We all know and love the scent of vanilla, and there’s a reason for that!
Aromatherapists say it’s relaxing and calming, patissiers say it’s delicious (it’s the most popular flavouring agent in the world) and it’s been rumoured to even have aphrodisiac qualities… nothing “vanilla” about that! 😉
Vanilla originates from Mesoamerica, where Indigenous people cultivated the Vanilla Orchid for the purpose of flavouring food as well as for use in medicine. After the Spanish Conquest of the 1500s, it made its way across the world and quickly became beloved by all who encountered it.
It wasn’t until the 1900s that we started to see vanilla appear in perfumery, and it quickly became a staple in the perfumer’s palette due to its ability to enhance and enrichen the notes it’s paired with. Its sweet, creamy, and slightly spicy aroma complements almost every class of note, which is why it’s so universally loved!
We all remember the vanilla fragrance craze of the 90s, and in 2024 we’ve noticed it’s back, but this time with a twist! People of course still love those delicious gourmand vanilla fragrances, but we are seeing a lot of vanilla paired with woods, leathers, and deeper earthier notes making for some absolutely intoxicating new perfume releases.
So in light of the vanilla trend we’re seeing, we’ve put together a little list of our favourite vanilla fragrances for you, each one a little different from the other.
Vanilla Powder by Matiere Premiere
Pure Madagascan vanilla oil paired with coconut powder and hypnotic Palo Santo oil to create a creamy, warm, and slightly spicy concoction. Vanilla Powder really set the scene for the new kind of vanilla-style fragrances. This one has some serious legs – its super powerful and more of a creamy powdery fragrance than your typical vanilla.
NOTES
Top: Coconut Powder
Middle: Vanilla absolute, Palo Santo Oil
Base: White Musk
Vanille Leather by BDK Parfums
In Vanille Leather, we get a bouquet of white florals, violets and raw leather that mingles with the deep rich spice of vanilla. It smells and feels so luxurious and decadent – the voluptuousness of the white florals perfectly compliment the smooth buttery vanilla.
NOTES
Top: Pink Peppercorn, Violet Accord
Middle: Tuberose Absolute, Jasmine Absolute, Orange Blossom Absolute
Base: Vanilla, Patchouli, Oakwood, Leather Accord, Orris, Benzoin
Vaniglia fior di Mandorlo by Acca Kappa
Almond blossom meets the warm heady sweetness of jasmine before settling on a bed of creamy sandalwood and vanilla in this delectable fragrance. This is absolutely the fragrance of sunshine-y happiness right here. An absolute must for lovers of those sweet, classic vanillas!
NOTES
Top: Italian Bergamot, Jasmine
Middle: Almond Flower, Vanilla
Base: Sandalwood, Amber, Tonka Bean, Musk
Vanilla Vibes by Juliette has a Gun
Like the salted caramel of the sea, Vanilla Vibes is fresh and ozonic, a little salty, and very vanilla. Let this fragrance take you on a tropical holiday with one quick little spritz. The vanilla is so beautifully balanced with the sea salt freshness plus the sandalwood depth, this is absolutely a chef’s kiss vanilla summertime scent.
NOTES
Top: Fleur de Sal (Sea Salt)
Middle: Natural Vanilla Absolute, Orchid Absolute
Base: Sandalwood Absolute, Tonka Bean Absolute, Brown Musk, Benzoin Absolute
Vanilla Ice Cream by Demeter
A photorealistic olfactory portrait of vanilla ice cream – what more is there to say? It smells as delicious as vanilla ice cream tastes and will certainly satisfy any sweet tooth out there. The perfect little vanilla fragrance to have in your pocket for when you just need a lil sweet pep-me-up during the day!
Dirty Vanilla by Heretic Parfum
Centred around the vanilla orchid, Dirty Vanilla presents us with a greener, earthier, dirtier interpretation of vanilla. Quite literally like it’s name, Dirty Vanilla smells like vanilla but a bit dirtier, a bit more earthy. Like the vanilla orchid plant that the vanilla comes from, it smells of the earth and surrounds as the plant grows in the wild to create a subtle vanilla animalic sexiness that we just love.
NOTES
Top: Cedar, Coriander, Ho Wood
Middle: Vanilla Co2
Base: Styrax, Vanillin, Vetiver, Patchouli, Sandalwood
Silky Woods and Silky Woods Elixir by Goldfield & Banks
Heroing both Australian oud and Madagascan vanilla, Silky Woods is the ultimate woody vanilla fragrance. The oud creates a rich and mesmerizing depth while the vanilla lends such a decadent warmth to the overall tone of the fragrance that this is one of our best sellers for good reason. Silky Woods is a powerful scent and Silky Woods Elixir sets you into pure beast mode for a deliciously sexy vanilla based fragrance!
Silky Woods
NOTES
Top: Agarwood Tropical Australia, Cinnamon Ceylon
Middle: Tobacco Leaves, Ylang Ylang
Base: Madagascar Vanilla Tahiti, Sandalwood Australia, Incense
Silky Woods Elixir
NOTES
Top: Fig, Saffron
Middle: Rose, Peru Balsam, Orris
Base: Agarwood Australia, Guaiac Wood, Ambroxan, Clearwood®, Vanilla, Musk, Oakmoss, Cypriol, Oud Assafi
More Vanilla Fragrances
These are just a few of our best-selling vanilla fragrances. Want to delve deeper?