(Shamanilla)

I was originally excited to try this due to the unique notes of the fragrance. On my skin, It opens with a healthy dose of green, spicy, slightly minty, and heady green cardamom and bright bergamot. The cardamom was incredibly strong and I considered destashing until the fragrance settled into my skin. The cardamom softens and blends with amyris, which provides a green, piney, grounded, and spicy foundation to the clean and warm sandalwood, powdery and earthy carrot, coconut water (think mature coconut and not the milk, water, or the meat of a young coconut), soft, floral, and tangy peach blossom, sugary and airy cotton candy, and gorgeous dry vanilla. Despite the notes, this is not a gourmand, but rather a sweet, green, and aromatic coconut vanilla scent. It is a unique, strange, and slightly edgy take on a summer and spring fragrance without the sunscreen nuances or tropical notes. For comparison, it’s like Vanilla Vibration (a discontinued fragrance that I love for winter and fall) summer edition. Not a safe blind buy. I think it would nice to layer this with a single note coconut fragrance like Heretic’s Dirty Coconut or coconut lotion/body oil for more of a summery feel or vanilla for additional sweetness. EDIT: I allowed it to sit for a few days in a dark cabinet and the fragrance got beachy, reminds me of a boardwalk. Sugary vanilla cotton candy, buttery coconut, and coconut water bomb with cardamom and sandalwood. This fragrance took me on a journey from being a strong dislike to a like. I can only imagine that this fragrance will get better with maturation and I will test it again in the summer on the hotter days. Will buy a second bottle if it’s discounted.

A vanilla, coconut and cardamom dominant fragrance, pretty long lasting (5ish hours on me) with moderate projection. I am starting to love more and more Zara fragrances, not gonna lie. They are so wearable while being somwtimes pretty unique and not the usual boring scent profiles. The main notes of coconut and vanilla are completely blended together, and smell "artificial" in a non-synthetic way, if it makes sense. Not "synthetic" like when you smell a perfume and it feels wrong, cheap, low quality, not like that. But they do smell abstract, artificial, like the idea of coconut and vanilla. They are not gourmand or photorealistic. There is a contemporary art museum vibe going on here, i know this sounds pretentious but here we are. There is also a minty note which is actually the cardamom. I didn't get the cotton candy note. The perfume itself is sweetish, but not gourmand sweet. This, as a whole, feels a bit like a coconut-flavoured Tic-Tac mint candy. Dries down as vanilla and white musk, then just standard white musk, the same you could find in The Body Shop White Musk. This is NOT a gourmand vanilla-coco-cotton candy. This is a futuristic museum, full of design objects, where the main color is white. It feels abstract but wearable in all occasion, office as well, for everyday wear, but without being boring. Going to work, going out, strolling through the city kinda vibe. Oh and it is absolutely 100% unisex.

Shamanilla by Zara is one of those fragrances that really surprised me in the best way. When I first sprayed it, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it quickly became something I reach for when I want something warm, comforting, and just a little bit different. It opens with a soft, creamy sweetness that feels almost nostalgic — like vanilla mixed with a hint of spice. There’s a light floral undertone that keeps it from being too heavy, and over time, it settles into this warm, slightly powdery base that’s both comforting and cozy. The sillage is really nice on this one. It doesn’t fill a room in the same way some other fragrances do, but it leaves a soft, inviting trail. People around you will definitely catch it, but it’s subtle and doesn’t overwhelm the senses. Longevity is decent too — around 5–6 hours on me, which is more than enough for a fragrance like this. Shamanilla has this easy-going feel to it, like the kind of fragrance you wear when you want to feel at home, wherever you are. It’s warm and sweet without being too sweet, and I think it’s perfect for casual days or evening outings when you just want something that’s cozy and a little bit different from your typical vanilla scent. For the price, it’s a really solid option, and I keep coming back to it. If you like sweet, vanilla-based perfumes with a twist, definitely give it a try.

I get sooo many compliments on this fragrance! It is a fresh coconut fragrance that sits lightly on the skin, but performs extremely well for a Zara fragrance. I can spray this at 7am and people can still smell it at 1pm. I have had Wood Legacy from this collection too and it is nice, it just does not have the sillage or longevity of Shamanilla. It is not a traditional men's scent; it is heavy on coconut and vanilla, instead of traditional male notes. I would have loved a heavier presence of tonka in this scent, only then would I say it is perfect for me. 100% a unisex fragrance. I would say it leans more feminine than male, depending on if you are a fan of tropical, sweet fragrances. The only similar scent I can compare it too in my personal collection is Qaed al Fursan White. That has similar notes of coconut and vanilla, but it is more sickly than Shamanilla. QaFW has a more fruity presence on my skin and is good for layering. Shamanilla is fantastic for layering with an oud or a woodier scent if you would like it to become more masculine. I personally like the light gourmand scent, so wear it as it is, although I am looking to try it layered. This was a blind buy for me, purely based off the name and scent profile and I am not disappointed.

Closest humanity has gotten to perfection, shame they discontinued it. Don't know anything that smells like it. Leans feminine for sure - I've been called out for wearing "women's perfume" when this is on, which I take as a further compliment in all honesty. Keeping it in the bottle for a year has definitely created more complexity in the vanilla and sweetness - is more of an experience now, where as straight out-of-the-box it was a bit weak and didn't really evolve. Still loved it though. Also - I don't smell any cardamom. This is why I don't trust scent notes. Best way I'd describe this scent is that it smells like a field of fresh flowers on a nice sunny mid 20C day - and add some vanilla and sugar. Beautifully put together. Longevity is a bit of a miss. But it's a summer scent, and most summer scents just don't last.