Vanilla Perfume Is Trending. Here Are 20 That Are Anything-But-Boring
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Some people equate "vanilla” with being boring, but you can’t argue that it’s a classic. Whether you love the scent with all your heart or think it smells like every other woman you know, vanilla perfume is here to stay.
As of writing, #vanillaperfume has over 23,000 posts on TikTok and a number of videos have garnered upwards of a million likes and even more views. According to data from Noteworthy Scents, vanilla perfume is trending in 2024 and is set to dominate throughout the year. Only now, the scent is all grown-up. Gone are the days of simply saccharine gourmands. This year, we have more complex and unexpected vanilla fragrances to choose from. Overpowering vanilla notes are taking a backseat and making way for new olfactory combinations that feature other interesting ingredients that help enhance and balance out the sweetness. Think exotic florals, deep ambers, musks and tropical fruits that make these vanilla perfumes anything-but-boring.
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The Best Vanilla Perfumes At a Glance
How We Chose the Best Vanilla Perfumes
To figure out which vanilla perfumes were worthy, we needed to make sure that they met a few requirements. First, every perfume on this list needed to have other prominent olfactory characteristics that enhanced their vanilla notes like floral, woody, beachy, cool, warm, spicy or gourmand. The perfumes also needed to hit a variety of price points, from affordable throw-it-in-your-cart-at-check-out fragrances to indulgent splurges worthy of their own savings accounts. In addition, we also sought out different kinds of fragrance concentrations from the stronger parfums and eau de parfums to the lighter eau de colognes and eau de toilettes. Plus, we looked for household names and indie labels to capture a wide range of vanilla perfumes and made sure they were all vetted by editors and reviewers.
How to Layer Perfume to Create Your Own Signature Scent
1. Ellis Brooklyn - “Vanilla Milk”
Creamy, milky and floral, Ellis Brooklyn’s “Vanilla Milk” lives up to its name. The fragrance opens with a delightfully fresh milk and floral combo, the frangipani flower making an impression right away, before settling into a headier vanilla bourbon that lingers on your skin. Other Ellis Brooklyn fragrances with prominent vanilla notes include two of their body mists, Sun and Sand, both incredibly delicious and reminding us of sunnier days.
2. Replica by Maison Margiela - “By the Fireplace”
“By the Fireplace” from Replica by Maison Margiela is inspired by time and place. This eau de cologne takes you back to 1971 to a French commune called Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (Chamonix for short), nestled high in the Alps at the base of the tallest summit. Senior commerce editor, Stephanie Maida shares that “By the Fireplace” is her signature scent. "I first received this perfume around the holidays a few years ago and instantly fell in love with how warm, nutty and sweet it was. While my mind now always connects it to Christmastime, it's versatile enough to spritz on year-round, and I do think the touch of vanilla makes it a great choice for the warmer seasons,” she explains. Notes of clove, chestnut and vanilla in this gourmand eau de cologne will have you wanting to nuzzle up under a blanket in the chalet lounge (or your living room couch).
3. Tom Ford - “Tobacco Vanille”
Tom Ford’s fragrances are known for their opulence and thus, higher price point. This eau de parfum is unisex and works for all genders. Warm and spicy tobacco leaf is mixed with deep and creamy tonka bean and vanilla; a zing of ginger is added to keep you on your toes. Tom Ford himself describes the fragrance as, “opulent, warm, and iconic.” He adds that it’s “reminiscent of an English gentleman‘s club and blended with rich spices, vanilla, and tobacco flower [to leave] a powerful impression." Basically, if you want to stand out in a big way, this is the fragrance for you.
4. Viktor&Rolf - “Flowerbomb”
Flowerbomb by Viktor&Rolf is just that, a floral explosion for the senses. Floral notes like jasmine, rose, cattleya and orange blossom greet you at the beginning of your fragrance journey. The mixture is then softened by vanilla notes and given a spicy twist via patchouli. One Sephora reviewer says, “I am blown away by this scent. It is so unique and vibrant without being too overpowering. The florals are so light and airy, almost as if walking in a garden with the faint smell of flowers. What really makes this perfume so special though [are] the base notes of vanilla and patchouli, which really complement the florals to give it a comforting smell that lasts throughout the day. I can't stop smelling my wrists…I'd say that this is your scent if you like a mix of florals and warm notes like musk and vanilla, because the two together are just breathtaking.”
