Red Vanilla

Oh, the smell of my college days. This used to be my go-to and signature scent since I carried a 30 ml EDT in my purse most of the time. Sure this reminds me of LVEB (tried it once on skin and paper strip, never purchased it due to its popularity. Smelling just the same with the crowd was not my choice), but this felt more like LVEB's slightly edgier sister. She doesn't look cheap, she's sweet, but you could see her darker, more mysterious facets sometimes. The most prominent notes would be black currant and praline. It's up front and everpresent, accompanied with vanilla and patchouli in the background. The vanilla is quite subdued, thus the name "Red Vanilla" feels pretty misleading at least to me. What differs this from LVEB to me is the warmer, murkier drydown where the vanilla-patchouli (or tonka?) combo almost mimics a woodier, somewhat leathery nuance. I do enjoy this phase the most. I always apply this scent VERY generously (I'm talking 10-12 sprays) since I knew this won't last and project if I only apply it at 3 sprays max. Being heavy on the spray actually helps to elongate this scent's lifespan with moderate projection at 4-5 hour mark. It's an EDT after all, I didn't expect too much on its performance. Considering it's price point, you'll pretty much get what you pay for.

i'd say this is heavy on the patchouli and the black currant, it opens with quite a fruity/citrus note so if you like it you won't be disappointed. i can't detect much of tonka beans or vanilla, only a little bit in the drydown it does get sweeter and lighter. i'm afraid i've turned anosmic to this though as i wear it every day, i'd say though on clothes it lasts obviously longer than on skin and particularly on wool sweaters, scarfs and whatnot it projects and stays for a long time, on synthetic fibers not so much but i guess it has more to do with the quality of the clothing than with the perfume itself. also i've smelled la vie est belle and i understand the similarity but it's definitely not the same. but i like red vanilla more despite being a gourmand/sweet/vanillic fragrance lover. it's a nice fragrance to put on if you worry about choking others out with your perfume (which i do worry about, i hate that feeling) and if you don't care for projection or compliments, which this one got me a few times anyway. if you wear your perfume for You, get this. i also like to put this on at night after a shower since it makes me feel fresh and it's unnoticeable so no one will judge me for having perfume on.

This used to be my favourite perfume but I got the new 2022 bottle and would say that ITS SMELL DEFINITELY HAS CHANGED. It no longer smells so feminine and smells more like citrus now, as if they've changed the formula completely. It no longer lasts even 15 minutes. I'm so disappointed. I regret buying the new red vanilla perfume. I have the old bottle too. the new and the old one smells utterly different. Edit: Omg guys I cannot believe that. They even changed the description. Old red vanilla description from zara website (2020 or 2021): Asian-inspired eau de toilette. The fragrance pyramid reveals notes of blackcurrant, iris and vanilla. It’s a warm, elegant fragrance designed to be worn at night. New description: A sophisticated, warm and spicy fragrance with floral and sweet notes. A bright bouquet of elegant iris and red peony flowers combined with juicy notes of tangerine and a sweet and delicate hint of raspberry, fused with a note of vanilla. I’m incredibly disappointed They changed the perfume and kept the same name. Unbelievable

This was the first Zara fragrance I bought and a fragrance I loved from first spray. The blackcurrant, the vanilla and praline in this scent wow. Definitely a LVEB dupe but LVEB obviously smells better and is blended better as well. A nice cheap alternative if you’re not willing to part with that much money. Unlike most Zara scents, I found that this stayed on quite well given the price point, about 6-8 hours on me before it becomes a skin scent. Not sure about the recent formulation and its lasting power. Wore this a lot around the years 2020/21 around the time LVEB became a favourite for a lot of girlies and you just knew it when you smelt it. Always got compliments when wearing it. I never repurchased this when it finished, as I got other fragrances in my collection but something I’d revisit if I started my collection from scratch.

So this is one of the best perfumes ever released by Zara in my book. Very strong in the beginning, and projects for about an hour. EDT so obviously longevity and sillage are nothing to write home about. But it is amazing!!! I got it in the 30ml and i'm on the hunt for a bigger bottle. What kills this is the longevity but the 30ml is compact enough to carry around and spray when the juice disappears. I don't detect the alcohol opening mentioned in some comments and it was love at first spray. Out of all the Zara offerings I have so far, this is by far the best, followed by Gardenia, Tuberose, Golden decade and then disappointingly, fields of nightfall takes last place. Spot on dupe for La vie est belle.

One of my most beloved bedtime winter scents. I love the black currant tangy note, softened by vanilla and pralines, and the earthy touch of patchouli. Really gorgeous. I can see the similarities with La vie est belle but i don't think that Red Vanilla has a lot in common with LVEB. Red Vanilla is more edgy and less sweet, a very nice fruitchouli. On my skin (and on my mum's as well) this one is pretty longlasting, good 5+ hours. She used her 100ml bottle last winter and it gained her a lot of compliments. I still have mine but i think that i'll use it more often during the months to come. So, in one word - budget treasure.

