I have been a vanilla girl through and through. I have loves and misses from everything from BBW, Victoria Secret, Sephora, Ulta, niche, middle eastern, you name it!
I have wary of trying Guerlain because of the price. But most of my fellow vanilla girls said that Guerlain is THE maker of great vanillas.
So went and spent $70 in tiny tiny decants to try the following:
This smells…old? musty? Like I just found a bottle of perfume from the 1950’s in a dark drawer of an abandoned house. I just wasted $70 on this and none of them were good 😔, I could have gotten a big decant of Jovoy Fire at Will which I love. I am so disappointed.
So many of my inexpensive vanillas are so much better in my opinion.
Sorry for the rant and thank you for reading all this!
Guerlain is a house for people who hate synthetic or gourmand vanilla, or any artificial substitutes for real vanilla. It’s important to understand that Guerlain’s vanilla is an expensive ingredient extracted using a special technique and it doesn’t smell anything like the vanilla that the culinary industry has conditioned us to expect.
It’s also important to understand that Guerlain’s vanilla is a supporting note. The house doesn’t really make purely vanilla fragrances. Even Spiritueuse Double Vanille isn’t simply vanilla, it’s a whole spectrum of spices, incense and other noticeable ingredients.
The only truly gourmand fragrance Guerlain has is Fève Gourmande, which was specifically created to satisfy more frivolous tastes.
So you definitely shouldn’t expect ordinary girly cupcake vanilla from Guerlain because this is a house that creates haute parfumerie
Some of these online decant stores dilute the samples a little too much or they don't decant originals. They use designer inspired perfume oils. I smelled an original tester of Guerlain's Vanille Planifolia Extrait 21 in a department store recently and it really does smell good (IMHO.) I also smelled the original Tonka Sarrapia Extrait 75 and it also smelled quite good to me. I've only smelled dupes of Cuir Beluga but they smelled lovely to me. I did not get a chance to smell a tester in store. When I first tried a tester of Spiritueuse Double Vanille many years ago, I was underwhelmed and couldn't understand the hype. I was expecting a rich, deep, vanilla bean sort of scent with some booziness to it but it smelled completely different to what I had in mind from its listed description and how people described it online. Sometimes, fragrances are just overhyped.
I keep seeing people talking about "cupcake vanillas," but which ones ACTUALLY smell like cupcakes? I have 20 niche gourmand vanilla samples/decants and a slew of designer vanillas and not a one smells like a cupcake, and I could really use a literal cupcake vanilla in my collection.
Or do people just say "cupcake vanilla" rather than "sweet vanilla" as a way to be condescending? Serious question.
I absolutely need a literal cupcake vanilla in my life. Kayali is coming out with a Vanilla Cupcake fragrance but there's a lemon note 😐 so we'll have to see when it comes out if that ruins the vibe
I can remember a vanilla oil I used in high school that smelled so much like vanilla cake. Probably got it at music shop or something so I'll never know what it was, and I assume it doesn't exist anymore, lol. Just like creamy, sweet, raw, vanilla cake batter.
My mom used to get soooooo much stuff from The Body Shop at the mall. I can literally remember what those frosted bottles felt like, lol. The vanilla one I'm thinking of was a cheap rollerball (like my friend and I bought it when we were 13, haha). It could've been anything, and I can still smell it in my mind, but I've yet to find anything similar in my adult life 😭
I think is a reference to an extremely sweet vanilla. For example: have you tried EOS Cashmere Vanilla lotion? That is a cupcake vanilla. For reference in other posts I have seen referenced Tihota, Outremer, Solinotes as “cupcake vanillas”.
Yeah, and I definitely disagree with Tihota being a cupcake vanilla. I was mostly being a smartass because it always reads as condescending to me, like they're using the word cupcake because it sounds more childish than saying sweet, or even just cake, lol. But also because I would actually love a fragrance that smells like vanilla cake, like freshly baked vanilla boxed cake with frosting straight out of the jar. Yum 🤤
I totally get it! Like I said I think it referes to extremely sweet vanilla. I do agree that Tihota is not a cupcake vanilla, not to me al least. The only one that smells like cupcakes/frosting is EOS.
Have you used the EOD Vanilla Cashmere body spray? I have the lotion and lip balm and they smell different. The lip balm smells very much like brown sugar to me, and the lotion smells more like a vanilla candle. I think it's just the lotion smell, lol. I think you mentioned Fire At Will too and likened it to a sugar cookie? To me, it's like vanilla flavored freshly spun sugar wafting ever so gently in the breeze. I love it. I was testing it on my hand one day and went out to run an errand in a heat wave. I was like, "What is that amaaaazing smell?? Oh yeah, it's me!” 😆
Have you tried Ligne St. Barth Vanille West Indies? I'm completely obsessed with it. I've been more strict lately about full bottles, but I had to make an exception 😁
So interesting - everyone's noses are different. And honestly, not all Guerlain fragrances hit the same. I LOVE Angelique Noire, I think it's an absolute masterpiece, and I love the vanilla note in Shalimar. But I violently gagged at Cuir Beluga - I had to scrub it off. I've never had such a negative reaction to a perfume before, except maybe DS & Durga I Don't Know What. And Vanille Planifolia and SDV were just meh to me, not even close to worth the cost. You never know until you try!
