Description
Created in 2004 by Jean-Claude Ellena, Hermessence is a collection of unique
fragrances conceived as olfactory poems using perfuming’s most exclusive
elements. As sober and intense as Japanese haiku, they reinvent a nature that is
as precious as it is unusual, as if rendered by the inspired writing of a composer
in search of the new.
Enriched each time the perfumer discovers a new country, a language,
a culture or simply extraordinary new ingredients, as of today the line
consists of eight fragrances, exclusively available in Hermès stores.
Vanille Galante: a sensuous, paradoxical vanilla that murmurs its full depth with
unexpected lightness. “Some describe this scent as lazy and monotonous – for others,
it constitutes its power – and I felt like responding to that by expressing another
dimension of vanilla, light as a breeze, with hints of spice, petals and smoked wood”,
notes Jean-Claude Ellena. Hermessence Vanille Galante was launched in 2009.
Boaloboni – :
Add one more nod to cocolover’s comments. To me this smells like walking into a room in an old house that has just been painted and there is a grocery store bouquet of flowers on the table. There’s vanilla in there somewhere, but I’m not sure what it is. To sum up, wet paint and flowers. Full disclosure: I hate wearing florals so only did this on a paper test strip out of curiosity. Threw the paper away in a closed bin so I wouldn’t smell it later.
Probably smells lovely on the right person, but I am not that person.
Kamskih_V – :
Water, lily, pollen, vanilla, tar, in a silky smooth well blended way. Very beautiful, not ordinary or forgettable, but also not worth the price unless money really doesn’t matter.
agentbi4 – :
Not terrible, but not good. I’m sorry, Hermes, but as much as I love so many of your other fragrances, I found Vanille Galante to be unremarkable and totally forgettable. To be honest, I could have stopped reviewing this scent after the first sentence – disappointing at best!
AndrianoO – :
I agree with cocolover below. This was completely forgettable and not worthy of the three figure price tag. There are much better vanilla dominant scents in the market. I sampled a splash vial directly from Hermes, a house I respect and admire. Very disappointing.
_DATEK_ – :
Hermès / Hermesscence Vanille Galante:
گروه بویایی: Oriental Vanilla
رایحه: گرم و تند
ماندگاری و پخش بو: متوسط و متوسط به پایین
نت آغازی:
شروعی دودی،سنگین،تاریک و سوخته از آکورد های. اولین ملاقات شما با عطر خواهد بود.کنار اون در چند ثانیه حس شیرین و پودری با همراهی وانیل رو درک خواهین کرد.
سپس با حزف این رایحه چوبی-صمغی،گل بو و ته بوی مشکی-شرابی Cognac به عطر اضافه خواهد شد در مراحل بعدی به سختی درک خواهد شد.
فضای تاریک،دودی،تنباکویی،خاکستری،مرموز با همراهی رایحه چوبی،تند و لجنی با لایه های از وانیل و حس پودری دریافت شما از عطر خواهد بود
نت میانی:
رایحه کپک زده،قارچی و لجنی که وانیل رو احاطه کرده اند قلب رایحه عطر در این مرحله خواهد بود که باهمراهی آکوردهای چوبی-صمغی زیبایی خاصی به عطر میدن و فضای پودری ادویه ای عطر تشکیل میدن برداشت من از این فضا مشابه استشمام فلفل سرخ ترکیه ای هست(بالانس خوبی از حس چوبی،دودی و ادویه ای)
نت پایانی:
دراین مرحله رایحه عطر افت میکنه و بیشتر رگه های باریکی از بوها و آکوردها با فضا شیرین،پودری و گرم و رایحه وانیل برداشت شما از عطر خواهد بود.
