Masculine Gourmand/Vanilla, Suggestions?

[Miket]

I love vanilla in fragrances, and though I'm not a huge fan my fiance seems to really enjoy anything gourmand (yet she isn't much of a fragrance fan in general); even fairly unimpressive stuff makes her happy, but the no.1 for her that I also love to wear myself is Spiritueuse Double Vanille, though I know it isn't really what most would call a gourmand.

The catch is it costs me $360 a bottle, base-price, plus postage and whatever an accompanying bottle of Cologne du 68 is going for (I always layer it with 68's drydown) which can be anything from 50-90 sans postage,
and while I don't mind laying that sort of money down if I know it'll last between her stealing it, and the way my fussy skin consumes fragrance this is not something that works for me as a daily-wear. Even if I was willing to cut back on buying other fragrances the situation is still not satisfactory because this is one that is very special to me and I don't want to ruin that by wearing it all the time.

So what I'm looking for is a solid, high-end vanilla fragrance, or a gourmand (with a prominant vanilla note to make it more palatable for me), and solid longevity and sillage are must-haves, while the price needs to be reasonable for something I might end up wearing quite frequently for all but the warmest months. To me that means niche or high-end designer prices (i.e Montale, Annick Goutal, CDG, Dior, etc) are fine, but designer exclusives, etc., not so much. I'm perfectly comfortable wearing "femenine," scents so don't hold back if you know of one. She's enjoyed Mont Blanc Individuel, Lanvin Avant Garde, Chopard Casran, and Sables (which I don't find gourmandish, but each to their own) and, oddly enough, Diesel Plus Plus femenine, aside from Double Vanille, and Vanille Exquise also seems to go down well but only when we're nice and cozy as it's bassically a skin scent on me which is a shame because it would be perfect if it projected and lasted longer.

This isn't something I'm normally inclined to do, but these are extenuating circumstances as I'm getting married in less than three weeks and during the short holiday we're going to be taking afterwards I would love to surprise her with something new. So, any suggestions?

[Jack Hunter]

Tom Fords Tobacco Vanille.

[Candide]

Blue Amber (Montale)
...a gourmand or strictly vanilla fragrance will never smell masculine.

[hednic]

Les Senteurs Gourmandes Vanille Bourbon

[StylinLA]

My favorite straight up vanilla is Eau Duelle. Reasonably priced. good longevity for me.

[döfä91]

Baldessarini Strictly Private - not really gourmand but spicy oriental + gourmandish. On me this smells like masculine vanilla though i've seen totally opposite opinions too.

[kalli]

One to sniff is Fahrenheit 32 by Dior.

[mspa]

first thing to come in mind should be the good old Caron Pour Homme - not gourmandish.
otherwise TV by tom ford is very satisfying, however it is even higher priced than mona di orio vanilla which might be the better crafted scent - i have not tried it but know some of the house.

[onethinline]

How about Dior Hypnotic Poison, which offers a warm almond and vanilla accord? Easily unisex, too.

[Kybid]

+1 for Eau Duelle. I really like it, but it has a powderyness to it that gets me. I really can't handle powder for some reason. Eau Duelle is a great straight up vanilla...and I think the powderyness comes from the vanilla itself as vanilla beans do tend to smell a bit powdery to me. It's a heck of a lot cheaper than Double Vanille, although I think I like Double Vanille better.

[thebeck]

How about vanilla with some leather?

http://www.luckyscent.com/shop/secti...ille_Cuir.html

[Jubal]

Try Mona di Orio's Vanille and Profumum's Vanitas

[Adrem]

Have you tried Aqua di Parma Mandorlo di Sicilia? Nice vanilla, not expensive.

http://www.basenotes.net/ID26124309.html

[2ndBakeryAttack]

Maybe not high end enough for you, but Givenchy Pi should do the trick.

