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xtm770Diobtetty – :
Starts with rose water and quince – gentle and acidic. The heart is powdery and slightly spicy – saffron being the only note I can recognize there. Once it hits the powdery phase it becomes classy and has a calming effect.
Vurhis – :
I can smell a hint of spiciness along with the floral scent but I don’t know what makes it like that. Maybe it’s the smell of quince? I’m not sure as I am not familiar with the smell of quince. The white flowers are obvious as I can always smell them throughout the day. Rose, peony, freesia, I can smell all of them. As for the spiciness, I have to admit that it is what makes it a succeed in terms of formulation and composition. However, personally I don’t quite like it. I would absolutely love it more if there is merely floral scent but after all there are so many floral scents in the market and it would not be so special without the hint of spiciness. Now it is not a mediocre one but not one of my favourite. Anyway not a bad choice as it was a bling buy.
sudvasilij – :
My horoscope promised me for last weekend a new acquaintance – but instead of a good looking man, Vaara came across.
I`ve tried it a couple of times before, it was nice (some moderate spiciness) but nothing special.
Last Saturday, I could smell a honeyed rose from the first moment on, and surrounded from all the spices, it was very living, very vibrating. I`ve been bewitched the whole evening (a surprise birthday party for a former colleague and good friend) !
werewolf2309 – :
If you can suffer through the sharp, acrid opening of Vaara then it actually evolves into a really pleasant, if somewhat unremarkable, fresh, green rose fragrance. Personally, I’ll be selling my bottle of Vaara as I have other fresh, green rose perfumes that do the job better and without the nose wrinkling top notes.
vKiloSmitha – :
No, no and NO. It’s a yucky mix of quince and soap, there is no elegance, no depth – this fragrance is absolutely NOT sexy. But, of course, it’s a question of taste… 🙂
P.S. My daughter says, it smells like Peppa Pig. :)))
ctacshket – :
On the official website of Penhaligon’s I found the fragrance profiling, and after the test it showed me this scent. I ordered a sample and I was in love at first sniff. I cant tell how delicious the quince is! On my skin its long lasting, soft and feminine, sexy and sweet! I love it. The big bottle is already in transit! 🙂
mkz811JeomiWogkig – :
Bought myself a 2ml deluxe tray of 12 Penhaligon’s and this is my second time sampling from this house. I also have a 5ml decant of Halfeti and I like that one as well as a solid like for Vaara.
There is a bitter opening note and I’m assuming that’s quince. There’s a lot going on in Vaara, but underlying this spicy floral is an exotic vibe, but it’s light. Sillage is close to the body with no trail of scent left behind. I’m really looking forward to wearing this in the summer.
HeawnTrarma – :
The perfume opens with a loud bitter smell where I can detect saffron, coriander and a bitter fruit. The opening is sparkling and bitter. It is like feeling orange blossom but I don’t see the note listed. The same bitterness is here.
The heart is still bitter but mixed with a floral odour. At this point is a bitter-sweet fragrance with a wonderful rose note.
The dry-down is sweet, with honey, benzoin and tonka. Now the oriental facet of the fragrance appears. Only a hint of bitterness left behind can be felt now. The sweetness of the honey gives a warmer and pleasant touch.
Vaara is a nice perfume that says close to the skin. Nice and quiet.
uxa867elipseskism – :
Not a proper review but…
It’s a hot and sweaty night, and what smells like Aquolina Chocolovers all of a sudden? Did my bottle break in the other room? It smells so good!
I was going crazy looking for the source of the scent when I remember I sprayed 6-8 pumps of Vaara on my arms, neck and bra in the afternoon when it was even more hot and somehow my body heat, sweat and Vaara has magically combined to create a lighter, airier summertime version of Chocolovers lol! It must be the coriander, musk and sweet notes. I just had to come and share because I think you guys are the only ones who would understand my excitement!
In conclusion: Vaara = try it during a heatwave.