Hermesscence Vanille Galante
فضایی ملایم،لطیف و دلنشین داره که خبری از حضور سنگین،مرموز،تاریک و کپک گرفته اوایل عطر نیست با رایحه شیرین پودری وانیل باهمراهی آکوردهای اسپایسی،با قلب چوبی-صمغی و میخکی و ته بوی تند
انتخاب مناسبی برای نیمه دوم سال و یا مجالس های رسمی هست وبیشتر افراد بالای ۳۰سال.
Hermesscence Vanille Galante
آکوردهای اصلی Floral,warm Spicy وانیلی،شیرین
بالانس زیبایی و ملایمی از رایحه گرم،تند و شیرین ایجاد میکنن که حتم دارم به این زودی از پوشیدن این عطر خسته نخواهین شد.
پر از تضادهاست ممکنه برای شما عطری یکنواخت و به دور از هرگونه ویژگی خاص مانند یک مسن نمادی از وقار،پرستیژ و شخص باتجربه,منعطف و تفکرات قدیمی و یا شخص مصمم،سرسخت،با اعتماد بنفس و با انگیزه باشه
تصویر من از عطر فضای تاریک،مرموز،نم گرفته یک عطاری قدیمی با سقف چوبی و باکس های ادویه و گل های خشک بود.
وانیل دودی-بخوری،چوب،گل
Sillage: 3/5
Longevity: 3.75/5
Scent: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
jiniuss – :
Hermès / Hermesscence Vanille Galante:
The olfactory group: Oriental Vanilla
Odor: hot and spicy
Shelf life and distribution: medium to medium to low
Starting note:
Smoke, heavy, dark and burned chords from chords. Your first meeting will be with perfume. In a few seconds, you will understand the sweet and powdery feel of Vanilla.
Then, with this fragrance, this cognac, scent, smell and smell of Cognac smell will be added to perfume, and will be hard to understand in the next steps.
Dark, smoky, tobacco, gray, mysterious, accompanied by a woody scent, spicy and slender with vanilla layers and a powdery sense of smell.
Middle notes:
The smell of mildew, fungus and slime that surrounds vanilla. The heart of the fragrance fragrance will be at this stage, along with wood-chamomile chocolates, a special flavor of perfume, and the spicy aroma of the fragrance. I picked up this same space as the Turkish snack of pepper. There is (a good balance of the sense of wood, smoked and spicy)
Final note:
At this stage, the fragrance will fall and most of the veins will be smelled with sweets and chocolates with sweet, powdery and warm fragrance, and vanilla scent of perfume.
Hermesscence by Vanille Galante
A delicate, delicate and delicate atmosphere that has a heavy, mysterious, dark, and mild look. It’s not an early fragrance. Vanilla powder with vanilla flavor with spice chopsticks, with woody, spiky, carnation and spicy smell.
It is a good choice for the second half of the year or formal meetings and more often people over 30 years of age.
Hermesscence by Vanille Galante
Original Floral Chords, Hot Spicy Vanilla, Sweet
It brings a beautiful, refreshing balm with a warm, spicy and sweet scent. I’m sure you will not be tired of wearing this scent so soon.
It is full of contradictions. It is possible for you to have a steady aroma, away from any specific attributes like an elderly, a symbol of dignity, prestige and experienced person, flexible and thoughtful, or determined, hard-working, self-reliant, and motivated person.
My image of the fragrance was a dark, mysterious atmosphere, with an old carvings with wooden ceilings and spice boxes and dry flowers.
Smoked vanilla-eat, stick, flower
Sillage: 3/5
Longevity: 3.75 / 5
Scent: 3.5 / 5
Overall: 3.5 / 5
bech5 – :
A light floral vanilla with a touch of spice, reminiscent of Mexican Vanilla. Vanille Galante is very airy – lovers of rich vanilla scents will not like it. The floral is very present, and smells like mostly lily with a touch of banana-y ylang ylang. I get a touch of dry cacao, some booziness and cinnamon, but mostly this is a simple, pretty lily and vanilla scent. Smells good.
Afsaroseli – :
There’s nothing I dislike about this fragrance but, alas, nothing particularly interesting about it either.
