Searching for the Perfect Vanilla?

[porcelina]

masculine vanillas are some of my favorite bpals (i am something of a scent cross-dresser). many of my favorites have been mentioned already, but these are my thoughts on the subject:

 

tombstone - rugged, woody cowboy desert vanilla. this goes a little funny on me now and i can't wear it anymore, but that's just my finicky chemistry. it's great.

golden priapus - a masculine o.

antikythera mechanism - rich and warm, like polished wood and dark vanilla

hellhound on my trail - a smoky, rich, slightly spicy, unbelievably delicious vanilla. it is a recent LE, hard to find but *totally* worth it if you can get it!

snake oil - pretty unisex, smells like musky vanilla incense on me.

voodoo - a really dark, well-blended mix of vanilla, myrrh, vetiver, spices... to me it smells like incense and vanilla cola, in a good way. very good when aged.

 

i can't recommend antikythera mechanism and hellhound strongly enough!

[doodlehum]

Love and Pain, Death Cap and Tombstone are very masculine vanilla scents IMO. Tombstone is the sweetest out of the three (cedar and vanilla), while Love and Pain is a very musky, sexy, unisex lavender vanilla and Death Cap smells like warm, clean vanilla dirt. One of my favorite vanilla scents is Black Opal, but it becomes rather sweet on me. Maybe on someone else's chemistry it'll stay less sweet however.

 

I second Love and Pain. It's unmistakably vanilla, but barely sweet at all and blended with all those lovely dark and sharp smells.

[anastasia]

Thank you all very much. I have had my eye on Love and Pain since I saw it because I have loved that painting for years although I am thankful that my perspective on relationships is no longer represented by it! lol. I also have a lot of the other recommendations on my imp list. I am still waiting on my first (and second) orders, sigh, but will definitely give these recommendations a try AND look forward to reporting back via review! anyway, thank you again and keep 'em coming if anyone feels anything has been neglected.

[anardana]

Bow and Crown of Conquest! It is amazing! It is like Tombstone (fabulous) but a bit more masculine.

[crebbsgirl]

I'm hoping someone can help me here. I have recently fallen head over heels in love with Black Lace. As it's ridiculously hard to come by and apparently I suck at Ebay, I need a good recommendation. BL on me is all dirty smutty, vanilla. I think it's a combination of the boozy cognac and tobacco and musk that makes it quite so awesome. Does anyone have any recommendations for dirty vanilla-y scents? I'm not looking for foody here. Most of the comparisons to BL from the wonderful list that ivyandpeony compiled are too clean-smelling for me. (Black Lace: Antique Lace, Euterpe (dc), Dorian, Haloes, Black Opal, Zephyr, Desire, Anactoria, The Sailors’ Den, The Antikythera Mechanism, Galvanic Goggles) I'm not looking for something that necessarily smells like BL, more like something that has the same vibe.

[ivyandpeony]

... BL on me is all dirty smutty, vanilla. I think it's a combination of the boozy cognac and tobacco and musk that makes it quite so awesome. Does anyone have any recommendations for dirty vanilla-y scents? ...

 

You know, I find Snake Charmer to be a kind of musky, smutty vanilla scent. On me, the vanilla is pretty well balanced with the resins and the musk, and then there's a little bit of fruit from the plum - but you definitely smell the vanilla.

[icing]

I'm hoping someone can help me here. I have recently fallen head over heels in love with Black Lace. As it's ridiculously hard to come by and apparently I suck at Ebay, I need a good recommendation. BL on me is all dirty smutty, vanilla. I think it's a combination of the boozy cognac and tobacco and musk that makes it quite so awesome. Does anyone have any recommendations for dirty vanilla-y scents? I'm not looking for foody here. Most of the comparisons to BL from the wonderful list that ivyandpeony compiled are too clean-smelling for me. (Black Lace: Antique Lace, Euterpe (dc), Dorian, Haloes, Black Opal, Zephyr, Desire, Anactoria, The Sailors’ Den, The Antikythera Mechanism, Galvanic Goggles) I'm not looking for something that necessarily smells like BL, more like something that has the same vibe.

Vanilla typically hides on my skin, but Smut is a rough and dirty vanilla smell... and Perversion isn't vanilla on me, but it has vanilla-esque notes, along with tobacco, musk, and booze.