OKSANA 6290 – :
My experience with this fragrance was one of luxury. The Penhaligon’s counter manager had their various scents lined up on the counter. In front of the bottles laid various teacups, each with their own majestic design, with cotton balls sprayed with their respective fragrances. Vaara i have to say, working in fragrance for almost decade, has been the only fragrance to make me smile and blush. The intoxicating spices with the seductive floral notes of rose and saffron had made my blood rush to my face and i felt the need to hold tighter to the teacup for fear of dropping it.
Along with be a beautiful and seductive fragrance, its performance is more that perfect. Absolutely long lasting, the sillage is outstanding leaving a trail as the person walk out of the room just lingering. I definitely recommend buying fragrance.
Bottle wise it has such a simplistic design like most niche fragrance. I was a little disappointed when the metal piece that hold the top in place broke off so easily, but it could’ve just be a manufacturing error
dvoehnik – :
Missk’s comment is on point. All I can add is:
1. Rose scents are very volatile. I recommend applying an oil prior to spraying; this helps with the issue of longevity. It’s even better if I can use also as a base some rose scented lotion after the oil.
2. Sometimes a girl (or, why not a guy) just wants to smell like roses.
I own many rose fragrances, I love to wear them as a comfort scent, something easy, warm and light for the weekends mostly. Here’s the difference between Vaara and Vera Wang’s Truly Pink or Cartier’s Goutte de Rose:
While simple rose scents are linear, Vaara takes you on a journey. It is an easy journey, one in which someone else is carrying your suitcases. Bertrand Duchaufour is a genius at giving you a tour. He presents the magnolia and freesia, the quince, the carrot seeds and coriander, while carrying a 3 dozen roses bouquet, as he takes you on this voyage, that begins with a very rosy “feminine” vibe and ends in a more “masculine” cedar and clean musk spectrum.
I treasure Vaara, and only wear it when I can take the time, to just sit down and enjoy the journey
Deroxgqint – :
Dear Vaara,
You are my sun, my moon, and all of my perfume stars.
HOLY GRAIL. You can really smell the quince and rose. If you’re not familiar with what a quince fruit smells like I’m not sure how you’ll perceive this…but it’s a rose and quince bomb. Lasts through my entire 8 hour office workday with moderate to low sillage. Perfect for spring or summer but can be worn all year round. I mostly get indirect compliments when I wear this such as; “something smells really great over here…” but who needs compliments when you KNOW you smell amazing.
Forever and always, XOXO
SoftmakerX – :
Vaara is an absolutely delightful fragrance. A crisp and refreshing rose scent blended to perfection.
Vaara is Spring in a bottle to my nose. It’s the scent of a garden in bloom intermingling with neighbouring fruit orchards and vegetable patch aromas. I find it very refreshing, easy to wear and super feminine.
Vaara was commissioned for the Maharaja Gaj Singh and supposedly inspired by the Indian culture and fertile landscapes of Jodhpur. I can sense some exotic elements in this fragrance, but for the most part I find it quite lacking in the spiciness that brings India to mind.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of this fragrance is the rather delectable carrot seed accord which tends to ground this citrusy rose scent and give it more depth. Vaara is quite a full-bodied fragrance, but with that being said I find it daytime appropriate and would recommend wearing it during the warmer months.
This perfume is definitely one of my favourites from the Penhaligon’s line and I am eager to test this fragrance some more come Spring.
kiiwii – :
I enjoy Vaara on days when I want to recall the scent of a container my mother used to keep on her cabinet of knickknacks. It was a small carved wooden bottle, exotic and lavishly decorated. Inside there was a vial of Rose Attar that was purchased in Bulgaria. The vial had never been opened, and for decades smelled wonderfully of roses and a faint hint of spicy wood from its lavish hiding place. Vaara smells of rose, citrusy wood, and my mother’s parlour. To me this is an old fashioned scent, but in a good way.
i_am_fil – :
A rosewater fountain in a majestic Indian palace!
When I wear this i can hear the tinkling of the fountain, and feel the cool marble of the palace floor under my feet.
Edit: I went off this one. I dislike everything I’ve ever smelt by Bertrand Duchaufour. Even if I’m momentarily taken in by the gimmick, I’m ultimately left repulsed.
