I was very confused. When I read the notes, and especially the name, I prepare myself for a deliciously sweet gourmand fragrance. What I got was certainly not that. It wasn’t sweet to me at all, despite the additions of tonka bean and brown sugar. It smelled like something I couldn’t quite place. And it certainly did not smell like the vanilla I came to know and love.
In just an hour of wear, it had disappeared mostly, leaving behind a dirty, bitter after. I resprayed again and again, hour after hour. And I continued to be disappointed. I assumed that was my bad. So, I retried the next day, only to have the short life and bitter notes yet again. It lasted on the paper, so there is something about it breaking down very quickly on my skin.
I have no idea why the listed notes would behave this way on me. Tonka bean- Love it. Brown sugar- Enjoy it. Musk- You normally behave. What gives?
I know there are people who swear this is the best smelling scent in the world and that they would launch 1000 ships to bring it back home if it were to ever leave them. But from my experience, I cannot jump on that boat.
One of the issues I think might be that the key note is vanilla orchid. You might be thinking, “Yeah, yeah vanilla. Like the one in ice cream.” And you would be wrong. Since I had a suspicion this was intentional to distinguish from vanilla bean, I looked up the scent. Victoria of Bois de Jasmin describes the flower’s scent as a mix of jasmine and green grape. So, it is after all a floral. (Although, none of that explains the bitterness. Is it the musk? Maybe it’s the musk.)
Do I recommend it? Uh, well, maybe you should try it for yourself? You may have a better experience than I did. Just go in with the recognition that it is based on vanilla orchid, not vanilla bean. Don’t expect a typical vanilla based scent. Also, please try and get a sample first before springing for a bottle with you hard earned money.
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A Wren Says 
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