Douceur de Vanille
by Les Néréides

I find this scent to be both comforting and alluring.
It makes the wearer seem approachable.

7th June, 2011.

The way I perceive any scent is highly suggestible, depending on what I have read about it. The words shape my expectations and experience. This vanilla is very nice and more complex than many of the other straight vanilla scents I have tried.

The Perfumed Court describes this one as : "An incredibly smooth vanilla fragrance (made with bourbon vanilla) with additional notes of almond, cocoa, white rose, and star anise seed." I don't actually pick up any of those other elements except perhaps for cocoa, but I do know I enjoy wearing this one. It is a comfort scent for me, good for being at home.

There is nothing sophisticated about this vanilla, though - for sophistication I go to Guerlain's Spiritueuse Double Vanille. But if you like vanilla you would probably like Douceur de Vanille.

10th July, 2010.

This has been compared to baby oil by more than one tester. I have to say, it is far more than that...Douceur de Vanille is a day at the beach- complete with baby oil for tanning, Desitin for baby bottoms and noses, melted chocolate almonds in a waxed paper bag, wild beach roses, salt air, warm squashed fruits, and sweating bottles of cream soda. Despite all this, DdV is not heavy or gourmand. This is not the powder of Flora Bella by Lalique or the candy of Montale's Chocolate Greedy, however, it may be the delicate and devastatingly beautiful sister of "L" by Lolita Lempicka. Instead, DdV is elusive, giving the wearer just a weaving glimpse of some uncertain seaside memory. I only wish it lasted a bit longer, but possibly that is part of its allure? Like others, I find something hauntungly familiar about this perfume. For me, perhaps it is the scent of past days at my grandparent's beach house. It is sure to hold a memory for you, as well....

26th January, 2010.

Baby powder and coco powder. With the faintest touch of rose/anise you could imagine....but this is baby powder, bottom line. I use it on my toddler and it suits her and becomes quite a cute scent. On my skin it sits unchanged, until I feel sick and have to scrub it. I like powdery scents but this is toooo much.

27th April, 2006.