By Hannah & Catriona
Personally, I love my vanillary fragrances. We’ve been sniffing and researching some amazing vanilla scents this week at Beauty and the Dirt and have discovered some incredible ones we recommend you get your hands on.
Vanilla has been thought to have an intimate connection evoking pleasant childhood memories; with its comforting milky warmth, caring and softness. It has connotations of purity and simplicity, too, and used as an undernote amongst the strongest of smells can instantly mellow out a fragrance to give the most succulent, luxurious scent. It is also linked to reduce stress and anxiety, making you calmer as Vanillin reduces the startle-reflex in humans (that must explain the positive energy this week during our vanilla scent research..!)
We wanted to feature the importance of these little pods and the different perfumes which contain them; whether it be the main scent, or just a hint. Here are some of our favourites;
Kiehl’s Vanilla and Cedarwood Aromatic Mist
For those of you who love vanilla but find most vanilla scents a little sweet, this one’s for you. The mixture of the Ugandan Vanilla with the Cedarwood makes for the perfect combination and unisex scent. The vanilla adds a subtle sweetness to the mist, whilst the cedarwood creates a smokiness due to its woody, earthy qualities. The perfume’s also has elements iris and amber which intensify the vanilla and cedarwood blend. The mist is one of three scents included in Kiehl’s Aromatic Blends range and is also available in a Body Cleanser and Body Lotion.
Kiehl’s are using this range as a way to source ingredients using more sustainable methods, in order to use in their brand by helping to promote social change in around 6500 vanilla farms in Uganda. This initiative allows them to install water wells, improve education and also set fair trade prices for their ingredients.
The smaller 30ml bottle is sold for £24.50 and the 100ml is priced at £44.50.
Find it online at Kiehl’s for all of the product range.
The Library of Fragrance: Vanilla Ice Cream
Need a burst of summer in a scent? Try the Library of Fragrance’s Vanilla Ice Cream fragrance for a super-sweet aroma. Smelling exactly like a tub of cornish vanilla ice cream this perfume offers the perfect option for anyone who prefers sugary fragrant choices. The packaging of the product is a good size to pop into any handbag, meaning that you can top up throughout the day with ease.
Available at Boots for £15 in the 30ml bottle or at the Library of Fragrance.
Van Cleef and Arpels Orchidée Vanille
In Asia, exotic orchids are often associated with beauty. Van Cleef and Arpels wanted a vanilla that was not too sugary – but sweet like candied almond. It is a smooth and sophisticated, pure vanilla bean scent. The luscious bean used for this fragrance is called the vanilla planifolia, which nestles inside an elegant black sheath. It’s visual descreetness, falsely mild and leisurely, melts into a dreamy musk scent. It is feminine and warm.
The notes are mandarin, orange, lychee, bitter almond, dark chocolate, bulgarian rose, voilet, cedar, balsamic tonka bean and white musk.
Orchidée Vanille is part of Van Cleef and Arpels’ collection of seven rare and luxurious fragrances, inspired by the beauty of nature.
Available from Libertys, House Of Fraser and other luxury parfum stockists, for £126 for 75ml.
Lush Gorilla Perfume Vanillary
This one is truly scrumptious! Lush Cosmetics have formulated a sweet, yet sophisticated fragrance, Vanillary. It actually isn’t an obvious Vanilla scent. They have blended fair trade vanilla absolute with tonka together with a hint of jasmine for a powdery, caramel scent. It literally smells of a Lush store! It settles into the skin for a long-lasting warmth. Vanillary comes in a little tinned solid perfume too so its lovely to take with you in your bag for a top up.
Vanillary comes in a 10ml bottle for £14, 30ml for £28, 100ml for £56 & a 12g solid perfume for £7 and available to order from the Lush Cosmetics Website.
DKNY A Drop of Vanilla
PureDKNY A Drop of Vanilla is a fresh, feminine perfume with key notes of vanilla, transparent jasmine, freesia and lush orchid. PureDKNY celebrates a moment of peace and tranquility with this fragrance. Simple, calm, and authentic. If you are one to prefer vanilla to be on the softer scale; this one is for you. It is very wearable, and the Sandalwood undertones combine beautifully with the floral notes.
Also, to end this article on a good cause; “pureDKNY has partnered with CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization defending dignity and fighting global poverty, to help empower women around the world through the purchase of naturally derived ingredients. Through a drop of vanilla, sourced from Uganda, pureDKNY helps support the Access Africa program helping local communities.”
Lovely, lovely.
A Drop of Vanilla is £25 for 100ml available to buy from select stores online, including Perfume Click, or a list of stockists on the DKNY site.
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