It is the only orchid in the world to bear an edible fruit, the second most expensive spice after saffron, and arguably the most addictive note in contemporary perfumery. From Shalimar to Vanilla Sex, vanilla has never stopped reinventing itself. Here is the story of black gold — and our guide to wearing it well.
1From orchid to bottle
Vanilla is the fruit of a climbing orchid, Vanilla planifolia, native to Mexico where the Totonac people cultivated it long before Europeans arrived. For centuries it refused to bear fruit outside its homeland: its flower, which opens for a single day, depended on a local pollinating bee. It took until 1841 and the gesture of a teenager on Réunion Island for cultivation to become possible elsewhere — notably in Madagascar, today the world's leading producer. The green pod, freshly picked, smells of… nothing: it is months of scalding, sweating, drying and curing that reveal its aromas and its glossy black coat. A treasure of patience that perfumery fights over — to be found throughout all our fragrances.
Did you know?
In 1841, Edmond Albius, a 12-year-old enslaved boy on Réunion Island, invented the gesture of hand-pollinating the vanilla flower — a fold of the corolla, a press of the thumb. That gesture, still performed by hand flower by flower today, made worldwide vanilla cultivation possible… and partly explains its black-gold price.
2Why it obsesses us
Warm, milky, faintly animalic, vanilla is a scent of skin as much as of dessert — psychologists count it among the most universally comforting smells. Modern perfumery was partly born thanks to it: in 1925, Jacques Guerlain overdosed a revolutionary vanillin in Shalimar and invented the great amber oriental, the blueprint of every vanilla fragrance since — the house's spirit lives on in our Guerlain collection. A century later, the gourmand wave has made vanilla the undisputed star of fragrance bases: it is now worked smoky, woody, salty or leathery, far beyond the sweet shop — see the proof among our unisex fragrances.
3The faces of vanilla at Olara
To every mood its vanilla. The most couture: Yves Saint Laurent's Libre Vanille Couture, a limited edition that drapes Libre's iconic lavender in golden vanilla. The most provocative: Tom Ford's Vanilla Sex, a carnal, magnetic vanilla — whose body spray has just landed in store, alongside the opulent Tobacco Vanille, the absolute best-seller of the Tom Ford collection. The most woody: Un Bois de Vanille, composed by Christopher Sheldrake, Serge Lutens' historic nose, between sandalwood, coconut and liquorice. The most cosmic: Vanille Supermassive by Les Eaux Primordiales, a vaporous, enveloping extrait. And for lovers of sunny sweetness, Lancôme's La Vie Est Belle Vanille Nude, Burberry's Goddess Amber Vanilla and Armani's My Way Sunny Vanilla play the luminous card.
4How to wear vanilla well
Vanilla loves the warmth of the skin: it blossoms on pulse points (wrists, neck, inner elbows) and gains depth in mid-season and winter, when cooler temperatures keep it from becoming overwhelming. In summer, favour light, sunny vanillas; in the evening, dare the rich concentrations — Eau de Parfum or extrait — whose trail can last up to ten hours. A perfumer's tip: vanilla adores layering. Worn over a woody or floral scent you already own, it softens the edges and extends the wear — experiment with all our fragrances.
Your questions, answered
Why is vanilla so expensive?
Because almost everything is done by hand: each flower, open for a single day, is pollinated manually, then the pods go through months of scalding, sweating, drying and curing. The result: it is the world's second most expensive spice after saffron.
Bourbon vanilla or Tahitensis vanilla: what's the difference?
Bourbon vanilla (Vanilla planifolia, grown in Madagascar and on Réunion, the former Bourbon Island) is creamy, warm and cocoa-tinged. Tahitensis, grown in Polynesia, is more floral and anisic, almost powdery. Perfumers often blend the two — as in the base of Nina Ricci's Nina Rouge Crush.
Is vanilla a feminine fragrance note?
Not anymore. Smoky, woody or leathery, vanilla has become one of the great unisex notes: Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille and Vanilla Sex, Serge Lutens' Un Bois de Vanille or Les Eaux Primordiales' Vanille Supermassive are worn by her and him alike.
Which vanilla should I choose for winter or evening?
For evenings and cold weather, dare the rich, enveloping vanillas: Tobacco Vanille with its tobacco-spice duo, Vanilla Sex and its carnal vanilla, or the Vanille Supermassive extrait. For the office and daytime, a sunny vanilla like My Way Sunny Vanilla or Vanille Nude stays more discreet.
