Best Quirky, Spicy, Anisic or Floral Vanilla Perfumes (Vanilla Series) & a Tauer Perfumes Free Perfume Giveaway

First things first and if you think you have a lucky bone in your body, do drop a comment regarding the Advent Calendar that Tauer Perfumes is organizing for the festive season. Today PerfumeShrine is proud to host a giveaway for a free Explorer Set by Tauer Perfumes (seen here) which will be sent directly by Andy from Switzerland anywhere in the world. To enter the draw do comment below with a comment on the post, stating you want to be part of it. Draw is open till Wednesday 8am (my time) and winner will be announced tomorrow.

And now on to vanillas....

The wild card vanillas are among the most unexpected perfumes of all, because they take the most universally recognized note (vanilla) and spin it in ways that you tend to lose sight of it being vanilla that is lurking beneath all the adornments. If you have exhausted the gourmand, creamy, pure vanilla fragrances and shy away from the boozy/smoky vanilla perfumes or if you find that woody vanillas are too nondescript for your liking, then you have a pleiad of suggestions to satisfy your eccentric desire below.

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Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee: a light take on vanilla with an incense ambience, a "crazy vanilla".
Des Filles à la Vanille Garçon Manqué: very peachy and though sweet & flirty its milky and cedar background almost makes the vanilla take a back seat, a "tomboy", as its name would suggest, perfect for vanilla phobics.
Diptyque Eau Duelle: for something so dry, it's surprisingly lightweight and green, good for all weather conditions.
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Ylang & Vanille: the vanilla brings forth the nectarous and powdery aspects of the ylang ylang flower, replete with an unripe green banana note in the background.
Guerlain Cuir Beluga: the softest suede oriental with a discernible vanilla note.
Hermes (Hermessence) Vanille Galante: with a delectable lily impression, airy, fluffy, incredibly refined and totally charming, for those who typically look down on vanilla scents as vulgar and cheap, this is enough to make them change their mind.
Hei Poa Vanillier eau de toilette: a tropical take on vanilla, with beach references.
Jo Malone Vanilla Anise: the note of anise with its bittersweet melancholy and savory touch contrasts with the vanilla perfectly.
Korres Vanilla Cinnamon Body Water (and body wash): discontinued as the whole Body Water line (for no good reason!!) this used to be a spicy vanilla that actually managed to not smell foody or Christmas-y, what a loss.
L'Erbolario Vanilla & Ginger: another imaginative pairing for vanilla, the citrusy aspect of ginger lightens the proceedings.
La Maison de la Vanille Fleurie de Tahiti: quite sweet and tropical smelling.
Molinard Vanilla Marine: sounds perverse and therefore demands experiencing it.
Serge Lutens Douce Amere: bittersweet, contemplative, magnificent, a personal favorite ever since it launched.

Do you like quirky vanillas? Do you have some to add?

For a comprehensive view on Vanilla Fragrances in All Their Variations, please consult our Vanilla Series.

Best Woody Vanilla Perfumes (Vanilla Series)

I've said it before and I'll say it again. For vanilla lovers (I mean the fragrant kind and they're legion) every little twist has the potential to make them want to sample and exhaust their repertoire. It's not enough to have dessert-like baking type vanilla fragrances while dark, smoky vanilla perfumes can be too serious and demanding sometimes. For men this presents an even greater problem: in the kakistocracy of cheap, syrupy vanillas addressed to air-headed teenagers popping bubblegums, i-Pods super-glued to the ear and slouchy PVC bags dragged above butt-crack revealing jeans, finding something that excels and is gentlemanly at the same time becomes an exercise in futility.

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So, yes, a more sophisticated category playing on the register of B flat minor is apropos: appearing calm, composed, unruffled, though there is something more volatile hiding under the lid.
(If you'd like to see some E-flat minor vanillas -I feel weird just typing that, can vanillas ever be eccentric?- you have to wait for the next installment in the Vanilla Series.)

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Annick Goutal Vanille Exquise: angelica and guaiacwood make this vanilla very unusual with a melancholy backdrop
Ava Luxe Vanilla Musk: though purported to be musky, this isn't funky, but rather woody, milky and with a nice coziness that is not foodie
Bvlgari Black: brawny, with rubber notes that become gentle very soon
Dior Homme Intense: a masculine vanilla, with a nice elegant background that keeps it from becoming nauseating sweet
Kiehl's Vanilla and Cedarwood: austerity meets vanilla, there you go little miss!
Korres Vanilla Freesia Lychee: don't mind the "components" on the label, this smells of chypre-woody with a slice of Coco Mademoiselle
L'Artisan Parfumeur Dzing: this is the smell of antique, used book stores, soft and animalic and very very intelligent indeed. A cult favorite composed by Olivia Giacobetti.
Le Labo Vanille 44: this Paris city exclusive is poised between a delicate French madeleine and smoky black tea
Montale Boise Vanille: many of the Montale fragrances are orientalized, but this is maybe the most approachable.
Parfumerie Generale Cadjmere: the Mediterranean woods of myrtle and cypress join Brazilian rosewood to put a decidedly sombre feel to vanilla (one of the beloved ingredients for Pierre Guillaume).
Rochas Man: a unisex take on woody vanilla with a hint of coffee, marketed to men but enjoyed by women as well, and composed by calorific "dishes" master chef Maurice Roucel
Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille: the reference woody vanilla, it infuses the woody spicy blend of Feminite du Bois with a silky veil of vanilla fondant.

Do you like woody vanillas? Which are your favorites?