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The 14 Best Sweet Vanilla Perfumes To Channel Taylor Swift's 'The Life Of A Showgirl'
Looking for the best spice-filled fragrances? Here are the most sophisticated vanilla scents to try.
If you’re looking for a new perfume to bring you into warmer weather, your mind might automatically go to floral, fruity, or solar scents. But what about an unconventional option, like vanilla? For a long time, vanilla scents got a bad reputation. In many people’s minds, vanilla perfumes are cloying, too sweet, and reminiscent of a cheap body mist from their youth. Today’s best vanilla scents, however, are just the opposite.
Vanilla, as we have come to view it, has been completely turned on its head. In fact, we’ve come into a sort of vanilla perfume renaissance, and vanilla was forecasted to be one of the biggest perfume trends of 2025. Today’s best vanilla scents feature the ingredient at its best: they’re smoky, leathery, woodsy, and different. They won’t make someone think of a secondary school hallway - instead, prepare to be peppered with compliments from strangers. Keep reading for the best vanilla scents to try right now - these might just be the ideal unexpected summer perfumes.
Gucci’s first floral gourmand is a home run. It smells sugary and nostalgic, but it’s still extremely wearable. The marine ozonic accord adds a hint of levity to the sweetness.
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Vanilla duo, vanilla orchid, marine ozonic accord |
|---|---|
| Size | 100ml |
Leave it to Merit to launch a debut fragrance that’s both endlessly wearable and completely different. A mix of fruity notes like pear, floral notes like jasmine, herbal notes like rosemary, and gourmand notes like vanilla somehow work perfectly together.
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Bergamot, pear, ambrette, aldehydes, jasmine, rose, rosemary, violet, orris, vanilla, musk, moss |
|---|---|
| Size | 30ml |
You’ll immediately buy this fragrance for the gorgeous bronze packaging, but the guaranteed compliments prove its staying power. Warm and spicy notes of vanilla and musk form a cosy blanket that feels crisp like an October autumn day.
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Vanilla, mandarin, cocoa, and musk |
|---|---|
| Size | 100ml |
Burberry Goddess is a gourmand goldmine. Featuring three vanilla notes, the scent bursts with a creamy, warm aroma that’s anchored by a brush of lavender in each spritz.
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Vanilla infusion, lavender, vanilla caviar, vanilla absolute |
|---|---|
| Size | 100ml |
Kayali’s Vanilla fragrance is both addictive and alluring. Equal parts creamy and seductive, the sugary scent features a mix of Brazilian tonka, Madagascar vanilla, brown sugar, and florals that leave a mark on each person you encounter. (Trust us.)
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Brazilian tonka, Madagascar vanilla, and amber |
|---|---|
| Size | 100ml |
YSL Libre opens as a seductive dark floral arrangement, fitting for nighttime wear. Layer by layer, each note steals the scene from a burst of juicy orange blossom to warm vanilla as it dries down.
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Orange blossom, vanilla, and musk accord |
|---|---|
| Size | 100ml |
New York City is a melange of both pleasant and unpleasant smells. However, in Bond No. 9’s world, the city is a golden medley of dewy florals and vanilla.
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Cinnamon bark, patchouli, vanilla, amber, labdanum, moss |
|---|---|
| Size | 100ml |
Most vanilla fragrances conjure images of a fireplace, toasted chai latte, or a delicious plate of cookies. Juliette Has a Gun’s Vanilla Vibes is the twist that’s less sweet, more fresh and alluring. Fun fact: this scent was actually inspired by Burning Man’s electric, carefree spirit blanketing the dusty desert gathering.
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Sea salt, sandalwood, and vanilla |
|---|---|
| Size | 100ml |
Here’s a scent that’s as startling as its fire-red packaging. Blackcurrant nectar, pear, and rose add the sparkle, while vanilla and cedarwood ignite the passion.
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Blackcurrant nectar, pear, rose, and vanilla |
|---|---|
| Size | 100ml |
Honey and warmed rum come together in this fragrance to create something deep, hypnotic, and alluring. A hint of vanilla bean and sandalwood adds just the right amount of complexity.
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Honey, rum, vanilla, sandalwood |
|---|---|
| Size | 50ml |
Sometimes, our desire to smell like a tropical holiday leaves us with limited scent options that are childish and gimmicky. Sol de Janeiro’s Sol Cheirosa is the grown-up version of a fun summer day. In Sol de Janeiro’s world, summer feels warm (sandalwood, vanilla), sweet (pistachio, caramel), and bright (jasmine petals).
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Salted caramel, vanilla, and pistachio |
|---|---|
| Size | 50ml |
This Sephora bestseller is beloved by many for its youthful, fresh scent. The name suggests that it would veer toward deep, woodsy scents, but its pear, rose, and vanilla notes create a warm floral composition.
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Pear, rose, and vanilla |
|---|---|
| Size | 50ml |
This fragrance is described to recall 'jungle vines and good times.' It’s a deep, smoky fragrance that uses real vanilla absolute to help you smell like the natural spice, not a synthetic version.
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Abreuva, orchid, pink pepper, vines, green vanilla leaves, cypress root, vanilla absolute, dark patchouli, hay |
|---|---|
| Size | 100ml |
Mugler’s Alien Goddess offers a decadent ambience built around Madagascar vanilla. The aroma sweetens with the addition of jasmine and bergamot.
Product Specifications
| Key Notes | Italian bergamot, Madagascar vanilla, and jasmine |
|---|---|
| Size | 90ml |
Nerisha Penrose is the Beauty Commerce Editor at ELLE.com. Prior to joining the team, she was an Editorial Fellow at ELLE.com. In her current role, she helps lead coverage on makeup, skin care, hair, and fragrances. With over six years of experience in the world of beauty editorial, Nerisha enjoys delving deep into the complexities of fragrance notes, hunting for the best fixes for acne-prone skin, and advocating for daily sunscreen use. She regularly researches and tests the latest products, consults beauty professionals (including our Beauty Advisory Board) to determine the best expert-approved formulas to recommend, and conducts interviews with luminaries across the industry. Nerisha received her bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from Temple University before joining the editorial teams at Nylon and Billboard. In 2020, she co-launched our popular franchise The State of Black Beauty, an ongoing exploration of—and destination for—beauty at the intersection of Black culture.
Katie Berohn is ELLE’s beauty editor. Previously, she held the same title at Who What Wear, where she was promoted from associate beauty editor. She’s written for publications like The Cut, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, and Mashable. Her interests include fragrance, vintage shopping, hot yoga, food, travel, music, books, and attempting to make every NYT Cooking recipe. She’s on the endless hunt to find the perfect shade of red lipstick.
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