Devil's Vanilla

Okay so this isn't as spicy as some reviews present it. It's sweet yet fresh and very balsamic like sweet whiskey with a deeper balsamic vanilla amber-y drydown leaning masculine without much warmth, no peppery spice on my skin, no dirty amber, nothing smoky. It doesn't have the dirty smoky peppery amber of Caramel Apple On a Stick or bbw viva vanilla. It's just a very boozy smooth scent with more sweetness in the opening from the orange and coca cola notes, like the dark balsamic fresh sweetness of the coca cola, but nothing truly spicy either peppery or warm smooth spicy. The cardamom, vanilla bourbon and the amber at the drydown give a masculine feel. The cardamom provides a refreshing green effect that I love along with the woody base, and I don't get much of the pink pepper other than a smooth fizzy effect in the coca cola opening. Now if it matures in the bottle and I detect peppery spice in the future, I will revise my review. Rum isn't like brandy or bourbon, being more manly notes, but the vanilla bourbon makes the rum smelling more austere like whiskey to me. The vanilla bourbon also amplifies the balsamic effect and makes it a deeper scent in the drydown and later on. The opening is unisex though. I can pull it off as a woman since I love scents like bbw Coffee & Whiskey, but I think it leans slightly masculine due to the bourbon vanilla, the cardamom and amber. At the later drydown the cardamom, rum and amber are giving fresh balsamic men's cologne, but I love the sweetness of it. The dark chocolate isn't sharp, but smoothed out by the bourbon vanilla. It's still a gorgeous scent for men, and for the women who like balsamic fresh yet sweet and deep boozy scents. Pairs well with sweet feminine vanilla scents, even with the warm spicy buttery Circus of the Sun (which is a lot like bbw pumpkin cupcake), but I prefer it alone. I bet bbw cozy vanilla bourbon will be perfect for it and will make it darker since that mist is a pretty boozy dark balsamic vanilla. Also it's not like mancera tonka cola. I like that it's not an overly warm or girly scent. I hope DUA recreates that one too cuz I like the scent but not the mancera quality.

This is one of my very favorite Duas, and I, to my chagrin, have many. I almost never drink, but when I do indulge a little, rum is my favorite alcohol. A prominent rum note along with the skull and the name, "Devil's Vanilla," and yes, this is definitely a pirate-inspired fragrance 🦜🏴☠️⚓ There is a beautiful cola note to this, too— think a syrupy Orange Vanilla Coca-Cola, just lighter on the orange— but mostly it is a slightly spicy, smooth blend. A gourmand that is far from being effeminate, but deliciously creamy in a way that would suit nearly any gender expression— so long as they have the courage and confidence required to sail the high seas with a fiendishly tempting vanilla blend! All of this is from memory, but I'll wear the fragrance again soon to update. What is fresh in my memory, though, is that I immediately added it to my favorites list on Dua's website after experiencing it for the first time.

Was surprised by how strong the initial alcohol scent was before drydown, smelled like straight bug spray. Obviously once it dried the notes started coming through. Surprisingly powdery, although another previously owned perfume with a cola note also smelled very powdery to me so maybe that's just how I interpret that note. You really can smell all of the notes here; cola, chocolate, spices, vanilla, hint of citrus. It's not a strong fragrance- with rather deep and intense notes I was expecting something stronger and more masculine maybe, more spice, but it's a bit soft and unisex. Not super sweet either. I like it so far, if the longevity is good it might make a nice lowkey every day scent.

There's a note in here that wants to be cola, but it's not. Instead, it's more of a bath bomb fizzy note like baking soda. There's also a strong chalky iris note as well as a hint of sweet violet candy. I can catch a bit of sandalwood, but theres also something vegetal and woody in here that smells like all the weeds and dry sticks you plucked out of your flowerbed last time you weeded, and that part is nauseating. It's certainly interesting, but it's not quite what I was expecting. Plus, the nauseating aspect makes it a no-go for me.

This one needs to sit for about a month before I can really give it an honest review. I think it’s going to be one of those Duas that I started out hating and ended up loving. Right now it smells like flat coke with rum in it. I’ll update after it morphs.