Gorilla Perfume by Lush Vanillary - review

8:42 AM

I'm a gal who loves her vanilla. Preferably in cake form, but also as a scent. But, also in cake. How good is cake?!

CAKE!!!!

I may be hungry right now. I just deleted like ten cake-related gifs. Could someone please send me a cake?

Anyway, Gorilla Perfume's Vanillary isn't really a cake scent, like a lot of other vanilla based fragrances. Sure it has a vanilla bean creaminess to it, and other gourmand notes but rather than then sugar! frosting! milk bottles! notes I normally get from vanilla frags, Vanillary is a lot more grown up. There's a definite dessert vibe, but rather than fluffy cupcakes, this treat has been sloshed in rum, burnt butter and served flambe. The base presents a more musky sandalwood than I normally like, but it works well with the caramel-like tonka bean (another of my favourite notes) overlay.

The two formulas I have, spray and solid fragrance are very similar in notes, but they develop differently. The solid retains that sweet rum note for longer, while the spray heads into a slightly smoky creme brulee direction, with toasty burnt brown sugar and something that reminds me of coconut cream. Both have a hint of jasmine, although on skin, it gives me more of a warm honeysuckle note.

Love the little flecks in the solid, like bits of vanilla bean

Silage is so-so for both, which is perfect for a day fragrance. The solid has outstanding lasting power though, and I could detect it on my wrist about nine hours after application.

I've really been enjoying Gorilla Perfume's offering so far, they're very wallet friendly, come in travel sizes and are a good choice for someone who finds Lush branding too cute or the scents too sweet. Also, the solid formats are just perfect for layering. I've chucked on Vanillary under a few floral scents and it's definitely paid off. Favourite combo has been with Kenzo's Yuzu (a crisp, tart citrus) and surprisingly, Bulgari Black, with the warm vanilla really lifting that rubber/tire note to the forefront. Gorgeous!

Being fair, The Boyfriend doesn't like Vanillary. He ever so delicately described me as "smelling like a urinal. No, wait, one of those doors in the city, y'know the ones everyone pisses on." Delightful, that man. On the other hand, I wore the spray to work last week and a gang of suits basically fell at my feet in a group nose-grasm, so I'm guessing it's one of those hit or miss scents. Or The Boyfriend is doing very weird things with his wee....

And by the way, don't do like me and keep solids in your car while your park at Manly for a day. Total sticky disaster. I now chuck mine in the fridge to keep them firm when I'm not travelling, to avoid them getting all mushy.

Vanillary is A$44.95 for a 27g spray, A$19.95 for a 9g spray and A$10.95 for a 12g solid.

This product was very nicely handed to me by PR Tom at an unrelated Lush event. Although it is a nifty gifty, this has in no way influenced my review and opinions are my own. It is also my opinion that Kevin Rudd swearing is like a koala trying to be tough. Awww, Ruddy! See my Disclaimer for more sexy details.