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.

I wrote a review on this about a year ago, and I'm here to say (yet again), "mea culpa." I was overly harsh on my re-discovery of my first-love vanilla scent. But after wearing all day today I found that I fell in love all over again. This is a soft and complex vanilla. It's not "in your face" like some other modern vanillas can be. Again, I took for granted way back when that this was just a one-note perfume because of the name. But this vanilla is soft, warm, floral, a little juicy...it's amazing on the skin. I'm just now really smelling the peach for the first time. If anything this reminds me a little bit of BonBon in it's peachy goodness. It would be good to layer BonBon on top sometime!

My body shop original vanilla oil was my most coveted possession as a teenager in the 90s. My high school boyfriend was as obsessed with this fragrance as I was, so I gave him a little stuffed dog doused with perfume for him to enjoy when I wasn’t with him. The worst moments of my young life was when my sister stole my bottle & I had to save up to get another bottle and later when the body shop discontinued the original version. My dad used to joke that I smelled like I bathed in vanilla extract but I really didn’t care. I am still lucky enough to have some of this unspoilt elixir and I still enjoy it. I recently tried Rosie Jane’s ‘Dulce’ and found them to be surprisingly similar.

Very long lasting, pleasant smell. As a lover of the original vanilla fragrance from The Body Shop, I was a little hesitant to buy this but I'm glad I did. Use sparingly and be careful not to get any on your clothes as being an oil, it can stain them. It should be able to be washed out but until you get your clothes in the wash, removing the stain by other means is near impossible (from my experience, anyway). I still do prefer the original vanilla which was more gourmand than floral, as this one does contain floral notes which are more noticeable than the actual vanilla sometimes. :(

I absolutely ADORE(D) this perfume, I used to get loads of compliments for wearing it & most guys went MAD for it! But The Body Shop in the UK have discontinued it & replaced it with a Vanilla Flower perfume that smells so unbelievably overdone (many other cheap perfumes smell the same), it's nothing like this Vanilla perfume. It is so hard to find a true Vanilla perfume in the UK now this has gone. BRING BACK THIS ORIGINAL VANILLA OIL PERFUME BODY SHOP UK!!!

Evolution and moving with the times, just like fashion, perfumes follow the trends. I am a lover of the original Vanilla Oil. I wish I had not taken the fact that it would always be available for granted. Why wouldn't it be? It was perfection. "Purity" has given way to demand and there will always be "demand". I hope, as they have done with other classic fragrances, they will bring "her" back one day, my untainted, unspoilt goddess (perfume)!!

I have hoarded many bottles (and spent alot of money) of the original Vanilla Oil from the 80's or early 90's, this is the one everyone loves (well maybe not everyone) but it is in my opinion the most perfect sweet beautiful pure vanilla. It is a real shame that they changed the formula and for anyone who never had the pleasure of smelling the original version, i truly feel for you. it was and still is divine. This version is crap.

I used to wear it back in the early '90s! At that time, it was 100%, pure vanilla! It was unbelievably sensual and exotic! It would last many hours (well, I dare to say 2-3 days!) and everybody would notice it. Definitely a head-turner! The truest vanilla perfume ever! None of nowdays vanilla fragrances smells like that...Even the most expensive ones. Why, on earth, do they discontinue such fragrances and perfume oils?

A very enjoyable fragrance, one that can be worn universally. It's not too sweet, just on the edge. The citrus fruits are rather obvious but fade after ten or fifteen minutes to reveal a softer scent that lasts for a longer period of time. This perfume oil is fun to mix with others, such as the cassis rose from the body shop, and the small bottle last a vary long time.

This (the reformulated version) is THE CLASSIEST vanilla scent I have ever tried. I only like vanilla in some scents, since I find it very cloying in most perfumes. This one however is perfect. Classy, sensual, and comforting, all in one! It's very versatile, from a comforting winter scent while curling up with a good book, or a sensual scent for the bedroom (;

I love vanilla and this perfume oil is the best I've ever tried. It is a cheery sweet scent without being overwhelming to me. Long-lasting from morning till night, even taking a shower I still smell it and receiving a lot of complimments is great, specially from kids that most of the time say that I'm a walking milkshake haha

I used to go to the Bodyshop and buy a terracotta bottle filled half/half with strawberry and vanilla oil. I would hang it in my closet and my clothing would all smell wonderful. Those were the good old days. Alas they stopped selling these perfume oils where you can pick and choose to make your custom perfume.

Wore this and the matching EDT RELIGIOUSLY, late nineties and early noughties. This was my scent. Long discontinued and selling at a biiiiit of a hefty price tag online (eBay) for the tiny EDT... ❤️PALMER'S TAHITIAN VANILLA❤️ 😭😍😘 No need to thank me. You're welcome. 🤣❤️

a favourite all rounder. wear this any day of the year and it suits. warming in the winter, but manages to stay light for the summer. in winter i often layer this with BS's vanilla EDT and it lasts all day and more. sad that this has been changed. i'm glad i stocked up

Treating my tiny bottle carefully, because nothing else vanilla comes close. On its own it's deep and rich and edible, and it layers beautifully. Fortunately a few dips of the wand goes a long way.