FReeK911 – :
“Vaara” means “danger” in Finnish, but this perfume is like a declawed kitten. Quince, huh? In that case I like quince. This is a bit sweet, a bit fresh, a bit aquatically splashy, lightly floral and ever-so-slightly fruity. Very pleasing without being annoyingly inoffensive.
yye763Bessinepome – :
sweet honey citrus rose
lovely scent
SashkaCh – :
If I could keep the quince/saffron opening going longer this would potentially be a love. It’s a tangy, unique fruit vibe; mouthwatering and juicy, but not sweet. I want to hold onto that quince; I want to like the whole fragrance more than I do. I catch fleeting glimpses of what could be amazing every time I sniff my wrist; and I do have to sniff my wrist, projection is not much off the skin at all for me. But then, as I sniff, it really is just okay. The drydown is all slightly honeyed florals, an almost candied peony takes the lead. But I mostly just miss the incredible quince and saffron. The blending is, typical Penhaligon’s lovely. In my experience, they really do know how to balance a fragrance. Now if they could just figure out how to make them project more and last.
bpvthbntkm – :
I fell in love with this perfume at a Penhaligon’s shop; it was truly created for an arabian princess (according to the shop owner!) Magnificently complex, sweet, with exotic oriental notes which I later identified as quince and saffron. One of my favorites. Lasts 4-6 hours.
I have 100+ niche samples for swap within Europe – updated spreadsheet of samples on my profile, get in touch!
pypetetaelody – :
Very rosy saffron in the beginning.
In Sweden we buy saffron in teensy tiny envelopes, and first spritz of this is literally opening one of these envelopes up.
After 10 minutes the saffron is unfortunately nowhere to be found, but the rose is still there, and there is definitely peony. And now you can smell something else, a mixture of spicy and fruity.
I wouldn’t necessarily call this an “oriental” fragrance (which I associate with being more heavy on the spices) – I think it’s fresh, youthful and happy. It’s unique but not mindblowingly so.
Perfect for summer evenings.
I get more Coachella vibes than I get Calcutta vibes tho’.
aihikiiciop – :
This wasn’t bad, but was also not something I was expecting. I blind-bought it off of Hautelook because the carrot seed/coriander/rose/other floral idea sounded intriguing and interestingly exotic… what I got was a rosebomb with tantalizing hints of other spices (chiefly the coriander), some background freesia, and some shy tonka bean. I also THINK I might’ve smelled the quince, but I’m still not 100% on that three wears in.
It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but INTENSELY rosy on me. It’s reasonably safe for a trip out of the house, or – if you let it sit for a short while – even work but I wouldn’t classify this as elevator or cubicle friendly. The sillage is enormous at the beginning but dis down pretty quickly… sadly, it takes the rest of the perfume with it.
OH – and to the commenter that suggesting combining Vaara and Creed’s Royal Oud? Sir/Madam, you are a gentleman/woman and a scholar! <3 It’s AMAZING together and what I ultimately wanted out of F.Malle’s Portrait of a Lady.
Edit: Okay, so I let Vaara sit for awhile and then came back to it when the temperatures began to soar above 105. THIS is when Vaara shines. I wish it had more in the way of longevity, but it’s a lovely, powdery quince/floral/vague carrot smell that’s unlike anything else I’ve smelled.
vpn2093 – :
Profumo molto interessante.
Discreto, intrigante e piacevole.
è un fiorito leggero, arricchito da rosa, zafferano e un pizzico di spezie calde.
è un profumo fresco ma al contempo rassicurante e sognante, che rientra nella mia “comfort zone” per la sua versatilità, in quanto adatto a qualsiasi occasione.
TAHK_u_BTP – :
Well clearly I don’t smell what everyone else does.
It’s an interesting pleasant perfume, but I don’t detect musk or rose.
The quince spices and freesia are the overwhelming notes for me.
You need to like this unusual combination a lot to enjoy this perfume. Sadly I don’t.
I’m glad others enjoy it more than I do.
slabbegeoxile – :
Ever get the feeling that Penhaligon’s are laughing hysterically at us as they slap a bow, a Royal Warrant, and a three-figure price tag on a bottle that smells like it contains maybe fifty cents worth of raw material in a sea of Iso-E super?