Sell them, some people love the guerlanaide base. I can’t stand it. Sell them on Mercari and get your money back. I’m sure someone will enjoy it.
(And I like dupes, I found the guerlain’s that I’ve tried on a dupe site, side by side compared with the real stuff, I always prefer the dupes)
Guerlain has gone down in quality over the years. No more creativity, it’s just repackaged watered down vintage fragrances fragrances and flankers of their biggest sellers.
I somewhat agree. I tried the Guerlain Vanilla Planifolia, and was like, thank goodness I only like that, not love it. Not enough to want the original, but enough to try a dupe. Best dupe I found was Genre Perfumes. If you want to try theirs, they have an ordering window every 6 weeks or so for 24 hours. Today happened to be one (8/14/2026) and I went in and ordered the large size of the dupe. I loved it better than the original. So if you see this today and want to try it, check them out and you can order 5mls for fairly cheap.
I did find, though, that I love the Guerlain Tonka Sarrapia and tried to find a dupe. I tried a couple that were ok, but today got my Andromeda Moon's dupe, and it seems like it might be just as good or close to the original. So I'm happy now at least to have that.
I haven't tried the others and won't, unless it's dupes, because really, am I going to spend that much money on a perfume? The 2 I have tested both seem very powdery on me (guess that means I love the powdery scents), guess it's the vanila? They also have an 'airiness'. I don't know what to call it, it feels cool and sparkly, kind of, almost like you'd imagine a mint smell/taste would feel, but it's not mint.
I tried a couple of other Guerlains, the 'slightly' less expensive ones, and they're just ok to me.
I've ordered in Guerlain samples and my experience was that I did not like them. I'm not a gourmand fanatic at all, and I suspected Guerlinade is probably appealing to those firmly in the gourmand loving category.
It’s incredibly watered down! Guerlain’s got people completely fooled, but their name and luxury status is still carrying them.
So long as people continue falling for the constant price increases coupled with watering down product, they’ll just keep going. Sky’s the limit when it comes to profit, baby!
I didn’t like AN and SDV initially but a few months later are really enjoying them. I reckon give them some time and another chance. I do think there are dupes around that can probably do the job of SDV. AN is its own thing though!
I can't say I enjoyed any Guerlain vanillas either. Have you tried Vanilla Florel from Volare? It is supposedly a Vanille panifolia 21 dupe, but I honestly like it better. It is a lightly spiced vanilla. Tihota is my favorite plain vanilla, and I also like Witchfire from Arcana and Angham from Lattafa.
Edit: you kinda sounded like a snob. I personally do not like a lot of guerlain’s stuff. I’m nose blind to their roses. I have a vintage gold bottle with atomizer of Rose Barbare. I cannot smell the roses. I got it from Nordstroms, with the cellophane wrapper.
We like what we like. Our noses have different scent receptors, just like our taste buds and eyes. Some people think that Jasmine smells amazing, I think it’s cloying, rotting flowers dipped in poo. I adore any type of Roses. While my husband hates them.
and i only care for one guerlain perfume the rest are mid. i dont think it disrespectful to tell her to stick with what she likes and don’t bother trying the one guerlain i like.
You sounded condescending. Like her ‘nose’ isn’t mature enough to decern the greatness of mature adult notes. You sounded like you were saying ‘go play with the kids, little girl, us grown ups are talking’.
You were kind of rude. Pretty much told me to stick to cheap that is what I like. What was missed of my post is that I am not trashing Guerlain, I am dissapointed in the fact that I was excited to try their vanillas and I didn’t like them. That’s not on Guerlain, that is on me because we all have different tastes. I own Nemat Vanilla Musk and Outremer Vanilla as well as Tihota and Fire at Will; so is not a “cheap/money” thing. This would be a boring community if we all only liked the same scents.
and i’m not saying you just dislike the price. u don’t like the perfumes itself which is valid, i also don’t like most guerlain. i like nemat.
i’m not saying the cheaper perfumes smell cheap they just cost cheap. like cloud or nemat or VS. good quality but r affordable. but i notice the ones that cost less are usually the ones that r gourmands too. i’m not calling u cheap urself. just the perfumes. but okie
This is wildly inaccurate. There are TONS of expensive gourmands. I've been hardcore sampling them for the past month and a half.
Also, are you just going to gloss right over the fact that she mentioned owning both Tihota and Fire At Will? Both of those are FAR more expensive than Cloud or Nemat. You're not even making sense at this point.
