Valkyrie

I adore this fragrance. I’m halfway through my second bottle and will be savoring it as long as I can. The opening citrus of bitter orange and lime reminds me of squeezing freshly peeled rinds, tart and a bit sharp but on the drier side. The mint and basil are delicate and tea like, a fresh herbaceous aura. The star of the show is a buttery, almost suede like vanilla— intertwined with a slightly dusty sandalwood reminiscent of the nag champa incense my mom burned in the 90s. There’s a dreamy quality to this fragrance, cheery but gentle, warm like afternoon sunshine. Valkyrie makes me think of the apothecary scene in The Craft, I think this is what the woman that owns the shop would smell like; sweet, fresh but with a slightly dusty undertone that makes you think of hidden grimoires and forbidden knowledge. 🌾✨🍋🍊🔮🌱🧁🕯️🫖

It's such a great one, my fave from Sylvaine Delacourte. It's in the same DNA family as: Tendre Madeleine Les Senteurs Gourmandes, Lira Xerjoff and Devotion Dolce&Gabbana, but way smoother, more mature and sofisticated. The basil and mint notes make it more unisex, fresher and the perfect layer it needed for this type of warm gourmand. I do feel a smooth underlayer of smoke in a earthy way, it may be the galbanum note, but it's exquisite. My initial bottle is pretty old now - 6-7 years, and it macerated into something very rounded and spicy, the green notes are more subsided now, like dry basil instead of fresh basil, with base notes leaning more in the Kenzo Jungle direction. Hope they will restock in the autumn as announced and I'll definitely grab a new fresh bottle.

I think I fall into the group SailorV mentions in her review below- I can't get enough of these citrusy-vanilla fragrances! I'm absolutely loving this! After reading the descriptions of Delacourte's vanillas, I was positive I'd like the spicy Vangelis best, but the sweet orange in Vahina and Valkyrie won me over. The mint note is what makes Valkyrie special for me and full bottle worthy; it's so fresh and compliments the orange without overshadowing it. I'm happy to have this in my collection! EDIT: After you buy your first SD fragrance (30% off if you had bought the discovery set), they make you a VIP member so that ALL future purchases are 30% off with a special code they send you! Makes a big difference in the price!)

I am a sucker for vanilla, there I said it; granted, I love Sylvaine's Vanilla collection and splurged on 3 of the fragrances shorty after I got the tester kit. This fragrance, on my skin, transformed into a very manly perfume therefore I passed it on to my boyfriend who gladly accepted it and wears it quite often. Great longevity and I will want to try it again during summer months to see if there will be a change.

This is the first sample from the Vanille collection (4 more to go). I like it a lot, possibly full bottle worthy and that’s saying something as I have close to 150 in my collection. I love mint and I love the natural vibe and overall composition. Vanilla and citrus are prominent. Good longevity and soft projection. Valkyrie is on my short list.

Very, very nice! If you like the idea of a vanilla citrus perfume but the classics are a little heavy and sweet for you, I think this is a great solution because it's not sugary or overpowering. The citrus/aromatic notes also stick around which is rare. Great blend!

My new favorite. It is a spicy vanilla, long lasting and sexy. I find it more on the feminine side. It is appropriate for any season. This was is a bit heavier so I would recommend a light sprits on 1 pulse point of your choice.

This tame, warm, drama-free fragrance should have been called something else. If we're talking about mythological women warriors who decide which heroes fallen in battle deserve to ascend to Valhalla, and serve them mead, I picture something more like Gio by Giorgio Armani with its belligerent trumpeting honey tuberose! Here I got a sandalwood drawer in which there was a single sour lemon caramel but -nomnom- it's there and it's gone. That wooden drawer used to be filled to the brim with dried vanilla pods, and there's also some dried herbs in the corners, mint and basil. And then out of nowhere a flan or custard, creamy and sweet, makes its appearance. I wouldn't compare it to L by Lolita Lempicka which to me was a spicy gourmand. Here the woody vanilla warmth reminds me (in its temperament if not in notes) Hypnotic Poison by Dior, EDT. I got the vanilla discovery set and applied this one on skin and clothes but it doesn't last too long or project too far. It is beautiful, harmonious and elegant (slightly verging on unisex), comforting and comfortable. Something you'd wear at home in the evening to relax. I'm not sure about a full bottle, but I'm itching to get a small 7.5 ml format just for that sentiment of comfort and warmth. Mmm :)

What a delicious vanilla perfume :) Sylvaine Delacourte does vanilla just the way I like it - never doughy or too heavy and sickly sweet. This one is probably the heaviest of the bunch, as far as I can remember, but it's still not overwhelming for you or for others. I love the combination of sweet vanilla with bitter orange. At times this perfume reminds me of Flinstone children's vitamins, that same powdery, grainy, spicy scent that they had - but of course, this is just one facet of the perfume. This perfume has the texture of those vitamins if you know what I mean - at some points granular, at some points smooth. It's not a typical smooth foody vanilla. The combination of notes in here conjures up phantom orange blossom for me, which is great, as orange blossom is one of my absolute favorite notes. It's so ironic that I tried this one the day that Fragrantica announced Sylvaine Delacourte's new orange blossom collection! (Who has already purchased a sample set like me?) Anyways, back to Valkyrie - this perfume makes me smile. Sometimes it's as simple as that :)

This is a nice fresh spicy, citrus vanilla but nothing extraordinary. My husband likes it better than I do. He thinks it smells like a root beer float. I'm getting a bit of play dough vanilla (a problem for me w/ many vanilla fragrances) but it isn't unpleasant. The lime and basil add a bit of zest but are kept under control. This is very unisex. Since my husband enjoys this one, I am giving him my sample. I give this a like because I recognize this is a well-made perfume, but I've smelled it before. It is creamy, slightly citrus, slightly woody, and slightly fresh spicy. Easy blind buy for vanilla lovers.

