The vanilla perfume you can't resist

Vanilla is back to inebriate us. The fragrance loved by all who grew up in the 1990s and learned to love it thanks to Thierry Mugler Angel, the first modern gourmand perfume, was for a while considered cheap and cloying. Its wide distribution made the fragrance mainstream and kitschy, but now things are changing. Members of Generation Z recognise the soothing and calming scent of vanilla as the soundtrack of youth and are seeking higher-end versions blended with other innovative ingredients, as evidenced by the success of Byredo Vanille Antique, for example, which combines vanilla with the warm scent of plum and hazelnuts, or like Libre by YSL with its luxurious blend of lavender and vanilla. Its sweet, enveloping aroma has sensual and aphrodisiac properties (it's no coincidence that vanilla used to be a constant in love potions), but for those born between 1997 and 2012, it has an added twist. It reminds them of their mother's milk, ice cream or the birthday cake they ate as a child that celebrated a joyous occasion, it reminds them of the smell of warm biscuits baking in the oven while doing homework at the kitchen table, it makes them feel more sentimental and pampered and triggers a sense of security in adults. Due to its strong appeal, seductive notes and the fact that it is a favourite of the Vanilla Girl Aesthetic, demand for vanilla fragrances on Look Fantastic has increased by 65 per cent and also dominates on TikTok.

Forget the cloying notes that dominated the high school locker room during puberty. The new vanilla fragrances are much more sophisticated and can have different declinations depending on the fragrance pyramids that make them up, and increasingly include woods, patchouli, tonka bean, musk, cocoa and wood in the mix. The market offers many alternatives, but there is one vanilla scent in particular that no one seems to be able to resist, at least according to TikTok, where it has over 190 million views: Mod Vanilla by Ariana Grande. This cruelty- free and 100% vegan fragrance debuted last December and has been gaining more and more fans thanks to its sensual and powerful scent pyramid. Crafted by the pop star's team, the composition begins with a combination of black plum, musk and pink freesia in the top note, balanced by a heart note of iris butter, white praline and jasmine blossom. The base notes are vanilla absolute, recycled cocoa butter and papyrus, which envelop the skin throughout the day and give the mind a sense of serenity.