In my perpetual hunt for the perfect vanilla, I decided to try Guerlain‘s Shalimar Ode à La Vanille Sur La Route De Mexique. The very first “Shalimar Ode à La Vanille” was released in 2010, and was a gourmand, vanilla-centric flanker to the great Shalimar that was subsequently followed by another limited-edition gourmand version in 2012 called Ode à La Vanille Sur La Route De Madagascar. In 2013, the Mexique version was released, also in limited-edition, but this one is still easily found on a number of online retailers for a great, discounted price. It’s not my perfect vanilla by any means, but I can see why some people like the fragrance, especially those who struggle with the 1925 Shalimar original and dislike its dark, smoky, leathery, and animalic undertones.
Category Archives: Vanilla Fragrances
Van Cleef & Arpels Orchidee Vanille
Van Cleef & Arpels entered the prestige “niche” market in 2009 when it debuted its Collection Extraordinaire. Orchidée Vanille (hereinafter just “Orchidee Vanille”) was one of the six fragrances, a vanilla soliflore with subtle floral and gourmand accents that I found to be surprisingly pleasant.
Orchidee Vanille is an eau de parfum created by Randa Hammami. The official description for the perfume as provided by Neiman Marcus is as follows:
An intoxicating journey through the Indian Ocean and Asia, Orchidee Vanille explores all the richness of vanilla.
A floral, gourmand fragrance with a subtle blend of fruity notes (mandarin orange and litchi), combined with tastybitter almond and dark chocolate, and accented with sensual European flourishes of Bulgarian rose and violet notes. The vanilla pod is faceted with woody cedar and balsamic tonka bean and notes of transparent white musk. Continue reading
4160 Tuesdays The Sexiest Scent on the Planet. Ever. (IMHO)
“The Sexiest Scent on the Planet. Ever. (IMHO)” is quite a name for a fragrance, and a tall order to boot, subjective humble opinions notwithstanding. I personally don’t share the sentiment described in the title, but “The Sexiest Scent” (as I shall call it here for reasons of simplicity and speed) from 4160 Tuesdays is not a bad perfume, and has some enjoyable aspects. I can’t say the same for 4160 Tuesday’s other vanilla scent, The Dark Heart of Old Havana, which I shall cover in a different review. Continue reading
Review En Bref: 4160 Tuesdays The Dark Heart of Old Havana
The Dark Heart of Old Havana is a vanilla fragrance from 4160 Tuesdays, which I fully expected to love, judging by its description as a “tobacco, fruity oriental” with notes which include: vanilla, sugar, tobacco, orange, bergamot, coffee, tonka, and geranium. I was sorely mistaken. Continue reading