Vanilla Baby

If you browse through the Dua site, it may be overwhelming. However, I mean that in the best way possible. They have so many scents. It literally took me three days to decide what I wanted, so there is certainly no shortage of perfumes to suit every taste. One of the most often spotted notes in their massive catalog belongs to the vanilla family. On the site, you can find bakery vanillas fitting a Parisian cafe, boozy ones that sing of seduction, resin-dipped offerings that feel sacred, and many more. I recently picked up a bottle of Vanilla Baby, the brand’s nod at the ever-popular Babycat. I haven’t smelled the OG. Regretfully, I am just now fine-tuning my taste for vanilla, after being a staunch lobbyist against sweets for years. The journey is unlocking a part of me that I didn’t know existed, and Vanilla Baby seemed like a no-brainer considering the hype. What I found upon the first spray was alluring. A rich, luxurious mix of warm pepper set upon a bed of soft, smooth suede. It sings back to one of my favorite leather scents – Thameen Regent Leather, but it doesn’t smell like it at all. The toasty leather made me realize that this fragrance was painted with a similar brush, but with a different stroke and colors. The vanilla is the king/queen of the scent. Silky smooth and drenched in elemi, which gives an ever-so-slight citrus nuance and the sensation of balmy spice. An embracing boozy richness folds over the layer of lush vanilla, which is elevated by that velvety leather that I previously spoke of with a slightly sueded aroma from the saffron, which also lends some of its sweet spice to the composition. The olibanum is this is not lit like an incense note. It’s dry, warm, softly woody, and spicy with a slight citric touch. If you have ever ignited raw frankincense, then you probably know of that lemony spark that happens in the first few seconds. However, this is quite subtle, and I don’t think that you will find it unless you are looking for it, or if you aren’t familiar with burning raw resins. Vanilla Baby sings a tune of luxury draped in an aphrodisiacal vanilla bourbon with a chorus of rich leather and resins. This scent is perfect for the colder months, as it’s cozy and amiable. Whether you are dressed up for a winter party or a date night at a Michelin star restaurant, Vanilla Baby will faithfully enthrall all onlookers with the enchanting mystery of its aroma. Let’s be clear, this is not Santa Baby playing on the radio as a joyful holiday ballad. This is a dark, captivating, and alluring scent that won’t make you sing, but it will keep its melody firmly implanted in your memory, even when the chilly snow days come to an end. I can’t get enough of this scent, and I am pretty sure that you won’t be able to either.

Suede and leather soaked in boozy vanilla and very powdery incense, gets noticeably peppery as it dries down on my skin. Great dupe for Babycat, lasts all day and then some. Very strong out of the bottle and in the air, need a spray or two at the most. Autumn & winter, cold spring days.

Strong suede, nice rich vanilla and a touch of cedar. I cannot say how close to the og it is. but I do love it.

I have both OG & this & like this better.

This is very interesting in an odd way. The suede/leather scent is definitely strong. I would not repurchase this again.

1 month of maceration: getting way too much booze. The other notes are there but it smells mostly like i spilled bourbon on my arms, which is quite unfortunate. My first few sprays I noticed the same thing. Really hoping this will continue to improve with time but i cannot recommend this to any1 as is.

Smells just OG which isn’t my cup of tea.

NOTE: I have not smelled the fragrance this is intended to dupe and I therefore am not reviewing any supposed similarities. Here we have a good quality vanilla. Top notes seem rather heavy with cedar and later it becomes more vanillic - and rich French vanilla at that. :) I enjoy this stage. There is conceivably a bit of leather or suede here, along with a hint of pepper, though I mostly notice cedar and vanilla. Sadly, I never smell much of any conifer, though I'm sure it's subtly there, along with that well blended leather. Also, no elemi or saffron... I THOROUGHLY enjoy those notes, so that's too bad. At least I enjoyed my sample Before studying the supposed notes! In the base, I suppose the olibanum becomes more noticeable, because at this stage it's rather like a wonderful Frankincense Vanilla candle I have. Very nice. Note to myself: Ignore the notes and just enjoy. Very nice indeed! When, hours later, it reaches skin scent, it becomes powdery-sweet and dreamy. Feminine for sure, at this stage! Much as I prefer more affordable vanillas, this has been a distinctly enjoyable journey. <3 Update: Good sillage and longevity. More complex than originally noticed - if it's in your price range and you too are a fan of vanilla frankincense candles, then it's a winner!

This is nothing like Babycat on me. I really dislike this. Worn next to the real Babycat, it falls very short. Vanilla Baby goes on a strangely sticky gummy chemical smell and stays that way with wood and vanilla behind it for two full hours before it starts to mellow into the nice vanilla. By that time, it’s a skin scent barely discernible. The original, meanwhile, starts woodier and in some ways rough, but mellows fast to a great vanilla wood with strong frankincense/olibanum resin notes and keeps those till final dry down. Babycat's final dry down is more olibanum than vanilla, though vanilla is present as well. The chemical mess of this dupe doesn't come close to that and it's kind of nasty. My sister hasn't tried Babycat and she still disliked Vanilla Baby a lot.

This, for me, takes an hour or two to get to the magic. It does start off spicy, and the saffron in the middle is not my fave. But when it gets to that vanilla, leather, and resins...oof!! It’s very comforting for the winter, and at times it smells like toasted marshmallows to me! Also, I sprayed this on a turtleneck that I only wore for a few hours and then put away in my closet. I grabbed it a few days later and Vanilla Baby was the only thing I could smell. I wanted to wear Angel, and did spray some on. But I still could only smell this! Absolutely insane lasting power! I literally think my 1 oz bottle will last me for many years. Also I’ve had my bottle for about two months now so I’ll come back after much more time and give an update.

Spot on for Babycat, anyone who would love a bottle of that but can't justify the price- You will be more than happy with this. I personally don't like Babycat, and God knows why I allowed myself to be talked into getting a bottle of this so I could give it another go, but I did. Performance, longevity etc etc are all very good. Settles into the creamy suede/vanilla that the OG is known for quickly and smoothly. A good release from Dua that won't let buyers down imo

never smelled the og. I’m sadly not getting much past a strange rubbery smell. Contact for swap. 6 months later...I’m starting to like this, but oh boy, people are not kidding when they say you need to let these bottles macerate. I’m very intrigued and will probably enjoy this quite a bit in the fall. But, if all Dua fragrances take this long to get over that plasticky macerating phase, I don’t know how many more I’ll try.

It opens just like Babycat, but the drydown AND up close sniff start to smell like goat pee thanks to the olibanum, which is just not as smooth in the dupe as it is in the OG. I have both and sprayed them both on today. If olibanum works well with your chemistry then this one could be a winner as it's mostly perfect. But for me it's OG or bust, I'm afraid.

This is identical to the OG but possibly even stronger and longer lasting. I smelled them side by side, this is a perfect dupe! I worried the olibanum wouldn't be as present in this, but it is!