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Deroxjnduv – :
Knowing how Laura Mercier fragrances have gone through reformulations in the past, I purchased two bottles of this…just in case! I’m a vanilla girl, so I’ve hardly ever met a vanilla that I didn’t appreciate in some way/shape/form. My oldest vanilla faves are Victoria’s Secret’s Vanilla Lace (vanilla pudding) and The Body Shop’s original Vanilla oil (from the ’90s) (a slightly more floral warm vanilla). To me, LM Vanille Gourmand is white vanilla buttercream frosting on a birthday cake (with that little hint of coconut smell…although I know coconut is not listed as one of the notes, I still get that impression). That’s not to say that it’s not a womanly scent, it most assuredly is. I do think I like Outremer’s Vanilla a little bit more (vanilla soft serve ice cream in a waffle cone), but I vacillate. These are all on the affordable side, which is nice. Definitely try this one and wait for the dry down, it’s so nice.
leks72 – :
Lovers of this scent can rejoice that there is great projection, I only have this on the inside of my elbows with a long sleeve shirt on, and I am craning my head around to avoid smelling it.
Upon first application I got a very woody scent which surprised me, it quickly settled to a sugary vanilla. It almost made me think of creme brulee, but without eggs. It was slightly artificial like an air freshner. The dry down the woods and musk really went crazy on me. It smells very, very much like bath & bodyworks. Their signature vanilla, musk, woods, red berry musk thing that is in basically in any of their scents. This smells like that generic bath & bodyworks scent with monstrous strength. Maybe I’m having a sensitive nose day, but I ended up having to scrub this off. I’m really not a fan!
jiPleriezem – :
Nice scent…smell of a pure Vanilla..no other notes are prevalent to my nose..perfect for those looking for vanilla frag, in my opinion one of the best Vanilla frags around.
fosil – :
Very pretty simple vanilla nothing like high end. Close to the skin sillage. I happen to like simple fragrances and like this as there’s no extra fuss – no woods, smoke, fruits etc. Would be perfect if it lasted longer.
ELceR112 – :
High quality, but very, very simplistic vanilla. Which makes it good for layering, if you own something that you wish had more vanilla in it, well, here you go!
irrivitly – :
FLAWLESS…except that I have to douse myself in it. Seriously the most perfect vanilla. Romantic and cozy. Blew through a whole bottle so quickly I can’t justify the spend. If this was readily available in stores my willpower would go out the window.
Edit: Bought two more bottles. This is stunning and I missed it. I hope more people get on the bandwagon so it’s never discontinued.
Emassyvamydayv – :
Love it! Nice sophisticated, expensive-smelling Vanilla scent. I layer sometimes with LM Almond Coconut or BBW Warm Vanilla Sugar. Alone or layering will get you compliments. Mmmmm….
h646 – :
I blind bought this having read reviews here and because I have ambre passion by Laura Mercier too. I love vanilla fragrances, especially when combined with sandalwood and/or amber.
This scent is nice, but after the beautiful depth and richness of ambre passion, I’m feeling a little disappointed with the simplicity of this scent. Damn those high expectations! It is, indeed, a very lovely vanilla fragrance and I do like it very much, I was just hoping for something a little richer.
It is sweet, but not too sweet, and also quite light. It reminds me, perfume ‘tone’-wise, of Van Cleef & Arpels Ambre Imperial which is a little richer and I prefer over this one. I can see myself making use of this, but I’m not sure I think it’s worth the full price. (I bought it online from John Lewis in the UK for £42.50)
papiloma88 – :
I am so pleased to have found this perfume, I absolutely love it! I wanted a creamy vanilla / cocoa buttery type fragrance.. If you’ve smelt Palmers Cocoa Butter hand / body cream – that type of a smell. I slapped some Palmers onto my hand, went into John Lewis and asked the sales assistant for her recommendations. I didn’t know Laura Mercier did fragrances, apparently they do a whole gourmand selection. As soon as I sniffed the top of the Vanille bottle I knew it was THE ONE.
