Vanilla Perfume

Vanilla is the warm, creamy note behind many of the most loved perfumes. On its own it smells close to skin; paired with flowers, marshmallow or tobacco it turns sweet, sensual or smoky. Our vanilla perfumes are vegan, cruelty-free and developed in France, from $29 to $49 for 50ml.

Soft and skin-like

Powdery Vanilla, inspired by Phlur's Vanilla Skin. Aquatic Vanilla, inspired by Juliette Has A Gun's Vanilla Vibes. Call Me Vanilla, a Dossier Original.

Sweet and gourmand

Gourmand Vanilla, inspired by Tom Ford's Vanilla Sex. Floral Marshmallow, inspired by By Kilian's Love, Don't Be Shy. Gourmand Marshmallow, inspired by Kayali's Yum Boujee Marshmallow 81. Fruity Vanilla, inspired by Burberry's Goddess.

Floral vanilla

Ambery Vanilla, inspired by YSL's Black Opium. Gourmand White Flowers, inspired by Viktor&Rolf's Flowerbomb. Floral Lavender, inspired by YSL's Libre.

Warm and smoky

Powdery Tobacco, inspired by Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille. Ambery Cherry, inspired by Tom Ford's Lost Cherry. Ambery Oakwood, inspired by By Kilian's Angels' Share.

Our own vanilla line

The Vanilla Expressions collection: Vanilla Tease, Vanilla Rebel, Vanilla Flirt and Vanilla Dreamer.

Vanilla provides aromatists with a wide, open olfactory field to play with. And while vanilla has its own distinct flavor and aroma, it’s almost always used as a middle or base note (meaning it tends to emerge gradually, as opposed to instantly). When used correctly, it blends harmoniously with fruity, woody, floral, and aromatic notes to give a range of pleasant aromas.

For instance, if you’re a fan of fun, fresh scents, you’d probably enjoy vanilla paired with citrus notes like mandarin, bergamot, lemon, and grapefruit. Or perhaps with some fruity aromas such as apple, coconut, or berries. Atelier Cologne’s Vanille Insensée and Armani’s Sì are good examples; as is Byredo’s Gypsy Water, a refreshing blend infused with citrus and creamy vanilla in a sandalwood-amber base.

Vanilla is also a powerful aphrodisiac that promotes relaxation, calm, and peace. For this purpose, it’s often combined with other aromatherapy scents, like rose, vetiver, ylang-ylang, lavender, or patchouli. The most comforting vanilla scents we love are Yves Saint Laurent’s Black Opium, Dolce & Gabbana’s The Only One, and Lancôme’s Idôle.

Vanilla is also sometimes used in sensual evening fragrances. If that’s what you’re after, try scents that balance vanilla’s sweetness with something deeper, such as cedarwood, vetiver, or ambergris. Cashmere scents are excellent examples of this. While we’re talking richer fragrances, vanilla also goes well with more spicy notes, such as tobacco, incense, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper. Together, these notes and vanilla create a scent that’s both sweet and seductive, making it ideal for an intimate evening. One fragrance that fits the bill here is Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille, a warm and spicy unisex vanilla scent that’s perfect for the colder months.

You should know that vanilla is a very expensive ingredient, so it makes sense that only a few fragrances – mostly your eaux de parfum and eaux de toilette – feature it. In others, it’s substituted with synthetic vanillin (or alternatives like benzoin resin or chocolate), which tastes just as sweet and is much cheaper.

While it’s fun to try a new perfume, spending over $100 for a perfume you’ll only use a few times isn’t worth it. So, before you drop all that money on a designer scent, why not first explore Dossier’s collection of the best perfume dupes? Using only the highest-quality French ingredients and handcrafted by an expert perfumery team, you won’t have to worry about compromising your scent. And because they cost only a fraction of what you’d usually pay, you can afford to try as many as you want.