Vanille de Tahiti by Perris Monte Carlo

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Vanille de Tahiti was released by Perris Monte Carlo in 2020. I received a sample as a bonus to one of my orders some time ago. I hadn’t heard of this one and actually put off trying it out for a long while. But, eventually I got around to Vanille and wanted to see what it was all about. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

Vanille de Tahiti Overview

Notes include: champaca, ylang-ylang, vanilla, amber, sandalwood, musk

Click here to try: Vanille de Tahiti

My Full Review

Opening minute is pretty dirty with how it comes across. Between the the ylang-ylang influence and champaca  opening, I get why people might get put off by it. That does clear out pretty fast, for me at least.

The ylang-ylang initially has its earthier aroma going for it, but then starts to take on its more banana-like scent. The champaca here, really comes across as an orange flower note, at least a few minutes in. With those two and the vanilla, there plastic/rubbery tinge to this scent.

Much more floral on the skin. Like a tropical flower smell, once that initial dirtiness wears off. The vanilla seems like one part of a triad on the skin, whereas it feels more dominant early on, when sprayed on clothes.

Actually on clothes, this has a classier Le Male vibe to it, that same fuzzy spice (sans mint/cinnamon). Strange.

Eventually, both on skin and clothes it becomes very much the same. Still, an early divergence.

More of a light champaca, ylang-ylang with a definite sweetness, vanilla, and amber especially. The vanilla isn’t pure creamy vanilla either. Leans that way with the sandalwood influence but Vanille de Tahiti does have a musky/powdery undertone throughout.

The dry down for me is a rather simple aroma of a naturalistic vanilla, amber, and sandalwood. It’s creamier at this point, still a lovely sweetness without being sickly, and this Perris perfume has a nice balance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This is a moderate fragrance with how it projects with a lighter scent trail. It’s not going to necessarily reach across the room. However, in my testing of it, it does create a nice scent bubble and is noticeable for almost the entire wear.

The longevity with this one is around 7-8 hours. It’s not the most powerful scent out there, but it does stick around for a good while. It’s nothing elite, but I really wasn’t disappointed with this Perris fragrance.

Seasonally, this one is a bit too much for the height of summer, but it can fit in nicely during the rest of the year. I think it actually works better on a mild day versus the coldest days of winter.

Yes, this is a unisex scent too. Maybe the floral notes make it lean more traditionally feminine, but if you’re a vanilla fan, this can absolutely work for anyone.

Vanille de Tahiti is more of a daytime fragrance. It can be worn casually, to work, dressed up, etc. I don’t think it’d be out of place in certain nightlife situations, but it’s also not a complete club beast or anything.

If it works for your skin, this will probably get complements. Though, I’m not sure how it’s going to come across to those who have noses the really focus in on the more animalic/dirty aspects of the perfume.

Overall Impressions of Vanille de Tahiti

Overall, do I like this perfume? Yes, I actually kind of love it. I knew nothing of this fragrance when I received it, but it’s won me over.

The opening minutes almost made me doubt, but it is a beautiful scent, once I’m past that. Even still, it’s nothing all that bad.

I guess there are some people who get a dirty or toilet type of smell for a long duration. Not the case for me, it’s more just a dirty floral scent for a brief time.

That’s probably going to stop me from giving this a total buy recommendation. I’d say for sure try, if you can before you commit. It’d be disappointing to find out you’re one of those people, who it smells terrible on, after splurging on a fully bottle.

The sandalwood, vanilla, and amber dry down is awesome. With the remaining floral notes floating around, it’s very enjoyable.

Libre Le Parfum by YSL

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Libre Le Parfum was released as a flanker to the popular YSL original back in 2022. I received a few samples of it some months back and tested it out. It wasn’t one that I was particularly excited about trying, but actually came away pleasantly surprised by this perfume. How does it smell? How long does it last? Continue below for my full thoughts.

Libre Le Parfum Overview

Notes include: ginger, saffron, mandarin orange, bergamot, orange blossom, lavender, vanilla, honey, tonka bean, vetiver

Click here to try: Libre Le Parfum

My Full Review

One of the main things that I notice early on with Libre Le Parfum, is how quiet the lavender note is on my skin early. Now, come to find out that it will be more substantial later on, I do like the change of pace from others in the series.

The opening has a good dose of mandarin orange/bergamot, while not ever taking over the composition. It’s held in check by the ginger, saffron, honey, vanilla, and especially the orange blossom. That is the floral note (and note in general) that leads the way here.

Parfum is warm and cozy. The spice is potent, while we get a thick sweetness as well, in this opening act.