Love love love this perfume, I have 3 of them so I don't run out. It lasts all day on me where as most expensive perfumes last 2 hours. Powdery vanilla is what I smell and I hope it never changes.

I had this year's ago and I hope it smells as good now as it did then. Smells a tad bit like an air spray in the best way possible. You will smell like something to eat. Nom nom

This stuff is lovely, yummy warm vanilla, the kind that makes you smell good enough to eat. Only problem is, it strips the nail polish off your nails if it comes into contact.

i have yet to find a vanilla scent that comes close to invoking the memory of the body shop vanilla perfume oil and it is a great shame. my moms favorite and mine too.

i really wish i had this perfume right now... it was my favorite back then and its still my fav... if anyone has it let me know

I really really love it!!! As im a vanilla scent lover, this one it just a really the right one for me! LOve love LOVE it! ;D

I bought it at The Body Shop's annual inventory sale sometime in 2007. Smells like jasmine and vanilla. Best for evenings.

Anyone interested in buying some of this original perfume is welcome to message me

Are there any fragrances out there that come close to this?

wow do i have some sweaty memories with this one :ppp

* See SorceressOfTheDArk's review. Perfect!

First of all: Yes, this oil doesn't smell as foody and cakey as it used to, BUT it's not because The Body Shop is just trying to "mass-market" this perfume, no matter what the reviewers below say. TBS Vanilla Perfume Oil, along with just about every perfume with vanilla in it, was reformulated because of IFRA guidelines which state that perfumers are only allowed to use a certain amount of vanillin anymore. That means that TBS had to lower the amount of vanilla in the oil in order to comply with guidelines. And anyway, the whole "mass-market" trend right now IS for cakey foody smells, so if anything this is a move *away* from mass-market trends, not toward them! *shakes head* As for the scent: It does still smell pretty cakey, but yes, it's not as cakey as it used to be. There is a strong almondy component to it, and it smells a lot like a vanilla almond cake. I still think this perfume is worth trying, at the very least, no matter what the other reviews say. Yes, if you haven't tried the old version, you don't know what you're missing, but I wouldn't write it off entirely if you haven't tried the original. Personally, I wouldn't buy a bottle of this because I can't get over how different it is from the original, but for people who haven't tried the original I wouldn't write it off entirely.

It's probably been 25 years since I last wore this!! Stowed away in a dark box for the better part of two decades, this still smells almost exactly as I remember it! (However, I don't remember it having quite such monstrous sillage back then!) I wore this nearly every day in high school, and it was definitely my favourite! Now, it's not my taste (I adore "Lalique La Perfume" for a vanilla nowadays). I mostly smell ylang-ylang, sandalwood, and musk along with the vanilla. Also packed away with this were my other Body Shop perfumes: Satsuma oil (my very close second favourite, and one I still love), strawberry oil, and fuzzy peach spray (yummmm!!!). :D *****UPDATE***** So, last night I dabbed on some "Vanille Banane" [Comptoir Sud Pacifique] from my sample bottle, and was amazed that after the banana "Runts" smell dies down, it's the spitting image of vintage "Body Shop Vanilla"! I don't know if results would vary depending on if you sprayed it, but in case you've been looking for a replacement, that might be something to try! :)

This is a simple but unusual (as far as vanillas go) perfume with fruity notes of plum and peach. I was expecting this to be more gourmand than it is, so I was surprised by the number of fruit and floral notes that make up the top notes of this fragrance. Oddly enough, even with the amber I view this to be a "cool vanilla" rather than a warm fragrance, and when I catch whiffs of the oil throughout the day, I think of plum and almond before I think of vanilla. Not my favorite perfume, but it's pleasant enough. (By the way, ANGELICA07 you need to calm the heck down. It's just perfume...let's keep the subject on perfumes, people, okay?)

I gave up on Body Shop a while ago after everything got reformulated. Recently, a vintage little bottle of the Vanilla Oil came to my possession through a swap. I wasn’t expecting much...and I fell in love. I wasn’t aware that Body Shop could even create something as beautiful, delicate yet complex. An absolute gem. The vanilla here has nothing, I repeat absolutely nothing, in common with today’s line. It’s natural, warm, fuzzy, complex, creamy, borderline gourmand without being sickly sweet. So comforting, stunning and somehow nostalgic for my childhood. Now I understand the hype for this 90’s creation.

I have just recently discovered the pleasures of this little bottle because there are no The Body Shop stores in my country. I adore vanilla and I just needed to have a bottle of its sweetness in my collection. The scent itself is very warm and cozy. This is rich vanilla and it reminds me of scented candles. The lasting power is quite good too; it lasts 6-8 hours on my skin. The best thing for me is the possibility of layering this one with other scents of my small collection. It blends very nice with many of them and elongates their staying power (which is fantastic if you have dry skin like me).

