5
Prise For A Supreme Love
Have you ever thought about the meaning of supreme? Highest in rank or authority, sovereign, chief, of the highest quality, very great or greatest in rank, character, importance, and so forth: supreme courage. Up to the extreme, “make the supreme sacrifice” means to die for what you believe in. ZARA concocted four unique perfumes of the Chapter No. 7 series dedicated to vanilla, and this one was baptized Supreme. What makes this fragrance worthy of this adjective? Supreme Vanilla has wonderfully balanced oriental notes of tonka, iris, vanilla and sugar from the distinct woody base of this sublime perfume. But the thing that makes this fragrance special is the note of dirty, bitterish, and markedly burnt ink. India or Indian ink, also Chinese ink, is a simple black or coloured ink once widely used for writing and printing and is now more commonly used for drawing and outlining, especially when inking comic books and comic strips. They also used it in medical applications, and it has such a bitterish and rubbery smell. I remember when I was in school in the 70s, Pelikan was a leading brand in the production of stationery, pens, and inks. And this perfume, with this edgy note, brought me back to school.
The similarity with Bohemian Oud is evident, especially in the initial phase. If you spray them in the shop at the same time you will realize this similarity. And this is why I purchased it and immediately returned it when it was released on the market. Yet, there is so much more, the smell I associate with sugary popcorn, thick incense and burnt vanilla. My first impression changed a lot, to the point that, after trying it several times, I finally gave in to temptation and bought it again. Supreme Vanilla and Bohemian Oud are two parallel universes that need to be explored thoroughly without dwelling too much on the surface. In the passage to the middle phase and then to the dry-down, the similarity between the two fades until it disappears. The initial similarity I felt at first sight gradually turns into dissimilarity. To my surprise, the more Supreme Vanilla dries, the thicker, creamier, liqueur-like, and woodier it becomes, with that special touch of burnt cotton candy. One has a leaning towards oud, while the other is towards vanilla. The names Bohemian Vanilla and Supreme Oud would have fit perfectly.
Supreme Vanilla is anything but linear, and reveals with a bang of loose cannons boozy, so much so that it resembles a vanilla liqueur; if you know Rum Don Papa, you know what I’m referring to. The vanilla is perceived very intensely in the first minutes, then it moves to the background, and it almost seems to vanish. But behind this liqueur accord lies a spicy layer, which I recognise as that of cardamom. Extremely polarizing, it is a puzzling start and might be off-putting for some conformist people.
Approaching the central phase, the dark notes of ink intertwined with the burnt notes of sugar pulsate in the heart. The spicy aspects of vanilla slowly emerge again, or rather Madagascar vanilla. But vanilla isn’t the only note jostling to be noticed. The scent now takes on dry woody facets, which I associate with cedar wood chips. The smoky, or rather scorched, toasted nuances float undisturbed in the background. If you don’t like the pungent smell of ink, it might be a challenge because this note is very noticeable and dominant in this formulation. If you like it, you must have Supreme Vanilla as it gives it a unique edge!
A final transformation occurs in the dry-down, in which the warm notes of tonka are accentuated and mixed with those of the vanilla protagonist, dry woods, and the semi-sweet and burnt notes of sugar. The trail that the perfume leaves is intense and captivating. I find it very amber and not very gourmand. The ink somewhat went away in the dry down and left a linear tonka and a bit of brown sugar. When the initial exposure subsides, the perfume reveals burnt nuances. Imagine placing some black vanilla pods in the oven and lightly toasting them. In the meantime, let’s light a small cone of non-clerical incense. The result that permeates the room is a smell of slightly toasted and smoky vanilla, with incensed overtones. This is exactly the aroma that my skin releases after some time of spraying Supreme Vanilla on it. The good thing, at least for my taste, is that this smells anything like syrupy gourmand vanilla cookies and syrupy brown sugar, but burnt sugar. So, I get plain vanilla, but I don’t get too much sweetness, which is a plus for me.
