Searching for the Perfect Vanilla?

[sunlitgarden]

And for the record I LOVE vanilla but HATE Eat Me and Drink Me. When I apply them I get a 2 second flash of sweet vanilla cake and then it goes crazy peppery(? WTH) and just gross on me, with absolutely no sign of the vanilla forever more.

 

I haven't tried Drink Me, but Eat Me doesn't work on me either. I was disappointed.

 

 

I got an extreme tea note with a soft vanilla, not foody but creamy in dorian. I love it! Makes me feel like a girl:)))

I am looking for a vanilla leather wood! fresh cut wood, bright sweet non foody vanilla, more like the bean, worn brown leather.

MMMMMMM!! I am dreaming of my fantasy scent!

 

Have you tried Clockwork Couture: Male? (Leather, vanilla-infused sandalwood, East Indian patchouli, bitter clove, galbanum, and iron filings.) It's not super easy to find now, but I think easier than Female, anyway.

[sophia_p]

Have you guys tried U Mutter Museum? I got a frimp of it in a swap and when I first put it on my wrist I immediately thought, "NO! Not for me!" Shrugged my shoulders and walked away. About 30 minutes later I kept getting whiffs of this delicious smell but I honestly did not know where it was coming from because it smelled nothing like the perfume I had applied. When I realized it was me I couldn't stop huffing my wrist for the rest of the night. It is literally the best most divine smelling vanilla I've ever smelled. I have tried multiple BPAL vanilla blends but this... this is special. You just have to get past the "cologne" phase before it turns into something else entirely. I ordered a bottle.

 

Oh my gosh, Ü is amazingly vanilla on me too. It starts out as more of a fresh clear balsam on me though, rather than cologne. I'm kind of sad that there's no leather, wood and old books like in the description, but for a vanilla lover, if you have the right chemistry it's perfect.

 

(edited for spelling!)

Edited December 14, 2012 by sophia_p

[Foodie]

Have you guys tried U Mutter Museum? I got a frimp of it in a swap and when I first put it on my wrist I immediately thought, "NO! Not for me!" Shrugged my shoulders and walked away. About 30 minutes later I kept getting whiffs of this delicious smell but I honestly did not know where it was coming from because it smelled nothing like the perfume I had applied. When I realized it was me I couldn't stop huffing my wrist for the rest of the night. It is literally the best most divine smelling vanilla I've ever smelled. I have tried multiple BPAL vanilla blends but this... this is special. You just have to get past the "cologne" phase before it turns into something else entirely. I ordered a bottle.

 

Oh my gosh, Ü is amazingly vanilla on me too. It starts out as more of a fresh clear balsam on me though, rather than cologne. I'm kind of sad that there's no leather, wood and old books like in the description, but for a vanilla lover, if you have the right chemistry it's perfect.

 

(edited for spelling!)

 

 

I guess we're lucky!

[Nemi]

Vanilla is my favorite scent in the world. I am still searching for the perfect one!

 

I don't like foody vanilla. I'm looking for a smoky, sexy, resinous vanilla. I adore the dry down of snake oil, but there is something at the early stages that I don't love so much. Its a metallic smelling note. It could be due to my skin chemistry.

 

So I am still searching! Any recommendations would be so helpful

 

My new favorite scent, Raven Moon, has "smoky vanilla". Did anyone recommend it yet? lol, as you might understand I ADORE it.

[Ella LaRose]

And for the record I LOVE vanilla but HATE Eat Me and Drink Me. When I apply them I get a 2 second flash of sweet vanilla cake and then it goes crazy peppery(? WTH) and just gross on me, with absolutely no sign of the vanilla forever more.

 

I haven't tried Drink Me, but Eat Me doesn't work on me either. I was disappointed.

 

 

I got an extreme tea note with a soft vanilla, not foody but creamy in dorian. I love it! Makes me feel like a girl:)))

I am looking for a vanilla leather wood! fresh cut wood, bright sweet non foody vanilla, more like the bean, worn brown leather.

MMMMMMM!! I am dreaming of my fantasy scent!

 

Have you tried Clockwork Couture: Male? (Leather, vanilla-infused sandalwood, East Indian patchouli, bitter clove, galbanum, and iron filings.) It's not super easy to find now, but I think easier than Female, anyway.

I haven't tried that one!! Another one to add to my hunt for list! Banshee beat is my favorite vanilla , in my opinion, it is THE BEST vanilla scent ever!! Lol!