If you’ve smelt any lily/cedar mix with a dry bourbon vanilla, you’ve smelt this. Boring, completely banal. Well blended, just pedestrian.
Though, I suppose every collection needs its comfortable regular scent that doesn’t stand out in any real way. I wish I could smell the fish – at least then I could feel something.
oh yeah, and 100% not worth the $315 aud that Hermes have the nerve to charge for this.
mdf642Unlogrere – :
I had the same experience as Redcapricorn, Calvini, Jitterbug, Hellita, Guest_Addicted and Adiro – this smells like raw fish to me, and is simply unwearable. Adiro’s experience is very similar to mine – “an upleasant fish scent with a breezy vanilla on top”. The Hermessence line is beautiful, but something in this juice does not agree with my nose.
Alexxl61 – :
Sunflowers F454 by Vincent van Gogh 1888
gnl347speagoessenda – :
The spices are very noticeable. Soft vanilla at the initial stages and develops into an intense bitter sweet spicy scent.
irusi99999 – :
This isn’t your cheap run of the mill Vanilla. Upon immediate spray it smells like fresh vanilla. Like real vanilla. Not real vanilla liquid you bake with either. I get a green banana-ish smell. I guess it’s banana leaf that other people mentioned. Maybe ylang ylang. Soft and subtle with some floral. But don’t let its soft and subtleness fool you. It’s a projector. I’ve wore it two days now with different clothes. I keep smelling something nice in the air and it’s me!
I don’t get any Tobacco. And, I don’t,know why people are complaining about the price. There’s a 100ml bottle on eBay right now for $210cdn!
yura50000 – :
Hermessence Vanille Galante is so light, soft, tender, delicate and divinely feminine, that it’s almost not there, except that it is also rich and alluring and incredibly there, and I’m always being told I smell divine, even after about 6 hours. Superbly smooth alluring vanilla, with gentle spices, a lovely deep tobacco, with musk and woods, and sweet feminine flowers, and a drop of scrumptious cognac, all mixed in together. It’s beautiful.
I have to re-apply it a couple of times during the day, but that’s perfectly fine with me, as it’s wonderful to smell the glorious flowery/cognac/vanilla beginning over and over again! I love love love it so much!
The bottle design and the colours, of the liquid and bottle and cap, are magnificently exquisite, and absolutely reflect the feeling of the perfume – elegant, classy, soft and feminine, gentle, creamy and alluring.
My husband loves it, and I get complimented all the time on the divine scent coming from me. It’s one of my favourite perfumes; I adore it. It’s exquisite.
lqt193elipseskism – :
Calvini and I have the same problem. When I applied this, I immediately thought of the beach, and not in the good way. It reminds me of how it used to smell when my father would clean fish when I was a kid, that fresh-out-of-the-ocean fish smell. Is it just us? I don’t get vanilla at all. I really just smell raw fish and seafood. Very strange!
395415 – :
Well, this one well and truly exceeded my expectations! I decided to buy Vanille Galante because I wanted to see Jean Claude Ellena’s take on vanilla and, given his amazing track record over the years, I was prepared to pay something of a premium to find out and take the risk of a blind buy. So what did I discover?
Well, in practical terms, first of all, this projects moderately for about 90 minutes to two hours and then settles down to being a skin scent. It just manages to stagger past seven hours on my skin.
