Vanille Planifolia Extrait 21

The scent is nice. I believe the hard work behind it, but honestly it smells like someting you'd find at a retail's store fragrance section for 20$.

Are you guys crazy? There is nothing and I mean nothing that can justify a $660 price tag. Especially not for a 50 ML Fragrance.

I discovered Vanilla Planifolia on a perfume-buying trip to Paris. I had fully intended to treat myself to a bottle of Rose Centifolia, but the moment I smelled Vanilla Planifolia, I fell completely in love. It’s dreamy in a way that feels both comforting and ethereal. It is absolutely the most beautiful vanilla! I’m not usually someone who reaches for vanilla fragrances, but this one feels different. It’s creamy and buttery without tipping into anything overly sweet or synthetic. There’s an airy lightness to it that makes it feel almost luminous which I find rare in most vanilla compositions. The longevity is impressive too; it lingers on the skin for hours, which matters when the fragrance is this expensive. It is such a standout in my collection.

Yes it is an incresible vanilla. Sweet but i wouldnt describe it as a gourmand or as a dessert-like scent. It smells rich yet light, airy. The vanilla reminds me of raw vanilla rather than artificial vanilla flavour. It doesnt have the synthetic sweetness, overwhelming sweetness. Spices are in the background and add to the depth. Beautiful line but i prefer the Tonka over this And for vanilla - Spirituese Double Vanille still remains the best vanilla from Guerlain!

This is gorgeous! This is the first true, realistic, vanilla scent I have found - and I have looked everywhere. This vanilla is not disturbed by anything, it is beautiful enough to be the solo star of the show. This is not a girly vanilla like Vanilla Woods or Gorgeous Orchid or Goddess, this one, is a fully unisex grown ass sexy MF. If I had the money, I would wear this for the rest of my life. However, I am not lucky enough to be born into money and I cannot justify spending this much on a daily perfume. But how I do wish they would make a travel size for us normal people so we could sniff it at home, forever, and maybe MAYBE special occasions. This is the most sexy perfume, not because it's trying, it just is radiating confidence. My good. I'm in love.