After a few minutes, the citrus will fade, as will some of the ginger. Here, I get a mix of saffron, and honey with the orange blossom. The other notes will be sitting underneath this as the main accord for a while.

The next phase for me is the lavender coming on strong at the expense of the orange blossom. It will be even for a little bit, but lavender quickly takes on the dominant role out of the floral notes.

With that, less saffron, ginger is pretty much gone, but you get the tonka bean in their place. So, it’s really a vanilla and honeyed aroma at this point. A sweet, honey-vanilla dipped floral fragrance.

The dry down is mostly lavender and vanilla with a touch of vetiver poking through. Not as thick, still somewhat sweet, but more of a cleaner aromatic smell at this point. Closer to what you get with Libre and Libre Intense.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Le Parfum is a heavy and thick fragrance with plenty of projection. It will leave a nice scent trail for a long time. On me, it felt a tad weaker than Libre Intense, but it is still close to being the strongest of the bunch so far.

The longevity here is fantastic. I get 10-11 hours at least, with Le Parfum sometimes venturing into the 12 hour range. I don’t think it’ll go beyond that on my skin, but this Libre flanker is no slouch.

Seasonally, due to its ingredients and how heavy of a scent it can be, this one is made for the autumn and winter months. I wouldn’t expect to be wearing this outside during the summer months or if you live in a particularly tropical climate.

Add to that, this is one that can really shine in the nightlife, during those colder months. That warmth, sweetness, and enveloping cozy aroma is great. Attractive and bold with what it brings to the table.

Maybe not the best for formal wear or work (depending on your office). Some of you will be able to pull it off in that environment. But, this is just a really nice gourmand version of Libre.

Overall Impressions of Le Parfum

Overall, do I like Libre Le Parfum? Yes, I think it is the best release of the series thus far. I used to think that was Libre Intense, but this surpasses it. Also, it is easily better than L’Absolu Platine which came out around the same timeframe.

It does everything well, so long as you enjoy this sort of heavier gourmand style. It won’t be for absolutely everyone, of course, but I think that most people would enjoy this YSL perfume.

I’d say that this one is a buy. It’s definitely one to try out and see how it works for you, at the very least.

Again, it’d be my number one pick from the Libre line. I wasn’t a big fan of the original, but this and Intense really carry the banner well.

One of the better designer releases in the past few years. It doesn’t seem to get the same attention as things like Burberry Goddess (this is better) or even the other Libre options.

Santal 33 by Le Labo

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Santal 33 has been a massive (I mean, massive) hit for Le Labo since its release back in 2011. There was a time when it was talked about and referenced all of the time. Now, it has calmed down since that earlier era, but still exists as a wildly popular best-seller.

I bought another sample of this unisex perfume in order to revisit and finally put up a full review of Santal 33 for the site. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it still worth a try?

Santal 33 Overview

Notes include: sandalwood, papyrus, leather, violet, cedar, cardamom, iris, amber

Click here to try: Santal 33

My Full Review

To start with, I guess I’ll address the so-called ‘pickle juice’ smell that Santal 33 gets painted with. I can understand why, if certain aspects of this really pop on your skin, but for me I only get a faint bit of it.

Really, this one starts off with a mix of cardamom, violet, some leather, and the ever-present dry woods. Papyrus is the lead wood on me for a while, which will obviously shift to the star of the show, the namesake sandalwood.

The cardamom is the lead. Which, interestingly isn’t the type that gives off the lemony aroma, here it feels fresher with its spice and somewhat camphorous. The cooling sensation is interesting against the papyrus and the violet especially.

Already, I get the powdery qualities of that floral note and the iris. Thankfully, for my own enjoyment, the violet note is kept in check here.

After a while, Santal 33 becomes a clean mix of the floral notes, with the woods which are shifting. Cedar comes on stronger, papyrus fades, and the sandalwood keeps gaining steam.

There is a period here, mostly in the middle act, where I think this Le Labo fragrance really shines. It becomes perfectly balance between the violet, iris, leather, amber, and sandalwood (and other woods). It’s slightly sweet, comforting, smooth, and just great to catch a whiff of.

The dry down is still soft, really dominated by sandalwood and the remnants of everything else. It actually takes on a muskier kind of profile. Dry and still clean, with a light touch of sweetness, and any spice has fallen away.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one has a lighter feeling with a pretty substantial projection, in the first few hours. Not a complete beast, unless you start spraying heavy, but I can smell it on me without issue. I can also put some on a shirt and smell it from 6-7 feet away.

