When you have a raw material as glorious as vanilla absolute from Madagascar, the smart thing to do is to let it shine. And in Divine Vanille by perfumer Olivier Pescheux, the costly but sustainable vanilla absolute reigns supreme – addictively soft and balmy, but with a darkly boozy amaretto tint in the topnotes that will tease your senses and make you want to drink it. A dulcet-toned, nutmeg-spiced tonka bean paste is dabbed on in places to give the vanilla a luscious depth, while a precious osmanthus absolute enhances the naturally leathery aspects of a black, woody vanilla pod. This is all tethered in the dry, slightly bitter smokiness of Texas cedar. But that lush vanilla rings out, as clear as a bell.
This clever but subtle arrangement of notes allows you to enjoy Divine Vanille in several overlapping layers – the delicious warmth of pure vanilla dancing around the fruity suede, which in turn reveals facets of blond tobacco, peach skin, and cinnamon-dusted wood. Wrapped in the powdery, book-paperish resinousness of benzoin and diffusive musks, Divine Vanille is the rare vanilla-centered fragrance that puts the vanilla up front and center without allowing the composition to unravel into the plain white sugar sweetness of a gourmand or letting the other materials drown out its delicate yet singular identity. Divine Vanille is mysterious, yet easy to read - the perfect balance between simple and complex.
