Vanilla

Creamy, almondy, sandalwood VANILLA oriented scent. The almond / tonka notes give me smooth amoretto vibes. Also / contrastingly, but at the same time- maybe even more like the vanilla ice cream in a root beer float, but somehow isolated, and without the root beer. It seems to radiate a creamy ”heat” of a grown up (again) amoretto topped vanilla ice cream on my skin. It’s surprisingly unusual (imo) and one of the people in my life who does not usually like sweet fragrances told me he is shocked to like this and complimented it on me, asking to smell it over and over again. He is not the only person in my life who has complimented it in the first two days of me having it that is not usually interested in this sort of fragrance, either. It’s not SUPER sweet, but it’s still SOFTLY sweet and very creamy and nutty. Predictably; it’s an amazing layering scent! One spray of lost cherry with 2 sprays of this smells like the most amazing warm cherry pie with fancy ice cream! I also tried it with Eben Fume and it made it a sweeter vanilla woodsy scent that I love! Really nice extra creaminess w Plum Japonais and Cafe Rose, too. I see limitless potential for layering like this and that versatility is exciting for me. It’s not a tough wear, or an intellectual fragrance (of course). It’s a simple one, but beautifully done and really delightful. The bottle and color is super cute in my collection of TF , and I can tell I will be reaching for this one often - it’s a no brainer. An easy fragrance to wear, with the silly name - that will probably be quite successful for those reasons. Out of the newer TF releases, it is definitely my favorite from the past half decade or so. BUT— I love simple vanilla fragrances. (Tihota is my #1 and btw this is nothing like that, that being a benzoin /musc/ vanilla). Definitely not understanding the Babycat comparisons... All around, very nice! But I am that audience that loves Tom ford and gourmands / vanillas Safe.

I probably look like spam at this point for the amount of times I have reviewed this fragrance, but I felt the need to return once more to reiterate how much this perfume means to me, because you never know when a brand will discontinue.. I come to this page often for a temperature check, and because I’m a broke med student, I can’t afford to just buy 10-20 backup bottles. My mom actually buys my VS for me bc of it. I noticed that Tom Ford has already discontinued the collector’s 250mL and replaced it with the 100mL. (By the way, this is the first time Tom Ford has ever offered Vanilla Sex in a 100ml, so beware of buying from resellers because scammers have been making that size for years). Vanilla isn’t just a simple pleasure for me— and collecting is not a hobby of mine. I could be completely satisfied owning only one perfume for the rest of my life if it is Vanilla Sex. Vanilla is my medicine. I have had severe anxiety and med resistant depression almost my whole life, and vanilla perfumes have saved my life on days I wanted to give up, and almost did . I can feel myself healing on a molecular level when the scent of Vanilla Sex enters my body. I’m such a vanilla connoisseur, I can always tell when a fragrance contains authentic vanilla notes versus just a bunch of aroma chemicals. This is the real thing. And let me tell you, I’m picky. Yann Vasnier did his big one here... and it sucks that so many of you guys only smell urine and private parts! I wish everyone could experience the pure bliss that this masterpiece is made of. See my other reviews for more details bc this is already too long.

I tried Vanilla Sex on for the first time 10 days ago while browsing at the department store and didn’t expect to like it so much. I remember spraying my wrists and then going “Oooh not bad!” Then I continued shopping for the next two hours and couldn’t stop sniffing my wrists. I’m telling you, I was sniffing myself every couple seconds. I felt perplexed. I definitely enjoyed the scent but was it worth the exorbitant price tag? I had to walk away. A week passes and I still cannot get the fragrance out of my head. I had a gift card from my birthday which had HKD$1500 (~$190USD) on it, so with that, I opted to get the 30ml bottle which costed $2040 (~$260USD), meaning I still had to fork out $540 (~$70USD) of my own money. The bottle just arrived at my doorstep and I immediately opened and gave myself a good 8-10 sprays on both sides of my arms, neck and behind the ears. I’ve been sitting with the fragrance for close to an hour and it is absolutely delightful on my skin. It is an almond leaning vanilla scent and is giving vanilla bean milkshake on me. I am so happy to have and able to enjoy it. The scent is very comforting to me and makes me happy 😊

As soon as the fragrance was released, I bought a full bottle right away. I liked it, but at some point I eventually decided to sell it. Still, mentally, I kept coming back to it from time to time. Today I decided to stop by a perfume store and refresh my memories. And the second time around, I liked it even more 😬 For me, it’s one of the most beautiful fragrances in the gourmand vanilla category. I realized that the bottle needs to return to my collection, because I haven’t come across anything similar. When the updated note pyramid was released, it finally became clear where some people detect so-called urinous nuances , apparently the animalic facet comes across that way to some. The animalic facet, apparently, comes across that way to some noses, just like in another fragrance with a similar profile, Initio - Absolute Aphrodisiac, which also has an animalic touch that isn’t to everyone’s taste. But both fragrances are beautiful 😍

I hadn't read anything about this perfume before smelling it, so I was quite surprised by the negative reviews. However, it is striking that I have seen before that pheromone-like scents are perceived very differently; now I just haven't decided yet whether this scent smells bad to some people because the fragrance isn't sexually compatible with them or because they haven't stuck their noses into flowers often enough to discover that urine can actually smell quite nice. To me, this smells like a damp, sun-warmed oleander that, immediately after spraying, has a very smoky quality that changes on the skin into something sweet and synthetic, reminiscent of condoms, and over time leans more towards vanilla ice cream. I’m very excited about this scent!