Today's review takes me to Guerlain with Vanille Planifolia Extrait 21, and admittedly, this is one I've approached with equal parts excitement and financial apprehension. Within the fragrance community, Vanille Planifolia has developed an almost mythical reputation, frequently discussed not simply as an excellent vanilla fragrance, but as one of the finest expressions of vanilla that money can buy. Unfortunately, Guerlain appears to have taken that last part quite literally. At $660 for just 50ml, this is an extraordinarily expensive fragrance even by luxury niche standards, which puts me in the unusual position of almost hoping I don't fall completely in love with it. A full bottle purchase at that price would certainly have some unpleasant implications for my bank account. Humor aside, that combination of reputation and price creates an enormous set of expectations. The composition itself is surprisingly focused, centering vanilla alongside spices, amber, opoponax, and musk, suggesting that rather than transforming vanilla into something else entirely, Guerlain intends to explore the material itself and surround it with enough warmth, resin, spice, and texture to reveal its full complexity. Vanilla is one of the most ubiquitous notes in perfumery, appearing everywhere from inexpensive designer releases to some of the most prestigious fragrances in the world, so charging this much for a composition built around it requires something truly exceptional. At $660, smelling good simply isn't enough. Even smelling great may not be enough, honestly. Vanille Planifolia needs to demonstrate exactly why its interpretation of one of perfumery's most familiar materials deserves to be spoken about as a benchmark for the genre. I'm simultaneously excited and slightly afraid to find out whether it does, because there are really two possible outcomes here: either the reputation proves exaggerated and my wallet survives, or Vanille Planifolia lives up to the hype and creates a considerably more expensive problem. Let's find out. Opening: The opening is sweet, spicy, and resinous. The primary notes I get are vanilla, spices, amber, and opoponax, with the vanilla and spices leading the composition. True to the fragrance's name, the vanilla immediately commands attention with a rich, creamy sweetness that smells remarkably natural, calling to mind genuine vanilla bean rather than frosting, baked goods, or the synthetic vanilla accords that have become so common in modern perfumery. Supporting the vanilla is a warm blend of spices that reminds me primarily of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Rather than standing apart individually, they work together to introduce warmth and texture while preventing the fragrance from becoming overly soft or one dimensional. Closely behind them, the amber wraps everything in a smooth, glowing warmth, providing a resinous sweetness that expands the richness of the vanilla without ever overshadowing it. Lastly, the opoponax introduces a darker balsamic resin with subtle incense like smokiness and gentle honeyed nuances, hinting at the richer direction the fragrance will eventually take. Beneath everything sits a soft musk, adding a clean, skin like sensuality and just a touch of powderiness that quietly ties the entire composition together. The result is an opening that feels opulent and effortlessly luxurious, allowing every ingredient to contribute while never losing sight of the true centerpiece: one of the finest vanilla accords I have ever experienced. Dry Down: The dry down remains sweet, resinous, and spicy. The primary notes I continue to detect are vanilla, opoponax, amber, and spices, with the vanilla and opoponax now leading the composition. The vanilla has become even richer as the fragrance settles into the skin, developing an almost velvety texture while retaining the same incredibly natural vanilla bean quality that immediately impressed me in the opening. Alongside it, the opoponax has risen considerably, contributing a darker balsamic sweetness accompanied by a more noticeable incense like smokiness that adds depth without ever becoming overwhelming. The amber continues to provide its signature golden warmth beneath everything, helping bridge the creamy vanilla and darker resins into one seamless composition, while the spices retreat into the background and become more of a gentle aromatic blanket than a distinct accord. The musk also remains quietly present, maintaining that clean, powdery softness that gives the fragrance much of its sensual character. Rather than transforming dramatically, Vanille Planifolia simply becomes deeper, smoother, and more enveloping as it dries down, allowing the extraordinary quality of its ingredients to speak for themselves. The result is a dry down that feels less like a departure from the opening and more like a richer continuation of the same luxurious experience. Performance: The projection within the first hour is exceptionally strong, comfortably reaching well beyond six feet without ever feeling abrasive or harsh. Sillage matches that performance with a thick, luxurious scent trail that remains easily noticeable to those around you. After approximately four hours, there was virtually no measurable decline in either category, with the fragrance continuing to project and leave a scent trail just as confidently as it had immediately after application. Around the eight to nine hour mark, projection had only begun to draw in slightly, still reaching roughly six feet while maintaining a clearly noticeable scent trail. Even after ten to eleven hours, the fragrance continued projecting three to four feet with a noticeable scent trail before finally becoming a skin scent well beyond the twelve hour mark. Overall, the performance is exactly what I would expect from am extrait fragrance of this caliber. At nearly seven hundred dollars, exceptional longevity and projection should be a given, and thankfully Vanille Planifolia delivers technical performance every bit as impressive as the fragrance itself. When to Wear: Vanille Planifolia is unmistakably a fall and winter fragrance that is best suited for evening wear. Its composition embodies warm, inviting sensuality, built around creamy vanilla, glowing amber, dark balsamic resins, aromatic spices, and soft musk, making it an exceptional choice for intimate special occasions such as date nights and anniversaries. The richness of the vanilla and opoponax feels particularly natural during cold evenings, when the fragrance can fully open up without becoming overly dense or cloying. It could also function beautifully as a cozy casual fragrance for quiet nights at home, assuming your budget permits casually spraying something that costs nearly seven hundred dollars. Despite its undeniable luxury, I would not choose Vanille Planifolia for formal wear. Its character feels too intimate, seductive, and magnetic for settings where I would prefer something more reserved and traditionally elegant. It is also entirely unsuitable for an office environment, where its immense projection, persistent scent trail, and sensual profile would be overwhelming and inappropriate. This is a fragrance designed for closeness and personal connection rather than professional or ceremonial restraint. Blind Buy: From a financial perspective alone, Vanille Planifolia is about as far from a safe blind buy as a fragrance can possibly be. Spending nearly seven hundred dollars on a fragrance without first wearing it on skin is difficult to justify regardless of how highly regarded it may be. Interestingly, the fragrance itself is actually quite approachable. Unlike many luxury fragrances that chase uniqueness through challenging or experimental accords, Vanille Planifolia remains steadfastly committed to presenting vanilla in its purest and most luxurious form, supported by warm resins, soft spices, and musk that are all widely appealing. Anyone who already enjoys vanilla fragrance

Creamy, musky, sweet , fresh intoxicating vanilla. Yes yes yes. I want to wear this every day! Now if I can just win the lottery so I can stock up on a lifetime supply.

This one is so yummy. To me it smells like the vanilla aroma we put on cakes. I would let it settle down a bit, putting it on 30 minutes before actually leaving the house. I tried Spiritueuse Double Vanille and to me, Vanille Planifolia Extrait 21 is more airy although still has some depth and less balsamic. Exceptional longevity and strong sillage on me. Still find it way overpriced for the smell I get

This is a very high quality perfume. However I wasn’t a fan, smelt like vanilla and sitting in the dentists office to me

Heaven. At least try it in this lifetime.

Vanille Planifolia does things to you. A couple months ago, I had bought a 5ml decant. I never thought it was worth the price. Now, I think the price is great for what you are getting. This is my favorite vanilla scent ever, it is perfection. Creamy, sweet and slightly woody, I could speak about this scent for days. Learning the tedious task of creating this scent, and extracting the vanilla really made me appreciate it more. Vanille Planifola (the plant) is manually pollinated, which only blooms for one morning. Afterwards, it takes almost a year for the plant to be ready for harvest. The vanilla is then aged, and bottled at 30% concentration. Which is the reason for the amazing projection and performance. I get around 15 hours with room filling projection! This stuff is perfection. My first REAL 10/10. 10/10

This is probably the most beautiful vanilla scent I’ve experienced. Smells really natural but elevated. Shame about the price.