Still, this one isn’t heavy and doesn’t feel like it’ll bog you down in a heavy cloud of scent.

On my skin, Santal 33 will last for 7-8 hours. Not amazing, but still very solid for what this one is. It could just fall into being a barely noticeable skin scent. Yet, it doesn’t hit that level for me until deep into the wear.

Seasonally, this is almost a year round fragrance. On the hottest and most humid days of summer, I might go with something else other than this. Outside of that, it should work just fine.

Yes, it is a unisex fragrance. Perhaps slightly more feminine, but I don’t think it strays to far that way, and should work for most people.

Santal 33 is very versatile. Daytime, casual, office wear, school, etc. It’s not entirely formal but doesn’t feel too out of place anywhere. It’s not a straight nightlife perfume either, there are obviously sexier scents, but it’s clean enough that it could work a night.

Overall Impressions of Santal 33

Overall, do I like Santal 33? I do. If I’m just making a decision off of the scent alone, I do still find this one to be thoroughly enjoyable.

Sure, it has been hyped to the stratosphere over the past decade-plus and copied countless times. Still, Santal 33 is a good fragrance. I’m not ever blown away by it, but it has its charm.

That entry into the heart of the note pyramid is actually great, though. The opening is probably its weakest part. It’s fine, 33 just gets better after that.

I think in certain areas especially, everyone wore this perfume for years, which can understandably be grating. This is what is currently happening with Baccarat Rouge 540.

The performance is above average and to me there’s no real downside with this one, other than no longer having a unique aroma.

Most people like this one. Some people love it. While still others, loathe it. At the very least, Santal 33 is a perfume that is indeed worth a try. Even if, it’s just to satisfy your curiosity about the hype, if you’re someone who has yet to try it.

Valaya by Parfums de Marly

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Valaya is a Parfums de Marly release that they came out with in 2023. I bought a sample of this perfume, as a part of a larger order, since I hadn’t ever tried this one out. Really, I had no expectations as to what it was or how it smelled, just a curiosity as to what PdM had come up with.

How does Valaya smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?

Valaya by PdM Overview

Notes include: aldehydes, orange blossom, peach, bergamot, mandarin, musk, vanilla, lily of the valley, vetiver, nympheal, mahonia, akigalwood, musk, ambroxan

Click here to try: Valaya by PdM 

My Full Review

Here’s what Parfums de Marly has to say about Valaya: a sensual and elegant fragrance opening with bergamot, mandarin, and sweet white peach, leading to a blend of white flowers settling on musk, vanilla, and woody base notes.

Valaya starts off with its fruity notes being prominent, but not completely dominating the early mix. Bergamot has a few minutes of run at the top, with some light mandarin, before the sweeter peach takes over.

The perfume has a rather sharp freshness due to that fruit accord and the aldehydes. For me, the aldehydes are slightly more heavily weighted in the opening versus the musk, but that will reverse.

Even in the opening, the musk isn’t weak. It feels very shampoo-like on my skin, at this early stage.

Valaya does settle down into something with a less ‘screechy’ aroma, after 5-10 minutes. Mainly, I think it’s the citrus quieting down that allows this one to become more pleasant.

Once I’m at this point, the floral notes become noticeable. I mostly get the orange blossom note, and the lily of the valley, doesn’t feel distinct here. It’s sort of orange blossom with a generic floral smell.

Maybe that’s what Nympheal is supposed to be? I’m not sure what that ingredient is. Perhaps that’s the somewhat odd synthetic scent that I pick up or just a mix with the ambroxan.

The middle act is a sweetish floral with a dose of musk and vanilla. On me, the aldehydes begin to really dissipate. There is some powder here, but it wasn’t too strong on me. Also, Valaya takes on a woodier profile in the base.

That’s really the final transition. Musk with some vanilla and woods, is the thrust of it. A general sweetness and floral impression remains sitting underneath.

Sillage, longevity, and versatility

Valaya opens up with some strong intensity. The result is a fairly far reaching fragrance that doesn’t need to many sprays to get attention.

It will settle down. I still find it to be strong, maybe on the upper end of moderate? Nonetheless, this isn’t a perfume that ever felt weak or insubstantial in any way.

The longevity is actually quite good. I got more than 9 hours of wear with this one, on my skin. Spraying it on clothes, Valaya is a fragrance that will just keep going and going.

Seasonally, this is for sure a spring and summer fragrance. Between the fruits, flowers, and aldehydes…the decision is pretty much made up for you.

Definitely a daytime wear, also. Something like a daily wear or something that you can just wear around casually when the sun is out. I don’t find Valaya to be sexy at all. Just clean and fresh for the most part. So, no romantic wear or nightlife with this one.