My best friends go-to and holy grail. She swears by it, and I can see why. She gets questioned about what fragrance shes wearing all the time and people are surprised when they hear its from Zara. A very deliciously alluring scent, it smells moody yet wearable on most occasions. She gave me her bottle cause she was moving away and there's only a couple of sprays left in it. Glad to add it to my collection and will be buying more

I love this perfume! I wear it most days too work & find it inoffensive & very pleasant. I can see the comparison to LVEB but red vanilla seems overall softer with more blackcurrent & vanilla. Despite it being described as a night time scent this is my go to for a day scent. Easy to wear, very comforting & projects pretty well on me, lasts for a good 6 hours with plenty of compliments to follow. defo my favourite zara perfume!

This is a super affordable 2nd cousin to LVSB dupe.... She doesn't have the longevity of that fragrance and the notes are weaker. But Red Vanilla is still a very nice fragrance on it own. I also get a lovely burst of bergamot or some kind of citrus in this. I don't get a heavy patchouli note at all in this. A very cheap and easy to wear fragrance, I love it.

I got this in 2021 and i still love to use it. The vanilla and red berry-ish smell is amazing. Also there is a touch of patchouli too. When it dries down it becomes vanilla and patchouli to me. Men loves that for sure but be careful where to wear it. Its so strong at first. Love this! Signature

Another dupe to La Vie Est Belle from Zara. The dry down is not as sweet as the one from Lancome since it is more mature and wearable. A lovely and fantastic better option for 1/3 of the price if you like this kind of perfumes... It is a MUST!

This is one of the nicest fragrance I've owned! It is sweet and has a cola-like spiciness and warmth. It is similar to La Vie Est Belle, but pear and blackcurrants' fruitiness is slightly stronger. For this price ...it's a great buy!

This is a gorgeous Zara cheapie and probably my fave of what I’ve tried of the line. The vanilla shines it’s def the star but I think the blackcurrant comes through and makes it a bit ‘deeper’ highly recommend!

This parfume is great. It is affordable, smells lovely, overall very good parfume. I like it because its not too sweet.

I'm smelling this right now on my hand and wondering where the VANILLA is?:) It's a lovely pear scent with a hint of blackcurrant and perhaps tonka. No patchouli, no vanilla whatsoever. Poor silage and longevity but still quite nice. I never perceived this one as a perfume in any way similar to LVEB, however upon such strong implications I am able to sense a kind of relation. LVEB is mainly vanilla, caramel, praline and tonka. Some blackcurrant in the background, perhaps a bit of pear too. Now, take all the gourmands away and what are you left with? Water, some blackcurrant in the background, perhaps a bit of pear too. And this is what Red Vanilla is about. Watered down background notes of LVEB. But it's quite ok, not a groundbraker, but nice, rather safe, slightly generic on my sking - still a "LIKE" for me.

this is a tricky one. i really like the opening. for some reason i smell bergamot as well as berries, not sure why that's not listed as the fragrance packs quite the citric punch on first spray. then it dries down to a very pretty, albeit generic, mix of vanilla, red berries and patchouli. however, this turns bitter on my skin. it smells almost like burnt rubber after half an hour, and lasts just as long. but surprisingly, it smells amazing on clothes. very cozy for sweater weather and lingers for hours. i found it kinda weird how it can smell both like the tire aisle at a hardware store and raspberry jam. still nice, and for the price you get what you pay for.

cute cheapie... currently wearing this today and tbh glad i gave it another chance. the patchouli was done right in here. maybe i’m biased or maybe it’s due to mines being an eau de toilette. probably? not sure. anyway yes it does smell like an almost carbon copy of la vie est belle but for way cheaper. it’s very cute but doesn’t last but because of the price and the quantity i can dig it plus i love the notes. black currant? vanilla? those notes alone will make me buy a perfume no matter what else... have to reapply a lot though so might invest soon in the real thing :)

I bought it after I bought LVB. There is a faint similarity, but on me this inexpensive Zara perfume smells better than LVB does. I remember testing it on my skin and really liking it. I keep a small roll-on of it in my purse. I find it to be slightly darker and edgier and not as gourmand as LVB, which is a plus. It smells both fresh and sweet to me, the berry and vanilla is what I predominantly smell. A pretty perfume, with average longevity and decent projection. It is inoffensive and could be worn any time of the day. It is definitely great value for your buck.

I love this. The opening on me is quite citrusy, heavy on grapefruit/bergamot, the acetone edge of pear, plus the sharp fruitiness of blackcurrant. Vanilla and sandalwood get more pronounced on the drydown. It's a fruity, feminine and sensual scent, and it doesn't smell at all cheap. I get the comparisons to LVEB but it's less floral and it's got a darker, muskier edge. On me it does last a long time on my clothes and hair. If I spray it in the evening I can still smell it the next day.

For some reason on its own this reminds me of Vilhelm Mango Skin. I decided to test side by side and that wasn’t the case. I only had a sample of mango skin and it ran out. I tried Red Vanilla again and once again I thought of Mango Skin. The only thing the 2 fragrances have in common is vanilla & fruit however one has mango &!the other black currant. This is a nice scent but I never reach for it. I wear my Zara fragrances at home. This one has turned into a room spray.