Although the resemblance to Bohemian Oud is obvious, I don’t think it is a re-edition of the same perfume. Supreme Vanilla is part of the Chapter No. 7 collection, while Bohemian Oud belongs to Chapter No. 3. Even if Zara often offers perfumes already released in the past by changing the name and packaging, here I would find it senseless. The day after, you can still smell a smoky and incensed vanilla on the surface, with just a hint of sugary sweetness. This is a perfect evening and nighttime, rainy, cosy fall and winter perfume. Dress it up, dress it down, even for the office if it’s climate-controlled. It has unexpectedly great longevity but a moderate projection, which makes it ideal also for daily wear. I like this one, it’s very smooth, very well-rounded, very versatile and genderless, in my opinion. Highly polarising, I believe the smokiness and inkiness is what elevates this essence, and sets it apart from other popular vanilla things.
I'm writing my impression after several tests on a bottle I've owned since October 2023.
-Elysium
The similarity with Bohemian Oud is evident, especially in the initial phase. If you spray them in the shop at the same time you will realize this similarity. And this is why I purchased it and immediately returned it when it was released on the market. Yet, there is so much more, the smell I associate with sugary popcorn, thick incense and burnt vanilla. My first impression changed a lot, to the point that, after trying it several times, I finally gave in to temptation and bought it again. Supreme Vanilla and Bohemian Oud are two parallel universes that need to be explored thoroughly without dwelling too much on the surface. In the passage to the middle phase and then to the dry-down, the similarity between the two fades until it disappears. The initial similarity I felt at first sight gradually turns into dissimilarity. To my surprise, the more Supreme Vanilla dries, the thicker, creamier, liqueur-like, and woodier it becomes, with that special touch of burnt cotton candy. One has a leaning towards oud, while the other is towards vanilla. The names Bohemian Vanilla and Supreme Oud would have fit perfectly.
Supreme Vanilla is anything but linear, and reveals with a bang of loose cannons boozy, so much so that it resembles a vanilla liqueur; if you know Rum Don Papa, you know what I’m referring to. The vanilla is perceived very intensely in the first minutes, then it moves to the background, and it almost seems to vanish. But behind this liqueur accord lies a spicy layer, which I recognise as that of cardamom. Extremely polarizing, it is a puzzling start and might be off-putting for some conformist people.
Approaching the central phase, the dark notes of ink intertwined with the burnt notes of sugar pulsate in the heart. The spicy aspects of vanilla slowly emerge again, or rather Madagascar vanilla. But vanilla isn’t the only note jostling to be noticed. The scent now takes on dry woody facets, which I associate with cedar wood chips. The smoky, or rather scorched, toasted nuances float undisturbed in the background. If you don’t like the pungent smell of ink, it might be a challenge because this note is very noticeable and dominant in this formulation. If you like it, you must have Supreme Vanilla as it gives it a unique edge!
A final transformation occurs in the dry-down, in which the warm notes of tonka are accentuated and mixed with those of the vanilla protagonist, dry woods, and the semi-sweet and burnt notes of sugar. The trail that the perfume leaves is intense and captivating. I find it very amber and not very gourmand. The ink somewhat went away in the dry down and left a linear tonka and a bit of brown sugar. When the initial exposure subsides, the perfume reveals burnt nuances. Imagine placing some black vanilla pods in the oven and lightly toasting them. In the meantime, let’s light a small cone of non-clerical incense. The result that permeates the room is a smell of slightly toasted and smoky vanilla, with incensed overtones. This is exactly the aroma that my skin releases after some time of spraying Supreme Vanilla on it. The good thing, at least for my taste, is that this smells anything like syrupy gourmand vanilla cookies and syrupy brown sugar, but burnt sugar. So, I get plain vanilla, but I don’t get too much sweetness, which is a plus for me.
Although the resemblance to Bohemian Oud is obvious, I don’t think it is a re-edition of the same perfume. Supreme Vanilla is part of the Chapter No. 7 collection, while Bohemian Oud belongs to Chapter No. 3. Even if Zara often offers perfumes already released in the past by changing the name and packaging, here I would find it senseless. The day after, you can still smell a smoky and incensed vanilla on the surface, with just a hint of sugary sweetness. This is a perfect evening and nighttime, rainy, cosy fall and winter perfume. Dress it up, dress it down, even for the office if it’s climate-controlled. It has unexpectedly great longevity but a moderate projection, which makes it ideal also for daily wear. I like this one, it’s very smooth, very well-rounded, very versatile and genderless, in my opinion. Highly polarising, I believe the smokiness and inkiness is what elevates this essence, and sets it apart from other popular vanilla things.
I'm writing my impression after several tests on a bottle I've owned since October 2023.
-Elysium
2 Comments
Elysium