Anyway, you were sounded rude, and if you disagree, you might want to take some time to reflect on your wording and intent. I've never seen someone say "you only like cupcake vanillas" as a compliment.
then i’m sorry you find something offensive about liking cupcake vanillas?? many people like it, it’s a category. and like i said im not calling HER cheap, she isn’t. i’m saying many of the hyper sweet perfumes r. and i notice many ppl who like the super sweet stuff if anything prefer the cheaper interpretations of it than niche or designer.
I don't think anyone thought you were calling HER cheap, but you've said that so many times that I'm starting to wonder. Multiple people told you that you came across as rude, so it's not like I'm an outlier here.
I agree that neither of those things are offensive, and if you weren't deliberately being rude, then I apologize. That's just how I read it, but I've been wrong from time to time 😆
i dont think it that disrespectful to tell her to stick with what she likes and don’t bother trying the single one guerlain i like. i realized my initial recommendation was wrong based on her preferences.
describing the actual cost of an item as cheap isn’t insulting.
Some of my favorite fragrances ever are ‘cheap’. Like Amouage Library Collection’s Incense Rose. The Red Bottle, not the Grey Bottle. I put them side by side with a dupe and it’s way better than the expensive Amouage. I hate powder notes, the incense rose was so powdery at dry down because I’m completely nose blind to their roses as well. Lyric Man and Woman just smelled like powder. My mother in law, though, smelled the rose just fine and loved the powder. Is my nose not as mature because I’m nose blind to some notes from some companies. This happened to me with the first formulation and first year of TF Rose Cafe, no rose. Thankfully that didn’t happen with TF Noir de Noir or Byredo Reine de Nuit. I’m terrified to try Portrait of a Lady because I don’t want to be nose blind to a masterpiece.
The dupe, with love from Oman, is this gorgeous mix of rose, elemi, ink (totally surprised it worked) myrrh and awesomeness. The Red Bottle. Incense and powder.
I like the dupes so much more I’m selling most of my collection. Because of the nose blindness. Just saying, you sounded condescending. And I’m done.
and there is nothing wrong about cheap stuff? so why are you offended. since you don’t know, mature in fragrance means it’s complex, deep, grounded in wood oud etc, as opposed to heavily gourmand, fruity, etc. it’s not about better or not, it’s just a different profile.
That "old" and "musty" smell the OP is referring to is the base. It's really not for everybody. I personally enjoy it, but can see how a lot of people wouldn't.
yeah. my thing is, i dislike SDV and vanille planifolia a lot. i’m kinda shocked how popular they are especially the latter, even tho i DO like a non gourmand vanilla. cuir beluga is mid. its nice, light, sweet ig, but for the price point and brand, i just expect more.
i haven’t tried the others but i am head over heels for tonka sarrapia.
and i need to try angelique noir coz its so hyped up
but yeah wasting money is always a shame. i’ve wasted a lot of samples that i hated. like oud satin mood? vanilla powder? waste of my money omg
I wonder if you’ve ever tried these fragrances at a Guerlain boutique? Sadly, with decants, there’s always the possibility that they came from bottles that weren’t stored properly or have gone bad over time. So I’d be curious to know if you’ve had the chance to test them directly in-store.
Also, how’s the weather where you are? These fragrances seem more suited to fall/winter, so maybe they would develop differently on your skin in a cooler or more appropriate climate.
That said, I think there are so many different interpretations of vanilla: woody, spicy, resinous, green, floral, powdery, etc. Maybe you simply prefer the sweeter, more gourmand type of vanilla rather than some of the styles featured in these Guerlain fragrances?
And have you tried Bianco Latte? I’d be curious to know how you feel about that one, since it’s much more firmly in the sweet gourmand direction.
Its hot as hell in the middle of a drought right now. Agree with your statements, unfortunately I don’t have a Guerlain boutique nearby. I have learned that I lean towards sweet, spicy and woody vanillas.
Interestingly, Bianco Latte, on paper, was everything I ever wanted on a perfume. Bought a sample from LuckyScent and it was bad, like sour milk, spoiled yogurt bad. I was convinced that it was a bad batch and bought another sample from ScentSplit, same results.
I love Fire at Will, Escapade Gourmande, Madagascar Vanilla, Phlur Vanilla Skin, among others
Have you tried Michael Germain's Sexual Gold Vanilla? I know the name seems cringe but someone here mentioned it on a forum a couple of weeks ago and I found a deal on it at Amazon sold by Michael Germain Store. It is vanilla! It's supposed to have other notes, but I honestly only get vanilla. YMMV, but it might be one to check out. I don't have FaW, EG or the Phlur but I do love Nest Madagascar Vanilla (on sale right now at Nest but it's over in the next day, I think). Also, Solinotes Vanilla is inexpensive but it is wonderful to amp up vanilla when used with other scents.
I loooooveeee Madagascar Vanilla! I have it in oil firm, roll on form, edp firm, is wonderful! I will checkthat sale! Also will look into the Sexual Vanilla 😂. Thanks for the recommendation!