I wanted to love this. On paper, it seems like the most enchanting perfume ever. And then, in reality, it’s like most Penhaligon’s fragrances – barely there and barely projecting. All the promise is in writing and none of it delivers.
It’s not a bad fragrance, not at all. But there’s no opulence whatsoever. Just a massive underachievement coasting on its famous name.
Katuhka – :
notes from Penhaligon’s website:
head notes: Quince, Rosewater, Carrot Seed, Coriander Seed, Saffron
heart notes: Moroccan Rose Absolute, Bulgarian Rose Oil, Freesia, Indian Magnolia, Peony, Iris
base notes: Honey, White Musk, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Benzoin Resin, Tonka Bean
CHyVaKK2008 – :
Vaara is a masterpiece creation. In my mind the best part of this fragrance is on the dry down. The floral tones smell divine. It is almost as though there are multiple stages to this fragrance which is great. The opening is quite loud and it softens down amazingly.
This is a great mix of both English and Indian elements. Betrand has done amazingly with this creation. This to me is a versatile fragrance. When I wear it I get a number of compliments. Although heavily floral I think a man can easily pull this off. It has an “exotic” smell. As stated it is an ideal scent to wear to a wedding. Wearing this is always a pleasure.
xrf642bedyWelty – :
This is beautiful! I get ok longevity out of this,first hour is very loud,followed by two hours of a cloud of fragrance around you then a skin scent. Starts off very floral with sour fruit and an almost oud note. Then it becomes very floral and sparkling, in the dry down the floral continues but a ginger/cinnamon starts to eminate under the florals. Contrary to what others say I find this very unique,it morphs from one fragrance to another,just when you think it smells one way it then changes.
alexsandr82 – :
Super fresh and full of sweet floral notes. I tried this in my search for a perfume with a good freesia note and it was one of the nicest I found. Dior For ever and ever was more intense, but this is a good alternative if that is too strong for you. I kept smelling my arm once I had this on. Very classy and natural smelling.
NERF – :
layer this with royal oud by creed and there u have it folks
kalina – :
Not so thrilled with this one. It is a sweet fruity floral with a lot of rose. I find it quite stuffy and not uplifting.There is no freshness in this fragrance whatsoever. I can smell a lot of chemical musk here and that is always a bummer for me. It is not Oriental, to my taste (and I like Orientals), there is no deepness or spice. Just fruity rose.
The projection is minimal after the first 15 minutes and the longevity is about 2 hours with this minimal projection. Definitely not a winner (meanwhile I really like their Iris Prima from the same collection)
battleboy – :
Not what I expected at all.
I expected something sweet and musky but this is very green and dewy. I don’t get India at all, more English country gardens. It has a delicate sweetness which is very pleasant.
Edit, I ended up buying a full bottle of this as it was such a grower and unlike anything else in my collection. I agree with Gaz, I find it quite a unique fragrance, and nothing like Coco Mademoiselle, which I find far too sweet and heavy.
It’s certainly very floral to begin with, but the citrus stops the floral notes from becoming cloying. Quince was an original idea, where it could have been lemon or bergamot. As this dries down the deep spices come into play, leaving a delicate musky undertone on the skin.
Smooth, rounded and sophisticated, as I would expect from Penhaligon’s.
TrilsPels – :
This fragrance bursts into a delightful mix of fruit and flowers, notably a light fruit with a very prominent rose note. In fact, the longer I wear this the more I feel it is about the fruit rather than the rose. According to Fragantica, this fruity note is quince, which unfortunately, I have not had the pleasure of trying. This is a very unique fragrance that is immensely pleasurable to wear. It is an uplifting perfume, full of life and joy and light!
If this is an “oriental” fragrance, it is certainly not rich or opulent like Guerlain’s vanilla-overdosed orientals. Nor is it spicy and resinous like Serge Lutens’ classics. This is a light and highly wearable fragrance that is versatile and would do well in many situations.
However, Vaara’s lightness and wearability has also compromised its longevity. Although sillage is decent, it does not seem to last longer than 4-5 hours on my skin. For an eau de parfum, this is quite disappointing. For that price tag, I am not sure I would recommend this fragrance to anyone but the most hardcore fans of Penhaligon’s or Bertrand Duchaufour.
