Vanilla Bean, Pistachio, and Cacao

[Silvertree]

No further description.

[dancingchair]

This ménage features the foodie vanilla bean front and center. This is not the cherry pistachio of the Vanilla Cream, Pistachio, and Macadamia ménage, it's more true to life. It reminds me of the sweet pistachio in baklava. The dusty cacao rounds everything out. My general impression is that this smells like a chocolate-dipped pistachio cookie. Something about the vanilla makes it smell doughy and sweet.

 

I'd say this leans closer to Pandemic Vanitas than the Vanilla Cream, Pistachio, and Macadamia ménage. There's something doughy about the vanilla. It's really yummy, though.

 

Disclaimer: I just got this today so my impression of it may change.

[doomsday_disco]

This is so lovely! I get the cacao and pistachio strongest out of the gate, and the pistachio in this is more true pistachio and doesn't have any of the cherry vibes I got from the Vanilla Cream, Pistachio, and Macadamia trio, which I didn't enjoy (even though I love cherry, I had wanted a true pistachio). The vanilla bean lurks in the background and becomes more prominent over time, eventually becoming the strongest note on me, swirled with what remains of the cacao and pistachio.

 

Compared with Spumoni, the cacao in this is a lot stronger than the chocolate in that one, and of course, there's no cherry here like there is in that scent.

 

After testing this, I decided to give it a full scent-of-the-day slather and really enjoyed it. I'm debating a bottle, even though I already have a bottle of Spumoni on order. Even though they have some similarities, I think they are different enough to warrant owning both.

Edited February 26, 2023 by doomsday_disco

[samanare]

Much more of a vanilla and cacao scent on me. I don't get pistachio at all, instead a note that reminds me somewhat of cherry and mint. Definitely a foodie scent, though more pure vanilla bean and cacao than baked goods or another dessert. And it has this bright, fruity core I can't put my finger on. I'm pretty disappointed, I was hoping this would be another pistachio hit for me.

[Tamarinda]

In the decant: A creamy, nutty vanilla.

 

Wet: Oh, that's an interesting non-food vanilla, pistachio is coming out a bit, and wh-- what's that? Pickles. Pickles??? Skin chemistry, why...

 

Dry 1: Nooooooooooooo... This is so awful on me but I'm a masochist so I'll see where this goes. My skin chemistry is changing again so in the interest of science/self-flaggelation, I'll stick it out. This is both savory and sweet. It is totally bizarre, irrational even, but not remotely appealing. After a few more minutes, it's a sweetish vanilla béchamel nuttiness with that outta-left-field pickle smell. I'm nearly at the scrubbing point. I will see this through.

 

Dry 2: An hour or so later, the pickle smell is almost gone. It's like the faint smell of electricity in the air near overactive power lines, but pickles. The savory/sweet vanilla has faded in volume, at least. I'm confident once I finish this review, I'll be able to wash it off. What a mercy the cacao never showed up.

[Little Bird]

The pistachio smells like a whiff of sharp cherry/almond extract on me at first.  The vanilla bean is beautiful and creamy, but delicate and light.  Then there's a little dusting of powdery cocoa.  The cherry-ish smell fades away fast on me and I'm left with a light vanilla and lighter hint of chocolate.  Doesn't last long at all on me, maybe an hour, tops.

[saralaughs]

This is a beautiful trio; and a huge boon for vanilla bean lovers. 

 

First applied, the cacao and pistachio are there; and a pistachio that is nutty and warm. The cacao and nut recedes fast, with a warm vanilla bean replacing them as front and center.

 

The three meld beautifully into a vanilla bean that is rich and full bodied. The cacao seems to settle into a cocoa butter but this isn't buttery. It just adds a depth to the vanilla bean. The pistachio gives just a very slight nuttiness that also adds depth the vanilla bean alone wouldn't have.

 

I'm definitely grabbing a bottle.