found after a few hours it turns to this kind of semi-nauseating weird smell that sticks to the back of my throat. It's not chemically, or sickly sweet, just something kind of stinky and weird. Maybe a bit like a rotten fruit smell or something of that nature. In the other Estate blends, even if I don't like them particularly, I don't have this issue. Except for Estate Amber, where it is amplified! I wish it could have stayed that initial blast of bakery vanilla for me, but the dry down just bothered me too much and I had to part with it reluctantly. Life is too short to hold onto perfumes you wish could work for you.

Since no one mentioned it, I've just gotta say that, to me, it smells exactly like a vanilla Yankee candle that's just been extinguished. Almost to a tee. Upon first spraying it, you get a big whiff of absolutely delicious, rich, sweet, yet slightly spicy vanilla. But upon smelling my wrist a minute later, it was instead a smoky vanilla scent, and stayed that way throughout. Kinda unfortunate. It morphed from a mildly "campfire" smoky, to the extinguished vanilla Yankee candle scent I mentionerd earlier.

I’m so sad this is just vanilla playdoh for me. I really wanted to love this, all the raving reviews online indicated I would. I was so ready! There’s just that weird undertone that lingers. I’d say the initial spray is the most promising as a boozy vanilla, but after it dries it just becomes worse. This is the opposite of the rich, deep vanilla I’ve been looking for. It’s more like a cheap vanilla candle from Dollar Tree.

This smells like a fake, candy'esque type of Vanilla, like one made for kids. Not adults. As lavenderdeerling stated, I couldn't narrow it down either, but it's not a good smell. You know what a Vanilla Air Freshener in a public rest area smells like? So kind of Vanilla, too strong, fake, headache-inducing? That describes this scent. You're better off even buying from the after-holiday sales at Kohl's or Walmart, this is pretty terrible.

I really thought I would like this but the liquor smell was way too strong for my taste. I would say that overwhelms the entire scent. I can only tolerate smelling this once sprayed on paper. Anyone else interested in the rest of my 2.4 ml edp sample with card? Message me! I am selling all of my Solstice Samples (13 of them all in their original carded packaging, only sampled once on paper)!

This is trash! It's too expensive for it be gone in 5 mins! Like it won't even stick to clothes! The atomizer it's weak and cheap, the smell of it is good, but it didn't get better overtime like most vanilla perfumes do. Somehow it's just weaker! And I almost die from choking everytime I spray this! Omfg it's WAY too strong, but I don't know why because the perfume is ridiculously weak! I'm never buying from this company again!

This is vanilla at it's best, with every facet and angle detectable during it's drydown evolution.Pure, but complex. Estate opens dark, broody, and intense, with a deep, dense, earthy vanilla and hints of sweet smoke. This is my favorite part; the contrast between the sweet smoke and browned, caramel-y vanilla is not foody, but it makes my mouth water. Estate then transitions to a woody, resinous vanilla with hints of french vanilla creamer- the good kind. It's not gourmand, thanks to the woods, but I also wouldn't mind tasting it. I can definitely pick up vanilla-extract-type vanilla here. The dark aspects fade away and yield a tranquil, smooth, white-ambery vanilla and boozy tones near the end. I can pick up the softest waft of marshmallow vanilla here, but again, Estate never goes fully gourmand. The deep drydown yields a more crowd-pleasing buttery vanilla cloud. These vanillas never strike me as any shade lighter than golden, unlike the crisp white and beige vanillas I smell more frequently in other fragrances. Estate maintains a warm, thrumming, radiant hum the whole time. I completely disagree with "It is relatively linear and consistent smelling as it wears" as it is one of the few indies I have that has a development course more similar to classic perfumes. This one smells very different at different points of its wear, but every second of it is enjoyable. My one complaint is the longevity; Estate lasts about 8 hours, but is only very noticeable for 6, compared to the intense ans nearly everlasting longevity I get out of comparable indies.

A warm, spicy vanilla. Agree w/ Beth C that it is creamy and even a tad milky somehow. I also agree that I wish it had a bit more sillage...trying several EDP samples from this line for the first time and I am impressed. Great perfumes are being developed and you need not have to pay exorbitant niche prices or look to the big designer houses for their latest releases...small independent houses such as Solstice Scents and Kyse are not-so-quietly kicking @ss and taking names...what a wonderful time to be alive and obsessed with perfume! Edit 1/1/20 - bought a FB and pleased as punch with it...sillage and longevity are good though I am a generous sprayer. I also have Note Vanillee. I find NV boozier...EV is spicy but not boozy really to me. There is room in my heart to love both. :)

I adore this house and I like a nice vanilla, so I had to try this one finally. It starts pretty boring as a plain vanilla, but there's woody notes in there and as it dries, it becomes richer and more interesting. Not sweet but not quite dry, there's a hint of caramelization, oak-y notes, and something approaching full French Vanilla cream but never as gourmand as that sounds. I can see the love, I really like it. It isn’t quite as beloved as Tahita or as caramely childhood as Carrement Belle Vanille, but I still really like it a lot. This may end up being a full bottle on my shelf. Gorgeous.

The chocolatey earthy note is definitely prominent in the opening, but the dry down is nearly identical to my nose to carols daughter black vanilla spray leave in conditioner. I love that scent and having a perfume that smells like it is awesome to me lol. It’s a sweet, vanilla extract perfume. People say that’s vanilla 28 but this is nearly photorealistic to that of vanilla extract. Becomes fluffy, sweet, and rich in the dry down. Opening is boozy, chocolatey and almost akin to splitting a vanilla bean pod down the middle

If you’re looking for a boozy vanilla, look no further. Boozy, creamy, lush. Mmmm! My only gripe is that it isn’t powerful enough. (Although I’d like to think that it just melds beautifully with my skin...) I love it, so I *really* want to smell it wafting around me! Longevity is an issue, too, although I’m okay with reapplying.

Not wild about this one. Its definitely more of a vanilla extract vanilla which I love but there is something very bitter and medicinal popping up in there with the vanilla extract from start to finish. I LOVE Manor from SOlstice Scents which is another vanilla blend but this one smells too strange. Also not very long-lasting.

Estate Vanilla is rich...like a vanilla bean soaked in booze. I wish it came in the roller ball as well as the EDP spray. Contemplating purchasing the perfume regardless...it's delicious!