Vanisia
Creed (1987)

Creed Vanisia (1987)

A spicy sandalwood with a touch of anise greets my nose upon first application. Dry and sophisticated, yes. I await the florals, the amber, the vanilla, but none emerge.

I go back for another application on a different wrist. Same beginnings, same wait. A sudden realization. I am waiting for individual notes to emerge, but what I am experiencing Is a true blending of notes into something that is the sum of its parts, but unrecognizable as the parts themselves.

Creed's signature ambergris is reined in and the vanilla is equally toned down. The very, very subtle rose and jasmine finally emerge shyly, but if I didn't know they were there, I'd be hard put to identify them as such.

It is quite powdery, quite feminine, intriguingly spicy, and subtle to the extreme. Its power may lie in how it interacts with the flesh of the particular wearer. Perhaps it needs the emanating warmth of a woman's skin to truly emerge as a perfume. On a man's skin, it may simply lack that key wearer ingredient.

Beautifully sophisticated and ideal for wearing any time of day or year.

Madame Paul Escudier BY John Singer Sargent 1882

Creed Vanisia seems to have the reputation of being a nice, sophisticated vanilla fragrance that perhaps is antiquated and feminine.

I agree on all parts. Vanisia brings together some citrus (bergamot) and floral (rose, jasmine) elements while leaning on the usual base of ambergris mixed with a sharp, woody hint of sandalwood, and of course the dominant vanilla.

It's certainly more acerbic at the opening and smoother in the dry down, as it usually goes.

Again, Vanisia leans feminine and antique, but these are both what I enjoy about it since these are frankly distinguishing characteristics vs. most vanilla-intensive fragrances out on the market today.

Certainly worth trying if you're a vanilla fan like I am.

7 out of 10

Soft vanilla midst
Classy ambiguities
For different times.

For all the times I have said I am frustrated with Creed - especially their feminine line - Vanisia redeems the line.

I have a bottle of the older Vanisia, so I have no idea how it compares to the newer juice, but my hope is that they do not vary by much. This is such a nice representation of the Oriental genre.

I get a very clear amber-y feel from this, though it's not the kind you get from scents such as Amber Absolute or Ambre 114. This is more "rose dusted" amber and it may even be actual ambergris. There is a roundness to this in the dry down that makes me think with it being a vintage bottle, it may have real Mysore as well as real ambergris - the subtlety is so fine that if this was done with aroma-chemicals, it was done with a rather masterful hand!

I am giving it 4 stars for now, but it could move to 5...I need to wear it more and in more climates to see how it works. So far, though, it is different enough from Lyric and Duetto to keep in my collection.

The bergamot I get in the opening is elegant and balanced out by a gentle vanilla; they both make more of a well-contained and not very loud opening blast. Elegance is what describes this creation in my skin: the drydown with its traditional rose-jasmine dyad is well - balanced, and merged into a nice sandalwood That is very much in the background. The vanilla remains present as a discrete overarching theme, and in the base the well-known Creed-esque ambergris finish emerges as usual.

With its vanilla theme blended well with the other fresher and floral complements this is a great choice for autumnal days. The performance gives moderate sillage, adequate projection and four hours of longevity on my skin - not great but acceptable. This is a vanilla for people who dislike its intrusive and cloying versions; it is never overly sweet here. Well-blended and using very high-quality ingredients, this is an elegant vanilla indeed. 3.5/5.