[crebbsgirl]

That you so much ivyandpeony, and icing! I was lucky to find a decant of Snake Charmer before the update, so I'll have to revisit that. And Smut and Perversion sound right up my alley! I will have to try to hunt those down.

[ivyandpeony]

Perversion is a good one, icing! Tonka can be very vanilla-y depending on the variety, the other stuff in the blend and your skin chemistry. So that might be another note you'll want to explore, crebbsgirl. I am surprised that there is not a tonka thread in Recs - so it's a topic that is ripe for starting and discussing around here.

[Jennie]

I am having fun with my first order of imp's ears, however; it has become clear to me that I need help in selecting the next bunch. I am pretty new at this and I made a couple of mistakes.

 

I tried "O" and while it smells great going on, the only thing that persists on me is the amber. I can't smell the vanilla at all, and I was hoping for a stronger vanilla note. I also got Dragon's Milk, which has turned into a very berry smell on me.

 

So now I am thinking of getting different vanilla scents, hoping that the vanilla in one of these will be more obvious: Tamora, Snake Oil, Hunger. I know that they all smell different on everyone and maybe my skin just absorbs vanilla or something, but any advice is welcome.

 

I also love coconut, and am getting The Star in my next order. Are there other coconut ones?

 

My other big decision is between two blackberry scents: Bewitched and Dragon's Heart. Suggestions?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

 

I was also looking for a strong vanilla note in my first order. Didn't quite find what I was looking for though. O, snake oil and the others are very spicy, as you may have noticed (which can be delicious, sometimes). Other than that Mouse's long and sad tale was perhaps the most vanilla-vanilla of those I tried (O, snake oil, lyonesse, Antique lace was the ones I tried).

 

I also want more berry-scents! Perhaps it's because of my lovely, most loveliest bordello-imp. Tell me what you thought of the others.

Edited November 20, 2008 by Jennie

[phantasmmysteria]

I am having fun with my first order of imp's ears, however; it has become clear to me that I need help in selecting the next bunch. I am pretty new at this and I made a couple of mistakes.

 

I tried "O" and while it smells great going on, the only thing that persists on me is the amber. I can't smell the vanilla at all, and I was hoping for a stronger vanilla note. I also got Dragon's Milk, which has turned into a very berry smell on me.

 

So now I am thinking of getting different vanilla scents, hoping that the vanilla in one of these will be more obvious: Tamora, Snake Oil, Hunger. I know that they all smell different on everyone and maybe my skin just absorbs vanilla or something, but any advice is welcome.

 

I also love coconut, and am getting The Star in my next order. Are there other coconut ones?

 

My other big decision is between two blackberry scents: Bewitched and Dragon's Heart. Suggestions?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

 

I was also looking for a strong vanilla note in my first order. Didn't quite find what I was looking for though. O, snake oil and the others are very spicy, as you may have noticed (which can be delicious, sometimes). Other than that Mouse's long and sad tale was perhaps the most vanilla-vanilla of those I tried (O, snake oil, lyonesse, Antique lace was the ones I tried).

 

I also want more berry-scents! Perhaps it's because of my lovely, most loveliest bordello-imp. Tell me what you thought of the others.

 

You can satisfy both your needs with one scent: Eat Me!

 

This is my favorite GC -- delicious, slightly boozy currant cakes. This is a sweet scent, and new imps do have a buttery note that I'm not too crazy about, but the butter fades quickly (and a little aging almost eliminates it).

[lunaticana]

the Bourbon Vanilla in Peitho is very nice

[icing]

 

I was also looking for a strong vanilla note in my first order. Didn't quite find what I was looking for though. O, snake oil and the others are very spicy, as you may have noticed (which can be delicious, sometimes). Other than that Mouse's long and sad tale was perhaps the most vanilla-vanilla of those I tried (O, snake oil, lyonesse, Antique lace was the ones I tried).

 

I also want more berry-scents! Perhaps it's because of my lovely, most loveliest bordello-imp. Tell me what you thought of the others.

 

You can satisfy both your needs with one scent: Eat Me!

 

This is my favorite GC -- delicious, slightly boozy currant cakes. This is a sweet scent, and new imps do have a buttery note that I'm not too crazy about, but the butter fades quickly (and a little aging almost eliminates it).

 

Eat Me is definitely worth trying! I don’t get the cake or butter notes, but depending on my chemistry, I get a currants and cream, or Snake Oil, minus the amber.