This is my favorite of the vanillas in the sample pack, although none of them are very memorable. Vanilla root beer is what it smelled like to me, at first. Maybe a hint of soapiness or flowers? It was interesting at first, but soon it just smells like nice vanilla. It's definitely inoffensive - I don't like a lot of perfumes but I can't imagine anyone not liking this one. I would never buy a full bottle because it's too boring, but I'll use up all the samples just because they're pleasant. I like perfumes that aren't too strong. A definite "meh".

I have to admit this is quite an intriguing and unusual mix of notes. It's a fresh minty, citrus vanilla backed with sandalwood. It's a lovely fresh scent. Bang on unisex. Creamy and delectable. The sandalwood becomes more evident with time. A nice scent to wear in warm weather on lazy days. I can see why this one is popular. It's the most unisex of the five and even someone who doesn't like vanilla might change their mind about vanilla. Guys get your nose on this one. The ladies will love it on you. Good longevity and below average sillage.

Since no else has mentioned it, I'm going to assume it's just me, but Valkyrie reminds me of the deep dry down, the 'chai creme brulee' stage, of Tom Ford's Noir Pour Femme. I think it's the basil and spearmint in Valkyrie playing tricks on my nose. However, Valkyrie is still softer, lighter, and more elegant. I could wear this during the day and in warm weather. Whereas NPF is not suitable for either. Valkyrie is my second favorite in Sylvaine Delacourte's Vanilla collection.

A creamy citrus with some similarities to Ani but thank god it's not as strong and cloggy as Ani is. Ani makes my husband sneeze in a car...this one is light, airy and just alright.

Well-balanced, woody orange vanilla. Not too sweet and not too powdery. Very pleasant.

Starts yummy and fresh but quickly turns to only Vanilla. It is an Ode à la vanille.

I guess this is more of a comparison than a review, but this perfume has so much in common with other perfumes that I can’t avoid it. Valkyrie is very much in the same vein as L de Lolita Lempicka, Xerjoff Lira, Les Senteurs Gourmandes Tendre Madeleine and all these other spicy delicious vanilla cinnamon citrus gourmands. There is no cinnamon listed, but I definitely smell some. Unfortunately, Valkyrie is an expensive option and not the best one, I recommend getting Tendre Madeleine instead, or Lira if you want to splurge. The opening of Valkyrie is very fizzy and citrussy, and I think the lime in this smells so distinct and harsh, kind of like a lime scented household product. Of course, this also dries down to the typical creamy and bright (and after a while just boring) vanilla that all SD vanilla scents are based on, but in this one the spices and lime can at least stand up to it. This is good among the Sylvaine Delacourte vanillas, but underwhelming among the similar fragrances I mentioned. It's not as salty as L de Lolita was, not as rounded and caramelly as Lira, not as gourmand and fun as Tendre Madeleine, so I don't know why anyone would bother with Valkyrie instead. Maybe if you really enjoy this vanilla or if you are so in love with this category of fragrance that you can't ever get enough?

This opens with a lovely, fresh citrus note, which has some similarity to the opening of Vangelis, though it's definitely more herbal/green than Vangelis, a lot more masculine, and soon evolves into something quite different. I sense something slightly bitter - maybe the galbanum? Also I'm picking up a subtle tobacco note, which I can't explain based on the notes listed unless that's the basil coming through. Others have mentioned that this has an "aftershave vibe," which I totally get. Also very much agree with the Carmex (lip balm with camphor) note someone referenced. A decent scent, well-blended, but not one that I'm drawn to. This will likely be handed down (along with Helicriss) to my brother. Update: Hours later, this is a tobacco/vanilla. If that's your thing, check this out.

I am wearing this for a whole day now. It is autumn and it is rainy, and I was looking for something to lift me and warm me up. Alas, Valkyrie is not that potent or attention-grabbing for my taste. It is a pleasant scent overall, no doubt, but it is not something that will leave me last memories. The start is the best part - a burst of dark and green freshness. But then it fades quickly leaving a solid but subtle vanilla-ish base. The house's description says 'gentle' which if maybe a good description. The adjectives coming to my mind are good but not special, well-built but not remarkable. With a name like this the scent should have carried a hint of agression, and a stonger edge.

Opens fresh, citrusy and a tad bit sweet like sugary citrus syrup. Then transitions into a lemon-clean scent reminiscent of a lemon-scented home cleaning product. This is brief and it soon starts to smell more like a lemon meringue pie or something edible and lemon-flavored. As it dries down it evolves again to become less edible (still sweet, but smoky now) and acquires a slight minty freshness. At the heart of its dry down Valkryie loses its lemony tartness and becomes creamy, like a sweet vanilla cream. Overall a sweet vanilla scent with a subtle smokiness.