Overall Impressions of Valaya

Overall, do I like Valaya? Not really. If it were an inexpensive scent, it’d be okay. At this price? It’s a complete pass for me.

It started getting on my nerves during the wear, not completely headache inducing, but I wasn’t really enjoying having this perfume on either.

The opening is too sharp. The middle is somewhat better, but synthetic. The dry down is probably when I liked this scent the most.

Is it terrible? No, just nothing that really demands most people run out and buy it.

The performance is really quite good. So, if you’re one who really loves this for whatever reason, you do get some value in that respect.

This isn’t among Parfums de Marly’s best fragrances for women. It seems like one that I will forget about in a few months.

Perfume Comparison: Angels’ Share vs Oajan

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Angels’ Share and Oajan are two fragrances which fulfill a distinct role in the winter months. That of the sweet and spicy perfume laden with cinnamon and highly attractive. However, since both are expensive to acquire and have so much overlap, they can often be the final two options that people need to decide between.

Well, on this page, I break down each of these unisex fragrances and compare them across categories. Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Angels’ Share vs Oajan

Angels’ Share

Notes include: cognac, tonka bean, oak, cinnamon, praline, vanilla, sandalwood

Click here to try: Angels’ Share at Sephora

Read my review: Angels’ Share by Kilian

Oajan

Notes include: tonka bean, cinnamon, honey, vanilla, benzoin, musk, labdanum, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Oajan EDP Spray, 4.2 oz

My Full Review: Oajan

Opening

Oajan kicks off with the cinnamon note being joined by benzoin and the tonka bean. Add to that, the continuing emergence of the osmanthus note, which adds the fruity-like sweetness to the mix.

It’s a bold and spice heavy opening act. Fresh and dark, with a thick warmth from the honey beginning to come through after 5 minutes or so.

Angels’ Share starts of with its signature cognac, oak, and its tonka bean note. The cognac has an apple-like sweetness to it, which is great.

The sweetness is enhanced by the inclusion of vanilla and praline. Which all plays well off of the spicy punch of the cinnamon note.

Which is better? It’s actually a very close decision for me, as I really enjoy how both of these perfumes start off.

But, I might slightly lean towards Angels’ Share. It’s boozy sweetness is better balanced with its toned down cinnamon note. Oajan can be rather intense that way. Not a massive win for the Kilian, but it takes this category.

Edge: Angels’ Share

Projection

So, with older batches of Oajan, this would’ve been a fairly straightforward win for it.

Now, it’s closer to being a toss up. The opening act is stronger and heavier with the PdM scent versus Angels’. That projection still packs a punch. However, it doesn’t sustain it for as long as it used to before settling into something more in the upper moderate range.

Angels’ Share doesn’t start off as strong, but it’s also got itself a good reach. It too settles into an upper moderate level.

That being said, Oajan still has an edge with this one. Not as much as it used to, but it fends off the Kilian.

Edge: Oajan

Longevity

With Angels’ Share, I get 9-13 hours of wear on my skin. It’s a really good performer like most of these colder weather scents.

Older batches of Oajan used to last 11-12 hours for me. With my current bottle, it only seems to get to about 9 hours. Or, the lowest of what I get with the Kilian perfume. Those last few hours aren’t exactly strong, either.

So, Angels’ Share takes it, nowadays.

Edge: Angels’ Share

Versatility

Both of these are cold weather fragrances. Neither is for formal wear.

While each is technically unisex, Oajan leans more masculine, than actually being something that most women would reach for.

I wear each of these for casual to semi-formal situations. Lots of the time, it’s for nights out or when I just want something substantial and cozy to have on.

There’s not much distinction here, other than Angels’ Share being more of a unisex fragrance. So, I guess that I’ll give it the slight edge.

Edge: Angels’ Share

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these fragrances do I prefer?

Obviously, since I own bottles of each of them, I think that they’re both great scents. As such, it’s more like I’d choose one 6 times out of 10 versus the other.

I’d lean that fragrance being Angels’ Share. It’s not always my favorite between them, as sometimes I dislike the praline note and how it presents. But, that cognac is great with the oak and other sweetness.

I will say, for most men, Oajan might be the one to go with. It doesn’t have the same level of sustained sweetness as Angels’ Share, though, it definitely is sweet and has periods where that sticky honey note really pops.

Angels’ Share in its current form, just does most everything a bit better than Oajan in its newer releases. That might change again, at some point. For now, I’d opt for the boozy Kilian perfume.

Winner: Angels’ Share