Offellido – :
Gentle, floral, summery scent. Develops rather unpredictably like most of Ducharfour`s `children` .Opening is fruity with a bit unusual quince (never smelled it before in a perfume !)and apple which is not mentioned in the notes.But I can recognize it.The closer heart is the more flowers we can smell: rose, peony and magnolia -give the clear and fresh sensation.
A real star of the composition is freesia.Unique, semi sweet and gentle Also fresh enough to make a good impression.I can also detect a powdery, white iris surrounded by musky accents.It lasts only for some moments.Another mark are spices, beautifully mingled with honey to sweeten Vaara . Tonka as well as sandalwood and a hint of benzoin appear in the drydown.
Average longevity and sillage, but all the ingredients are mixed in the best way. Scent is dreamy and a bit mysterious.
Sniffing Vaara I can easily imagine a young and beautiful bride dressed in fuchsia dress, just an hour before ritual wedding in India. She is smiling, a bit lost in her thoughts, half way between happiness and anxiety, expecting a long but joyful day.Standing in a big window in shimmering sun she is sending kisses to her cousins and friends downstairs.
Parents are also here.It`s time to go :)!
snem – :
Ok, it’s time for Bertrand Duchaufour to move on to a new theme. I am a bit tired of the woody/resins base with the green/tangy fruit on top. Here is a list of perfumes that are all in the same vein: Enchanted Forest, Aedes de Venustas EDP, Mohur, Fusion Sacree-Elle…those are just the ones I have sampled. Vaara smells very similar to those previously mentioned. The tangy fruit is very strong and remains present into the drydown. The rose is nice and clean. This makes a nice summer or spring perfume, but I would like to see something new from this nose instead of variations on cassis.
maksum1992 – :
Another delicate one….
The first spray is sharp, fresh quince (almost get a tropical guava note here) then transparent watery floral notes. Watery rose and magnolia especially. I am assuming it is the metallic musk that is making the floral notes misty yet see through. I don’t get any woody notes, some peony pushes through every now and again and this one can be smelt at arms length, even though delicate. This would be a lovely cologne for summer. Refreshing. This is very pretty! Reminds me of a toned down Miracle.
olegkanushin – :
Una delicatissima rosellina bianca indiana, dolce, leggera, un’acqua di rose talmente lieve e innocente da sembrare più un tonico struccante che un profumo…Adatta o ad una ragazza molto giovane o ad una nonnina appassionata di rose, che ha sempre utilizzato confortanti colonie inglesi alla rosa.
Simile a Mohur Neela Vermeire.
Profumo pulito,carino ma non emozionante.
Un bel regalo per una cresimanda…
paul595 – :
If you have not had the opportunity to sample this but want to know what it smells like:
Hermes Un Jardin Sur le Nil + rose = Vaara
That’s the first thing that came to mind when I tried this, before looking up the notes. I suspect the carrot seed is largely responsible for that. Very fresh and clean, and 100% unisex to my nose. The rose is most prominent, with some subtle fruitiness added by quince. This is not a strong fragrance, but wafts gently as you move. This would be great in warm weather, but right now it it cold in my part of the universe and I don’t feel like I’m doing Vaara justice. Will wait a few months.
igmen1 – :
Very nice smelling perfume, not very masculine.
A man could pull this off. Its like you are attending
a wedding in India where its a custom (in some
parts of India) to sprinkle Rose water on guests.
I wouldn’t buy this becoz right now as I am into
ultra masculine scents like leather oud etc.,
But that doesn’t take away anything from this
well blended perfume. I tried all the scents of
Penhaligon and this is the best.
леф – :
This smells so lovely! It is an elixir that envelops you in the juicy wonderfulness of a dewy morning in far away India. I have never quite smelled something like this. The opening is an immediate burst of zesty fresh green. After about an hour, I get the rose and magnolia, while the green takes a break. Later, it dries down and settles into a rosy sandalwood with saffron and rose water. Deliciousness for all!
алшуса – :
Zing! This one is very fresh and zesty. I’m not really familiar enough with the smell of quince to comment on it in particular, all I can do is assume it’s the unfamiliar, juicy note I get here.