I was so excited to try this because of all the hype and positive fragrance reviews. To my nose, it has something in common with Bois Talisman by Dior and By the Fireplace by Maison Margiela- that smoky, woody character. Don’t expect a cosy vanilla scent. I have to say it’s a very unique fragrance, but there’s a medicinal note that I just can’t get past.

this smells so sharp and cloying to me eeyuck

I have had lots of experience with vanilla and extracting my own. This claims to have a 21 day aged vanilla tincture. While this may very wel have some in it, I doubt it has enough to really make any sort of impact. It is very linear, not a something i would spend $500+ on

Be careful of storage... I store my scents in a dark wardrobe. AC is always blasting and the wardrobe is right under the AC. In winter I close that vent and heat the house as usual. I baby my scents. When I first sampled this it smelled like eggnog steamy and fresh. My bottle still smells the same but its turned buttery. Kind've cloying now for some reason. I want to get a 125ml but I'm scared instead of getting better over time it will turn. Turn into vanilla syrup. Maybe its just how the scent ages. I fell in love with it for that nutmeg eggnog vibe. Everyone else gets vanilla extract or that its better than vanilla extract. I better just use my last 3rd of the bottle sparsely. I have other vanillas I love more anyway. Like Celine Black Tie & Loewe Roasted Vanilla both I find better than this. Just more character and "me" quality.

The most beautiful well rounded vanilla scent , strong in a subtle way , great signature scent ......

Just the pure definition of undeniable quality. I think it’s entirely up to you if this price for 50ml is justified but as soon as I smelled it for the first time I could definitely understand where Guerlain is coming from. I prefer SDV to this so I wouldn’t purchase it, but this smells even more high quality and elegant imo. It’s a tad powdery for my taste, but If I were collecting rather than curating a “wardrobe” trying to avoid redundancy I would love to own this. Scent wise I get a slightly feminine beautiful deep vanilla with a silky cashmerey type feel. I can’t pick out any spices explicitly but I suspect it’s adding this darker blended element to the vanillic aroma. Incredible blending and raw materials just will be owning SDV over this.

Exceptional quality, what are you expecting from Guerlain ? Price is justified the juice is so complex with amazing material

This is the longest lasting perfume I’ve ever encountered. One spray dabbed between the wrist stays 14+ hours. Reminds me of a smoky black vanilla tea. More vanilla and less smoky than the Spirutuese, it is undoubtedly the superior of the two. It even feels soft on the skin. I believe it is worth the price; the quality is clear.

MY SECOND REVIEW After a lot of hesitation, I bought it for the retail price because I'm a huge vanilla lover and i completely fell in love with this scent. I assume a lot of people reading reviews or watching videos and trying to form an opinion for the eternal question: ''is it worth the price?''. So, now as an owner, here's my short tip or answer for you: No, Its absolutely not worth the price. Take that as you will. Thank you for reading, I hope it helps you guys :)

This smells like a Yankee candle called Witches Brew.

God's gift to vanilla fragrances. I get it, it's stupid expensive. But this is genuinely the greatest vanilla fragrance in a bottle, ever invented. This stuff is the nectar of the gods, and I don't even like Vanilla like that. I have to find a way to get this because genuinely I've never smelled a better iteration on this. Un-Real.

The queen of all vanillas. Pure golden vanilla nectar. This does smell like sweet and creamy vanilla pods with some spices. Some may say simple but it’s the perfect high quality, long lasting vanilla. This perfume also smells clean. I got a compliment wearing this that I smelled like fresh laundry. Also a compliment saying that I smell delicious. This is an all around quality, well made and beautiful vanilla perfume. It has become my signature.

Through this I discovered that note I hate more than all others: opoponax. I have two other extraits and disliked those, Tonka smelled like coconut and Iris smelled like chalk dust, so thought I would try out the world of decants and buy 3ml (for a shocking premium, so I am glad I went small here.) I thought my hubby would like this as he loves the SVD and I love Cuir Beluga and Angelique Noire... but that note hits hard. It's the DNA of Shalimar, Jikcky, L'heure Bleue and carries Mon Guerlain. I hate it and it's a beast so of course one spray lingers in a room for days.

Cloves make me wanna vomit 💀💀🤮🤮

it finally arrived yesterday, I didn't like the smell, if someone needed, I would get rid of it

Smells like a baby’s head. I prefer SDV and Cuir Beluga to this, but it is pleasant. The votes about sillage seems like complete bull. This barely projects. It does last a bit but it’s an intimate projection from the get go. I don’t wear for others so projection is not an issue as long as I can smell it, but I wish the votes were more honest. Also a bit put off by every influencer touting this as the best vanilla in the market. It’s not even Guerlain’s own best vanilla. I love Guerlain vanillas so this was meant to be in my collection regardless, but I think the influencer marketing is really clouding a lot of people’s judgment of this perfume.

After so much hype I caved in and bought a decant. Well, this could be worse, but could be much better too! It smells like a jar of dried cloves with a few drops of vanilla extract, plus a little amber. A bit smoky, spicy, barely sweet, reminds me of hookah smoke. The performance is a letdown, barely 3 hours on skin…

At the expense of sounding crass: I own this and I also own vanilla voyage. I have one on each wrist and while they are not identical, nor meant as dupes, I got to say they are quite comparable in terms of scent profile and longevity, with one being a fraction of the price of the other