We all have a note that we love, something that appears in most of our perfume purchases. After 3 years of perfume blogging and being a life-long perfumista, I noticed that vanilla seems to be this note for many people. It can take many forms and it is in many perfumes. I go in and out of vanilla phases. It seems to be that my vanilla phases are also attached to my buying phases. I own too many vanilla perfumes. But, they are good. Will I be adding Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Extreme? No. I said that I only add good vanillas…
Vanille Extreme opens up as a plastic-like synthetic vanilla reminding me of an aerosol air freshener stored in the employee restroom at work. Not very glamorous. Within 5-10 minutes, it dries down and some of the plastic is missing. It still smells synthetic and a little “off”. At this stage, I get a waxy vanilla reminding me of a cupcake scented candle, like a Yankee Candle. <Insert your own opinion here>. Eventually, Vanille Extreme becomes “cupcake frosting”. It reminds me of this buttercream frosting that I make with a little bit of vanilla bourbon and cinnamon. Except the spicy vanilla frosting in Vanille Extreme isn’t edible and doesn’t smell delicious. It smells waxy and like a home fragrance product trying to smell like a homemade spicy vanilla frosting. Vanille Extreme is a more expensive Glade-like air freshener. Yep. At least it no longer comes in an aluminum bottle!
Vanille Extreme is sweet and synthetic. If that is your sort of thing, then try it. I don’t mind smelling sweet and I’m in love with vanilla. That being said, I can name you 15 other vanillas to try other than Vanille Extreme.
Notes listed include Tahitian vanilla, heliotrope, milk, and spices.
The 3.3 oz bottle retails for $85 on Amazon.
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Basenotes (member reviews)
Ouch. I like it when you write appropriately harsh reviews. A $70 glade air freshener, you say? Sign me up! 😉
If you want to come across as a rich d-bag, you could buy this as a air freshener and put it in your employee bathroom. But, nobody would know it is expensive except for you! And nobody would even think that it wasn’t an air freshener!
I’m usually nice, but I hate this one. It is so obvious that the materials used are cheap-o. And it angers me at this price point. $70 can buy you something nice. Extreme Vanilla smells so “drugstore” generic. And the waxy “candle” accord is so unnecessary.
This sounds absolutely horrifying! 🙂
Haha, I didn’t want to be a b*tch, but this really is. I should of saved this review for Friday the 13th!
Seriously, don’t even bother trying this one. Life is too short to wear bad fragrances!
Could you recommend some of the vanilla scents that you spoke of in your article? I am on the hunt for vanilla scents for this coming winter, and I would like to explore my options. Thanks!
Hi Olga!
I tend to like vanilla-woods fragrances like Tom Ford Tobacco Vanilla, Guerlain Spirituesuese Double Vanilla, Diptyque Duelle, La Maison de la Vanille line, DSH Vanille, and TokyoMilk Dead Sexy.
If you want a sweet, simple vanilla, I recommend L’Artisan Havane Vanille, LUSH Vanillary, LaVanila line, Kiehl’s Vanilla, and i Profumi di Firenze Vaniglia del Madagascar, and L’Aromarine Vanille.
I also know that some people have good luck with The Body Shop Vanilla. It is only OK on me.
I bought the travel size of this unsniffed on sale. I don’t mind it but I don’t love it. I am so happy I didn’t pay full price then I’d be majorly disappointed.
I’ve been tempted to buy it unsniffed before. I saw it for like $15 on beauty.com before. I am so happy that I didn’t!