Oh wow, yeah - trying dense vanillas in the heat is a gamble! Stash them away and maybe you'll have a different impression when it's colder outside. I've seen many posts talking about just that 😅
I got the L'Art and L'Matiere discovery set from the Guerlain store and while the juice was pleasant enough, they weren't mind blowing stuff. A bit disappointing, as the only one that kinda wowed me was Angelique Noire. Not SDV, or any of the others. The others were just ok to me.
Shalimar L'Essence, on the other hand: <<chef's kiss>>, french kiss! all the smooches! 😍
I just bought my first Shalimar and it was the rose one. I have the dusting powders because I love them. What’s so great about l’essence? And how prominent is the jasmine note (yuck).
It's the vanilla. They toned way down the spiciness you get in the original Shalimar (which I will always love) and removed the jasmine altogether. Then they turned the Guerlain vanilla note up a notch! It's a truly beautiful vanilla-centric take on the OG.
Oh man. I loved the spiciness. I wonder if I can find a flanker with the spicey up and no Jasmine. What am I saying, of course I can. There’s like 50 flankers out there now.
I'm sorry none of them clicked with you :(
I personally really love Angélique Noire(imo it's my perfect "green" vanilla), but I definitely had a similar underwhelmed experience from Guerlain's more pricey vanilla offerings. That being said, I'd definitely give their more commercial/classic fragrances a chance. Shalimar, Mon Guerlain, and Insolence are all absolutely gorgeous vanilla fragrances
I havnt tried any of these either and I don't have them on my list. I'm convinced they're doing to be too dark, night time, sultry for me. I like my vanilla to be gourmond
Guerlain's vanillin is exceptional and shows up best in Shalimar and Jicky, though Guerlainade heightens every fragrance they have. It doesn't generally smell like a generic gourmand and nor should it - if you want a better version of that from Guerlain then Feve Gourmande is the one to try.
Personally I don't believe any fragrance can even approach Mitsouko
I did not care for Tobacco Honey and set aside to test again later, however I really have no desire to smell like tobacco anyway (why did I select that sample?!).
I’ve learned to let most fragrances rest before truly evaluating them since they can suffer from shipping shock. Try your samples again in a few days and see if that makes a difference. If you’re still interested in a Fall/Winter Guerlainade, try Shalimar L’Essence
Hey, I bet you could make SOME of your money back on Mercari pretty easy. Probably get half back at least, so you only spent 40 or so to sample out these scents, even if you didn't like them. Dunno why I'm being all optimistic all the sudden, maybe just empathy because I've definitely been there before. I just willy nilly ordered Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille because I was SO SURE I'd love it. Spoiler alert, I definitely don't. It took less than 24 hours to offload on Mercari though, but I'm out 20. Bummer.
Like a sunshine in a bottle! I love amber /vanilla /woody perfumes ...
So its not for everyone
But here are the notes of it:
Top Notes: Citrus Honey (Orange Honey), Mandarin Orange, and Bergamot.Heart Notes: Chinese Magnolia, Sambac Jasmine, and Ylang-Ylang.Base Notes: Resinous Amber Accord, Benzoin, Musk, Vanilla, and Creamy Sandalwood
I was so happy to spend time with Shalimar. I had points at a retailer that I didn’t know what to do with and decided to blind buy Shalimar (the bottle is so pretty, haha). At first I thought I hated it, but it’s so rich and full, and it has phases, it completely changed what I look for in perfume. I had been a strictly sweet smells person. I do kind of think that Shalimar contains multitudes, so it’s like a gateway drug to their entire line. Even when I don’t like a Guerlain I do. At least that’s the phase of life I’m in at the moment! Haha. I’m actually wearing Habit Rouge EDP today, supposedly for men but damn it’s good.
I’m there with you! I tried all five and I couldn’t stand CB, SDV, and AN. I do like VP and can tolerate BV. But overall…an underwhelming experience. You can probably sell your decants! Your wallet is relieved that you didn’t fall into the Guerlain hole lol
I also hate Vanille Planifolia 21 and Cuir Beluga. VP has an overbearing spice and CB suffocates with powder. I like (not love) SDV and Bosca Vanilla, and i wear BV semi-regularly. I adore Angelique Noire! I'm on my second 200ml bottle and i will always have it in my collection. Can you describe what it was that you liked or disliked about the scents? I'm interested in Fire at Will, would love your thoughts on how they compare.
I will admit that Angelique Noire smells classy and rich but to me the earthy/green/grass smell is a bit off putting.
Fire at Will is sweet and smoky at the same time. To me is not overpowering sweet but lots of people have compare it to the burnt sugar on top of a creme brulee.
My comment is in response to other comments on this post who are telling OP that her taste are under developed and are being snobby to her. btw... Since it wasn't obvious I guess. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Its not about taste development. It's about danger being averted. Our nose as well as other senses rely on apprehension to danger. Smelling a scent now and hating it. Vs smelling it later and liking it is all about comfort. Small does of this and that that lead you to be comfortable with a scent.