[calilove]

Tom Fords Tobacco Vanille

[L'Incandescent]

Bois 1920 La Vaniglia is fantastic. It's a very creamy vanilla with a healthy dose of incense.

[meatball]

Agree with Mona di Orio's Vanille, it's beautiful. Mine was brought back from Paris but it's available from Luckysent online and their orders usually arrive in Sydney within 1 to 2 weeks. I bought 75ml of Spiritueuse Double Vanille in Sydney (Myers in Pitt St) for $275 a few months back - think it's gone up to $290 now but less than the $360 plus postage that you said you pay.

[Shiny Beast]

Try Mona di Orio's Vanille...

+1 on the MDO Vanille

[benzganesh]

try the splendid and affordable
"Meharees" by L'erbolario - Bakery in a bottle!

[mspa]

try the splendid and affordable
"Meharees" by L'erbolario - Bakery in a bottle!

this was compared to musc ravageur in earlier thread. tempted to get it, but i already got the 3-4 times costlier malle

[comfortablynumbbg]

Tobacco Vanille made me forget all about Double Vanille. Check it out.

[Kybid]

To me Tobacco Vanille smells less about Vanilla and more about licorice...in other words, if you want more vanilla smell, to me, this is not it.

[vinramani09]

Jaipur Homme , V by Valentino.

[broxwood]

+1 for Tobacco Vanille.

[cameron]

Eau duelle

[MJM_77]

Eau Duelle is the best pure vanilla scent IMO...

[acidnbase]

[Jamie A]

Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille. There isn't really a great easily available choice out there for men in this category at the moment. I've been looking myself lately.

[Sparky]

If you like SDV, you may well enjoy Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille. Vanilla with a bit of spice - is very nice

[Duke Hunt]

Tobacco Vanille
Mona di Orio's Vanille
Musc Ravageur

[eMCizzle]

Besides what's already been recommended, try:

Seven Veils (Byredo)
Vanilia (L'Artisan)
Havana Vanille (L'Artisan)
Un Bois Vanille (Serge Lutens)
Vanille 44 (Le Labo)
Vaniglia del Madagascar (i Profumi di Firenze)

[Duke Hunt]

Tobacco Vanille
Mona di Orio's Vanille
Musc Ravageur

[yuyu15]

+1 Dior Hypnotic Poison.

[Ken_Russell]

Dior Homme Intense or Caron pour un Homme

[Diamondflame]

Another + on Eau Duelle. It's a great substitute for SDV if you're not crazy about the latter's boozy vibe. Also do consider Guerlain Shalimar for a little more complexity.; the vintage parfum de toilette is terrific.

Good call on Dior Hypnotic Poison too!

[psychoskip]

Doesn't get much better than S. Double Vanille IMO. Tom Ford's TV is also a nice contender.

[Sugandaraja]

Felanilla is a fantastic vanilla-iris-tobacco accord. Comfortable, durable, and not just a vanilla fragrance.

Mona di Orio Vanille is of course excellent, and much more of a literal vanilla than the above. The drydown isn't as interesting as the top to my nose, though.

[alfarom]

How about vanilla with some leather?

http://www.luckyscent.com/shop/secti...ille_Cuir.html

I'll second thebeck's suggestion.

[psychoskip]

I'll second thebeck's suggestion.

I like the sound of this one!

Is it overly feminine? Looks fairly rare, what is your take on it?

[dollars&scents]

Try Pi by Givenchy, go easy on the trigger.

[alfarom]

I like the sound of this one!

Is it overly feminine? Looks fairly rare, what is your take on it?

It's not feminime at all IMO. I'm not a big fan of this combo of notes but Vanille Cuir is on a completely higher level. Great woody quality, complex, not overly sweet...good stuff indeed.

[Miket]

Thanks everyone for the wonderful suggestions.

I own Tobacco Vanille, Jaipur Homme, Hypnotic Poison, Caron Pour Homme Impact and Pi but they're fairly neglected so I'll give them all a second look. I wear Caron Pour Homme quite a lot on the other hand and it doesn't quite satisfy, but thank you for the suggestion.

