Vanilia (1978)
by L'Artisan Parfumeur

I really expected to love this scent, but I don't. I like it, but I don't love it. Sometimes I detect something in the drydown that "puts me off". It is the same odor that I find in the bath products of Myrrhe Ardente by Annick Goutal. Is it the musk? Is it the tonka? I love the smell of tonka which I grind and use in potpourri, so I doubt that the occasional bad smell is tonka. For such an oily type of perfume, the staying power is only moderate at best. I'm still searching for the perfect pure vanilla. Until I find it, it's back to Vanille Tonka by Parfums de Nicolai. I can't say enough good things about the creations of Patricia Nicolai. PS Now that I have tried this on hot summer days, I need to edit my review. While this scent may never be a part of my permanent rotation, I find it quite compelling. The rich, thick vanilla smoke is a great "change of pace" fragrance" for summertime.

...and then, there is body chemistry.

I bought this impulsively, sight unsniffed, in an atypical bout of self doubt very late one night, having read Luca's review. "Shalimar met Andy Warhol"...how can you resist THAT??!!

But on me this is the subtlest of vanillas with an almost smoky undertone that reminds me of LMdeV's Vanille Sauvage de Madagascar. I came late to vanillas and have gone through a bunch and this is the one I wear in public. LUV it.

There is a smokey, spicy edge to this vanilla that prevents it from becoming cloying and on my skin lasts for ages. Spray this on one hand and Givenchy's Pi on the other -- you will detect the difference in class and skill involved. I disagree regarding when to wear -- I think it suits the summer perfectly. Not an everyday scent imo, but lovely to wear occasionally. The L'Artisan 50ml bottles all have pretty nasty clear plastic tops now though -- must be feeling the pinch.

Vanilla Intense. And very nice, totally gorgeous vanilla this is. I just love it.

It starts off, for me, as an 'imitation vanilla' right out of the spice drawer. Not a wonderful "Williams-Sonoma' type of deluxe vanilla, but rather a generic 'super market' imitation one, in my opinion. I feel that this scent longs to be a vanilla sugar cookie embodiment, but it falls short in many ways; seems someone took the cookies out of the oven too soon, hence the lack of yummy food-like character.
There seems to be a vision here, but it falls far short of the intended goal.

The vanilla note in this bottle is non gourmand typed, also smells old. Reminds me of the Susanne Lang's fragrances, that three key elements have become one. It's mono scented. Nothing exciting, rather boring. It smells old on my skin.