Vanille Havane Les Indémodables 2020 Eau de Parfum

Somewhere in Havana…
“Damn, what the hell am I doing here anyway?” shot through my mind. Sitting in a rundown bar in the center of Havana, melting from the heat, I actually ordered a banana split. “Is there nothing better I could have thought of? Who would even think of ordering and eating a banana split in this situation!” But my senses insisted!
“Well, maybe the ice cream will cool me down a bit,” I thought to myself as a bored waiter suddenly appeared at my table, my order on the tray.
“Senor, su helado,” he presented with a smoky voice, while I immediately set to work on the banana split. Chocolatey aromas spread out, while the fine and soft vanilla and tobacco notes from the market outside were eagerly fanned into the dim ambiance of the bar by the rapidly spinning fans inside.

“I really think that lousy scoundrel Carlos has played me. He promised me the goods, the Colombian stuff,” echoed in my head! I shoved another spoonful of chocolate sauce into my mouth and grumbled, “Way too much time has already passed, that bastard!” Meanwhile, I decided to leave this shady establishment immediately, despite the still intoxicating scent of dark cocoa and soft vanilla in the air. I ordered the bill.
“La cuenta, por favor,” I waved to the waiter. He quickly came to the table and placed the bill in a bowl made of dark wood, adorned with a pretty jasmine flower.

I pulled my wallet out of my pocket and my thoughts circled around just one topic! “Where is Carlos? I absolutely needed the Colombian K…,” when just at that moment, a guy appeared next to me and pressed his steaming Havana into the wooden bowl decorated with the jasmine flower. Immediately, a dark woody, fine smoke spread out, carried by the light sweetness of the flower.
“Buenos Dias, muchacho! Are you ready for our deal?” There stood Carlos. Who would have thought it!
“Hey Carlos, of course I’m ready. Ready when you are!”
“Do you have the money? I have the goods outside in the car. 2 kilograms of pure Colombian cocoa! Just as you ordered!”
“Finally, you old crook,” I replied, relieved! “Let’s go, vamonos, vamonos!”

***

Les Indémodables manages to create a deep, dark, and incredibly present scent on the skin with Vanilla Havane in an impressive way and with few ingredients. No 2 kg of cocoa are required for this :)
In fact, the opening involuntarily reminds me of the mentioned banana split. However, this is just the first impression, as the opening has a strong presence and is quickly accompanied by subtle vanilla and spicy tobacco notes. The tobacco and cocoa form a well-functioning symbiosis, so the scent itself never comes off too sweet, but is usually well balanced.
However, the sillage is very pronounced. The dosage should be chosen wisely, depending on how much one wants to share this scent with their surroundings.
This rather long-lasting opening phase is gradually overlaid by dark woody and smoky elements. In this transformation phase, the initial notes appropriately recede into the background, giving the scent a sort of second presence. In my opinion, the development of this phase is more attractive or appears better blended than the beginning of Vanilla Havane.
Finally, a slight floral note shines through every now and then. The Egyptian jasmine certainly contributes to this aspect, but does not come off as intrusive or overloaded.

In conclusion, there remains a nearly consistently well-executed, dark-spicy cocoa scent, with pleasant vanilla and tobacco facets, enhanced and rounded off by the beautiful dark wood and smoke components. Still, something is missing. At times, there is a somewhat angular, coarse impression that could have benefited from a bit more refinement. The longevity, however, is strong and consistently convincing, just like the sillage.