Question:
OK I'll probably sound crazy with this post but I'm going to try to explain it as best I can........I have a real love/hate relationship with vanilla notes. Sometimes the vanilla in a perfume can smell harsh, abrasive, and cheap. Other times it can smell warm, smooth and luxurious. It seems, to me at least, to even hit different parts of my nose - the harsh vanilla grates upon the "roof" of my nasal passages, whereas the nice vanilla goes right back and kind of caresses my nose. Does this make ANY sense to anyone else? An example of "harsh" vanilla is TBS vanilla oil. It makes me feel sick and I hate smelling anyone who is wearing it. Yet I can't get enough of Lolita Lempicka's vanilla. Perhaps what I think is pleasant vanilla is actually tonka?
Anyway if anyone has any thoughts or enlightenments, please add them! I really would love to get a clean yet warm vanilla-based fragrance but I'm soooo wary of vanilla, lest my nose be assaulted by something that smells like it should be plugged into an outlet.
Thoughts?

Answer:
This is really a good topic for me right now. I used to think that sweet perfumes were not my thing, that I was only a wood-chypre gal. However, since opening my mind and heart to so many fine fragrances through this board, I find that I love the "vanilla" Orientals. And yes, there is more than one way to create that "vanilla" aroma, with notes like tonka and amber contributing to its yummy sweetness every bit as much as the actual vanilla/vanillin note.
I think its time to try some more Orientals. Try them, and see where they fall "on your palatte." That is exactly how scents affect me, too. They land in different parts of my nose and throat, giving me the impression of taste: sweet, sour, salty, bitter.
These scents come with high recommendations from Basenoters:
Guerlain Shalimar and Samsara,
Etro Etra
L'Artisan Ambre Extreme
Armani Code
There are lots more. I haven't even started trying them all, myself, so I will join you, metaphorically speaking, in your quest.

Answer:
Hi OzKat. TBS vanilla used to smell wonderful but now it's been reformulated and I can't wear it either. As for being around it... sometimes I don't mind but most of the time I do. It depends on how much the wearer has put on.
I like vanilla as a base note. I don't particularly care for it if it's the star of the show unless it's in a subtle scent.

Answer:
Welcome ozkat!

I have had this quandary in the past and have found that my nose prefers a balance between vanille bourbon / balsamic vanilla 'extract' / tonka bean. I also have a soft spot for benzoin in a blend. I find many vanilla blends too sweet and cloying for my palate and much prefer those that feature smooth woods (sandal, cedar) to cut the sweetness. I also like my vanillas slightly smoky.

If it is tonka bean you prefer, I recommend you obtain decants of Chopard Casmir and / or Mira Bai. The vanilla in these is heavily augmented by tonka bean.

My preferred Vanilla's in scents include:

Chopard Mira Bai
Anna Sui Sui Dreams
Yves Rocher Vanille Bourbon
L'Artisan Vanillia
Dunhill Desire For a Woman
TBS Vanilla (circa 1990) - very, very different from the fruity floral mess they are selling today.
i Profumo de Firenze Vaniglia de Madagascar
Parfums de Nicolai Vanille Bourbon (you may prefer the Vanille Tonka)
TBS Vanilla Spice - as foody as I will ever get. It is like butter rich spiced cookie batter. I only enjoy it in deepest coldest winter.
TBS Sugar & Spice - a lighter scent twin of the Vanilla Spice with a great citrussy top note.
Serge Lutens Douce Amere - ambery vanilla base. Have to be in the mood for this.
Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille - dominated by smooth woods. Not so much a love any more.

*********************

There are more but these are the main ones I can remember right now.

Answer:
Try Givenchy PI. Made for men but I don´t care. Best vanilla I have ever smelled - if you dislike cloying sweet vanilla. Most pleasant one.

Answer:
I wear Pi also. I am a vanilla lover so my tastes might send you over the edge. CSP's, being my favorites. Since you like Lolita Lempika, why not try more orientals.

Answer:
Because actual high quality vanilla is very, very expensive, there are a lot of "vanillas" out there, both synthetic and natural. In my little lab I have at least 5, going from soft/floral, to heavy caramel. I also have tonka and benzoin, which seem to go with this family. I have some vanilla extracts from India which I found in Indian groceries which are soft, subtle, and lovely. I know they are not synthetics but what they are made of, along with vanilla bean, beats me. It's kind of like finding the right "amber". There are a million of them! For just a good vanilla bourbon EdT, Yves Rocher does the best, I think.

Answer:
i like vanilla that blends in make the fragrance fabulous without smelling like a cookie- try West Side by Bond it has vanilla but it blends in beautifully.

Answer:
I'm no vanilla expert, and my tastes are all over the place. I find that lately something has happened to my smell-buds (real word? who knows), and most standard dept. store frags (fruity florals) smell too strong on me. When I am feeling like I need a cozy warm vanilla hug, I dab on some Fragonard Vanille edt. It's got a hint of spice, but not too much of anything...though some might find it a bit sweet. I find the lightness of it makes the sweetness blend in with my skin.

Answer:
Quote: Originally Posted by Elf Because actual high quality vanilla is very, very expensive, there are a lot of "vanillas" out there, both synthetic and natural. In my little lab I have at least 5, going from soft/floral, to heavy caramel. I also have tonka and benzoin, which seem to go with this family. I have some vanilla extracts from India which I found in Indian groceries which are soft, subtle, and lovely. I know they are not synthetics but what they are made of, along with vanilla bean, beats me. It's kind of like finding the right "amber". There are a million of them! For just a good vanilla bourbon EdT, Yves Rocher does the best, I think. Elf, about the vanilla extracts from India... were they "food" extracts used in cooking and can those be used in perfumery?