The initial spray is alarmingly alcoholy and quite harsh, not at all like the main body of the fragrance, but don’t be put off by that. Initially it’s vanilla that’s a bit Play Doh-like, similar to more synthetic vanilla scents. However once it settles it morphs into a wonderful smell.. a truly grown up vanilla. I get comforting cocoa butter creaminess with some powdery floral, but the main note is still vanilla. It’s a bit sweet, but not cloyingingly headache material. It’s not a simple teenage cup cake gourmand smell, there’s depth to it and the dry down lasts a long time.
Sprayed it onto my neck and as I’ve long hair it stayed for ages (overnight). Had lots of compliments from wearing this too. It could be worn daytime or evening, smart or casual. I’ve not tried it with the Vanille body soufflé but I have worn it with Palmers for an extra cocoa butter hit. I would definitely buy it again, mainly as I can’t stop wearing it!
леша – :
I gave up on vanilla a long time ago and swore I never wanted to smell it again until I happened on this one. This is in a different class. There is absolutely nothing sweet or cakey about this, and I’m surprised they gave it the ‘gourmande’ tag.
It smells like Paris used to smell when I was a child: white flowers, dry vanilla, brandy, a touch of heliotrope, a hint of tobacco, a woody base, and the indefinable ‘something else’ that all good perfumes have. It’s creamy, deep and nostalgic, but never heavy. The dry vanilla opening is quite short, quickly becoming more subtle and complex. The only comparable vanilla is Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille, which I also like a lot, but this is a bit softer and half the price. Five stars.
Nealskekly – :
Very, VERY good!
Since I had no idea that Laura Mercier even carried a line of fragrances, Eau Gourmonde Vanille came as a fabulous surprise.
The beginning smells like a good vanilla, yes, but not enough to prepare me for the magic of heart and dry down. The heart sings of gourmand vanilla similar to one of the fabulous Maison de Vanille fragrances (sadly, I forget which), and what comes next tops it – seducing with dark, bourbon, balsamic base. These phases smell top quality, each more delightful than the last.
Sillage is good – longevity excellent. Curious? I stumbled upon a tester at my nearest Nordstrom, and I sure hope yours has one too! 😀
Five Star – worth it’s price tag.
lubkarev – :
Delicious!! Warm, rich, gentle, boozy, creamy. Feminine. I love it. Beautiful blend of all the notes – the heliotrope is divine; the sweet and delicate orchid and lily enhance the fresh florally aspect, and the sandalwood is soft, sweet and supportive with the amber and musk. Glorious dry-down, and lasts very very well on me! 16 hours and more. Beautiful warm soft wafting sillage, and my husband adores it. It’s rich and sweet and creamy, not tooo sweet though, the almond in the heliotrope makes sure of that, and also gives it a lovely slightly bitter tone. It’s a delectable perfume. I always have people asking me what is the name of the wonderful perfume I’m wearing. I’ve even had a couple of people rush over to ask me, from a few feet away, when I’ve been out shopping!
Eau Gourmande Vanille Gourmande by Laura Mercier is definitely one of my favourite perfumes, and I wear it very often. I LOVE it!!!
Timi – :
This is my go-to fragrance and I wear it almost every day. People often comment some one smells good and ask me what I am wearing. The best Vanilla fragrance ever IMHO.
karimov – :
A beautiful not too overwhelming vanilla. It’s not too sweet but sweet enough to be noticeable and alluring. The only downside is that it doesn’t have the best staying power. A very unique vanilla worth a try.
ramzess201 – :
Smells identical to Warm Vanilla Sugar by Bath and Body Works. I own and dislike both. This one came as part of a trio called “Le Petite Patisserie” they had on sale at Nordstrom. I used up the other two (Almond Coconut and Fresh Fig), but this one remains full. This fragrance smells like vanilla-infused whiskey; I can’t stand whiskey, so one can see how this is not for me.