 

Vanilla tends to vanish on me, so I really only get the berries, but Hollywood Babylon’s another berry-vanilla blend. (:

[Tigrrrlily]

Theres a gal at work who INUNDATES (sp?) the rooms with vanilla and it smells like when someone uses vanilla spray in a bathroom after... nevermind. Anyway, I hated Vanilla for the longest as a result of that.

 

Until I tried Theodosius - something about the combo of the tea and the musk and the vanilla with the white flowery scent is magic.. it smells edible but still quite elegant. I highly recommend while the carnival is still in town.

Edited November 27, 2008 by Tigrrrlily

[crebbsgirl]

That you so much ivyandpeony, and icing! I was lucky to find a decant of Snake Charmer before the update, so I'll have to revisit that. And Smut and Perversion sound right up my alley! I will have to try to hunt those down.

 

I'm reporting back having tried both Smut and Perversion and re-trying Snake Charmer. Smut turned into some funky burnt sugar scent on me. Not sure what happened there. Snake Charmer was a little too similar to Snake Oil for my tastes. But Perversion. Let's chat about Perversion. This smelled EXACTLY like what I was looking for. Similar vibe to Black Lace, not the same scent, but definitely what I was aiming for. I've been huffing my wrists all day! Thank you so much for your help, I'm in a state of scent bliss!

[phantasmmysteria]

 

I was also looking for a strong vanilla note in my first order. Didn't quite find what I was looking for though. O, snake oil and the others are very spicy, as you may have noticed (which can be delicious, sometimes). Other than that Mouse's long and sad tale was perhaps the most vanilla-vanilla of those I tried (O, snake oil, lyonesse, Antique lace was the ones I tried).

 

I also want more berry-scents! Perhaps it's because of my lovely, most loveliest bordello-imp. Tell me what you thought of the others.

 

You can satisfy both your needs with one scent: Eat Me!

 

This is my favorite GC -- delicious, slightly boozy currant cakes. This is a sweet scent, and new imps do have a buttery note that I'm not too crazy about, but the butter fades quickly (and a little aging almost eliminates it).

 

Eat Me is definitely worth trying! I don’t get the cake or butter notes, but depending on my chemistry, I get a currants and cream, or Snake Oil, minus the amber.

 

Vanilla tends to vanish on me, so I really only get the berries, but Hollywood Babylon’s another berry-vanilla blend. (:

It's funny you mention that -- sometimes the comments I get from other who smell Eat Me are that it smells like sweet incense. Since I usually can't do resiny blends, this suits me just fine (though I often wonder how my skin does such crazy things ).

[icing]

 

I was also looking for a strong vanilla note in my first order. Didn't quite find what I was looking for though. O, snake oil and the others are very spicy, as you may have noticed (which can be delicious, sometimes). Other than that Mouse's long and sad tale was perhaps the most vanilla-vanilla of those I tried (O, snake oil, lyonesse, Antique lace was the ones I tried).

 

I also want more berry-scents! Perhaps it's because of my lovely, most loveliest bordello-imp. Tell me what you thought of the others.

 

You can satisfy both your needs with one scent: Eat Me!

 

This is my favorite GC -- delicious, slightly boozy currant cakes. This is a sweet scent, and new imps do have a buttery note that I'm not too crazy about, but the butter fades quickly (and a little aging almost eliminates it).

 

Eat Me is definitely worth trying! I don’t get the cake or butter notes, but depending on my chemistry, I get a currants and cream, or Snake Oil, minus the amber.

 

Vanilla tends to vanish on me, so I really only get the berries, but Hollywood Babylon’s another berry-vanilla blend. (:

It's funny you mention that -- sometimes the comments I get from other who smell Eat Me are that it smells like sweet incense. Since I usually can't do resiny blends, this suits me just fine (though I often wonder how my skin does such crazy things ).

Hah, I read so many reviews on different things and think, “Wait, they must have something mislabeled, those notes can’t do that!” or, “No way, I amp that note, and it is NOT in this blend!”

Then, “Oh yeah, since when are notes normal on me?”

 

crebbsgirl: YAY for Perversion!

Also, it’s another non-vanilla on me, but Le Père Fouettard is a subtle (in feeling, in wearlength, it lasts longer than a most blends do on me), booze-free Perversion variant on my skin.