Dolly kei is one is DESPERATELY want to try! A vanilla tabacco amber!!!??!! *swoons*

[sharkdiver]

And for the record I LOVE vanilla but HATE Eat Me and Drink Me. When I apply them I get a 2 second flash of sweet vanilla cake and then it goes crazy peppery(? WTH) and just gross on me, with absolutely no sign of the vanilla forever more.

 

I haven't tried Drink Me, but Eat Me doesn't work on me either. I was disappointed.

 

 

I got an extreme tea note with a soft vanilla, not foody but creamy in dorian. I love it! Makes me feel like a girl:)))

I am looking for a vanilla leather wood! fresh cut wood, bright sweet non foody vanilla, more like the bean, worn brown leather.

MMMMMMM!! I am dreaming of my fantasy scent!

 

Have you tried Clockwork Couture: Male? (Leather, vanilla-infused sandalwood, East Indian patchouli, bitter clove, galbanum, and iron filings.) It's not super easy to find now, but I think easier than Female, anyway.

I haven't tried that one!! Another one to add to my hunt for list! Banshee beat is my favorite vanilla , in my opinion, it is THE BEST vanilla scent ever!! Lol!

Dolly kei is one is DESPERATELY want to try! A vanilla tabacco amber!!!??!! *swoons*

 

 

Dolly Kei is amazing...it smells (on me) very similar to Antikythera Mechinism, but better - it's definitely in the same family! so far, my favorite BPAL vanillas are in Snake Oil, Black Opal, and Banshee Beat -

 

Detestable Putresence was AWFUL and smelled burnt on me

Love's Phiolosophy was nice, but a bit too foody

Boo was too Buttery

Rum Soaked French Tonka, again, heavier on the rum, and less on the vanilla

Madagascar Vanilla Rum - again, heavy on the rum, light on the vanilla, but better than the Tonka, Methinks.

Dorian - Pretty close but the tea and citrus also fight for the center of attention

Banshee Beat - Can I get a SN of this vanilla please??

Snake Oil - swoon would also love a SN of this vanilla!! I wonder if it's the same one in BB?

Black Opal - Beautiful crystaline vanilla - very light, but beautiful.

Perilous Parlour - a "musky" vanilla, very pretty for the summer, but again, the pear note takes half the glory.

Antique Lace - we seriously need to get this back.

Silver Haired Bat - Is a Benzoin-y vanilla - a little powdery, and resiny.

Death Cap - see silver haired bat

Bourbon Vanilla Bath Oil - LOVE!!! has a sassafrass note, but like Banshee Beat, to me, it just compliments the Vanilla beautifully!! I want a perfume Oil of this SOOO bad!

Midway - some get vanilla salty/sugary, I get foody fried vanilla. I like it, but it's not my favorite.

[Viridian]

sharkdiver, your list is super-helpful, but it kind of makes me despair for finding my perfect vanilla among bpals that aren't discontinued! I agree with your assessments of all the ones I've tried - sadly, Snake Oil does not work on me because the spices overtake the vanilla, even aged. It's just too heavy and headshoppy, and I suspect Banshee Beat would be the same if I managed to track down a bottle.

 

I'm desperate to find the vanilla in Black Opal, which some have claimed is actually tonka. I'd hoped that Rum-Soaked French Tonka wouldn't be so boozy, but it doesn't work on me at all. I want a light, clean, non-foody vanilla to love!

[venoroxie]

So I have these vanilla scented incense sticks and every time I burn them I think OH, how I need a perfume that smells like this! It's light and "billowy" and the vanilla is very slightly sweet but dry. Kind of reminds me of when I was little and for my birthday my parents would bake a simple vanilla cake with vanilla frosting and birthday candles on top.. that dry cake smell with the smell of the candles when they were blown out. SO GOOD!

 

So, I went in search of a scent like this on another forum site and lovely ladies recommended CB I Hate Perfume's "7 Billion Hearts". It sounds exactly like what I'm looking for, but THE PRICE! It is way too high, even for a sample. So I came here, and did a search on bpal.org/search but nothing turned up that I thought sounded dead on.. but I thought, BPAL is amazing and I bet there IS something. And since you guys are WAY more experienced with BPAL than I am, I figured you could help me out =D

[neptuneanblues]

The Lights of Men's Lives (I linked so that you can read the reviews) may work... to me it is a lot sweeter than the description sounds, so it definitely has a "vanilla-and-candles" feel, in my opinion.

 

Lyonesse doesn't seem to exactly fit the bill, but is quite popular and a different take on vanilla....

[stellamaris]

Sprinklecake...

[venoroxie]

The Lights of Men's Lives (I linked so that you can read the reviews) may work... to me it is a lot sweeter than the description sounds, so it definitely has a "vanilla-and-candles" feel, in my opinion.

