I have to say, I can be pretty choosy about how I smell. Over the years I’ve spanned the complete spectrum: I was fruity and citrus-powered in my teens, clean and fresh in college, soft and feminine, and everything in between. Thoughout it all, one thing has remained constant: I love perfume, and I love a perfume that stays on throughout the day. Lavanila’s Pure Vanilla Fragrance, I am happy to report, falls under both of those categories.
Price & Value
I must admit, Lavanila is not one of those perfumes you pick up when you’re broke. At $58 for a 1.7oz bottle, it doesn’t quite classify as an affordable scent. But for $42–$16 less than the 1.7oz—you can pick up a 1 oz. bottle from your local Sephora. The value is obviously not as grand as the larger size, but I admit that I prefer to buy smaller, especially when I haven’t been a regular user of a certain scent. The 1 oz. bottle lasted me close to four months, which is actually fantastic considering that I apply 3-4 spritzes every morning. Add on the occasional evening touch up, and you definitely are getting your money’s worth.
Scent
Ever since I discovered Hanae Mori and Flower Bomb, I have been obsessed with exotic, mysterious, musky scents. But there’s a very fine line between musky and “oh god, did she swim in perfume?!” and Lavanila does a great job of staying on the safe side, whereas Flower Bomb—lovely as it is—can start to intrude on your olfactory glands after a while.
The initial scent is just as advertised: A rich, sweet vanilla bean. It’s much more natural than a lot of other vanilla scents; as the oils come from pure vanilla bean, as opposed to the blends of artificial vanilla and sugar scents that you often find today. The secondary notes are musky and deep, and reminiscent of warmth and intrigue; it comes off very woodsy in the best way. The final notes are light-but-sharp spices, coming from the patchouli infused into the fragrance. Make no mistake, though. The overall scent is nothing I think anyone could immediately recognize beyond a mysterious and warm vanilla.
Endurance
One thing I hate more than anything else in a perfume is when it smells amazing, but has to be reapplied every two hours. Call me demanding, but I’m a dancer, and the last thing I want to be doing is stopping a rehearsal because my perfume has started to wear off and I feel gross. I prefer my perfume to be a distance runner and not a sprinter; longevity is a must.
Lavanila absolutely qualifies in the marathon of fragrances. It’s probably one of the top three fragrances I’ve ever used in terms of longevity. And, fabulously enough, I’ve noticed that the scent actually seems to deepen throughout the day, building on the complex notes of vanilla and woodsy spice. It sweetens a bit, and is just as enchanting at 8 PM as it was at 8 AM.
Overall, this is hands down one of my favorite perfumes. It’s also one that I keep coming back to, which is pretty unusual considering how much of a perfume hopper I am. And hey, it even makes my shirts and sweaters smell divine, and who can argue with a perfume that does that? Sure, it can edge on the pricey side, but it’s well worth it. Lavanila will leave you smelling scrumptious in the most intriguing way.
- By Sarah H
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