Vanilla - Discover the Sensual Ingredient

Those who love perfumes with sultry features often subconsciously go for a
fragrance with vanilla in it. Vanilla has an edible character, just think of the
many sweet treats in which vanilla is used. Can you appreciate the warm
and sensual fragrance? We’ll tell you all about this extraordinary fragrance note
and show you our favourite vanilla perfumes.

Vanilla is loved by many and is therefore often used in fragrance creations.
The precious ingredient steals many hearts and that is why we asked our
experts to select their ultimate perfumes with vanilla.

THE HISTORY OF VANILLA

Vanilla has been used as a flavour enhancer for centuries. There are signs that the spice was already used in the time of the Aztecs to flavour cocoa drinks. But they were not the first to use vanilla. Even before the Olmeca people on the Gulf coast of Mexico, vanilla was used to create a fine aroma in temples. Vanilla as a fragrance has a rich history.

WHAT IS VANILLA?

Vanilla comes from the vanilla orchid. This climbing plant can grow up to 15 metres (!) long and has beautiful green and white flowers. After nine months, ripe fruit grows from these flowers. From the pith of these fruits, we obtain the spice vanilla.

There are different types of vanilla, but two of them are used in fragrances: Vanilla planifolia and Vanilla tahitiensis. The first is particularly popular and is also called bourbon vanilla. You can recognise it by its warm, almost sticky fragrance.

The production of high-quality vanilla involves a long and expensive process. It is therefore no surprise that, after saffron, vanilla is the most expensive spice in the world.

VANILLA FROM MADAGASCAR

Vanilla only grows in areas adjacent to the equator and between the two tropics. The largest supplier of vanilla is Madagascar. Mexico was the main producer of vanilla until the end of the 19th century, but then Madagascar took over.

Unlike vanilla in Mexico, the vanilla orchid in Madagascar is fertilised by hand. This makes the vanilla from Madagascar a little stronger and slightly more spicy.

THE SCENT OF VANILLA

The scent of vanilla evokes a warm and tender feeling when you smell it. Vanilla is often used in gourmand fragrance creations, due to its creamy and edible character. In amber accords, vanilla is often used to add extra warmth. Those who love sweet, sultry, and comfortable notes will fall in love with vanilla.

PERFUMES WITH VANILLA

Juliette has a Gun - Vanilla Vibes

You walk on the beach on a lovely summerday and the scent of sea salt and vanilla hits you. The notes of vanilla and fleur de sel contrast beautifully with each other and bring an ode to freedom and adventure. With Vanilla Vibes, Romano Ricci managed to bottle a salty summer day.

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diptyque – Eau Duelle

Let yourself be taken on a journey to the lands of ancient civilisation: China, India, Persia, and Arab lands. Notes of cardamom, juniper, and saffron work in harmony, while vanilla plays the absolute leading role. The eau de toilette reveals an intense relationship between softness and character, femininity and masculinity, white vanilla, and black incense.

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Maison Francis Kurkdjian – Gentle Fluidity Gold

In the golden version of Gentle Fluidity you will find coriander seed essence and an overdose of musk and vanilla. In the base, the gourmande notes of the vanilla accord, enhanced by the amber woods, reveal a radiant silhouette.

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