Is there that much difference between Shalimar's vintage EDP and the vintage Parfum and cologne? I own those, the parfum and cologne, but this was my great aunts favourite perfume and it's unwearable for me for that reason.

Blue Amber sounds very interesting, and I've enjoyed other Montale offerings plus the price is very much correct, btw does anyone else think Montale is actually rather cheap for 120ml's of eau de parfum? I might think a little more about Chocolate Greedy too as I've been uhming and ahing over it recently. Being able to get three Montale's for what than Double Vanille costs me is a very attractive prospect.

Will check out Les Senteurs Gourmandes Vanille Bourbon. Sounds promising, as the boozy quality of Double Vanille is one of the highlights to me (and why I layer it with 68, for extra boozy goodness)

Eau Duelle, TV, Mona Di Orio Vanilla and Baldessarini Strictly Private are on the list.

Vanille Cuir sounds interesting, but the leather could be an issue. I'll check this one out though if only for myself.

Profumum's Vanitas, Aqua di Parma Mandorlo di Sicilia and Bois 1920 La Vaniglia, all on the list as well.

Also I'll definately by checking out Myer at Pitt Street to see if they have Double Vanille for $290, amazing price from Myer of all places!

V by Valentino, L'Occitane Eau des Bavx, Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille, Musc Ravageur, Seven Veils, Vanilia, Havana Vanille, Un Bois Vanille, Vanille 44, Vaniglia del Madagascar, Dior Homme Intense and Felanilla are all on the list as well.

You've all given me plenty to think about. Thank you!

[Hellhound]

Tobacco Vanille
Mona di Orio Vanille
Diptyque Eau Duelle
Musc Ravageur
Kilian A Taste of Heaven
Guerlain SDV (considering the price, Eau Duelle is a better alternative imo)

These are the best from what i've tried...

[mr. reasonable]

There's a new Shalimar Ode a la Vanille Limited Edition coming soon - the 2010 one was exceptional, this new one features a Madagascar vanilla. Worth keeping an eye out for for those interested.

[Luca]

Villoresi Teinte de Neige
Jaipur EdP
Habit Rouge

[mrcologneguy]

If you like SDV, you may well enjoy Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille. Vanilla with a bit of spice - is very nice

I love Un Bois Vanille. As the name suggests, it's vanilla and woods notes. Kind of like SL Chene, with added vanilla. I was disappointed when I first go it in a blind buy, but it quickly grew on me. It's one of my favorites now.

[The_Cologneist]

Eau Duelle & Eau Des Baux are excellent recommendations. Also, may wanna check out Molinard Vanille Patchouli.

[Marais]

He Wood Silver Wind Wood has vanilla aplenty.

[Miket]

Thanks for the additional suggestions. I've had a chance to read reviews and look at bottles and a lot of these seem amazing. I'm honestly thinking about breaking my no decant/samples rule because lord knows buying even a quarter of these would kind of defeat the point of this being a low-cost alternative, still I'll see what I can do. In situations like this I tend to just go with whatever has the most evocative/inspiring bottle, name, notes, reviews and history.

[psychoskip]

Thanks for the additional suggestions. I've had a chance to read reviews and look at bottles and a lot of these seem amazing. I'm honestly thinking about breaking my no decant/samples rule because lord knows buying even a quarter of these would kind of defeat the point of this being a low-cost alternative, still I'll see what I can do. In situations like this I tend to just go with whatever has the most evocative/inspiring bottle, name, notes, reviews and history.

I would have nothing if I had a no sample/decant rule

[calilove]

Tom ford noir de noir???

[mspa]

haha..... suggestions pour out further - le labo poivre... vanilla and black pepper

[teemas]

I think TV is quite a good choice actually. I enjoy it! excellent sillage and longevity for sure

[Alvus]

Felanilla.