I bought this perfume using my savings when I was around 18 back in 2003. It was so precious to a young teen who came from a not-so-rich family like me. My friends complimented that I smelled so delicious when I wore this perfume. One day, a snatched thief snatched my hand bag which contained this perfume. That was the last time I owned this perfume as I couldn’t afford pricey perfumes then. I needed money to continue my tertiary education. What a nostalgia... After that, I couldn’t find any vanilla based perfumes that I really like. This perfume was the 1st & last vanilla perfume in my life 😞

My bottle is now about 35 years old. The oil is a deep caramel colour. (Wow, just writing that made me feel ancient and a little bit scared that I still have something this old in my wardrobe.) BUT - It still smells utterly glorious and very very strong. I like to mix a drop of this vanilla, with a drop of White Musk Body Shop oil (purchased the same time) in my hands to blend and warm it, then through the ends of my hair. Then I get to smell it all day. I do have to be careful though to only rub it into the hair at the back, or it would be way too powerful even for me.

This review is for the original Body Shop Vanilla Oil. So vanilla-y, so simple and not too sweet. I wore this through most of college and periodically for a few years afterward, and people would always ask, “is someone baking cookies?” This was a true, pure, warm vanilla without any other notes mixed in. If you want a scent that’s almost identical to this, I recommend Maison Chabaud’s “Lait de Vanille”. At $105.00 per bottle, you’ll pay much more for it than the original Vanilla Oil cost, but if this scent is the one that haunts you, that’s where you’ll find it.

Ho la boccetta degli anni 90,quindi la seconda formulazione. La prima non l'ho mai sentita purtroppo.. Il colore nella boccetta è arancio dorato, l'odore è inizialmente fresco,fruttato,non è proprio incentrato sulla vaniglia. Ha un aspetto vagamente floreale e fruttato che si discosta dall'idea di vaniglia tadizionale. Un profumo vagamente mandorlato tipo Hypnotic Poison,non è dolce e non è alimentare. Simli ci sono Vaniglia dell'erbolario, Noir tropical di maria candida gentile e un bois vanille di lutens.

guest_ : Many people react allergicly on essential oils blends. On me for example it causes a burning feeling & eczema. There's much much more polluting stuff than perfume. Better to for example don't own a car than to use perfumes.. (above is my answer to what a guest wrote just under: Quote "...all those perfume oils and adt are pollution for your body and the envieromment. Use essential oils blends with carrier oil...a healthy choice")

In my early-mid twenties I alayered fuzzy peach oil - my favourite! - with the vanilla oil. The fuzzy peach had a herbal spiciness to it, reminded me of marijuana sometimes, which I loved, since I've always found the scent of marijuana appealing as long as it's from a distance! I miss fuzzy peach so much. It was a sexy combination, at least that's what some men led me to believe!

I was gifted this when Body Shop brought back some of their old perfume oil range around 2008. This one, straight up, smells like Bird's custard powder. I remember being at work in the lab and someone asking what chemical I was using because all they could smell was custard! Is that good or bad? Not sure, but I liked this perfume oil and am quite sad that it's gone.

Adding an addendum because ANGELICA07 decided to pull me into this stupid conversation: grow up and stop insulting other members. If it's such a big deal, grow up and message them privately. We came here to read frag reviews, not to hear you freak out because you're so oversensitive to a perceived lack of "respect." Now, if we can get back to the perfumes! Geez.

I wore this THE ORIGINAL BODY SHOP VANILLA OIL and the "fuzzy peach oil" in the 1990s. I think both have been discontinued as they are $45 and up per ounce on amazon and ebay with stock quickly dwindling. They have been replaced with new products THAT ARE NOT THE SAME. THE NEW PRODUCTS ARE HORRIBLE QUALITY COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL BODY SHOP OILS!

I used to wear this in my teens, it was my ‘special occasion’ scent back in the early-mid 00s...it’s thick, smooth, syrupy, warm and golden smelling, not a pure vanilla, but almost...if you’re looking for something in the same vein, try D&G’s The One Gold, it’s like a more refined and grown-up version of this discontinued gem.

This is a great addition to my collection, and also pairs well with many of my perfumes. I particularly love pairing this with CK Obsession & Jean Paul Gaultier Classique. Hmmmm I should try this with Dior Hypnotic Poison... I will get back to you on that one. PS. holy hell with the drama in this review thread...

An OK warm vanilla scent. I wear this in the summer because it doesn't contain alcohol (which makes your skin uneaven when exposed to the sun). Guys tend to fall for this scent, but my current boyfriend told me it smelled like scented candle.

Despite the listed notes, it smells like pure vanilla to me- which makes it great to layer under other scents to make them warmer and cozier

I love this Vanilla perfume oil! Very warm, cozy and cheap, I love pairing it with different perfumers.

The new version is ok, but it cannot compare with original one. The original is the best.