[ImperatrixMundi]

Hi there!

Could you help someone who likes Vanilla but has skin chemistry that does not?

My problem is that some of the vanilla scents, like Antique Lace for example, smell incredibly fake and like plastic on me.

 

But the Vanilla Bean note in some of the blends seems to be much nicer, richer and a little bit more buttery. I dont like rich, sweet, buttery foody stuff usually but that is the vanilla I like.

Am I just imagining things or are there really distinctly different vanillas? I'd very much likr to find one that my chemistry likes too.

[icing]

Hi there!

Could you help someone who likes Vanilla but has skin chemistry that does not?

My problem is that some of the vanilla scents, like Antique Lace for example, smell incredibly fake and like plastic on me.

 

But the Vanilla Bean note in some of the blends seems to be much nicer, richer and a little bit more buttery. I dont like rich, sweet, buttery foody stuff usually but that is the vanilla I like.

Am I just imagining things or are there really distinctly different vanillas? I'd very much likr to find one that my chemistry likes too.

I have the issue of vanilla, tonka, and benzoin usually not showing up, at all, on my skin, but sarsaparilla, especially after it’s aged a few months, turns into a thick, creamy vanilla on me.

 

I know your chemistry is a different sort of mean, but have you tried Tombstone or Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener?

Fresh, Tombstone can smell okay, or just like charred wood and root beer, but it turns into a heavy, rich vanilla with a marshmallow backing... and Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener smells similar to Love's Philosophy (only with the addition of wood), on me. Strangely, I typically amp woods into Super!Evil Throat Closing and Blend Ruining Monsters, but the wood notes seem to stay in check in those two.

 

[femmefatale]

Vanilla doesn't always work on me (often times the vanilla either disappears or does something weird on the dry down), but Tombstone (even when fresh) dries down to the most delicious vanilla. I looooove it.

 

(and this is coming from a girl who had the hardest time coming around to vanilla scents because I always thought of that awful Vanilla Fields perfume....gag)

[ivyandpeony]

....

But the Vanilla Bean note in some of the blends seems to be much nicer, richer and a little bit more buttery. I dont like rich, sweet, buttery foody stuff usually but that is the vanilla I like.

Am I just imagining things or are there really distinctly different vanillas? I'd very much likr to find one that my chemistry likes too.

 

I think there are different vanillas that the Lab uses, definitely, and some are creamier or butterier, some are sweeter, etc. And then the combination of ingredients they're used with can play up those characteristics even more.

 

Which vanilla blends do you like the most? Are there any others that have had the same effect as Antique Lace for you?

[heartlilly]

I have some vanilla issues too (it usually disappears on my skin or goes kind of plasticy, though Antique lace works for me...but it is very musky vanilla) and I agree with the Tombstone and Simulating Sass. Streg. Those two are very good and stay a thick rich vanilla for me. Sugar cookie might be worth a look, I have an older bottle and it is very rich slightly spicy vanilla.

[ImperatrixMundi]

Thank you for all these many replies

 

Tombstone I want to try very much, maybe I can lay my hands on an imp some time.

And I have no idea what Sassafras smells like but I'll try everything once (well... ALMOST everything!)

 

With Sugar Cookie I definitely was tempted by the cookie smell even though I usually dont wear foody stuff. Not that I dont like foody smells per se but I cant bear to smell like that myself. And many reviews say it is buttery, that butter accord makes me really sick, I still cringe when I think of Drink Me. But a decant cant hurt, can it?

The exception to the general no food-rule are Sugar notes, like in Sugar Skull or especially the Lick Its and Faith. Love them!

 

I dont want to bore you to death, you really dont have to read all of this but these are the things with vanilla I have tried:

 

Antique Lace - see above

 

Black Opal - to me it is a weird, watery vanilla scent, really odd but in the end it does the same as Antique Lace

 

Golden Priapus - amber, mainly. my brain still thinks it is smelling gingerbread so I gave it to my boyfriend to wear and after about a year the vanilla has really come out and I am thinking of snatching up a bottle

 

Hunger - the vanilla behaves well but is really dominated by the florals

 

Snake Oil - I dont like it much, it has a sort of 'dirty' thing going on, same as Smut. Still letting the decant sit around to see what happens

 

Le Serpent qui Danse - GARDENIA. Smells like Monoi oil. Where are the other notes?

