Un Bois Vanille

Un Bois Vanille by Serge Lutens, released in 2003 and composed by Christopher Sheldrake, is a woody vanilla with a dark edge. Everyone describes it as gourmand, half add woody, and a quarter notice musk or resin. It is worn by anyone.

The notes are given as a list rather than a pyramid. Vanilla is the centre, with coconut milk making it creamy and bitter almond adding a marzipan note. Black liquorice is the twist, dark and slightly salty, so the sweetness never turns simple. Beeswax and benzoin add a warm, honeyed, balsamic depth; sandalwood and guaiac wood give it the wood of the name, the guaiac faintly smoky; tonka bean and musk soften the drydown.

Most wearers report moderate longevity, with a fifth finding it long lasting, and sillage is moderate for most and intimate for a quarter, so it stays near the skin. Autumn and winter are the favoured seasons, with a slight lean to day. It suits cool-weather days and someone who wants a vanilla that smells grown-up rather than like a bakery.

Un Bois Vanille — unisex fragrance by Serge Lutens (released 2003). Notes: Vanila, Coconut Milk, Beeswax, Black Licorice, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Bitter Almond, Benzoin, Guaiac Wood, Musk. — Parfica open fragrance database