The 15 Most Iconic Vanilla Perfumes of All Time

Harper's Bazaar

Tue, November 1, 2022 at 1:41 AM UTC

The 15 Most Iconic Vanilla Perfumes of All Time — There’s a reason vanilla is so popular in fragrances: the warm and sweet composition is instantly comforting. In fact, vanilla is known to be a mood enhancer.
The only edible fruit in the orchid family, vanilla is a versatile ingredient that plays well with so many other scents, making it perfect for endless fragrance formulations. While vanilla perfumes are amazing to wear all year, there are definitely some, like Mugler's Alien Goddess, that are better for the warmer months thanks to notes like fresh floral or rose. On the flip side, vanilla perfumes that are complemented by spices or woody notes are perfect for fall and winter. But if we're being honest, wear the scent that speaks to you, regardless of the season. With so many great vanilla fragrances to choose from you're bound to find one you love.
Whether you consider yourself a bonafide gourmand girl or just like to smell hints of sweetness in your perfume, vanilla can (and does) do it all. Here, 15 of the best vanilla perfumes to try out, from cult classics to newcomers.
YSL

1) Vanille Antique — **Byredo**
byredo.com
**$250.00**
It's easy to see—or smell—why Byredo is so popular, and Vanille Antique, one of the brand's night veil scents, doesn't disappoint. You might be expecting something super sweet with opening notes like freesia and plum, but the heart and base notes of amber and cashmere woods add an Earthy sophistication.

**Notes**
**Top: freesia, plum**
**Heart: amber, cashmere woods**
**Base: Madagascar vanilla beans, cistus oil**
Courtesy

2) Chelsea Nights Eau de Parfum — **Bond No.9 New York**
neimanmarcus.com
**$460.00**
Luxe fragrance brand Bond No.9 takes inspiration from the neighborhoods of New York City. This newest fragrance is meant to capture the essence of a wild night out in Chelsea.
**Notes**
**Top: Saffron, Cocoa absolute**
**Heart: Tuberose, Myrrh Resoid, Cedarwood, Oud oil**
**Base: Amber, Vanilla, Suede, Patchouli Oil**
Courtesy

3) Lanc?me Id?le Aura Eau de Parfum — **Lanc?me**
ulta.com
**$99.00**
Classic notes of rose and jasmine mix with modern salted vanilla to give this scent the perfect a touch of sweetness.
**Notes**
**Top: Essence of isparta and centifolia roses**
**Middle: White jasmine and bergamot**
**Base: Salted vanilla**
Courtesy

4) Vaniglia — **Santa Maria Novella**
smnovella.com
**$145.00**
According to the brand Santa Maria Novella, vanilla was actually thought of as an aphrodisiac in ancient times. Even so, the zippy lemon and bergamot, comforting jasmine, and grounding vanilla make it easy to fall in love with this fragrance.
**Notes**
**Top: Lemon, bergamot, orange**
**Heart: Jasmine, vanilla**
**Base: Vanilla, sweet woods, benzoin**
Courtesy

5) Black Opium Eau de Parfum — **Yves Saint Laurent**
sephora.com
**$102.00**
Though the name is Black Opium, this iconic fragrance is both sweet and warm thanks to notes of coffee, white flowers, and vanilla. It's the perfect one to pick up when that chill in the air comes around.
**Notes**
**Top: coffee**
**Middle: white flowers**
**Base: vanilla**
Courtesy

6) Vanilla Diorama Fragrance — **Dior**
dior.com
**$2023.00**
This fragrance is named after one of Christian Dior's favorite desserts, the Diorama Gourmand (details of the actual pastry are a mystery as there are no true records of it). But this fragrance interpretation is just as delicious as the mythical dessert, with nearly-edible notes of vanilla, cocoa, and orange wedge.
**Notes: Vanilla, cocoa, and orange wedge**
Courtesy

7) Alien Goddess Eau de Parfum — **Mugler**
sephora.com
**$170.00**
Bergamot and heart of jasmine are grounded by bourbon vanilla to create a warm yet floral scent you'll want to wear every day.

**Notes**
**Top: Bergamot essence**
**Heart: Jasmine grandiflorum**
**Base: Bourbon vanilla**
Courtesy

8) Dulce Eau de Parfum — **By Rosie Jane**
byrosiejane.com
**$70.00**
Fragrance has a way of bringing back memories, and this scent is all about reminiscing on all of the sweetness life has to offer. Tip: Because the formula is clean, spritz all over instead of rubbing or dabbing into skin.
**Notes**
**Top: vanilla**
**Heart: hinoki wood**
**Base: nude musk**
Courtesy

9) Dirty Vanilla Eau de Parfum — **HERETIC**
sephora.com
**$165.00**
Vanilla is the heart of this fragrance, blending a mix of both sweet and spicy as well as warm and woody to make an elevated vanilla scent. They call it dirty, we call it delicious.

