21°7'S 55°32'E - La Réunion Les Destinations 2023

Les Destinations continues its journey in remaking a popular scent types to their own tune. You'd think: another spicy vanilla, how groundbreaking. And indeed, it's not an original idea or a newfound combination of notes that make this perfume shine. It's the sheer quality of the blend, the dedicated to make it the best among its peers. And, well, this is a really good shot at that, the perfume is truly phenomenal doing what it's set to do.

The scent is quite linear for what it is, a lot of creamy smooth vanilla, spices and a dusty rose peaking through. It doesn't feel gourmand exactly, but it smells sweet, rich and tasty. It translates a tropical island through warmth and uncommon zing of spices. This is a cosy sort of adventure, it may not make an exciting story, but a precious memory for years to come.

This is not exactly my type of scent, but I still enjoyed sampling and experiencing it for myself. It's a treasure and I'd urge anyone to try it if there ever was an opportunity.

"You smell like smoke," my mom said this afternoon when I visited her for coffee.

I was about to respond - as always - "I specifically didn't smoke" (my parents have been smoke-free for 12 years and react quite strongly to cold smoke), when she added, "Smoke with vanilla, new perfume? Smells great. Smells like vacation back in Madagascar."

Yes, a new perfume. A manufacturer sample 21°7'S 55°32'E - La Réunion reached me in the past few days. I actually wanted to test "19°4'N 72°52'E - Mumbai | Les Destinations," but the assistant to the management at Mäurer & Wirtz sent me several samples, including this fragrance, after our email contact, because Mumbai is not yet available.

Like my mom, I reacted the same way when I sprayed this scent for the first time. Smoky, very spicy vanilla at the start. And very intense! A slightly peppery note quickly joins in.

After about 30 minutes, woody notes emerge, and the pepper takes a back seat. I don't smell any floral notes, not at all.

But the incense, the incense remains. It stays the whole time, surrounding me like a gentle breeze. After 2-3 hours, the vanilla becomes stronger again, the woods say goodbye.
Together with the mild, by no means sacred, smoke, it stays with me. A very spicy, dark, wonderful vanilla.

A vanilla that carries me mentally - like my mom - back to Madagascar, the coordinates of which I mentioned in the subject. As a child, my parents took me on vacation to Madagascar. I have no memories of it; I was too young.

Except for one: We were in a kind of guesthouse, more of a bistro, where we had something to eat. And in that establishment, this spicy, slightly smoky vanilla scent was very present.

Thank you 21°7'S 55°32'E - La Réunion for bringing my mom and me back to Madagascar...

From the very beginning, La Reunion presents incense, with a hint of earthiness, and vanilla. In the first few minutes, light citrus notes and the tingling of pepper open the fragrance. As it develops, the flowers join in, making La Reunion dense, full, and slightly lush (in a positive sense). This lushness diminishes after about an hour. Towards the end, the scent becomes a bit softer, yet still retains its "edginess." Character-wise, La Reunion reminds me somewhat of Eau Duelle by Diptyque. Truly a special, interesting vanilla EDP, with very beautiful sandalwood, by the way. I often use this fragrance in cold weather and find it very enveloping.

Actually, there was no vacation planned for this year. And yet here we are - the core group of diving enthusiasts - taking the TGV to rainy Paris and then a domestic flight to Réunion.

In the early morning, less than 14 hours after the train journey, we land in the heat of Saint-Denis.
Totally exhausted but full of anticipation, we lean back as our driver navigates the somewhat aging minivan through the landscape: black lava stone, deep green jungle, sugarcane fields, and behind them the dark volcanic ridges. From the open window, salty sea air mixes with warm, green notes, a hint of vanilla, and tropical flowers - a brief breath that already smells of adventure.

Our colonial-style hotel feels a bit out of time, but that's exactly what gives it its charm. Almost immediately, despite the exertion, it is clear: We are going diving today.

On the salty catamaran, we head out to sea. The heat is intense, and the wetsuit doesn't exactly help with our fatigue.

Finally, the jump into the refreshing water.
That moment when the chaos of sounds at the surface turns first into a rush and then into silence remains one of the most beautiful feelings ever for me.
As we dive down, the light weakens and the air feels dense, like honey.
Individual beams of light break into the depths and sparkle on the black volcanic stone. Moray eels lie with open mouths and crooked, sharp teeth in rock crevices, sea turtles glide around us like guardians of the sea. Fish in all colors circle us - sometimes alone, sometimes in schools. Just before we surface, a blacktip reef shark accompanies us. Beautiful.

Back at the hotel, we sit on dark wooden floors in the twilight with Rhum arrangé and grilled, smoky specialties, reminiscing about our experiences.

The scent captures La Réunion beautifully. Many aspects are reflected in the journey. The fragrance starts off peppery, creamy, and floral - almost green. The omnipresent, characteristic vanilla is a constant companion.
The initial chaos triggered by the pepper fades quite quickly once it subsides after a few moments. What remains is a calm, creamy clarity. The scent has an extraordinary quality and depth. Like the beams of light during the dive, one repeatedly perceives flashes of bergamot, adding additional structure.
In the dry down, all the fragrance notes are harmoniously summarized. The peaks of the pepper have completely faded, leaving behind cream, sweet-smoky vanilla, and exalted woods.

It is one of those fragrances that you want to smell again and again.

The perfume is sensationally well made. If it were bottled by hyped niche houses, the rating would probably be higher than 8.0 (as of today).

I had some concerns since it was a blind buy - however, this creation is absolutely unisex.

I will very likely test more fragrances from this house.

Thank you for reading, feel free to leave feedback.

Three days, three fragrances. First 19°4'N 72°52'E - Mumbai, then 26°33'N 37°57'E - Al-'Ula and finally 21°7'S 55°32'E - La Réunion. In this case, you can truly say "the best comes last" and I will explain why this fragrance delivers the best overall package in the following review.

Before the island "La Réunion" was named, it was actually called "Île Bourbon", as it is the origin of the exquisite Bourbon vanilla, known as the "queen of spices". Accordingly, it makes perfect sense to showcase the Bourbon vanilla in this fragrance, and it has been impressively accomplished. At first, I immediately perceive vanilla, but in stark contrast to the noble and soft vanilla note, a dark, smoky note of incense pushes through. As if angels and devils are waging a war on my neck. The contrast is very successful and gives the fragrance character. The duality of both ingredients is very interesting; however, vanilla wins the war, as the dark facet of the fragrance departs in the further development, and the vanilla is floral embraced, even extending a hand to the tonka bean at the end, bidding farewell in a creamy/gourmand manner.

I am also satisfied with the performance, as I could perceive about six hours with four sprays on my neck. Respectable for an EdP.

Basically, I find the idea of the coordinates on the bottle good, but the design is a bit too minimalist for my taste. I am sure that more character could have been given to the bottle by using some "La Réunion" typical symbolism. As it is, the bottle style reminds me a little of the minimalism of Maison Margiela or Byredo.

In terms of price, 120 euros for 50ml is quite a number, but you get a multifaceted vanilla DNA and good performance. Only the bottle does not do justice to the price.

My conclusion after testing all three fragrances:
19°4'N 72°52'E - Mumbai: no recommendation, performs well but has a off-putting musty note at the beginning.
26°33'N 37°57'E - Al-'Ula: definitely recommendable, as a sweet oud note is beautifully showcased, but it lacks good performance.
21°7'S 55°32'E - La Réunion: it is understandable why this fragrance is listed as a best seller by the manufacturer. It offers the best overall package of the three fragrances, combining a good scent DNA with good performance.