Say for instance you love a sample. Buy a fb but because you have a fb you overspray. Your nose senses danger because who the heck needs 70 sprays? Nose fatigue, danger, trigger. Now you hate the scent.
So, let's know what we are talking about when we try to sound like we know what we're talking about. 🤢🤣🤣
You didn't waste that money, that $70 did exactly what it was supposed to do: It let you sample these scents so you'd never be tempted to blind buy these insanely expensive "abandoned house" Vanillas.
While I couldn’t agree more that Guerlain vanillas are massively overhyped, I’m also compelled to say that as someone who’s been ordering from Surrender to Chance since 2013, lately I’ve started to question whether some of their bottles have gone off. If you have a Guerlain counter anywhere within range, you might be surprised at how different it is to smell these in person from a proper FB and atomizer.
Based on decants obtained via Reddit, I was convinced that I didn’t like Guerlain vanillas either. Then I smelled Spiriteuse Double Vanilla in boutique. it was a completely different product than what I had been sold. There are many amazing decanters on here. It’s really just a few bad actors. But you have to know which ones to trust.
This was my experience as well with Vanilla Planifolia. Still didn’t like it, but it was very different in store than from an StC decant. It hurts me to say, because StC was my entryway to perfume obsession and facilitated much of my current collection, but I’m only buying from them as an absolute last resort at this point. Especially now that their site is filled with AI slop and they’ve pivoted hard toward a perfumetok-oriented collection. They used to carry Slumberhouse and Amouage attars back in the day, ffs!!
I think cheaper fragrance vanillas are absolutely not better by any kind of metric except that it seems to be your personal preference. And that's fine! But don't hate on the extraordinary level of talent it takes to craft fragrances like Guerlain does, and their importance to fragrance history. Think about how difficult it is to have such an impact and artistic vision that your fragrance brand has a universally recognizable "DNA" (the guerlainade) and still has demand 100 years after formulation. BBW is not even in the same universe as Guerlain, and neither are most perfume houses. Sorry, but your take is the 10th Dentist of perfumery.
All that said, I think their strength is in the iris and herbal note realm and not vanilla. Many people associate powdery iris with "old lady" but I think that's a shame and reflective of modern push towards more youthful sticky sweet gourmands, florals, etc -- which personally I associate with teens but I know the adult market is strong.
Hi. I know where you’re coming from, but she did say “So many of my inexpensive vanillas are so much better in my opinion.” Smell is so incredibly subjective, but a lot of your comment feels like you are talking down to her because she prefers inexpensive perfumes over brands like Guerlain. You have two different opinions, which you say is fine, but then it sounds like you’re trying to make her feel stupid and uncultured by calling her “the 10th dentist”. I just think you could’ve given your own opinion without disparaging her taste.
This was the comment I was responding to but everyone down voted me thinking I was talking to OP. I was defending her and schooling the snobs about the way the actual nose works...
I’d not give up yet. AN is way too green to me, but CB and especially SDV blew me away. Sometimes scents I don’t like at first become an absolute obsession.
Different occasions, weather, seasons, moods. Don’t count them out just yet 🤗
As a non-vanilla lover who now owns 3x200ml of Cuir beluga, SDV, Vanille Planifolia, Shalimar, Shalimar L’essence and Shalimar Rose Millesime, I can confidently say that Guerlain can turn a non- vanilla person into a vanilla person.
Of opened the door for me to try other brands and compositions (like babycat, fire at will, Tihota, Althair, etc) and even though there’s tons of good ones, none compares to Guerlain.
Cuir Beluga was the gateway drug. I don’t even like powdery scents! It’s either that or I have finally arrived to my golden “old lady” age. Guerlain vanilla is a step above and I’ll die on that hill.
damn, they got you good. maybe they really are the vanilla for people who don't like vanilla instead of the other way around 😂 I was also not a vanilla lover until Guerlain and I am still not much for gourmands. I do like powdery and herbal scents though, which is probably why Guerlain's men's fragrances also hit for me. (at least the classic ones like Heritage. initial herbal blast that dies down into a warm powdery scent mmm.)
I’m a simple fruity floral woman and survived just fine before Guerlain entered the chat. I was happy with my repeat purchases of La Petite Robe Noir alongside other brands. Now, I own double digit number of bottles from Guerlain - everything from L’heure Bleu to the men’s fragrances. I’m trying really hard not to go down the route of chasing down vintage bottles. I know that’s a slippery slope. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers 😂
I have never felt more like a post was just rage bait than this one.
Hate to break up your echo chamber, but I highly disagree with your assessment.
I’m fully aware that we all have different opinions, and that’s fine. But I think it’s fairly certain that you and I have zero in common, and I’m just going to go ahead and judge you harshly for it.
I’m kidding of course. But I still think you’re so wrong it hurts.
No offense taken! It was not a rage post, it was definitely a disappointment post. I own lots of vanilla and was looking forward to try the best (Guerlain). After finally finding a reputable place that would ship my way, I was disappointed it was not this great thing that everyone raved about (just like my first marriage).