Aerohopleneriivl – :
This perfume is a warm, welcome, comfortable hug any time of the year! It’s creamy, sweet, with vanilla standing front and center, a little floral singing back-up, and a small stage made of amber and sandalwood. It reminds me a lot of Lavanila’s ‘Pure Vanilla’, but with additional depth, a boozy quality that takes it to a level I find sexy and enticing. I am very happy to add this to my collection. Well done, Ms. Mercier. 😉
winston585 – :
a warm boozy vanilla, mmm
shota-3 – :
There’s a heliotropin quality here that adds a creamy almond-like facet to the vanilla. Sugary, but not overly. It’s everything I wanted Hypnotic Poison to be based on the false promise of HP’s opening (which is so much sweeter and less chalky/playdoh-y than the heart and base).
It’s also got surprisingly impressive performance — the longevity alone is remarkable given the reasonable price tag for a 50 ml bottle. At the risk of being an enabler, I’d almost (ALMOST) say this is a safe blind buy for those who love vanillas and can tolerate (or embrace) a slight almondy/floral edge.
Anellessy – :
Me, not being too keen on “pure vanilla” scents to begin with (as a base note, absolutley gorgeous, but on its own? Meh, too sickly sweet, and often synthetic) was just sniffing around my local department store when I saw this amongst others. I read the label and was actually curious on how nauseated I was going to be when I sniffed it.
Boy. Was. I. Wrong.
Oh the shame I felt for even considering this to be bad.
It’s absolutley amazing. Sweet. Warm. Soft. Powdery.
Warm, floral vanilla. Real burbon vanilla. Nothing synthetic at all. Nothing. Just warm, sugary spicyness.
I went back and sniffed it several times, and then i bought it. Now it’s one of my absolute favourites to wear.
Иван Полухин – :
I find the opening a little disturbing. But once it settles down, Vanille Gourmande is like a veil of gently sugared vanilla flavoured milk on the skin. Besides the vanilla, the creamy sandalwood and the powdery heliotrope and orchid can also be detected. The fragrance is overall linear and lasts for about 6 hours while staying very close to the skin. It’s a simplistic and comfortable vanilla fragrance. I find it relatively sweet, but it’s quite sheer on my skin, thus not really on the verge of being cloying. If you happen to be in a quest for such fragrances, you can give this one a shot.
Raindeath – :
Call me a simpleton if you must, I no longer care. I love this; it smells (tastes?) like pure boozy vanille. I can spray it on everything, my arms, hair, clothing, pillow, wherever. I could bathe in this stuff. Have caution though, it can make you hungry for something vanille flavoured!
I want there to be a drink version of this perfume, something you could pick up at Starbucks when you were feeling down, something warm, flavoured strongly of vanille and light on the sugar, that would be the day.
FOISON – :
This is a simple, sweet, slightly musky vanilla, not as overtly foody as I would have expected. Surprisingly powdery and somewhat floral – I definitely smell the heliotrope and orchid mixing with the vanilla base. It’s not my favourite vanilla fragrance out there, as I find something a hint plasticky about it. It’s a decent fragrance for what it is – a linear, soft vanilla. Unfortunately, the lasting power is not great. After about 20 mins, I could barely smell it on my skin anymore…even when pressing my nose right up to my arm.
max9max – :
Vanilla perfumes are not really my thing, generally speaking, but I somehow ended up with a bottle of Laura Mercier Eau Gourmande Vanille Gourmande, and it turns out that I took a picture of HRH Emperor Oliver modeling with the bottle, in one of his final now historic photo-ops, so of course I’m obliged to review it just so that I have an excuse to post the image!!!! Probably I should just recuse myself from opining on vanilla perfumes, because I always end up saying more or less the same thing–recalling my big bottle of vanilla extract acquired on the way out of Mexico, blah, blah, blah.
Last night I was wearing L’Artisan Parfumeur Vanille Absolument, and was able to reaffirm my esteem of that composition, which I find to be unique among vanilla perfumes. It’s definitely one of my favorites if not the best of the niche vanillas familiar to me.
