Remember the gloss-loving '90s where every store smelt like a haze of sugary candy floss? They’re propelling their way back to beauty trends one shiny, brown lipstick at a time. Perhaps it is then unsurprising that vanilla–the bona fide fragrance note of the era–is considered cool again too.
A new wave of fragrances means vanilla’s recent reputation of being cloyingly sweet and ultra boring no longer stands true. The creamy note, that’s also an aphrodisiac, has got a spanking new, ultra sexy status in the olfactory world. It is now championed by an increasing number of popular fragrances for those who can’t resist its candied, sensual charm. Even Rihanna, who was voted the best-smelling celebrity by her fellow A-Listers, is known to be cocooned in a bubble of an under-the-radar vanilla scent on the red carpet.
If you prefer your perfumes to be a bit more mysterious, the complex vanilla scent can also be partnered with the right notes to extract its facets of smokiness, creaminess, warmth or spice. Take Carolina Herrera’s cult favourite Good Girl, for example, that mingles vanilla with jasmine sambac and almonds for a sensual, heady cocktail with a hit of freshness.
Whether your proclivities to scent are screaming all out vanilla or a perfect mix, here are our top fragrances that should make it to your beauty shelfie. Because it’s no longer considered vanilla to smell like vanilla!