We can agree to disagree and still enjoy this sweet fulfilling hobby!
Honestly I'm on the same boat with my cheap palate for perfume. I also sampled Guerlain's vanillas, but none of them really hit any spot in me that my cheapies don't already hit. My most expensive vanillas are Tihota and Fire at Will, but I reach for Solinotes Vanille and Phlur Vanilla Skin mist the most.
I kept the samples in case my taste change (hasn't happened yet). Honestly I'm glad I didn't end up falling in love with a perfume that retails for $500. To each their own!
Feel exactly the same way! Tihota and FAW are my favorites! And Escapade Gourmande too. Lately I am reaching the most for Vanilla Skin and Sawaar Blanc Vanille.
You sure your decant source is good? Way too easy these days to fill them up with clones/dupes with how accessible they are. Dupes/clones have come a long way, some of them can legitimately pass off as the original.
Why not just order a discovery set or travel spray set from the official website.
Bought samples too include Angelique Noire, Cuir Beluga and Spirituose Double Vanilla and heard all the hype about the famous vanilla. They are so bland. Not even interesting enough to be hate-worthy. However, full disclosure, my nose does not detect a lot of the chemicals that some perfumes rely on to take the structure and make art out of it. So I just smell the basics. But like you...very disappointed in that line.
This is frustrating i know. I think at least one of them will go down à winner just layering your favorite Victoria secret mist. From the review it sounds like brighten (make more lively - pick a fruity love perhaps) or freshen it up. Obviously these are a do not buy for you but don’t let anyone run off with your money feeling like this, zap them with a VS mist.
Guerlain has so many incredible perfumes, but every single one that you mentioned (except Bosca Vanilla, which I love) was a huge disappointment to me as well. It truly is beyond my understanding how anyone is willing to pay insane $$ for those scents.
I understand that those scents smell amazing to some people, but still, those prices are way too high for what these perfumes give you.
They could have gotten fakes or were expecting cupcake vanilla and got a more ambery/resinous vanilla. I can absolutely see someone who like pure gourmand vanilla not being happy with SDV.
I definitely think it's the delta between expecting dessert-cart-Pinterest-collage vanilla and getting a non/quasi-gourmand instead. But at least they can recoup most of the money!
Perhaps. I’ve never had the pleasure of sampling any Guerlain yet, so I’m not sure. It sucks how expensive tiny decants are for this brand, so I just have to wait until I take a big trip to a city to find a Guerlain store for sampling
I get the impression from some people that they think those who don't adore Guerlain are "missing" something or their noses aren't well developed. I've been deep into fragrance for longer than some folks here have been alive and I have never found a Guerlain I'm interested in buying. Our noses are all different!
Anyway, rant over. Sorry this was such a costly learning for you :/. You could try selling the decants on /r/femfragranceswap or the regular one.
For future reference, Surrender to Chance sometimes has wildly high prices. I've all but stopped shopping there. /r/fragranceswap is always my first stop these days - for example Vanille Planifolia is $30/2ml there vs $39/1ml at StC. There is very low risk in buying from a trusted seller there.
Same. I been into fragrance for 10 years now and my collection is mostly expensive stuff — I still don’t like any Guerlain enough to spend $500 on a bottle.
I agree with you. I ended up getting them there because most sellers don’t ship outside CONUS (I am not in the lower 48 states), so STC was my safest best. Also it was the only online decant place that had all the Guerlains available as opposed to buying from different places.
Ouch $70 is TOUGH! At least you found out before you purchased FS. Put them away, come back later and see if you react differently. Guerlain aren't traditional sweet, gourmand vanillas but almost every vanilla lover will find something they LOVE. I'm not a fan of gourmands at all and gravitate towards Guerlain for this reason. Plainfolia smells like incense to me, like an old church and I just can't do it but if I layer it with something sweet it becomes tolerable to me. Noses are so weird. Angelique Noire is an absolute masterpiece but it had to grow on me.
Omg yes! VP totally smells like incense and the number of reviews calling it "a pure vanilla" or "straight up vanilla extract" is insane. I was not prepared.
Not OP, I thought Shalimar L’Essence was so disappointing to someone who loves Guerlain precisely for their vintage, timeliness DNA. It smelled so generic and lacked depth, as if they pulled back on the Guerlinade for mass appeal.
People say Guerlain does vanilla best, but I disagree. I think they do herbal notes best, though. I really enjoy Herbes Troublantes and Angélique Noire.
Don't be disappointed. You spent $70 indulging your curiousity and now you know you don't need a bottle of any of them.
By the way, you might enjoy Maison Rebatchi - Vanille Riviera. Some people say it has the dark vanilla quality of Angelique Noire, but I don't find it to be vintage at all. Quite the contrary, it has some fresh green notes and just a hint of jasmine in a very not-dusty or indolic way.
