Vanuatu Sora Dora 2021 Extrait de Parfum

This opens up pretty spicy and a bit fresh with a very pronounced cumin note, i must say that usually i dont like cumin but in this frag its actually very nice. It quickly turns into this very creamy sandalwood with some fruitiness to it. Quite strange at first but i really enjoy it. But i dont get any of the citrus notes listed. The cardamom note comes through after it has dried down for a while and its really nice.
This doesnt really feel that special to me , its a nice soothing fragnance but nothing that really stands out. That being said i do think this is a really sophisticated and well blended fragnance. Sadly almost all sora dora frags dont perform well on my skin chemistry.. which makes me sad :(
overal this is a great fragrance. Really rounded out and smooth but not worth the price for me.

Spiky, slightly sour violets witha bit of cumin and spices. The violets border briefly on open with almost pickley. The opening is quite sharp, spicy, and very sour.

Violet fades down after about an hour and we enter woody spicy territory. The sourness and violet have left us. We do not miss them. The wood is soft and very peppery.

Cardamom did not make a strong appearance here, I feel that it would have lent some nice savory facets to the opening had it been more prominent. The violet notes reminded me of the vibe of Santal 33, but that didn't last.

This scent has relatively soft projection and is a soft skin scent after about 1.5 hours. Not great on longevity or sillage.

Vanuatu comes across to me primarily as a creamy sandalwood fragrance with clearly perceptible cardamom. It is complemented by a green-floral facet that gives it a very well-groomed and slightly barbershop-like character. The violet adds a floral note without making me call it feminine - to me, it is clearly unisex.
The comparison to Gris Charnel Extrait: Both share this creamy-spicy axis of cardamom, fig and sandalwood. To me, however, the difference is quite clear. Gris Charnel is warmer, more flattering and cosier - almost like a cashmere sweater. Vanuatu, by contrast, feels greener, more aromatic, fresher and somewhat more distant.

At the same time, Vanuatu reminds me of Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense in places. Not as a direct copy, but through this green-aromatic, well-groomed fougère impression. I found exactly this side of Cypress & Grapevine very fascinating at first, but later sold the fragrance again because, in the long run, this green aromatic quality did not captivate me enough.
Vanuatu is similar in this regard. I really like the sandalwood and cardamom. Bergamot and rhubarb, on the other hand, are barely perceptible to me. The green-floral layer of violet and violet leaf is much more prominent.

Things get interesting again in the later drydown: On warm skin, Vanuatu develops a slightly tobacco-like, smoky woody note on me. Not sweet tobacco, but rather dry and somewhat smouldering. This impression probably results from papyrus, patchouli, cedar and the warm spices.
The difference between skin and clothing is fascinating: On my skin, after about 30 minutes, Vanuatu moves noticeably closer to Gris Charnel - creamier, warmer, softer. On a T-shirt, however, this green-aromatic Cypress-&-Grapevine impression lingers more strongly.

Who is it worth trying for? Anyone who generally likes Gris Charnel but is looking for something fresher, greener and more fougère-like - or who likes Cypress & Grapevine and wants more creaminess, cardamom and sandalwood to go with it.
Longevity and sillage: Despite its Extrait concentration, Vanuatu is not a beast. I find the sillage moderate: clearly noticeable at first, then becoming much closer to the skin. Longevity is solid to good, but not exceptional.
For me, Vanuatu is well made and definitely worth an extensive test. Whether it will ultimately become a purchase candidate remains to be seen. It currently costs around €120 for 50 ml - not cheap, but not exorbitant for a niche extrait either.

Vanuatu opens with a spicy green introduction that comes across as very extroverted. Cumin and pepper bring out sharpness, which in the further development of the fragrance behaves softly and skin-friendly through fig milk and noble woods. Nevertheless, the scent DNA is too specific for my nose. In the drydown, only a slightly sweet peppery note remains on my skin. I do believe that when looking at the fragrance notes, an attempt was made to create a modern scent; however, in my opinion, it has more of an old-school vintage feel. Due to subtle aftershave vibes that are likely attributed to the violet, I categorize the fragrance as more masculine.
I perceive no citrus from bergamot and rhubarb at all. Since no review has been written yet, it gives the impression that it is not receiving much attention alongside Mandorle Extrait de Parfum and Brocéliande Extrait de Parfum due to the rather unusual fragrance notes like cumin, fig milk, and rhubarb. This could also be due to the price-performance ratio, as the sillage and longevity are subpar for this price segment.

Best regards,
Your Glamnose