When I first sprayed it on, I smelled – as you would expect – vanilla. It is a gorgeous vanilla though, a creamy vanilla, somewhat like Madagascan vanilla pods. After all those cheaper, more synthetic, artificial, cheap gourmand vanillas, this is a real delight. The next thing that I noticed is that it is a smoky vanilla. It’s smoky as in a nice tobacco note and also some smoky woody notes as well. And finally, I wondered if there was a floral hint as well. Definitely a lovely opening. And then as the alcohol evaporated and the scent began to take hold of my skin and start to envelop me, I realised what it reminded me of. The olfactory memory was a magnificent one! It reminded me of a couple of lovers from my past who both used to smoke and wore vanilla-based or vanilla dominant perfumes back in the day before I tended to enquire of such details. Well, I certainly felt very happy indeed upon being reminded of beautiful girls in little black dresses and wonderful evenings where the little black dresses came off! And as the next twenty minutes passed, the scent began to open up and project gently about me and around me and then the most extraordinary thing happened – I felt the same joyous post-coital grin on my face for about another hour or so! I felt as happy as if I had had the pleasure of those companions once again and the same giggly afterglow. That sensation alone makes this one a ‘love’ rather than a ‘like’ perfume.
Now, alas, the cost of the Hermessence line is quite mind boggling. It makes Creed perfumes look cheap – that’s how horrific it is. But, for that effect and the boost in my mood, you know what? I think I can see myself buying many bottles over many years to come. This is simply sensational!
medvedkovo – :
I don’t know what the hell was wrong with my skin (or my nose?) that day, but it smelled like raw seafood! Specifically raw octopus at first, then it became shellfish (oyster)… Since I didn’t read the review maybe that was the banana peel thing people are talking about?
Babah19750810 – :
Although it’s not listed in the notes (iirc, it lists general “floral” notes), on me I get something akin to an airy stargazer lily, with vanilla in the background. Definitely not a common combination, very light for spring/summer, but it wouldn’t fit in with autumnal/winter weather.
Jambazi – :
An extremely light and airy fragrance, which I appreciate. However, I get a lot of a green leaf banana sort of note in this that I’m not a huge fan of. I do get some vanilla that makes this fragrance a bit creamy, but I mostly get the melon/leaf/banana. It’s interesting but not my cup of tea.
piciustrong – :
This is a beautiful fragrance. If only it had more staying power.
The vanilla is very subdued and light, not too sweet, and it’s backed by very soft florals and a hint of fruit. I’m confused by the reviews that say it’s a deep rich fragrance, because I don’t get any spice or wood at all, but maybe it’s a difference in skin chemistry. It’s very airy and delicate on me, like delicate fresh flowers and a touch of summer fruits on a gentle vanilla breeze. It’s not gourmand at all, but it is cozy and comforting.
Unfortunately it tends to do a disappearing act. Within an hour, it’s almost undetectable on me. I hope it fares better for others, because it really is a joy to smell.
VANULIAY – :
With ‘Vanille Galante’, Mr. Ellena attempts to abolish the mundane and unoriginal connotations which follow vanilla-based fragrances. He states, “I wanted to respond to this smell which could be described as lazy and repetitive with an invitation to rediscover another vanilla, an unusual, complex and paradoxical one”. To achieve this it appears he has elevated vanilla to its upper registry and with a deft hand has turned what is at once dense into something which is quite light and airy. The fragrance opens with a beautiful oriental lily note which is mirrored with a sweet vanilla. It is gentle as a breeze, yet redolent in its splendor. The vanilla featured here is organic and earthy, far from the synthetic vanilla extract of numerous kitchen cupboards. Instead it is sweet, rich and exotic in tone. I smell subtle hints of cocoa, tonka bean and perhaps nutmeg which join with the vanilla-floral accord seamlessly. The effect is intoxicating.
‘Vanille Galante’ is perfect for spring, reminding me of the sweetly floral scent of freshly blooming hyacinth, daffodils, and crocus bursting forth from the snow covered landscape. This refreshing skin scent is soft and delicate, far from obtrusive or cloying. As with the rest of the Hermesence collection from Hermès, sillage and projection are light and longevity average for this “eau de toilette”. Perfect for daywear, ‘Vanille Galante’ can be utilized for casual wearing around town or for more formal work related functions. I feel the composition leans toward the feminine fragrance spectrum as it is definitely sweet and floral based, although still may be considered unisex. I find ‘Vanille Galante’ to be an innovative take on vanilla in fragrance. Typically paired with overtly gourmand accords, here is a vanilla which transcends its boundaries and marries effortlessly with airy florals in an imaginative and refreshing breeze.