[Sparky]

Thanks for the additional suggestions. I've had a chance to read reviews and look at bottles and a lot of these seem amazing. I'm honestly thinking about breaking my no decant/samples rule because lord knows buying even a quarter of these would kind of defeat the point of this being a low-cost alternative, still I'll see what I can do. In situations like this I tend to just go with whatever has the most evocative/inspiring bottle, name, notes, reviews and history.

A quick plug then for our Aussie splits group!!

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=...z-scent-splits

You can have your cake and eat it too - just in slices!

[dreamer81]

+1 to this

sophisticated, masculine, natural smelling, long lasting and rather cheap (costs like 45 euros per 100ml)

[Alityke]

Another plus for SL Un Bois Vanille but also try Molinard Vanille which to my nose shares a great deal with SDV. You may need to buy direct from their website. It also vanillas up other fragrances beautifully and costs next to nothing. http://www.molinard.com/fr/articles/vanille.597.html

I can't recommend the Molinard enough

[Miket]

A quick plug then for our Aussie splits group!!

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=...z-scent-splits

You can have your cake and eat it too - just in slices!

I appreciate the suggestion, but splits, decants and samples take the romance out of fragrance to me. I like to buy based on descriptions, notes, names, etc and I enjoy not knowing what I'm getting and being surprised. Even when it's a bad surprise nine out of ten times I'll develop a liking for the fragrance later.

Checking out these suggestions by the way, albiet slowly.

Edit - ordered the L'Occitane and Blue Amber as well as Sweet Oriental Dream by Montale, and I'll be getting Chocolate Greedy too as soon as I find it. The great thing about these Montale Gourmands is even if I find them too much I can just give them to my fiance.

Just to note, I'm not trying to neglect your suggestions, but I'm worried about Montale's ongoing existence and want to stock up while I can. Gotta check out everything else you guys have given the nod about; I have a friend in the US who mails me fragrances so I'll hit her up and see if I can't do a bulk order for a fair price.

Out of those I own I've given Tobacco Vanille another look, but it doesn't seem to be for me although it's a good scent. I think I'm going to give it to a friend. Jaipur Homme is good, and Hypnotic Poison surprises me, feels very wearable, I might get a proper bottle because as it stands I've just got a whole bunch of minis from those Dior sets (used to sell this sort of stuff); also gave Caron Pour Homme Impact and Pi a bit more wearing. The soon-to-be-better-half doesn't like the former although I do, and though she likes the vanilla in Pi she says smelling SDV first has raised the bar too high. Alas, but I'm starting to feel the same way.

[ElVee]

Disclaimer 1: I'll avoid anything mentioned above, though Musc Ravageur warrants highlighting!
Disclaimer 2: Just including things I like.

These are in rough order of how interesting they are to me and your requirements.

Odin - Century - a woody incense vanilla; the top doesn't smack of vanilla, but it makes a beautiful appearance in short order; strangely, not included in the notes.
Jane Booke - Taken - gourmand vanilla; marketed as feminine, but I'd wear it; truly beautiful
L'Artisan - Vanilla Absolument - basically sugar cookie vanilla
Tokyo Milk - Let Them Eat Cake - like it suggests, a vanilla cake with sugary frosting
Tokyo Milk - Kabuki - a powdery vanilla
BPAL - Jareth - vanilla fougere with leather (BPAL stuff isn't typical, but feel I should include it)
BPAL - Dorian - vanilla musk; love it
Kilian - Love (Don't Be Shy) - gourmand marshmellow (hey, it has vanilla!)
Brecourt - Mauvais Garcon - woody smokey vanilla; suitable for nightlife, but elsewhere as well; a bit smokey
Parfumeria Generale - Bois Blond - a slightly musky vanilla; I personally like it, but the vanilla doesn't always come out to play
M. Micallef - Gaiac - woody vanilla
M Micallef - Note Vanillee - boozy amber vanilla