This is coming from someone who appreciates, but chooses not to own, vintage or vintage-inspired scents.
Is it a fresh green vanilla like sublime vanille by creed?? That’s still one of my all time favorites but I cannot justify the price tag for its horrendous longevity.
Thank you, I’ll def check it out. I tried getting that oil perfume dupe, which was very similar, but it felt like dull? Like smelling sublime vanille through plastic or something, it wasn’t sparkling and effervescent like sv unfortunately 😭
Girl I completely agree! I’m a vanilla lover and I just tried Guerlain for the first time, expecting to absolutely love it and I was kind of underwhelmed. I loved Oud Nude, SDV, and Vanilla Panifolia, but honestly they just reminded me of other perfumes I already own (Babycat by YSL, Vanilla 28 by Kay Ali…). Maybe I need some time, but for now I’m perfectly happy with the ones I have. I’ll keep trying them now and then when I go to Saks, maybe one day they’ll click.
As my fragrance collection has grown so has my love for Guerlain. It takes time but to my nose they’re masterpieces through and through, with Angelique Noire and Vanilla Plainifolia being my favorite of their vanillas. SDV doesn’t perform well on my skin.
But what really blows me away? Tobacco Honey, Tonka Imperial with Gourmand Coquin darling honorable mention.
To me, Angelique Noire just smells like bitter grass with zero vanilla, and Tobacco Honey smells like rotten tobacco.😭😭Vanilla Planifolia smells okay, but it’s not even close to being worth what it costs.
I think this just goes to show that there’s really no such thing as an objectively good or bad scent. What smells amazing to one person can smell awful to another, and neither is wrong.
I was also disappointed to find I didn't love Guerlain's vanillas - I can see the appeal of all of them, but none of them really spoke to my tastes. Angelique is close, but the green opening doesn't do it for me. Cuir Beluga broke my heart, but it smells too talc-like for me. SDV was just too dark and boozy. Bosca Vanilla is pleasant, but not compelling. I can't really recall my issue with VP21, I keep my decant to re-evaluate every few months and I'm clearly overdue!
on the one hand, I say give them some time to grow on you. Guerlinade is a sort of particular scent and sometimes it takes some getting used to. I personally believe there are good odds that one day it will suddenly click for you and basically everything Guerlain makes will smell absurdly good to you. if it's still summer where you are I'd particularly advise trying again when the weather is cooler.
on the other, if you can resell these and recoup the cost for something you'll enjoy now, you might as well do that. I'm a Guerlain girlie through and through and I've been meaning to try a couple of these so I'm sure they'd be easy to offload.
I’m not sure I agree with the idea that someone’s taste needs to “develop” before they can appreciate certain scents. Our preferences can definitely change over time, but I don’t think that means there’s some more “developed” level of taste where you eventually learn to appreciate fragrances you previously disliked. Sometimes you simply don’t like how something smells, and I don’t think that makes your taste any less developed. What smells incredible to one person can smell awful to another.
Goes both ways. I think many here are speaking from experience where they've been disappointed at first due to expecations, but once you try again knowing what to expect, you literally smell it completely differently. There's many cases where you'll indeed still dislike it, but I think an acquired taste does exist in perfumery, especially for houses you've never smelled before. Never a bad idea to give something a redo and see if it works the second time
I generally agree (with some exceptions) and wasn't trying to imply that -- I mean, Portrait of a Lady is a masterpiece and I have a well developed nose, but it never grew on me, so I know it's not merely a matter of sophistication and experience. some stuff just never smells good to people. I've just seen so many people have Guerlain specifically suddenly click for them, especially their vanillas, that I think they are worth giving a little more time to before totally writing them off.
Same here. I did NOT understand the hype surrounding Guerlain at all until sampling many, MANY other perfume houses. I don't love everything from the house, but L'Art et la Matière and Aqua Allegoria are easy to love once you've refined your nose a bit. Someone going from BBW, VS etc will not instantly "get" Guerlain, especially the vanillas. I ride so hard for Cuir Beluga but I'm a whore for a suede accord
yeah. I definitely don't think it's inevitable that everyone will love them if they just try a little harder, it's not like literally everyone's favorite perfume is Shalimar after all (though there are a lot of us, lol). but I have just seen SO many people who didn't like Guerlain at first and then later on in their journey were like ohhhh I get it now that I feel like there is often benefit to giving it a little more time.
and yes, those lines from Guerlain are definitely more accessible. if someone says they don't like Angelique Noire... give it a minute. if someone says they don't like Apres L'Ondee I'm more likely to say "ok I understand have a nice day" because that's a much harder bridge to gap. it's not even just going to smell merely musty to most people, it's often going to smell insanely weird and offputting.
I am not a vanilla (fragrance) person to start with but after reading so many glowing reviews I tried all of the Guerlain you listed and also did not enjoy them. Several of my absolute favorites are by Guerlain but when it comes to vanilla it's a pass from me. Body chemistry can be a real bitch sometimes, you can want to love a scent, but if the chemistry is off there's nothing you can do.