Vanille Gourmande, in contrast, smells like all of the rest–which could be great, of course, if you happen to be a vanilla fanatic. Do you want to smell like vanilla beans? Your needs will surely be met by Vanille Gourmande! There is a bit of florality here, too, but the vanilla dominates from start to finish.
I do not find this particular version of this particular genre overly sweet. It’s not a sugary vanilla, but it’s also not a savory presentation. I’d say that it lies at about the midpoint of the range of vanilla sweets. I do find that this smells more natural than celebrity vanilla scents, but perhaps that is obvious?
Pirlionec – :
A bit play-dough at first (not nice). But given 30 minutes warming up time on my skin it becomes a singing single note of sweet vanilla. So – first impressions are not always to be counted upon.
slavolyasof – :
Seriously this stuff is gold, love it! Best true gourmand vanilla scent I’ve found – great projection, excellent lasting power. It’s clean, super sweet, relatively linear and all vanilla. Awesome fragrance.
Amber, Heliotrope, Bourbon Vanilla, Vanilla Orchid, Lily, Musk – all huge favs of mine no wonder I LOVE this so much. These notes all blend perfectly in this fragrance.
If you love vanilla, you will love this. LM Vanille Gourmand I adore you!
bbaasterrasay – :
I am totally in love with this. I am on my 4th bottle.
poHIUswjyomvcgpmr – :
hmm,,must try this one, I simply LOVE vanilla 🙂
rolexreplica78029 – :
Love this vanilla. I use it when I don’t want a heavy perfume. Would love to trade a new bottle of Pure Vanila for a bottle of this.
pritvorshik – :
It’s OK… I am not a huge “gourmand” fragrance lover – most come off as a little too juvenile, school-girly for me, and I generally prefer a more complex, mysterious, or sophisticated nature to my fragrances. If I wanted to smell like a vanilla-scented jar candle, then this would definitely hit the spot. I only got it on a whim and because I found it cheap on Ebay. My first impression when I applied it was that it smelled very alcohol-y, and kind of cheap. I wear it exclusively when I want a little (or in the case of this fragrance, and how heavy it is, a LOT) fragrance, but I don’t want to “waste” my nicer, more expensive perfumes. I WILL say, however, I often get enthusiastic responses from women and men when I wear it – the men seem to like it a lot. It is a fairly strong, and heavy fragrance, I usually only wear it fall/winter.
eerngi – :
I want so much to love this, but, frankly, I’m not sure I even like it!! It starts off very play-doughy & then baby powder comes in loud & hard, while the play-dough never goes away. The dry-down gets a lot prettier as interesting sweet vanilla beans emerge. The play-dough & powder never go away & I’m just not a powder fan. Eventually, a little cedar emerges. This reminds me so much of Dior Addict, just not as loud & complicated.
inizova – :
That is the best vanilla perfume I have ever tried!
Every time when I am in John Lewis I consider buying this, but it is a little bit expesive…
It is very feminine, sweet and deep, it makes me feel so cosy and relaxed.
kamran-310 – :
“How do you think this would smell on a man?”
Okay so since no one answered this I will after sampling it. The short answer is a man can pull it off if wearing this casually with a white t shirt and khaki shorts and sandals-would not wear it any other way though!
Onto the scent itself:
Smells EXACTLY like PURE VIRGIN by THE DIFFERENT COMPANY. Now this may be a good thing if you love strong but clean white musk infused gourmands. I must say that I smell little in the way of vanilla, perhaps none at all, but the fact remains that for a fraction of the price of Pure Virgin you can get the exact same scent for 50 bucks so although this is by and large not a FB experience for me I am glad I tried it to compare to my decant of Pure Virgin…which is only marginally better in terms of blending and quality of ingredients.
Grades
Originality of scent: B-
(It’s a carbon copy of PV, however PV is relatively unique)
Projection: B+
It’s not a monster buy anyone within a foot of you will notice.