My only complaint about this is that there’s a hint of a synthetic, detergent sort of smell lurking in the background for the first hour or so. It leaves and the rest it really nice, but I don’t care for that note at all.
I don’t really get rose at all, which seems different to many other reviewers. To me, this is a zesty, fruity and at times almost tea-like scent. I’ve talked before about how impressed I am with the masterful blending that goes on with a Penhaligon’s fragrance, but I do wish I could detect a bit more tonka bean. I cannot get enough tonka!
Truly unisex, I can see this being a great any day kind of fragrance for a guy and a great spring/summer frag for a woman.
Moderate sillage and like other perfumes from this house, amazing longevity – if any other niche perfumiers are reading this, please, please find out what Penhaligon’s does to get such amazing longevity and do the same!
qqb808Bessinepome – :
Juicy with delicious quince and floral happiness right on first spritz, like an abundant spring bouquet of dewy freesias and peonies. Then a clean and luminous rose takes center stage with the velvety feel of magnolia petals, warm honey and soft musk.
Unfortunately, I don’t get any obvious carrot seed or coriander, but there is a cleanness and depth to Vaara that could be attributed to these spice notes.
The wood base of cedar and sandalwood is well balanced and does well in making the flowers radiate. Benzoin and tonka, along with the honey give a roundness suggestive of full, sweet petals.
Vaara is beautifully and simply a bright, full-bodied floral fragrance that will make your heart swell with delight when you wear it.
trlkvtgosq – :
عطر رائع نقي
العطر من أوله لإخره رائحة الورد مع العسل
رائحته جميلة جدا
يصلح للجنسين
لجميع الفصول
من اجمل العطور التي اعجبتني
الثبات والفوحان جيدان
10 /10
kentdoc – :
smells okay for $160/100ml in the U.S. A bit fakey smell meaning not that natural.I could get tired of this scent but this and lily of the valley are best of all penhaligons.
However, this is ridiculously priced at $360(more than twice) in South Korean department stores….other brands like creed,diptyque, byredo and annick goutal don’t charge twice as much….and I’d say goodbye. Not happy with the company doing this weird marketing.
Kenvigepise – :
Is it girly? Is it manly? Well…it depends. The first 2 hours are definitely reserved for women. Feminine green rose combo gives an almost white floral accord which dominates the opening. Slight sandy rose appears but not for long. At this point, my skin is starting to venture into lemon territory with a full blast of magnolia and freesia. Out of nowhere, more sandy rose and lavender appears thus completely ignoring the perfume pyramid. Big time musks and cedar rolls out the red carpet for the manly section of Vaara….and that too is short lived. What was once strong musk and cedar mellows and segues to a breath of tonka. The fanfare is deserving. What else would you expect from the man that made Ashoka and Fusion Sacree?
denibotna – :
If u like roses. Go with it. I think it is very feminin scent. Sillage and longevity are more then moderate. For young girls to heavy. Changes after 2 hours into a soft balsamic/honey floral drydown. For me it is not special enough.
Rating: 4/10
amshor – :
Yeah I would refer to this as an unisex scent..The citrus burst open with freshness which floats away rather fast before you start to smell the intensity of the corrianderand saffron. The intensity reminds me of a 1980s men’s power house fragrance and that power last for about 2 hours or so on me. After the 2 hour spiciness a mellower softer scent emerges the flowers blend wonderfully with the sandalwood and cedar for a velvet powderiness which is heavenly… COmplex intoxicating and worth the money, just don’t spray on too much, this scent goes a long long way
alex09_55 – :
Vaara is a really really interesting fragrance. It is more like a bottle full of surprises (All of them good ones of course!) It is a very complex fragrance with so many exotic and beautiful notes and each of them compete for your attention and that is the secret to its surprising nature, because each time a different note wins the competition. It is like every time that you spray it on yourself you are getting a slightly different perfume than other days. This chameleon like aspect of it makes it very dear to me. Every time I spray it I ask myself: “Who is going to win today? The spicy saffron and coriander? Or will Vaara be a floral scent today and give me the luscious rose and magnolia? Or will the winners of today be the incense-like notes like sandal wood? Or maybe Vaara would be sweet and creamy like honey today?” You never know!
