Vanillary Lush / Cosmetics To Go 2009 Perfume
1
Big Vanilla Beans And Skanky, Indolic Jasmine
Once upon a time, on February 12, 2012:
Vanillary is brilliantly simple. It is a mature jasmine-vanilla scent. Not mature as in ‘dated and musty’ but ‘grown up and refined’. This is unlike any vanilla scent I’ve yet to encounter. There is a smoldering incense in the drydown that could be attributed to the mix of tonka bean and jasmine. The vanilla is unadulterated. The jasmine is impressively authentic; it reminds me of the night-blooming jasmine bush in front of my house. It miraculously captured the scent of real jasmine as it blooms on a May evening. It’s pure bliss! Too many jasmine fragrances fall victim of turning into ‘car freshener’ jasmine, too sweet and too plasticky. This is the real deal. I spent an entire afternoon compulsively sniffing my wrists like a mental ward patient with an OCD tick. I had to go back to the Lush boutique and make this scent my own.
My only complaint is its inability to last longer than two hours. The sales person who insisted I would love this fragrance also massaged one of my forearms with the Heavanilli massage bar which is also scented with Vanillary. The use of the massage bar prolonged the scent and softened my skin. Maybe it’s just my skin’s chemistry but this scent vanishes in a smoky instant so layering is a necessity.
Anyone who is turned off by vanilla fragrances must give this one a go. It is not your typical saccharine vanilla.
Today, as I recall how I felt, on April 24, 2024:
I still have that wee bottle, one ounce of darkened vanilla syrup and skanky, indolic jasmine. I saw someone below mention "earwax" as a note; I think that's the indolic element of Vanillary Perfume. I think it rivals such indolic classics as Lust Perfume and Alien Eau de Parfum. It has elements of bodily fluids/biological matter encircling the vanilla beans and jasmine bunches gathered in a bowl. Depending on one's tolerance for indolic scents, this is either intolerable or intoxicating. Luckily for me, it's intoxicating.
I'm sad about nearing the end of my bottle but I also realize it took me over 12 years to get to this point. A little goes a long way, especially as the bottle aged. I complained about the longevity of my newer bottle; it is a beast these days. So, I'd suggest letting the bottle rest a few months. The juice will darken and the scent will get richer, or unbearable, depending on the wearer.
Does it inspire me to still wax poetic about it? Nope. It's really lovely, but I've since expanded my horizons, put my nose on more unique vanilla-based scents, and acquired other vanillas, this is a great basic vanilla. It's perfect for layering and for when I can think of nothing else to wear, a dumb reach, if you will. It's basic, but it's a unique enough vanilla that only Lush can produce.
Vanillary is brilliantly simple. It is a mature jasmine-vanilla scent. Not mature as in ‘dated and musty’ but ‘grown up and refined’. This is unlike any vanilla scent I’ve yet to encounter. There is a smoldering incense in the drydown that could be attributed to the mix of tonka bean and jasmine. The vanilla is unadulterated. The jasmine is impressively authentic; it reminds me of the night-blooming jasmine bush in front of my house. It miraculously captured the scent of real jasmine as it blooms on a May evening. It’s pure bliss! Too many jasmine fragrances fall victim of turning into ‘car freshener’ jasmine, too sweet and too plasticky. This is the real deal. I spent an entire afternoon compulsively sniffing my wrists like a mental ward patient with an OCD tick. I had to go back to the Lush boutique and make this scent my own.
My only complaint is its inability to last longer than two hours. The sales person who insisted I would love this fragrance also massaged one of my forearms with the Heavanilli massage bar which is also scented with Vanillary. The use of the massage bar prolonged the scent and softened my skin. Maybe it’s just my skin’s chemistry but this scent vanishes in a smoky instant so layering is a necessity.
Anyone who is turned off by vanilla fragrances must give this one a go. It is not your typical saccharine vanilla.
Today, as I recall how I felt, on April 24, 2024:
I still have that wee bottle, one ounce of darkened vanilla syrup and skanky, indolic jasmine. I saw someone below mention "earwax" as a note; I think that's the indolic element of Vanillary Perfume. I think it rivals such indolic classics as Lust Perfume and Alien Eau de Parfum. It has elements of bodily fluids/biological matter encircling the vanilla beans and jasmine bunches gathered in a bowl. Depending on one's tolerance for indolic scents, this is either intolerable or intoxicating. Luckily for me, it's intoxicating.
I'm sad about nearing the end of my bottle but I also realize it took me over 12 years to get to this point. A little goes a long way, especially as the bottle aged. I complained about the longevity of my newer bottle; it is a beast these days. So, I'd suggest letting the bottle rest a few months. The juice will darken and the scent will get richer, or unbearable, depending on the wearer.
Does it inspire me to still wax poetic about it? Nope. It's really lovely, but I've since expanded my horizons, put my nose on more unique vanilla-based scents, and acquired other vanillas, this is a great basic vanilla. It's perfect for layering and for when I can think of nothing else to wear, a dumb reach, if you will. It's basic, but it's a unique enough vanilla that only Lush can produce.
Exciter76
