Vanilla Perfume Oil

My review is for the original Body Shop Vanilla Oil with the black cap. It was a dark oil that was strongly scented. I went through many bottles of it back in the 1990's and still have one left. Now on Ebay they are asking exorbitant dollar amounts for this original delectable scent and there is a reason why. If you were privy to it and remember it, there is nothing comparable to the original. I have searched since then for another vanilla and have not found anything anywhere near it yet. The Vanilla Oil was a deep, scintillating gourmand that heightened people's awareness of what a true vanilla was without other notes mixed in. It didn't have any cloying sweetness to it. Nor did it have any florals that would interfere and mix with the scent. Its drydown would come and you would simply smell a warm, delicious slightly burnt vanilla that hinted of caramel, maybe of buttercream, but nevertheless, the amber kept the sweetness creamy and mellow. It was pure vanilla extract. It was a sexy vanilla, not a youngster's vanilla. It was almost a dangerous perfume to some men when applied. The sillage was strong and it lasted just about until you showered it off. It was a perfume that seemed to meld into your own skin. One time, I was walking into my Doctor's office. He was holding the door for me, and as I walked past him, he sniffed the air and said, "Ahhh...there's the scent I crave so much." I turned and looked at him with surprise(and some horror, I might add). I think he surprised himself when he said that, and stuttered, "I meant...is somebody baking cupcakes?" And then kind of laughed. That's when I knew the scent had some type of power. And so did my husband who was behind me. Needless to say, I never wore it again to that Doctor's office. It was that type of perfume tho. It made people sit up and take notice and comment. They would inhale and make some type of remark. It's one of the few perfumes I own that always garnered remarks. Some that were decent and some that were not so decent. Such a shame times have changed and they had to reformulate it. It was a beauty and I treasure the miniscule amount I have left of the original. The 2nd and 3rd versions are nothing like the original Body Shop Vanilla.

This is a review of the Vanilla Perfume oil of the Body Shop Circa 2003 (as written in the bottles I own) The one with the black cap, and dark yellow juice. I've heard a lot of raves on the "original" Vanilla, and how the formulation has changed in the new one (white cap, clear juice), I have no idea if the type I own is the "original" Vanilla that fans have been raving about, all I know that it smells a lot better and is longer lasting than the one TBS sells today. The Vanilla range has been discontinued in the Philippines last 2007. At that time Ive been using the Vanilla Oil everyday for four years already. I've used 2 30ml bottles of this fragrance, and halfway through the third bottle (and I still have 1 unused 30ml bottle of this precious oil) since I have other Vanillas and gourmands in my collection. I use this sparingly now that it has been discontinued. I love this, this fragrance has sparked my obsession with everything gourmand, as I only came across the other gourmand scents in my hopes of finding a substitute should my stash of TBS Vanilla oil run out. Sweet, foody, warm and spicy, a little goes a long way. 2 dabs on my wrists and in between my breasts and I'm good to go, the fragrance would stay with me til I take a bath. It is also good for layering as it warms any other fragrance that I wear with it. The old TBS perfume oils are incredibly well formulated. The one I had since 2003 hasn't turned rancid, smells the same today as the day I bought it. Actually I would like to believe that like wine, it improves with time. (considering that the wand used to dab on pulse points comes in contact with the skin and its contaminants). This fragrance is delicious, it is easy to be carried away and overapply. One has to be careful. Done right, this can become an aphrodisiac. Over applied, however, it can be migraine inducing.

I worked at The Body Shop in the late 90's and loved the Vanilla oil. I owned a half ounce bottle and as much as I used it, I barely scratched the surface of it. But since then I don't remember whatever happened to my old bottle. However, I recently purchased a full ounce bottle (rare) off of eBay and was a bit disappointed. It's in the old bottle (not the one pictured above) and is the thick dark version, but it seems to have faded. I actually still have a half ounce of the TBS White Musk scent and it's not faded at all, so I'm not sure why this has. It's a ghost of its former self. That said, I HAVE discovered a vanilla oil that IS just as good if not better than how I remember TBS's version: The Fragrance Shop's "Vanilla 5th." It is warm and Mexican vanilla bean-like, and becomes almost cocoa on my skin after dry down. I should have saved my money on trying to reclaim the past with my eBay purchase and stuck with TFS (they have tons of vanillas available to try on their website, btw, so if you are a vanilla addict it's worth it to check it out. I may do this soon). Another great vanilla oil is the Nemat oil version (this brand is usually sold at Whole Foods and other "natural" grocery stores...tiny bottles with green labels). It also smells like vanilla you would bake with, so yummy. I'd say it's almost a smoky vanilla. But back to TBS! It was a shame that this wonderful oil from the 90s went away, as it was a vanilla that always drew compliments (and bees!). Sadly, it's time to move on to something else.

Honest Review: (Original) Vanilla oil by The Body Shop Initial Impression: Lost for words really! The most warm, cozy, vanilla perfume oil. Dry Down: The dry down was identical to my first impression, this was the most inviting & deep vanilla scent you’d ever smell. Application: Since I was lucky enough to have a bottle of this from my sister (half used), I would only put a few dabs behind both ears. That was always just enough to leave a scent trail & lasted me right up to 2017! 😅 I envision women of any age wearing this scent, it was very inviting! I have never found anything like this. I remember a man I was dating telling me that I smelled like vanilla, because it really was that great. A lot of perfumes now are mixed or have more of a gourmand smell to them. This was original and rare. Hope this helps! ❤️

This is my go-to fragrance anytime of the year! I specially love the touch of toasty creamy Vanilla on a cold winter day to warm myself up. It is not a monotonous Vanilla perfume oil, it has a character to it. I can appreciate the citrus, blended with some delicious fruity notes. The florals really compliment the Vanilla without making it too sweet. I just love the dry down, warm, comforting delicious Vanilla which lasts all day long. I love the perfume oil form of it as it is more intense and long lasting than the EDT which has no lasting power on me whatsoever. I love to layer this oil on some fragrances that smell too sweet and too floral, just to balance them off with the warmth of vanilla.