Black Tie
Céline (2019)

This is the other side of the coin of Guerlains SDV - the masculine side. It's a generic vanilla, just like SDV, but where SDV is boozy and more feminine, this is slightly smoky and woody, slightly more masculine. This is nice, but not $250 nice. It's about $100 nice. It's quality, but minimalistic and quiet.

Imagine you take Bois D'Argent, and just leave the vanilla at the base, this is basically what you get. And you can add some more sweetness. Bam. Black Tie by Celine. Now give us your money.

This smells like it could have "Vanilla" in the name, and vanilla is a note that seems overused and not that interesting. And yet, this fragrance is ok. I got the sample set from this line, and from the initial round of testing, this was my favorite. It smells like a dressy vanilla perfume, so the name Black Tie is a nice fit.

Among contemporary vanilla scents, Black Tie stands tall, not for originality, but for its exquisite taste. It maintains a level of depth that eludes other lighter, woody vanillas like Eau Duelle or The Architects Club while still wearing comfortably and durably.

The secret is the orris, rich and creamy and powdery (but not lipsticky), which blends beautifully with the boozy, resinous vanilla and smoky woods. It's not an unfamiliar combination but is marked by careful, precise blending that makes this a best-in-class contender.