Vaniglia del Madagascar
I Profumi di Firenze

My quest for and experimentation with lovely, vanilla-forward fragrances continues. I've been searching for a lovely, cozy, vanilla-centric fragrance that I can (afford to) liberally apply at bedtime. I find certain cozy fragrances help me sleep at nighttime.

I was REALLY looking forward to trying this fragrance. And while lovely, this is just a no-go. Not sure what I expected. But upon application, a distinct, relatively heavy dose of floral (lily-of-the-valley) emerges. This floral note quickly disappears and within 5-10 minutes, a pale, thin, barely detectable vanilla scent note emerges. And the vanilla develops as a barely-there, skin scent. The opening floral notes dissipate within 10-15 minutes and vanilla appears. That's about it. Said and done. And some vanilla remains. And within 30 minutes of this skin scent, I can barely detect any perfume even after over-spraying...

I'm happy I discovered and purchased Jovoy Fire At Will, Mazzolari Vaniglia and Ligne St Barth Vanille West Indies. All three of these perfumes offer a realistic, creamy, fragrant, vanilla-centric note with florals (mimosa, orchid and vanilla orchid respectively). Each one is a beauty.

Vaniglia del Madagascar is okay, I suppose. But with its hype and at its price-point, I imagine I expected something more.

This is not your mama's Vanilla Fields. Vaniglia del Madagascar is the purest vanilla I've smelled, a true reference vanilla that is as gourmand as I ever get, and even so, it is balanced out by a lily of the valley, with its green/white floral quality preventing it from being 100% edible smelling.

This suggests a custard cream vanilla, nothing boozy, nothing floozy, nothing gussied up with 31 flavors from the sweet shop. It is a natural smelling, straight from the bean vanilla in its dry down, lightly frosted and low in sugar. There are intermittent moments of tasty toasted marshmallows, too, but the lily of the valley overtones linger on my skin, which is a lovely contrast to it all.

Baking / cooking vanilla. Quality, vanilla extract. Brandied nuances. Petalia-brewed in its formula. Vague squeeze of bergamot in the distance. Vanilla, on the bias cut. Almost wildflower aromas in here, and about. A different take, on vanilla. Impressive!

The vanilla here seems warm. Dainty metallic note, like old brass musical instruments. Or, an old, lipstick case from the 1950's.

Moody. Sultry.

I've long heard good things about Il Profumi di Firenze Vaniglia del Madagascar, Madagascar vanilla being, in my understanding, perhaps the sweetest type of vanilla, and the experience of smelling it a couple occasions on skin (finally) does not disappoint.

The fragrance both has distinction of both being unusually tip-of-the-tongue sweet but also somewhat floral as well, but subtly, via lily-of-the-valley; usually floral vanillas back off on the sweetness somewhat, at least in my recollection. Despite its sweetness, though–not usually a problem for me–it's very smooth and I regard it was one of the easier-to-wear floral vanilla fragrances out there, a little less strident than, say, Dame Perfumery Black Flower Mexican Vanilla, another great example of a floral vanilla fragrance, and more modestly priced, in fairness.

It performs quite well, so there's no value lost in that respect. The retail price ($190 for 100ml at Barney's) is a bit higher than I'd pay for it but if there are grey market deals to be had, I'd certainly recommend checking this one out or at least procuring a decant. Vanilla lovers should find this to be pretty effortless wear, but it may not dazzle or stand out enough to merit acquiring a bottle. That's more or less my stance. Still, it's very nice and I'll enjoy the decant that I have.

7 out of 10

I get two scents here:

Imagine walking into a kitchen filled with the most glorious, naturalistic vanilla aroma - a pile of fresh pods on the table, just split open, the promise of sweet delights to come, heady, rich and inviting. A rare, true vanilla.

And in the corner, someone is filling a bowl with hot water, the heat releasing fumes from a sharp, synthetic-floral harsh white cleaning fluid, the kind that really gets the back of your throat.

So try as you might, you can't really enjoy the full wonder of the vanilla, because there is this irritation in the background. Or forefront, actually.

A missed opportunity - such a shame.

Excellent Vanilla The scent begins with a predominating slightly boozy vanilla accord in tandem with an unexpected muguet note, which is very pleasant. This scent is not unbearably sugary and cloying. This is due in part to the quality of the vanilla, which is very, very good–no tinniness that you find with cheap stuff. So instead, what you have is a kind of dry, buoyant sweetness that is feminine and happy-making. As the scent develops, the floral quality retreats and the vanilla remains, with a trace of powder in the background. As others have mentioned, this would be a great layering scent due to its simplicity. Moderate sillage. The longevity for me was good–about 5 hours.Pros: High qualityCons: Lack of complexity, but is that a con?"