Gourmandgrl

Despite the notes listed, I didn't detect any coconut milk, mango, or musk. To me, this is mostly just vanilla with lactonic elements - reminding me a lot of the "Bare Vanilla | Victoria's Secret" DNA, but without the musk and caramel.

"Sizzling Vanilla | Victoria's Secret" came across like a combination of:
- bourbon vanilla, but without the sharpness of bourbon and more just the purity of vanilla extract
- condensed milk, but without the tooth-achingly sweet overdose of sugar and more of a "balanced" approach to the creaminess

It's in a similar vein of "Fresh Cream (Eau de Toilette) | Philosophy" (but without the "baby vomit" feel). Pretty on its own, but simple enough that it would do well in layering.

While I enjoy simplicity, I have other vanillas I love more (I prefer "Fresh Vanilla Blossoms | Bath & Body Works" and "Bare Vanilla | Victoria's Secret" over this) - so I think it's a pass for me. But if you're looking for a well-done basic lactonic vanilla, give this a try.

P.S. The name is odd to me, as the word "sizzling" makes me think of meat that you're cooking on a smoker or grill in the summertime - and that there must be some type of smoke, spice, or "heat" to the vanilla... but there's nothing smokey or spicy about this.

I've seen this "Sexy" line from Jean Marc at TJX stores - but I'd never tried one until recently, since I assumed they'd be really cheap or synthetic based on the packaging + price ($10.99-$12.99 USD). So trying this pleasantly surprised me.

The opening was a bit sharp + synthetic "sugar", but within a few minutes it had softened to be less screechy. What I mostly get when wearing is:

(40%) rhubarb cake (more cake than rhubarb, but it definitely has the "tart red fruit" feel of rhubarb)
(50%) sweet vanilla cream
(5%) almond blossom
(5%) a hint of acidic orange (the acidity in the orange almost makes it feel like a slightly salted rhubarb cake, but it works well - similar to the way salt helps balance the sweetness in salted caramel)

Reminds me a lot of "Velvet Sugar (Fragrance Mist) | Bath & Body Works". Overall it's still a tiny bit synthetic if you sniff your arm too closely - but from further away it's sweet, creamy, comforting, and feels like a "cute" (instead of "sexy", "mature", or "sophisticated", it's a more "carefree" or "youthful") cupcake.

Picture an eggy, creamy, vanilla-coconut custard blended beautifully and bottled up - like a delicious flan. All notes are present: the egg whites, vanilla, sugar, and coconut. It's a light, fluffy, sweet gourmand combo that I've been craving for years, but haven't been able to find anywhere else.

This feels like something that would be sold at Victoria's Secret, along the lines of "Bare Vanilla | Victoria's Secret" and "Vanilla Lace (Fragrance Mist) | Victoria's Secret" - but even MORE gourmand. It's realistic, but also sexy and wears like a dream (nothing weird about the egg notes - just adds to the richness/custard feel).

Only downside: it dried down to a faint whisper of the opening within an hour of wearing, which is normal with Demeter fragrances. But considering the price and unique deliciousness, it has still become one of my favorites.

P.S. This review was originally written a while ago, and I'm now seeing that there does seem to be consistency issues between batches. I'd only had a sample which was beautiful, but recently ordered more of Angel Food from them and noticed a "vinegar" like undertone to the blend - so I'm hoping this goes away with maceration, but will come back to update if it does not. Would recommend ordering a sample from them first, before blind-buying a full bottle.

You must love "powder" to enjoy - but to me this is absolutely one of the most gorgeous scents VS has ever created, and one of my favorite scents of all time.

This is signature scent-worthy, something that a "clean girl" would wear - it's effortless, clean, refreshing, feminine, and timeless. To my nose, it's:

- apple blossom mixed with faint white florals
- a splash of watery green apple
- powdery-fresh "shampoo" notes

Some cheap dupes, since it's hard to find/super pricey now with it being discontinued:
- "Beautiful Day (Eau de Toilette) | Bath & Body Works" (the mist released in 2023 is closer than previous versions - it's just a bit more powdery/floral than Endless Love is in dry down)
- "Wild Lime & Gardenia | Bath & Body Works" (this one is SO close to Endless Love in dry down, just not quite as strong in projection as Endless Love)

This smells like "Brown Sugar & Fig (Fragrance Mist) | Bath & Body Works" - but more subtle, with a bit more earthy nuances, and some creamy sunscreen mixed in. Very comforting, creamy, musky, slightly sweet and softly-spicy scent.

I actually prefer Brown Sugar & Fig over this, but I know this is a cult fave and very hard to find now. If you miss Ralph Lauren Hot, here are a few with similar vibes:

- "Brown Sugar & Fig (Fragrance Mist) | Bath & Body Works"
- "Pink - Sweet Fig | Victoria's Secret"
- "Nude Coconut Fig | Victoria's Secret"
- "Sweet Vanilla Fig (Eau de Toilette) | Philosophy"
- "Angel Eau Croisière 2020 | Mugler"