Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille Eau de Parfum 50 ml

At first, I was about to dismiss this fragrance, but upon taking another deep breath, I noticed some of the subtle nuances of the vanilla. It's challenging to articulate the scent, but I believe the coconut is adding depth and character to the vanilla note. The beeswax is not particularly noticeable, but it must be expertly blended with the vanilla. Normally, I'm not a fan of almond, but I can't really detect it in this fragrance. It's sweet in just the right amount and well-balanced overall. While it may not be groundbreaking, it's definitely worth giving a try.

I was first exposed to this in a dupe from Earthen Treasures (online etailer). It quickly became a favorite in a roll on oil form. I loved the benzoin-vanilla with an almost sugared lemon scent that was rich, sultry and very unique. I don't know if I got a bad sample (from Fragrance Net, so I think it's good) but I prefer the dupe to the original. In the original I get something almost like hairspray from the 80's or 90's, very little vanilla-benzoin. It's recognizable somewhat to the dupe but it's the best part of it vs the hairspray mess. I'll try it again the next chance I get from another source as I love the dupe so much. But unless I got a bad sample, I prefer the dupe (from Earthen Treasures, and I think Daystar makes the oil).

A coconut-infused, caramel vanilla with a salty-waxy undertone providing some contrast (the waxiness also imbues it with a "scented candle" aura). This serves as a higher-end variation on a Bath & Body Works-esque "cake frosting" style of fragrance with a good dash of niche-y "weirdness" thanks to an animalic, acrid undercurrent that emerges primarily in the opening and then afterwards only upon close inspection. More of a curiosity than a revelation, but also a good example of a perfumer smuggling some decidedly off-kilter elements into a fragrance that might otherwise feel very mass-market.

I have this in the newer bottle, so I cannot speak to the older one. This was a challenging fragrance for me. It took me a while to get into it. Now I'm in love. The fragrance features sandalwood, black licorice, coconut milk, beeswax, bitter almond, musk, vanilla, benzoin, guaiac wood and tonka bean.I love all these notes, but when they come together it's a bit of a paradox. The note that I find the most challenging is the coconut milk, and perhaps the black licorice. I thought this would be a straight up vanilla scent, and it is definitely present. This is a bit tropical but almost has a beeswax scent to it. Sometimes I wear it on it's own, sometimes I layer it with other fragrances. Try before you buy. I fell in love.

In my extensive collection of gourmand perfumes, in particular vanilla fragrances, Un Bois Vanille (UBV) is one I have sampled, owned, used up, repurchased years later, only to put it to the back of my stash and revisited several times. And throughout the almost 20 years of this journey, UBV has been reformulated several times. It's still one of the vanillas that I truly enjoy smelling, on paper, or when it's freshly applied. But wearing it? Not so much. While I do like its allure of sugary warmth that is reminiscent of creme brûlée I blame its heavy beeswax note for the fact that I have never really enjoyed UBV on me. On my skin over the course of a day I find UBV becomes too cloying and the beeswax stands out as scratchy. I simply prefer smoother vanillas along the lines of Guerlain's Spiritueuse Double Vanille and Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille.