6 Vanilla Perfumes That Smell So Good, People Will Stop to Ask What You’re Wearing
Whether you love sweet, sultry, or sophisticated scents, these perfumes deliver.
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There’s something that’s inherently familiar and comforting about the scent of vanilla. Whether a whiff reminds you of baking with your grandmother or transports you back to a warm summer day enjoying an ice cream cone, the nostalgia and warmth associated with the scent is part of what makes it so popular.
Our top picks:
- Best Overall: Ariana Grande Lovenotes Plush Vanilla Eau de Parfum
- Best Value: Snif 2% Eau de Toilette
- Best Spicy Vanilla: Kayali Oudgasm Vanilla Oud 36 Eau de Parfum
It makes sense that when it comes to vanilla perfumes and gourmand scents, there’s a wealth of options to explore. This curated list of best vanilla perfumes has picks for those who love sugary sweet scents, as well as selections for anyone who wants to lean in to more elevated and complex blends.
Vanilla purists will be thrilled with this juice that expertly blends sweet notes of vanilla macaron with warm and cozy notes of cashmere woods and amber crystals. Plus, it’s housed in a bottle that holds over four ounces, so you won’t run out any time soon.
EXPERT NOTES: “In my blind sniff test of celebrity perfumes, this fragrance earned the highest average rating and was three testers’ favorite scent,” says GH Beauty Lab Reviews Analyst Chiara Butler. “Blind testers described the fragrance as ‘gourmand heaven’ with notes of vanilla cake, amber, and marshmallow. This is definitely a sweet and youthful scent.”
Features at a glance
| Category | Gourmand |
| Notes | Vanilla macaron, cashmere woods, amber crystals |
| Size | 4.25 fl. oz. |
Leaning in to the milky fragrance trend, Snif’s 2% is all that you could want from a creamy, cozy scent. It blends fresh dairy accord with sweet vanilla, praline, and caramel notes for a subtly sweet juice.
EXPERT NOTES: “This is not essentially born and bred vanilla, but it has notes of vanilla. And for those vanilla-leaning lactonic lovers this is the perfect one for you!” says Kara Kowalski, Snif Director of Fragrance & Formula Development. “It’s fresh, but still musky and creamy.”
Features at a glance
| Category | Woody gourmand |
| Notes | Milk carton accord, fresh dairy accord, lactones, vanilla, praline, caramel |
| Size | 1 fl. oz. |
Alluring and smoky, this vanilla fragrance is anything but basic. Instead of coming off cloyingly sweet, the vanilla sugar note is complimented with saffron, white musk, praline, and oud, giving it a depth that’s both refined and complex.
EXPERT NOTES: “I first smelled this sophisticated fragrance on my coworker and loved it so much that she actually gave me her bottle!” Butler says. “This fragrance definitely has a vanilla facet, but the vanilla isn’t in-your-face, it just serves to sweeten up the oud note in the base. It’s a very grown-up and feminine fragrance with a mix of ‘vintage’ notes like rose and oakmoss and indulgent gourmand notes like vanilla sugar and praline. I think this is a great mature vanilla.”
Features at a glance
| Category | Warm and sweet gourmand |
| Notes | Vanilla sugar, praline, saffron, white musk, oakmoss, oud |
| Size | 0.34, 1.7 fl. oz. |
When you want to go bold, “That Girl” is your girl. With the decadent nature of your favorite vanilla dessert, this long-lasting fragrance will easily become your go-to when you want to smell like a treat.
EXPERT NOTES: “This is strongest, sweetest, most intense vanilla fragrance I’ve ever owned,” Butler says. “It’s an extrait de parfum, so it’s more concentrated than an eau de parfum, and really lingers all day on my skin and clothing. It’s a syrupy, honeyed vanilla with touches of marshmallow and coconut. This is super-sweet and might not be for everyone, but if you want to walk around in a sweet vanilla cloud all day, this is for you!”
Features at a glance
| Category | Sweet gourmand |
| Notes | Caramel swirl, coconut milk, tonka bean, honey, sugared white musk, amber, vanilla, marshmallow |
| Size | 1.7 fl. oz |
You don’t have to smell like a walking dessert to enjoy a vanilla fragrance, and this perfume proves it. Amandine Pallez, Bvlgari’s Perfume Business Unit Heritage and Creative Director, describes the perfect vanilla scent as one that is “slightly woody with leathery undertones” opposed to going fully gourmand. This scent in particular combines vanilla essence with a bright gardenia accord.
EXPERT NOTES: Pallez describes this scent as “complex, floral but warm and cozy and so long lasting,” noting that it’s one of her favorites.
Features at a glance
| Category | Floral |
| Notes | Gardenia accord, vanilla essence |
| Size | 3.4 fl. oz. |
An elevated and sensual take on your classic vanilla, this spicy fragrance leans into its mid notes of golden amber accord and benzoin.
EXPERT NOTES: “It’s warm, spicy, and long lasting,” a GH staffer says. “You don’t need to apply a lot to make a statement. First you’ll pick up the blood orange and golden amber accord notes, then it’ll eventually dry down to reveal a warm and creamy vanilla musk finish.”
Features at a glance
| Category | Ambery gourmand |
| Notes | Star jasmine, blood orange, golden amber accord, benzoin, vanilla, musk accord |
| Size | 0.33, 1.0, 1.6, 3.3 fl. oz. |
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