The most interesting and original note in this concoction in my opinion is the carrot seed which is its wild card. Every time it appears it gives a devious twist to the whole composition. It is very interesting. I love it.
I was a bit surprised at first that Vaara was listed as unisex. But after wearing it for a while I realised there are some days that it smells really salty believe it or not and on those days specially when the musk and carrot seeds are louder I can see a man wearing this perfume. But most of the time it is really feminine.
This fragrance is really a masterpiece. It is really well crafted. It changes all the time and all its notes be it on the top or heart or base remain and play with each other a most interesting game till the last molecule is evaporated. Every sniff is a surprise and takes you to a different place.
My only complaint is that it is rather fleeting and sadly on me it lasts no more than 3 hours usually. After that every so often after I have already given up and forgotten all about it I see a note jump out at me and flee again into oblivion. But the scent as a whole evaporates too quickly. That makes it not such a good value for the money. The sillage is quite modest too.That’s a pity since even though I am not a fan of too loud and in your face fragrances, but on this occasion I would have wanted others to enjoy this olfactory symphony along with me.
It is fancy and sophisticated enough to be worn in any evening occasion but its light touch makes it also suitable for daytime wear. I would say it is also suitable for all four seasons since it is so versatile . Light and floral enough for summer, but spicy and warm enough for winter.
All in all a great fragrance and something truly original at last!
lavrik – :
Penhaligon’s Vaara is a very floral fragrance! I do NOT see how this scent is “UNISEX”? As it wears, the florals become creamier, not gourmand, but softer. The florals are a soft rose, dewey magnolia and dewey orange blossoms, with an iris accent. In the final stages of life of this fragrance, a soft white musk accompanied by amber and a little vanilla make an appearance; this is NOT a gourmand vanilla or sweetnes, but a soft sweet sueded leather or unburned incense…NOT smoky at all!
The sillage is moderate and can be heavy if overused and the longevity is better than average; so spritz lightly! NOT to wear into the office if you DON’T want to be noticed, fellas!
As a guy, I enjoy it…maybe worn under a heavy sweater to mute the florals a bit. Spray after a shower in the morning so that Vaara can age some so that the florals are tamed by the creamier notes.
Would I buy a full bottle, probably, YES!
I would recommend Vaara to the guy who is secure in himself!
Neytral – :
A warm, spicy, delicious rose with the freshness of quince. I love this scent and would wear it year round. The only drawback is that it is rather fleeting. On me, one spray is gone within 2 hours. I’d probably need to layer a few sprays, and it would be worth it.
nemizes – :
Penhaligon’s Vaara conjures the image of blooming taif roses nestled on a shimmery moonstone-coloured silk cushion while being bathed in the comforting orange glow of the sun. The mild spiciness of the Indian air can be smelt in the background. A lovely orangey-pink scent.
The dry down, however, is less magical, with the blurry trace of roses and the prominence of powdery and balmy notes. Here, the colour morphs into something pinkish purple.
Sillage is good.
solfleif – :
Unmistakable as a Bertrand Duchaufour creation; as multifaceted as Sartorial, as sticky as Traversée du Bosphore, and as evocative as Avignon. Vaara’s top notes shimmer over rich, deep powerhouse florals. I agree with originaldeftom (first!) that quince is the distinguishing note and, I would add, what distinguishes Vaara from anything else on the market.
Indeed, the only comparison I can make between Vaara and another fragrance is with one of my all time favourites, Poison by Christian Dior (the original 1985 edit). Here the honeyed plum has been replaced by quince but I would not be surprised to learn Duchaufour has made use of the same lush alpha- and beta-damascone combination of the Dior masterpiece.
Contras85 – :
WOW! I have the privilege to write the first review (for once)!
Just being launched in London recently and this fragrance has truly taken the city by storm. Obviously it is inspired by Indian culture (both product colours and name give it away).
The ingredients are truly unusual and extremely well blended (despite their wonderful weirdness). Bertrand Duchaufour who I see as the Heston Blumenthal of perfumery (in other wor