 

Mr. Ibis - The Vanilla Flower note! Not really dominant vanilla scent but I like Mr. Ibis a lot overall, one of my favourites.

 

White Rabbit - hard to describe, vanilla not dominant

 

Tamora - sounded nice, does not work because of peach blossom

 

Mme. Moriarty - the vanilla bean hovers at the edge of the scent smelling nice. If I could always get vanilla like that I'd be happy

Lady Una just arrived and over all the blackberry I get the same effect.

 

Theodosius - I get all citrus from this

 

Cytherea - love this one, mainly sweet sandalwood, vanilla is behaving itself

 

Hellhound - jumped on the bandwagon and snatched a bottle, the vanilla pushed me over the edge. And where is it now?

 

Love's Philosophy - you broke my heart. Many people smelled wintergreen, guess saffron is to blame for that. I was one of them. When the fake wintergreen was finally gone I got plastic again.

[ivyandpeony]

....

And I have no idea what Sassafras smells like but I'll try everything once (well... ALMOST everything!)

 

....

 

I dont want to bore you to death, you really dont have to read all of this but these are the things with vanilla I have tried:

 

...

 

Oh, you will never bore the regular Recommendations crowd, we LOVE this stuff and ask for it by name.

 

You will recognize sassafras when you smell it - it's the dominant flavor in root beer. It goes really nicely with vanilla, even has a little bit of a vanilla quality of its own. It's a note that I amp until I smell like a root beer bottling plant, so I don't often go for blends that have it, but I've smelled Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener on a friend of mine and it was gorgeous on her.

 

So I've put on my thinking cap this morning, I have some theories. It sounds like the sweetest vanilla scents aren't working for you, they need something that balances out the sweetness, and florals can amp on you, so they aren't a complete "no" but the strong ones will kill off the vanilla. It also sounds like scents that only have one or two notes to accompany the vanilla are letting it go wild, so maybe blends that are a little more complex will let the vanilla shine but will offset any weird things it wants to do on your skin.

 

Can you wear cocoa notes at all? Velvet might be nice on your skin, the sandalwood and myrrh are such a nice complement to the vanilla and the cocoa is on the dry side as opposed to the rich and sweet chocolate scents like The Candy Butcher. And there are some people who have found Boomslang is great even though Snake Oil wasn't their holy grail, so it might also work out as your Snake Oil scent. It is pretty sweet, though.

 

In fact, if you haven't explored the Snake Pit, it might be worth seeking out some decants in time to try them and pick up bottles before CD leaves. Western Diamondback is so popular and there's tonka bolstering the vanilla, which might work nicely on your skin. If you can do vetiver, Death Adder would be worth trying. I love the mossiness of Banded Sea Snake - it isn't a strong vanilla scent, the vanilla would probably be on a par with Mr. Ibis. Habu might also work for you, Snake oil with musk and woods.

 

Mr. Ibis ultimately became a little too manly on my skin, but the vanilla note in it reminded me of the vanilla quality in Victoria (from Stardust). I know they sound like they are worlds apart, and there are some florals in Victoria to contend with, but they are pretty soft and delicate, far from the gardenia family.

 

If you are tempted by Sugar Cookie - try Chimera. And don't let the honeysuckle note scare you, most people barely smell it if at all, I think there must be only a drop in this blend. It's a beautiful spicy vanilla. I've had this secret theory that people who can't wear Chimera can wear Eclipse and vice-versa, so if Chimera doesn't work, try Eclipse It's a lovely vanilla-cinnamon blend too, with a hit of almond and heliotrope.

 

A few other GCs that might need to go on your wish list - Perversion (smoky and dry vanilla/tonka), Lyonesse (vanilla, musk, sandalwood, ambergris, very complex and pretty), and The Antikythera Mechanism (rich teak and vanilla).

[heartlilly]

ImperatrixMundi, I think I may have found a vanilla scent twin (or cousin)! I had nearly identical vanilla experiences to yours.

I totally agree with ivyandpeony's observations. I can't believe I forgot about Lyonesse! It is fantastic.

Velvet is wonderful, but I mostly get cocoa (but it is worth a shot, it is fantastic!)

I get mostly almond from Eclipse so Chimera just moved up on my to try list.

Have you tried Bengal? I get very little vanilla from it, but it is warm and cozy (and a personal fav so I have to recommend it)

Good luck!