Top: cedar, coriander, ho wood
**Heart: vanilla**
**Base: patchouli, sandalwood, styrax, vetiver**
Courtesy

10) Tangier Vanille — **AERIN**
sephora.com
**$145.00**
Inspired by Morocco, Madagascar vanilla slices through notes of bergamot and Bulgarian rose, while sandalwood, amber, and musk anchor this fragrance.
Top: Italian bergamot, Bulgarian eose
Heart: Madagascar vanilla
Base: amber, sandalwood, musk
Courtesy

11) Paris-Venise Les Eaux de CHANEL Eau de Toilette Spray — **Chanel**
chanel.com
**$90.00**
This fragrance is meant to evoke a sense of comfort. In fact, it was inspired by Venice, one of the cities Gabrielle Chanel fell in love with after the death of her lover, Boy Capel. Think of it as a fresh vanilla hug.
**Notes: neroli, amber, vanilla and tonka**
Courtesy

12) Vanilla & Anise Cologne — **Jo Malone**
jomalone.com
**$866.00**
Hints of anise and clove add spiciness to the purple vanilla orchid notes in this cologne. It's meant to be a "modern story of vanilla."

**Notes**
**Top: star anise**
**Heart: purple vanilla orchid**
**Base: vanilla bourbon**
Courtesy

13) Vanilla Milk Eau de Parfum — **Ellis Brooklyn**
sephora.com
**$105.00**
This perfume does double duty with vanilla using both bourbon vanilla bean and Madagascar vanilla bean extract with a touch of florals. The bst part? It's designed to get better with your body's heat and chemistry.

**Notes**
**Top: creamy milk accord, frangipani, peony rose**
**Heart: bourbon vanilla bean, Madagascar vanilla bean extract, upcycled cocoa shell extract**
**Base: benzoin resinoid, amyris, sandalwood, musk**
Courtesy

14) Eau Duelle — **Diptyque**
bergdorfgoodman.com
**$180.00**
The sweetness of bourbon vanilla is accompanied by pink peppercorn, cardamom, and vetiver to add a warm spiciness to this take on a vanilla fragrance.
**Notes: Pink peppercorn, juniper berry, green cardamom, elemi, olibanum, calamus, black ceylon tea, bourbon vanilla, haitian vetiver, cypriol.**
Courtesy

15) Dark is Night Eau de Parfum — **HENRY ROSE**
nordstrom.com
**$35.00**
While the initial notes exude freshness, once this scent dries down the patchouli and vanilla come out to play. The result is a sensual, skin-like warmth.
**Notes**
**Top: green grass**
**Heart: vetiver, freesia**
**Base: patchouli, vanilla bean**
Courtesy

The 15 Most Iconic Vanilla Perfumes of All Time

1 of 16

There’s a reason vanilla is so popular in fragrances: the warm and sweet composition is instantly comforting. In fact, vanilla is known to be a mood enhancer.

The only edible fruit in the orchid family, vanilla is a versatile ingredient that plays well with so many other scents, making it perfect for endless fragrance formulations. While vanilla perfumes are amazing to wear all year, there are definitely some, like Mugler's Alien Goddess, that are better for the warmer months thanks to notes like fresh floral or rose. On the flip side, vanilla perfumes that are complemented by spices or woody notes are perfect for fall and winter. But if we're being honest, wear the scent that speaks to you, regardless of the season. With so many great vanilla fragrances to choose from you're bound to find one you love.

Whether you consider yourself a bonafide gourmand girl or just like to smell hints of sweetness in your perfume, vanilla can (and does) do it all. Here, 15 of the best vanilla perfumes to try out, from cult classics to newcomers.

YSL

There’s a reason vanilla is so popular in fragrances. It is instantly comforting. Vanilla is known to be a mood enhancer. So in my opinion, can never go wrong with a great vanilla perfume.

About Our Ads

Don't Miss

The 15 Most Iconic Vanilla Perfumes of All Time

The 15 Most Iconic Vanilla Perfumes of All Time

The 15 Most Iconic Vanilla Perfumes of All Time

1) Vanille Antique

2) Chelsea Nights Eau de Parfum

3) Lanc?me Id?le Aura Eau de Parfum

4) Vaniglia

5) Black Opium Eau de Parfum

6) Vanilla Diorama Fragrance

7) Alien Goddess Eau de Parfum

8) Dulce Eau de Parfum

9) Dirty Vanilla Eau de Parfum

10) Tangier Vanille

11) Paris-Venise Les Eaux de CHANEL Eau de Toilette Spray

12) Vanilla & Anise Cologne

13) Vanilla Milk Eau de Parfum

14) Eau Duelle

15) Dark is Night Eau de Parfum

Recommended articles