An easy reach if you animalic vanilla. The slight skank gives this a very classic-vintage vibe. While I am a fan, I wouldn't mind just the "vanilla overdose" minus the "sex" part. Maybe they can make this without the tonsil stone accord and call it Vanilla Overdose. If you see my other reviews you will know what I'm talking about. I'm not square, I'm just saying. This is coming from a Shocking, tabu, papillon salomé et al. enjoyer. I am glad to have just a small sample size of this rather than the whole bottle, considering the price. The skank does eventually take a seat and let the vanilla powdery musk stand alone which I am enjoying!

I know that this is a very love or hate Tom Ford fragrance - I am firmly in the love category. It is a warm marzipan dream! Super sugary and ever so slightly woody with an almond milk base that lasts for hours on the skin. I think it’s offensive to simply call this a ‘vanilla’ perfume because it is so much more, and if you are purchasing for a traditional, basic vanilla you will be disappointed. It is quite the unique vanilla with an animalic, skin-like note. I cannot describe how much I love this scent and how sexy it is!

Off the top its almond & a dash of cherry, animal & a synthetic smell that is hard to describe.The vanilla hits for me in the middle & the dry down is a soft vanilla, powdery, buttery, nutty musk with a hint of spice that disappears into my skin beautifully. It reads vanilla without being too sweet. There is a depth & warmth I appreciate. I dont smell urine at all. Im a vanilla lover & own numerous vanillas. None of my vanillas are done quite like this. Its more carnal & I can see why its called vanilla sex.

At the first sniff i loved it too much. And as soon as i came to house, i have bought a 30ml.Then i opened Fragrantica to read comments. I was schocked. too many person says it is like piss. omg. 3 days later had i my little bottle. i smelled it again and again :)) it was soo smooth and pure vanille. its like a warm soft blanket in winter days. so i like it. please dont be effected from all bad thoughts here. yes someones can feel it like a urine but some people have good feelings ♡ :->

I love this perfume, and how hilariously polarizing it is. to me it smells like almond, and vanilla in a warm creamy sort of way, not sweet or cloying. it lasts like two days on my skin and my friends don't stop sniffing me. definitely sample in store before purchasing! but i personally love it as a vanilla enthusiast who doesn't want to smell juvenile. i dont get any piss or animal notes personally. but shoutout to the person who said it smells like someone came in cake batter 💀

People's reviews are cracking me up... I think most folks must not realize that vanilla sex is a saying about traditional mission-style sex, not kinky sex. Therefore, this lovely, musky-vanilla with a nice indole undertone is aptly named vanilla sex. If you are looking for dark and dirty, you misunderstood the name. P.S. If you like TF's Vanilla Sex, but not the price tag, check out Dua's Intimate with Vanilla, dead ringer and great longevity!

I said it smells like cat piss but today i gave that fragrance another chance and bought a 50 ML bottle. And let me tell you this; once it dries down it evolves into a really sweet edible vanilla scent, i think this is a fragrance that the smell changes depends on your skin chemistry. And most people make negative comments just smelling it from the Tester Paper, nah... you should try it in your arm, and let it dry for 15-20 mins.

Oh the drama lol. Suddenly, everyone's nose is blocked and all they smell is cat piss and baby powder smh. Fix that nose will ya? This is simply a great balsamic vanilla, with some almonds and woods. I agree with the comment that mentioned the Nag Champa vibe in the drydown. Great release. I will wear this on Christmas eve, and i suggest all those negative reviews to CLEAR THEIR NOSTRILES LOL. Bye for now smh.

After wearing it for 24 hours I can declare that I love it. It is very comforting and bold vanilla. Seems a pretty plain but keeps the bar al all levels. To test a parfume I wear it overnight - processing it while sleeping. Catching the wife’s every time I moved gave me sensations of micro happiness. Waking up to the sweet, comforting, vanilla was also quite therapeutic lol

Bury me in this. Then, have someone exhume my body and cremate me. Once I’m reduced to a pile of ashes in a jar, I need those ashes to be infused with vanilla sex, and placed into the soil in a field of vanilla. Once the vanilla is harvested, someone needs to buy those plants and sell them to Tom Ford for the next batches of vanilla sex.

I don’t understand all the hate. This is with highest quality I smelled (own big collection) very dense. Lasts forever and very deep. The animalic notes are amazing but this for a vanilla lover is pure bomb. Sure it’s pricey and sure it’s a niche (never blind buy this). But you can try before buying. Quality wise this is a top notch.

Fab spicy,leathery,slight animalic vanilla. Not sweet. Reminded me a bit of Victorias Secret Bare Sueded Vanilla. That one is less animalic but has a suede note that gives smiliar effect. I dont understand all this negative comments about piss etc. If my piss smelled that good l would just sell it on Vinted.

This is almond forward vanilla. The medicinal note the reviewers are mentioning is the almond, similar to the almond in PDM Pegasus- a little sharp, almost metallic. I am noticed that heavy almond bothers me in fragrances. This is my first time wearing this fragrance so not ready for a verdict yet :)

Definitely very polarizing. Interesting, unique vanilla with animalic notes. I find the scent to be more pleasant on my skin, can get screechy on clothes after a while. Subjectively though, I absolutely love this perfume. Hate reviews wrongly put me off at first, so definitely try it out yourself.

I was skeptical about it because of the low rating but it's actually pretty good, I wore it on a summer evening and just kept smelling a sort of gooey almondy vanilla. The company I had also said they smell vanilla. It's overpriced for sure but it's not as dramatically fecal as most reviews imply.