This weekend I tried a few of the La Maison de la Vanille perfumes. I should preface my remarks by pointing out that I am not a huge vanilla fan, so it is no surprise that I'm not head over heels about any of these. Regardless, here goes…
Vanille Divine des Tropiques is vanilla with tropical florals (tuberose, hyacinth, jasmine, gardenia) and a dash of aldehydes. It has a synthetic smelling beachy fresh accord that does not agree with me. Into the “no” pile it goes.
Next up: Vanille Givree des Antilles. This features rose & tuberose with vanilla and a hefty dose of patchouli. Have I mentioned yet that I don't like patchouli? This turned musty-sour on me fairly quickly. It has been compared to Angel, but other than the patchouli and a brief whiff of something like tobacco in the top notes, I don't find them much alike.
By far my favorite of the bunch was Vanille Sauvage de Madagascar. The top notes are cake-like without being sticky-gooey sweet, and it dries down into a woody vanilla with light spices and a touch of incense & vetiver. Nicely done, and I will give this one a second try.
Kudos to LMDV for offering the nicely packaged coffret of 15 ml bottles. At $28, it is a very reasonable way to try out the line. For buying information, see the listing for La Maison de la Vanille under Perfume Houses.
Related review: La Maison de La Vanille Eau Noire du Mexique
3 Comments
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My favorite is Noire du Mexique. Soft, floral vanilla without sweetness or foodiness. It does have patchouli which may not appeal to you.
Thanks for commenting! You are right, if the patchouli is strong, I probably won't like it, but I do like to try everything so hopefully I will get a sample of that eventually.
Paging you at MUA