Read my complete review at my personal blog
Fragranceemergency.blogspot.com
XIROMANT – :
Light floral breath of wind( ylang- ylang),nuances of spices,sweet tender wood ( sandalwood ).A sensuous vanilla ,the original fragrance of a crafted natural vanilla with an unexpected lightness.
egor79 – :
Maybe it’s the combination of the watery verdancy and creamy vanilla, I too get the green banana and melon effect upon applying Vanille Galante. But the fragrance soon turns into a blooming lily as a subtle peppery accord joins in.
The watery verdancy and the salty peppery nuance keep the lily realistic enough, but at the same time, the transparent aesthetic present through all the Hermessence offerings, keeps the lily from being too assertive. The vanilla kind of diffuses into the lily, while its creaminess complements the lily, it also has a fluffy texture that manages to lift up the scent and creates a haziness around the lily.
With time, as the vanilla permeates into the lily, it eventually takes over and the fragrance dries down into an elegant floral vanilla. I can even smell some heliotrope at times. The cognac and woody notes are not very distinct to my nose, but their efforts to keep the vanilla realistic are easy to tell when comparing Vanille Galante to a ‘cupcake’ vanilla.
The sillage of Vanille Galante is moderate to soft during the first 6 hours. It then stays very close to skin for another 3 hours on me.
With lily playing an almost equal part, I’d hesitate to recommend Vanille Galante as a vanilla fragrance. However, as a lily/vanilla fragrance, its translucency makes it less sweet and more reserved than most fragrances with the same theme, such as Cartier Baiser Volé Essence de Parfum or Guerlain Lys Soleia, without compromising the peppery and creamy characteristics of lily. Vanille Galante is indeed gallant, and I’d recommend it to those who’d like a relatively low-key lily/vanilla fragrance.
wagfr – :
Theres a cool, creamy suedey/leathery note in the opening but its so airy, I cant really smell a distinct vanilla. It reminds me a bit of gelato or the gas from a can of whipped cream but not as sweet :/ all the notes have a frothy well blended quality so none of them really stand out, apart from a hint of soft petals and a vague fruityness.
Oh and there’s also something very clean and delicate about that reminds me of clean, slightly fragranced hair.
woolfssfloow – :
Ah man, I wanted to love this one so bad…but, unfortunately it isnt a hit for me.
All I get is banana peel (as manhy have mentioned) with watery white florals and a tiny bit of dirty vanilla. After that, it becomes this musky, almost dry musky scent and not a sweet musk at that!
Too bad, overall 6/10 for me since it is not synthetic or cheap smelling, even if I do not much like the smell – it is still an excellent blended fragrance.
-HP
EDIT: I knew this reminded me of something – it reminds me of Jo Malone Blue agava and cacao! thing is, this is not a sweet as BA&C, but I kept thinking about it and they sure are similar.
Dopemevease – :
Sadly, oh so sadly, this is so far the only vanilla/tobacco combination that I’ve found that I can’t stand.
For those tired of foodie vanillas, this may be for you. It’s far from sugary, it’s not even lightly sweet, it’s full on bitter on my skin. I suspect ylang ylang is the culprit, and as if medicinal bitterness weren’t big enough an evil, it smells like buttery banana. I smell like buttered bananas in a smoky room.
DIMOXA – :
So very nice in hot weather. A warm vanilla-floral. Soft vanilla and not at all synthetic smelling. Reminds me a litte of Guerlains aqua allegoria ylang-vanille but this one is less heady, less creamy, less ylang, warmer, unisex and more vanilla. I find it more interesting also. It is close to skin but I get whiffs of it throughout the day. Fb worthy in my book. The best I have tried of the hermessences. For me it is only for summer. It blooms then. In cold weather it became sort of mute on my skin.
