Vanilla

Vanilla in perfume may use natural vanilla extracts, vanillin and related aroma materials. Because natural vanilla is complex and expensive, many fragrances build the familiar sweet effect with a mixture rather than relying on one raw material. It typically smells sweet, creamy, balsamic, warm, slightly woody and sometimes smoky. It is mainly a base note, adding softness, sweetness and long-lasting warmth to gourmands, ambers, florals, tobacco and woods. Vanilla can be dry, smoky or balsamic as well as dessert-sweet, so “vanilla perfume” covers a much wider range than gourmand scents alone.