Vanille - Intime Secret... Des Filles à la Vanille

The brand "Des Filles à la Vanille" is, I think, quite unknown outside of France, so I have wanted to write a comment about the fragrances for a while. It is a perfume manufacturer from southern France, and the perfumes are produced - as far as I could gather from the website - in Grasse.

In terms of composition, they remind me a bit of Laurence Dumont - as they are affordable, French niche fragrances, and there is quite a range of vanilla variations in the collection (which is not limited to just that).
The bottles look kitschy-girlish, with star prints and a winged angel. However, one should not be deceived by this, as the fragrances are not (just) for little girls.

So how does "Vanille - Intime Secret" smell?
It is a very simple scent; I really can’t perceive more than the 3 ingredients: vanilla, patchouli, and almonds. But it is beautifully crafted and not as sweet as one might assume. Primarily, I perceive a lot of patchouli. Vanilla comes in second; it has a dry, powdery impression - like powdered sugar mixed with a good amount of vanillin and almond aroma. The sweetness remains moderate despite everything. "Intime Secret" does not become sticky-sweet (due to the vanilla) or overwhelmingly heavy (as is often the case with patchouli). I find the scent rather fluffy and soft, almost delicate and somehow "floating."

The 3 fragrances I have experienced from "Des Filles ..." so far have all been relatively linear in structure; they do not undergo significant development. In the case of "Intime Secret," vanilla and patchouli initially stand apart in the top notes, far from each other. However, as it approaches the base, the two ingredients gradually come closer together until they are perfectly fused.