надежда1964 – :
Quite interesting this one and the way it smells and develops relies on the weather conditions.
On cooler, rainy days it’s more of a dirty vanilla with quite strong floral phase. And the florals I’m speaking of are more green house/ field flowers; think of little field flowers sprouting out from moist soil after a rain.
Now, on a warm drier days, it’s like a little mist of yellow florals spiced up with warm vanilla. It’s not cheap plastic sugary sweet vanilla, it’s warm, spicy and quite natural. To give you a comparison, think of when you’re baking: you can use cheap vanilla esseence or fine vanilla paste full of sweetly scented seeds.
Then it dries down to this lovely scent of vanilla-spiced carnations.
It can be a bit boozy when first applied, a bit like opening a bottle of Galliano liquer, but after just a few minutes the florals join in the party.
Longevity is not great though. Most scents last on my skin a bit longer than they do on other people, but I get roughly 3-5 hours and have to re-apply.
Definitely a daytime fragrance, and because it behaves differently given different atmospheric conditions it’s great all year round. I find it quite fun to observe how it changes depending on weather.
In a way it reminds me of Guerlain Acqua Allegoria Lys Soleia which I own so if that’s something you like you might enjoy Vanille Galante too.
rwx248elipseskism – :
When I first sprayed this I wasn’t sure if I liked it but the more I used it the better it became. It is so warm and soft but light at the same time. I think I could wear this at any time of the year. I find that none of the notes are loud and shrieking just beautifully blended but I can still smell each one as it dries down and progresses. I usually reapply this a couple of times during the day (as I do with most of my perfumes) and I definitely get wafts of it as I move around and do things. It is very comforting. Love it!
ZeroTedloli – :
vanilla and bananas , i know there are no bananas in there but i smell bananas with some cream and vanilla , go figure is nice but not purchase worthy for the price $$$
iodideold – :
Vanilla/pistache Italian icecream.
Watery flowers.
Stingy booze note from the beginning.
Medium sillage & longevity.
Not for me.
vaniaba – :
I dislike most perfumes, but Hermes is the exception that keeps delivering for me.
This scent starts off like a very intense real vanilla extract, and fades into a more subtle mix of vanilla and alcohol. I know it’s supposed to be cognac, but it smells more like spiced rum to me.
I’m puzzled by the people who don’t smell vanilla in this – perhaps they have never smelled real vanilla? I kind of wish I liked it less, because now I’ll have to spend the money on a full bottle. A great, comforting scent for a cold day.
kyle21 – :
Hermes was kind enough to send me a generous sample of this perfume. While I like it, it isn’t my very favorite. The vanilla and floral notes seem to battle with each other while you wear it. Oddly, at the same time it’s a light smell that stays close to you. It’s very lady like as well as expensive smelling, but I just don’t think it’s as complex as their Ambre Narguile which I absolutely love.
Equadaaccip – :
People into longevity and sillage look away now.
I blame my dislike of vanilla to the plethora of cheap vanilla fragrances overpopulating the market since forever. Most people generally not into perfume, whenever they decide it’s about time to buy a fragrance, they go 90% of the times for something vanilla-centered. The problem is that of this 90%, another 90% of the time their choice go towards cheap-goumrnadic and overly sweet vanillas.The result is that we’re surrounded by cheap vanilla. As a matter of fact, I very rarely can stand vanilla fragrances (exception made for a bunch of older Guerlains, some ambers and very few others).
With that said, Vanille Galante is completely another thing. I’m generally not a big fan of Ellena’s *light touch* but in this case it definitely played in the fragrance favor. To me, VG reads mainly as a watery-floral with vanillic facets. There’s a banana peel vibe going on (probably provided by the ylang-ylang) and a bitter, kind of smoky, presence contrasting the overall sweetness. The result is beyond sophistication in my opinion. Light but noticeable, extremely elegant and, in the end, quite an unique take on the main theme.