Beauty of scent
Pure virgin would be an A-
gazik – :
Oh, I love Vanille Gourmande! I thought it would be another vanilla cupcake perfume, but it´s not. Fortunately! It´s not cloyingly sweet, but it´s warm and comforting because of that sandalwood, and slightly powdery because of flowers. The lasting power is amazing. I will probably end up buying a bottle of this, one day.
bff224Negeltzex – :
Classy, fresh, and woody. It opens with a sharp burst of strong vanilla bourbon. I usually hold my breath at this point, as it is too strong for me.
The alcohol vanishes quickly and suddenly I smell dark, earthy woods, vanilla beans everywhere, and exotic flowers. Sweet, but not cupcake sweet. Absolutely amazing. I would have ignored this perfume, if the salesgirl didn’t make me try it. LOVE IT.
egis100 – :
Normally, I wear L by Lolita Lempicka because my boyfriend adores it but I found a tester of this at work one day (Which is strange because we don’t sell it) and decided to try it on. Boy, did I smell good! I couldn’t help but smell myself every so often because it was a soft vanilla fragrance that wasn’t very sweet and somehow a little woodsy without smelling like bark or moss. When I saw my boyfriend that night he caught a whiff of my wrists and complimented on how wonderful it smelt. I hunted down a store that sold it the next day.
killer93 – :
The most amazing woody-vanilla scent in this world!Not very sweet…very classy and sophisticated … Favourite fall winter perfume!
zorrych – :
Ordered online without trying first. Not my perfect vanilla, but wearable. Maybe I grow to love it. Don’t like the florals in it.
LeЖkA – :
Light,sophisticated vanilla. Not too sweet…I don’t smell a smokiness to it…which is good. A new favorite :-).
guram140677 – :
I love this after it dries down – when first sprayed it smells very strange – like bug spray or something – not pleasant at all. Did anyone else notice this? After it dries down, the vanilla scent is lovely – not overly sweet, not artificial & cheap like many vanillas. It is very sophisticated! and it has a bit of …smoky smell to it? It really is lovely- smells like an alluring woman, not a children’s vanilla cupcake lip gloss or baking cookies (so many fragrances don’t get it right and end up with one of the latter). Really, after this dries down I am in love with it. I get whiffs of it all day and go “Mmmmm” now THIS is what perfume should be. It smells so…fresh, feminine, I can’t explain it but it is such a gorgeous fragrance. After it is on a few hours the smell is less strong but I still get elegant whiffs every now and then!
vladynvlad – :
I broke down and bought this while Christmas shopping in NK ( a department store in Stockholm).The SA showed it to me when I told her that I was looking for a non foody vanilla.I loved it so much I bought it on the spot.It is one of the best vanilla fragrance I ever tried.Its not a foody cloying sweet vanilla.Its a grown up vanilla that is long lasting yet not over powering.This is a favorite of mines I can also see myself wearing this in the summer.Its nicely balanced long lasting elegant fragrance.
_PASHA_ – :
This is by far one of the most delicious gourmands ever! I tried this one on in PUB (a department store in Stockhom). The first thing that I could smell was creme brulee with vanilla flavour.Then it turns into a very sophisticated vanilla scent. That both me and my friend enjoyed smelling. Then it lasts for ages and I smell like sweet vanilla cake for ages. It is a very sophisticated and beautiful smell but I can’t imagene a man wearing this. I was suprised that this is a unisex scent. Beacuse it’s very feminime. The type of woman that I think would wear this scent. Would be a woman in her early 20’s with chocolate brown hair and beautiful eyes. Wearing a creme white cashmere sweater and a strand of pearls.
radiofree – :
This is more for a mature woman than most gourmands. It smells edible but manages to stay classy. Of course the main smell throughout is a yummy sweet and creamy vanilla but the floral adds depth and a very slight powdery smell. Amber and sandalwood add warmth that balances the perfume perfectly. It just like a warm vanilla candle! Strong and long lasting.