Raw Vanilla (1996)
by Coty

I expected McCormick disguissed as a fragrance but I was pleasantly surprised by the woody scent this perfume is, it beats hands down lots of woody scents that sell for triple the value. The vanilla does not show up until late in the drydown and is not the sweet cloying vanilla of many perfumes, but a nice, kinda dry vanilla that is not half bad.
This is not an exceptional fragrance by any means, but is is pleasant, wearable and most important, cheap without smelling cheap. It would not get any FiFi award, but good enough to get my thumbs up.

20th August, 2011.

Very nice scent,its starts off with a strong soapy smell and then dry's down to a sweet (still soapy :) ) vanilla. Very good refreshing smell if i say so myself.

28th May, 2011. (Last Edited: 3rd June, 2011.)

Pleasant but surprisingly non-vanillic opening gives way quickly to the superior vanilla base. Top notes are strong but short-lived, the excellent vanilla base note is weaker. Might need to layer it on to get the preferred vanilla base without overwhelming the room with the OK top notes. One of the few $10 colognes I can wear.

26th April, 2011.

Wonderful masculine vanilla scent that is not overly sweet or cloying. Its dominant note is obviously vanilla, but the bamboo and woody notes in this apparently are what prevents this from smelling like candy.

I can't smell any individual wood or other notes other than vanilla, but I believe this fragrance would smell sickeningly sweet, like vanilla cookies, if it weren't for those supporting notes. Don't believe me? Dab on a little bit of vanilla extract from your spice rack onto your wrist, and you'll see what pure vanilla oil really smells like.

Raw Vanilla is very simple, comforting and linear, and that's what I like about it. This is not a gourmand fragrance. It's a good conservative scent that fits right in with old style shaving rituals. I find it very similar to Pinaud's Classic Vanilla, only better blended.

Unless you don't like vanilla fragrances at all, there's really no reason to lambaste this fragrance. So this sucks, huh? Why? Because Coty makes it? If it were called Vanille Noire and had a Serge Lutens label and a $150 price tag, you'd all be talking about what a beautifully simple and well blended fragrance this is.

MY RATING: 8/10

30th March, 2011. (Last Edited: 3rd April, 2011.)

This start out doughy to me but that goes away quickly. A slight metallic note follows. All of this on top of a woody vanilla with tropical tones to it. Not my favorite, but I think it would be wearable. Certainly affordable.

25th December, 2010.

Updating my previous review.

Raw Vanilla in one word. Amazing. Do not let the name "Coty" fool you, imo they have made some instant classics... others may not agree, but to say this one is bad is just biased. If ya don't like this, ya don't like vanilla.

The fragrance itself is focused on the vanilla. Although the bamboo, teak, tonka bean and green notes are always there. 50% vanilla, 50% all the other notes. Blended very well, making this fragrance linear. I do find this fragrance to be unisex. Longevity is 6+ hours, and projection is nice, but only for the first 2 hours, after that, it stays pretty close to the skin.

People always ask me, "Recommend me a vanilla fragrance for men, that isn't thick, syrupy or cloying?" The first one that comes to mind is Raw Vanilla. It is along the lines of Eau Duelle by Diptyque. Raw Vanilla is far cheaper, and a beautiful "light" vanilla experience. A must try for any man who wants a different type of vanilla fragrance than what most of the market puts out.

This fragrance is arguably discontinued.

28th February, 2010. (Last Edited: 5th April, 2011.)