Now, two more considerations:
1) As most of the Hermessence, I find this overpriced. It’s good and I thoroughly like it but it’s not better than most of the *regular* Hermes if you like their general style. Both quality-wise and artistically-wise.
2) For the most part, my theory is that there aren’t good ingredients and bad ones. Yes, there are better and worst quality vanillas, there are materials that depending on one’s tastes are more appealing than others but, the big difference is made by how perfumers use them.
Downline: Vanille Galante is probably not a masterpiece but is a thoroughly enjoyable fragrance in my book.
Rating: 7-7.5/10
snubbendy – :
I have to confess that I hate vanilla in perfumes.
I can barely stand vanilla only when very talented perfumers hide the note well,so I can’t detect that is there.
But my dear friend Desiree send me a huge sample of this and because I am a devoted follower of Hermes,I tested it.
What a beauty!If the name wasn’t Vanille Galante,I could swear that isn’t a vanilla in there.
A beautiful,ethereal white flower note,reminding me of full in bloom almond trees,blended with light tobacco and woods,maybe?Very light,very poetic,very vibrant.
Well,the thing about talented perfumers,high quality ingredients vs all the rest.
Thank you Desiree for the chance,thank you monsieur Ellena for prove me wrong hating vanilla.
miner77 – :
I get very light vanilla, described previously by someone else as sheer – very much so. Light wood, a tiny bit of ylang ylang – sweet & sticky. Lovely but a fast fader!
eralashichek25 – :
Apparently the chemistry of this composition is for a few lucky ones. Crudely what I get out of VG is the same thing I smell out of a newly wet baby diaper, a combination of some baby wetness, moisturizer and lubricant.
petryshenko_89 – :
I really like this one! Sweet, sheer and subtle.
I get a lot of ylang-ylang in here (along with that characteristic faint, yet creamy hint of a banana like note). But what I especially like here is Jean-Claude Ellena’s transparent use of vanilla. Forget the heavy, boozy, almost animalic vanilla of Guerlain, etc. Here the Vanilla is wrapped in very light spices and cognac. It’s still quite light, but by no means fleeting. I would best describe it as “transparent”. Neither too light, nor too heavy and cloying.
His inspiration was the origin of Vanilla as a trading spice, being brought across oceans in long voyages on sailing ships; along with other spices such as cloves and cinnamon, all tightly packed next to wooden barrels of cognac etc. All these ingredients can be detected in this fragrance, and they are all balanced beautifully.
I think Vanille Gallante is actually a really beautiful one. I know other people get rotten banana out of this, and that’s a shame. But to me it’s smells like hints of spices, Indian chai tea, and a creamy vanilla extract. I find it quite intoxicating. I think this is my favourite use of vanilla outside of a Guerlain perfume. Very different though, but I appreciate his take on it. Not bad Ellena!
senior.so – :
On initial application this seemed promising, very sweet and simple like freshly baked vanilla cookies and honeysuckle. Quickly though, it turned into bananas mixed lightly with bug spray. Not a winner for me, sadly.
rusuolga1983 – :
Sadly unremarkable. Not a warm vanilla, in fact not a real vanilla scent at all. Smells more like a low grade ylang ylang which gives me the impression of my dentists office. No thanks.
Delagypelew – :
Thank you so much for your great review, earthkeeper below. I do believe it might be the testers gone bad, because something smells fishy to me (unfortunately I’m not gonna buy a whole bottle of it because the price is too high to gamble on). I’m glad others get the beauty out of this fragrance. I don’t.