5. Noteworthy – “n,290”
Known for their variety of unique scents and AI-driven Fragrance Finder Quiz, Noteworthy is full of innovative fragrances. “290” is a light, bright and floral fragrance that’s softened by vanilla. “I love Noteworthy’s “290” perfume so much I've been wearing it daily since I got it. I think the brand's description of it being influenced by smooth jazz is absolutely perfect and it has way more depth to it than your average vanilla perfume,” PureWow’s assistant commerce editor Natalie LaBarbera says. Though it combines fruity, floral, amber and vanilla olfactory notes, this fragrance stays balanced and is perfect for daily wear.
6. Juliette Has A Gun - “Lady Vengeance”
Made in collaboration with perfume Francis Kurkdijan, this rich and smoky floral fragrance is not only one of the brand’s first perfumes, but one of the bestsellers from the brand. The eau de parfum is modern and elevated with the use of Bulgarian rose, lavender and most importantly vanilla, but has a spunky edge thanks to deep patchouli notes that leave the nose wanting more. She is Lady Vengeance, after all.
7. Sol de Janeiro - “Brazilian Crush Cheirosa ’71”
With nearly 4,000 5-star reviews on their site alone (and nearly an additional 1,000 on Sephora), Sol de Janerio’s “Brazilian Crush Cheriosa ‘71” is a crowd favorite. Full of caramelly and nutty notes, this fragrance is a true gourmand and sweet to the core. What we love about Cheirosa ’71 is that you can use it on both your body and your hair for an all-around scent-ual experience. Plus, this fragrance has some serious women-power behind its creation. It was inspired by the “Brazilian muse Leila Diniz, who celebrated her bikini body at eight months pregnant on the beaches of Rio in 1971.” Warm and cozy, this indulgent fragrance will keep you coming back.
8. Billie Eilish - “Eilish”
Singer, songwriter, Oscar and Grammy winner and now perfumer? What can’t Billie Eilish do?! Her eau de parfum is chalk full of vanilla, musk and fruit notes and it comes in a bronze-colored bottle in the shape of a near-headless asymmetrical bust. Associate editor Chelsea Candelario says, "OK, [I know] celebrity perfumes often get a bad rap, but Billie Eilish Eau de Parfum puts those to shame. The notes of creamy vanilla, warm musks and sugared petals are an amazing combination. It smells divine and it has been my go-to fragrance for months now. Can we also talk about the design of the bottle? It definitely stands out among my perfumes and is my favorite one for sure!"
9. By Rosie Jane - “Dulce”
With two variations of vanilla and a chocolate note that make up most of the fragrance, it’s safe to say that Dulce’s name (translated to ‘sweet’ in English) suits it perfectly. Commerce editor, Olivia Dubyak, swears by the By Rosie perfume line and says, “In the colder months, I love a warmer scent, and the Dulce fragrance makes me feel like I just finished working in a bakery straight out of a Hallmark movie. It's warm and cozy with a hint of spiciness and is somehow light yet rich all at the same time. I love that it's layerable, too.”
10. Vacation, Inc. - “Vacation”
Though “Vacation” by Vacation doesn’t technically have a vanilla note in its olfactory makeup, we’d be remiss to not include it in our round up because of its sweet milky qualities that remind us of eating a scoop of vanilla ice cream by the poolside (after you’ve slathered yourself in sunscreen, of course). Sweet and summery, “Vacation” is a fragrance you’ll want to consider adding to your seasonal rotation.
11. Diptyque - “Eau Duelle”
World-renowned fragrance brand, Diptyque Paris, known for its indulgent perfumes and candles, has an elegant vanilla concoction called “Eau Duelle.” With its sensual Madagascar bourbon vanilla notes and berry-like qualities from the pink peppercorn, “Eau Duelle” manages to be both light and deeply alluring. The woody cypriol and heady calamus add an earthiness to the fragrance. All the olfactory notes combine to create a sophisticated scent that feels timeless and versatile enough for daily wear.
12. Otremer - “Vanille”
Though this is one of the “truest” vanilla scents on the list, the heavy dose of amber notes in the formulation create a deeper, more full-bodied vanilla scent that keeps it from being basic. Spicy, warm, woody and sweet, it’s layered and luscious and oh so heavenly—like digging into a bowl of ice cream made with fancy vanilla straight from the pod. One of the chicest things about the fragrance is its art nouveau-style packaging with intricate Alphonse Mucha-esque florals and vintage-looking typeface. [1] [Ed note: It’s one of my favorite perfumes. I never like to smell predictable and I’m always changing up my fragrances. This eau de toilette is strong and rakes in the compliments whenever I wear it. It’s sweet and heady with a tinge of musk, leaving people wondering what I have on and they’re usually shocked to find out it’s vanilla-based.]