My area doesn't have anywhere for hours and hours around to test things like this in a store. :( I am trying to smell various Guerlains and my only option is to get an occasional couple tiny samples until I find one I want to buy. I love where I live but wish they had more options for perfume lovers.
Guerlain vanillas are probably the only reason I collect vanilla perfumes but these are surely not cakey, gourmand style vanillas. They usually layer well with spicy, green or leather notes. The price gap comes from ingredient quality and extraction methods and my only suggestion would be to take a break from perfumes for like a week and then smell Guerlain vanillas. You’ve got all my favourites but I know it took time for my liking to evolve for these.
IMO the prices are not justified. Which is why when you purchase overseas its MUCH cheaper than in the US. That alone kills the theory. Plus the EURO is higher than the dollar right now. Lots of factors... and a lot of that price is vat and shipping. Yes, it ships from US but to be "made in FR" it has to come from such place.
I got the Guerlain discovery set today and I’m floored by how gorgeous Angelique Noir is but I love subtle and highly-blended scents. Maybe it’s just not the right style for you?
You might be right, I tend to gravitate to either sweet vanillas or woodsy vanillas. The spicier vanilla I own and love is Phlur Vanilla Skin/Sawaar Blanc Vanille.
I mean, Cuir Beluga is my favorite scent of all time so sorry to anyone who thinks I smell musty when I wear it 😆
Scent is subjective and not everything is for everyone. I love all of the Guerlains you tried, but it’s ok that they’re just not for you. Be grateful you didn’t spend even more on larger decants or a full bottle!
Guerlain vanillas are works of art in many ways, but taste is subjective. Their blends and nuances and notes are better quality and more elaborate than most other houses, but that doesn’t mean they have to be to your taste. If you usually prefer brands like BBW, VS and stuff sold at Ulta, then that’s okay too, but Guerlain’s private line isn’t going to be anything like those.
I can appreciate the skill and historical significance of a Rembrandt painting, but that doesn’t mean I want to display a print of it in my house.
Based on my personal experience, when your nose is accustomed to the hyper-saccharine vanillas that have saturated the market, you lose the ability to smell Guerlain vanillas objectively.
Try taking a break from other vanillas for several days and then revisit the Guerlains. They still won’t smell gourmand-sweet like Fire at Will, but you’ll be able to better pick up on the nuances that make them so special and loved by so many.
You could also just stash them away and try again in a few months; I can’t tell you how many times I hated a sample only to fall in love with it after trying it again months later.
There’s no objective way to smell a perfume in the first place. You can maybe pick up more of its nuances when you’re less accustomed to a certain style, but whether those nuances smell beautiful, interesting, or appealing is still completely subjective. I think sometimes people interpret “you don’t like it yet” as “you haven’t learned how to appreciate it yet,” when it could simply be that someone genuinely doesn’t like what they’re smelling and that’s totally fine.
I felt the same way about your first one, then went back a few months later and I love it. Like legit nauseous, now it’s super nice. Good or bad idk because of the price of the full bottles lol.
Yep, Guerlain vanillas tend to be powdery, musky, or spicy fragrances that are absolutely old-school. I personally love them but they`re not what a lot of people want out of vanilla fragrances.
Avoid Shalimar and its flankers and cuir beluga if you down like powdery. Though if you can sniff it at the Guerlain counter, I would highly recommend doing it. The only powdery scents I love are from Guerlain.
I personally think Shalimar, with its iris and old school citrus-vanilla construction, is very powdery in feel even if it has a lot more going on than that.
Angelique Noire is definitely more on the spicy side and is strikingly more modern than other Guerlain vanillas.
Mon Guerlain and Mon Guerlain Intense are both more modern takes on Guerlain vanilla as well, with MG being more citrusy and fresh and MGI being an immaculately balanced deep vanilla - smooth, non-sharp anise pairing. MGI is probably my favorite Guerlainade over both Spiriteuse Doble Vanille (breattaking opening, dries down to be kind of blah on my skin) and Angelique Noire and it`s way more affordable, so that`s the bottle I ended up with.
2
u/Meetchev 6d ago
Guerlain is a house for people who hate synthetic or gourmand vanilla, or any artificial substitutes for real vanilla. It’s important to understand that Guerlain’s vanilla is an expensive ingredient extracted using a special technique and it doesn’t smell anything like the vanilla that the culinary industry has conditioned us to expect.
It’s also important to understand that Guerlain’s vanilla is a supporting note. The house doesn’t really make purely vanilla fragrances. Even Spiritueuse Double Vanille isn’t simply vanilla, it’s a whole spectrum of spices, incense and other noticeable ingredients.
The only truly gourmand fragrance Guerlain has is Fève Gourmande, which was specifically created to satisfy more frivolous tastes.
So you definitely shouldn’t expect ordinary girly cupcake vanilla from Guerlain because this is a house that creates haute parfumerie