Xeroxtldtz – :
I was really hesitant about trying this one because of the reviews, because otherwise, it seemed like it would be right up my alley (flowers and vanilla, and done by Hermes to boot). Now, I am not the biggest fan of most Hermes fragrances but I know I can count on them to make a vanilla that isn’t sickly sweet or foody, hence why I really wanted to try this. It did not disappoint! Though I am not sure where many of the reviews are coming from. Fishy? No, not at all. Salty? Nope, just not overly sweet. The vanilla here is a very real, vanilla pod type of vanilla. There is nothing sugary about it, but it is creamy. Also, for me this is really all about the vanilla. There are some florals and spices to round it out but there is no doubt that this is a vanilla fragrance. Maybe If you are used to more gourmand vanillas this might seem to be light on vanilla, but it’s not, it’s simply a different kind of vanilla. My kind of vanilla. I’ve been looking for a soft, non-gourmand vanilla for a while and have found it in Vanille Galante. It kind of reminds me of Orchidee Vanille by VC&A but softer in every way. It has that same vanilla and flowers theme but this one is much less sweet (even though I wouldn’t call Orchidee Vanille a gourmand either, it is just very sweet). All that said, there is one area I am slightly disappointed in, especially for the price, and that would be sillage and longevity. It could just be my sample (and the fact that I had to dab on a small amount rather than spray, this isn’t a parfum so that’s certainly not how it would normally be applied), but for the price, I’d want it to be a tad stronger. In any case, it’s lovely. Vanilla for floral lovers.
enelsveltpand – :
It smells like sunflower, much stronger though, but as if you smelt directly from the middle of sunflower in full bloom.
I like the smell in nature but not on me.
tros13 – :
Alright! I believe I can slightly demystify the fish smell that some experience with Vanille Galante.
I got a few samples of it from my H store when it first came out and for some reason only came around to testing it late this summer. I have been enjoying it here and there trying to figure out if it truly was full bottle worthy for me. I really like vanilla fragrances but wow am I ever picky with them… VG was definitely on the yay list for me. It is rare that you will find a vanilla centered fragrance that isn’t mainly or overly sweet. I’m also a HUGE fan of Ylang Ylang and my nose seems to pick up on this intoxicating flower in the mixture. In my opinion Ellena had hit the mark of perfection where it was such a beautiful, clean, light vanilla that didn’t evoke any gourmand images but still managed to offer that welcome, soothing, comforting feeling that vanilla excels at. Light enough to be worn on a hot summer day and have you sniffing away at yourself in sunny bliss. The verdict was YES!
Two days ago I went into my H store in the hopes they had received Epice Marine as I had yet to sample it. Sadly they hadn’t…. Anyhow, I asked the SA if I could please have a vial of Vanille Galante as my last vial had but a few drops left and a bottle of VG was pretty far on the horizon for the time being (I had a nice Lutens shopping spree the week prior hehe…).
This morning, I decide to dab some VG on my left wrist before sitting down to enjoy my breakfast. To my great horror it smelled like fish what the…? I run back to my H vials as I couldn’t remember if I had used the vial I had picked up a few days prior or my old one. As I suspected, I had indeed used the new one and so I immediately dabbed some juice from the old vial on my right wrist. Whew! No fish smell. What does this mean? Bad batch? Has it turned? I don’t know… 2 hours in the left wrist still wreaks of fish, but now, because I smelt the dreaded fishy version of VG, I think I kinda sorta pick up on a slight fishiness from my right wrist as well… It’s very mild and fleeting – but I’m pretty sure it’s there… Is this just a byproduct of olfactory memory? Could it be because the weather and humidity has dropped here? Or has it been there all along and I just wasn’t picking up on it because it was so mild in the old vial?
Update Oct 30th 2013:
So I decided to take the plunge and buy a full buttle of Vanille Galante. I am soooooo happy I moved forward with this purchase. After performing a few more tests with the “fishy vial” in question, it definitely seemed to point towards that specific tester having issues. Which is quite unfortunate as it seems there are a few of those turned vials in circulation based on other reviews of VG. So basically, if you’ve tried VG and it smelled fishy to you, I strongly suggest you give it another try from a different source.
As I type this I’m wearing VG and it is so special! As I mentioned earlier, VG is beautifully compl