13. Arquiste - “The Architect’s Club”
Arquiste is another brand that focuses on setting its fragrances to a particular time, place and moment in history. On their site, the brand describes this scent as, “A group of architects gather[ing] for cocktails at Mayfair’s smartest Art Deco smoking room. As they settle in the warm interior of dark woods, leather and velvet, London’s bright young things burst in, frosted martinis in hand, surrounded by a cloud of laughter, white smoke and fine vanilla.” The eau de parfum was developed by architect and fragrance designer Carlos Huber with perfumer Yann Vasnier. Smoky, woody, sweet and heady, “The Architect’s Club” is a crisp vanilla perfume like no other.
14. Boy Smells - “Vanilla Era”
We’re most definitely in our vanilla era—and so is Boy Smells. Their new perfume was launched in 2023 and turns the traditional vanilla fragrance on its head. PureWow’s vice president of editorial, Candace Davison has been hooked on the scent from the moment she first tried it. “If Blanche Devereaux had a signature scent, this would be it. It's a sultry take on vanilla, where the sweetness is tempered by black amber, cashmere wood and white tulip. It lightens things up, but there's a little spice to it, thanks to the black pepper. I may be decades away from retiring to South Beach with my besties and eating cheesecake all day, but this gives me a sense of escape from the day-to-day,” she says.
15. Scent Beauty - Sabrina Carpenter’s “Sweet Tooth Caramel Dream”
A list of vanilla perfumes wouldn’t be complete without an appearance from its deeper, more mature cousin caramel. “Sweet Tooth Caramel Dream” is a celebrity perfume we can get behind. Sweet notes of vanilla, sugared lemon and dark chocolate bean meld together with citrus notes, milky moments and florals for a fragrance that’s so good, you’ll wish you could eat it. Plus, the bottle is convincingly designed to look like a perforated bar of chocolate. Talk about delicious.
16. Bur Bur - “Memories of the Future”
Heavy on the black pepper and bergamot notes, Bur Bur’s “Memories of the Future” perfume oil is softened by a touch of vanilla that lingers. Deeply earthy and ultimately spicy, this roll-on is meditative and sultry in a more masculine way. It’s perfect for those looking for a vanilla perfume that doesn’t rely on vanilla at the forefront and encourages the wearer to search for the sweetness.
17. Sunday Forever - “Coconuts”
If you cracked open a whole coconut on a tropical island, you’d probably be smelling Sunday Forever’s “Coconuts” perfume. Floral, fruity and slightly heady with notes of toasted coconut, fig, citrus zest, ylang ylang and yellow orchid, this concoction is one of near perfection. Like sun-kissed skin on a hot summer’s day, “Coconuts” will have you yearning for the warmer months. When you spritz it on, you’ll instantly get transported to paradise.
18. Maya Njie - “Vanilj”
From Black-owned fragrance brand Maya Njie, comes “Vanij,” a sweet and boozy gourmand scent with notes of vanilla, cardamom, patchouli, musk and more, creating an eclectic mixture of olfactory families that begs to be inhaled. It’s sweet, spicy, earthy, powdery and woody. What more could you want? According to the company, the fragrances “are blended as recollections of memory [and are] scents that seek to capture the essence and preserve the spirit of the intimate and personal.” The tones are of a time and the accords are nostalgic, yet the end products feel profoundly contemporary.
19. Imaginary Authors - “A Whiff of Waffle Cone”
You know a fragrance brand isn’t playing when their vanilla scent was created in partnership with an actual ice cream brand. Imaginary Authors collaborated with Salt & Straw, a Portland, Oregon-based creamery, to formulate their mysterious vanilla fragrance. Known for their interesting and innovative scent profiles and otherworldly names, Imaginary Authors was bound to make an anything-but-boring vanilla perfume. One reviewer on Reddit who rated the entire Imaginary Authors collection on vibes alone says, [It’s] so so yummy. Smells like a perfectly creamy, caramelly waffle cone that just came out of the oven.”
From $42 at Imaginary Author's
20. Phlur - “Vanilla Skin”
The perpetually sold out, “Vanilla Skin” perfume from Phlur most definitely needed to make our list. It’s a vanilla-forward fragrance combo that surprises you with grounded woody notes. PureWow’s executive managing editor Catrina Yohay, isn’t typically drawn to vanilla scents, but something about this seductive mixture captured her attention. “It's sweet and sassy right out of the bottle but settles into this dreamy concoction that, as the name suggests, smells like skin wrapped up in some kind of expensive cashmere: warm and woodsy yet lived in and grounding. I love spritzing it on after an evening shower. Since it's a body mist, it's lighter and less intense than a perfume.”
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