 

Lyonesse doesn't seem to exactly fit the bill, but is quite popular and a different take on vanilla....

 

 

The Lights of Men's Lives is already on my wishlist but not for this reason, oddly enough =p I wanted it for my beeswax fix. The reviews I've read say that it's mostly pure beeswax with some vanilla but no smoke? I guess I just need to try it, huh? =]

[venoroxie]

Sprinklecake...

 

 

WAY too sugary/foody, but thanks for the suggestion! I need a lighter, less sweet vanilla with a smokey candles vibe.

[EmpressPixie]

Liz?

A light, feminine vanilla floral perfume and a swirl of smoke and leather.

[arsinoe9]

I agree with previous posters who suggested:

 

Liz

Lyonesse

 

Also, check reviews for Penis Admiration (Lilac, ho wood, smoky vanilla, galbanum, and tonka).

 

None of these register as "floral" to me. I generally do not like floral blends.

Edited February 26, 2013 by arsinoe9

[venoroxie]

Liz?

A light, feminine vanilla floral perfume and a swirl of smoke and leather.

 

 

Hmm, have you sniffed her? I wonder how prominent the floral notes are. *goes to search reviews*

[EmpressPixie]

Liz?

A light, feminine vanilla floral perfume and a swirl of smoke and leather.

 

 

Hmm, have you sniffed her? I wonder how prominent the floral notes are. *goes to search reviews*

 

I don't find the floral notes to be prominent at all. I had actually forgotten there were florals until I posted the description. Most floral notes give me a massive headache, but Liz is lovely.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

Liz?

A light, feminine vanilla floral perfume and a swirl of smoke and leather.

 

 

Hmm, have you sniffed her? I wonder how prominent the floral notes are. *goes to search reviews*

 

I don't find the floral notes to be prominent at all. I had actually forgotten there were florals until I posted the description. Most floral notes give me a massive headache, but Liz is lovely.

 

YEP! That's exactly what I would have said too.. I'm not a fan of florals at all, but I don't really notice them at all in Liz. For me, it has a lovely smoky/swirly feel and the leather is subtle but gives it a nice warm vibe. And although it says 'feminine' - much like Liz herself (if you're familiar with the Hellboy story).. it's not a 'girly-girl' perfume at all

 

I would definitely suggest you try to track down a decant of Liz here on the forum - look through the sales area, you should be able to find some.

 

The other blend that came to mind is Clockwork Couture: Female, but that was a limited edition run and is very hard to find now.

[Klepz]

Agreed. I actually came here to recommend Liz, because she's such a lovely, smoky leather vanilla.

[Amoraexcena]

I love Liz... so glad to see it get some love

[venoroxie]

Ooh, yay! I'm excited to see love for Liz! To me she sounded too floral but I am willing to give her a try =D Now, to find a sample, decant or bottle. Hmm.

 

Thanks, loves! <3

 

(still open to other recommendations!)

[neptuneanblues]

The Lights of Men's Lives (I linked so that you can read the reviews) may work... to me it is a lot sweeter than the description sounds, so it definitely has a "vanilla-and-candles" feel, in my opinion.

 

Lyonesse doesn't seem to exactly fit the bill, but is quite popular and a different take on vanilla....

 

 

The Lights of Men's Lives is already on my wishlist but not for this reason, oddly enough =p I wanted it for my beeswax fix. The reviews I've read say that it's mostly pure beeswax with some vanilla but no smoke? I guess I just need to try it, huh? =]

 

I counted after doing a search on the word "smoke" within the review topic (not counting the reviewers who said something like "I don't smell smoke at all"), and around 25 of the reviewers did smell at least a hint of smoke in The Lights of Men's Lives. It's been a long time since I tested it, and I don't think I did perceive the smoke note, but it looks like some people did.

[Circaea]

My first thought was Tattered Lace. Very light airy vanilla.

[ziggystardust13]

The Light's of Men's Lives!!!

[Mountaingrrl00]

The first thing that came to mind for me was Morocco. The list of notes doesn't even mention vanilla, but I get exactly the vibe you're describing.

 

"The intoxicating perfume of exotic incenses wafting on warm desert breezes. Arabian spices wind through a blend of warm musk, carnation, red sandalwood and cassia."

 

The incenses are smoky and the warm desert breezes are dry, I guess. I think the warm musk with the spices are what read as vanilla.

[ND¢]

No one's mentioned Sachs- Not as smoky as you might like, but there is complexity to it, and it wouldn't be too hard to get your hands on some.