Back in December, MicroPerfumes had free shipping even on samples of fragrances. Because I would need to go to Boston to Saks or Neiman-Marcus to try out the fragrances via the testers, if they even carried all of the scents I was interested in, I figured I would spend a few dollars to try them out at home.
The members of one of my online fragrance groups were talking about vanilla scents. As you may know, I usually like vanilla scents so I decided to try two of the vanilla scents they have repeatedly mentioned that I had never tried:
- Angel’s Share by Kilian
- Vanilla 28 by Kayali.
Both samples are eaux de parfum.
Angel’s Share
Many people absolutely adore Angel’s Share, so I was curious to try it out. The nose responsible for the scent is Benoist Lapouza.
I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know that Kilian, the man behind the brand, is an heir to the French Hennessy cognac family. Now I get the name of the scent, Angel’s Share: the evaporation of liquor in oak barrels that, during aging, it’s like “a silent offering to the gods”. Though I also admit that I didn’t pick it up in the scent, cognac is the top note of the fragrance.
- Top Note: Cognac
- Middle Notes: Cinnamon, Tonka Bean, Oak and Hedione (sweet, fruity, floral, citrus lemon and grapefruit-like with woody jasmine and green nuances)
- Base notes: Vanilla, Praline, Sandalwood and Candied Almond
Accords:
People who wear Angel’s Share consider it to be ideal for winter, autumn and night-time wear.
Angel’s Share is a wonderful gender-neutral oriental vanilla scent. IMHO, it is primarily a big, gorgeous, long-lasting, gourmand vanilla scent. In addition to vanilla, the cinnamon, praline and candied almond notes make their presence known. It is a little too gourmand for me personally, but I would think that those who enjoy a food/beverage-inspired vanilla scent would love Angel’s Share.
Vanilla 28
Based on my limited trial of Vanilla 28 by Kayali, it seems to be an amalgamation of flowers and vanilla. The nose behind the fragrance is Gabriela Chelariu. The scent leans more feminine, but some men enjoy it as well.
- Top notes: Vanilla Orchid, Jasmine
- Middle notes: Brown sugar and Tonka Bean
- Base notes: Amber, Amberwood, Musk and Patchouli
The main accords are:
Wearers of Vanilla 28 describe it as a good everyday, semi-affordable fragrance that’s good for day or night, all year round.
Although almost all of the accords and the majority of the notes in Vanilla 28 are favorites of mine, I just didn’t click with Vanilla 28. I am not a fan of jasmine in perfume, so I probably didn’t do my homework well enough before ordering it. To me, the fragrance opens with strong top notes of vanilla and jasmine, and I’m not a fan. I love tonka bean, amber, amberwood, musk, and even a little patchouli, but the scent was too strong and cloying in the opening for me to last long enough to get to the base notes.
Nevertheless, there are lots of folks who do like the combination of flowers and vanilla, so if you’re one of them Vanilla 28 by Kayali may be a hit.
The Continued Winner for Me
Though I did not find a winner in the two samples I tried above, I was glad that I spent less than $10 to try them out. Plus, I bought another small sample of a third fragrance that I keep buying sample vials of every couple of years: Ani by Nishane, an extrait de parfum (an extract is stronger than EDP) (reviewed initially here). Though I still haven’t bitten the bullet and bought a full size, I continue to enjoy gender-neutral Ani, another Floriental with many of the same accords as the other two scents. However, IMO, Ani is spicier with Ginger and Bergamot as two of the top notes that I find immediately enticing. Maybe the combination of Ginger and Cardamom with the richness of my absolute favorite note, Benzoin, remind me of the spice cookies I just love to make and eat!
- Top notes: Ginger, Bergamot, Pink Peppercorn, and Green Notes
- Middle notes: Cardamom, Black Currant and Turkish Rose
- Base notes: Vanilla, Benzoin, Sandalwood, Cedar, Patchouli, Ambergris, and Musk.
Main accords:
Wearers of the scent describe it as a scent they can wear any time of day or night, year round.
I describe it as a big, opulent, heavy-ish fragrance that reminds me of burgundy velvet clothing with gold embroidery! I like it a lot. One of these days, it will be mine 😉 But wouldn’t you know, MicroPerfumes no longer has Ani or any of the other Nishane scents. Guess I got it just in time.
