If it's the Havanese-themed rum and tobacco idea that appeals to you, I submit for your consideration Aramis Havana and Czech & Speake Cuba. There have been many far more bold and interesting takes on smoky, inedible vanilla, going back as far as Jicky, Shalimar, and Habanita, and extending right up to Pierre Guillaume's recent Felanilla. So if mention of Duchaufour, smoke, and vanilla has you dreaming of some kind of vanilla Dzongkha you may wind up like me, disappointed. I may be anosmic to some key ingredient or (more likely,) experiencing rapid olfactory habituation with this scent, but whatever the cause I find Havana Vanille highly ephemeral, no matter how thoroughly I douse myself in it. Instead, it's just as impossible for me to detect as those tantalizing smoked woods and tobacco. The good news? The listed helichrysum (immortelle) does not overwhelm the rest of the composition, as it so often can. Once the rum top note drifts away, I smell very little besides a bland vanilla in Havana Vanille, and even that doesn't endure all that long for me. Alas, I wish I smelled that mysterious smoke, the implied dark exoticism, in Havana Vanille, but it all comes in a different, funny-looking bottle labeled Idole de Lubin. The name association alone, what with greats like Habanita and Havana behind it, was enough to lure me in. Note: top image is Havana, Cuba by ilkerender at flickr some rights reserved.I was excited when Havana Vanille was announced, since listed notes like smoked woods, moss, and rum promised just the sort of exotic, complex, and mysterious scent that I have a weak spot for. Artisan Parfumeur presents a warm and enveloping unisex scent that’s like a voyage to Latin America. For buying information, see the listing for L'Artisan Parfumeur under Perfume Houses. L'Artisan Havana Vanille launches in October, and will be available in 50 ($115) and 100 ($155) ml Eau de Parfum. It does best if you apply somewhat more lavishly than you normally would for an Eau de Parfum - a single spray seemed to disappear from skin in no time, but several sprays lasted a good 4-5 hours. It's definitely a fall-winter scent more than a summer one, but I've been wearing it in hot, humid weather quite happily. Despite some notes in common, they're not smell-alikes at all - Havana Vanille, for one thing, is heavier on the vanilla and lighter on the smoke - but they're both essentially vanilla comfort scents for grown-ups, and I had about the same initial reaction to the opening of Havana Vanille that I did to Spiritueuse Double Vanilla, which is that hey, I'd like to drink this stuff. Havana Vanille reminds me of Guerlain's Spiritueuse Double Vanille in several respects. The far dry down is drier, more earthy-resinous and less creamy-powdery, and obsessive fans of Bertrand Duchaufour will recognize his signature after a couple hours have passed. The base is earthy-woody-musky, slightly resinous, slightly creamy-powdery, even more slightly smoky, and still very vanillic, although the later stages are not so rich and chewy as the opening. L'Artisan describes the heart notes as "a subtle alliance of narcissus, everlasting flower and tonka bean.reminiscent of freshly picked tobacco leaves, both honey-sweet and narcotic" 2, and that's spot on, but think of the smoothest, softest tobacco leaves ever: this is nothing like the heady punch of sweet pipe tobacco that you get from, say, Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, and I don't think anyone who dislikes tobacco in perfume will find it overwhelming in Havana Vanille. It's gourmand, even chewy, but there's nothing even vaguely cake-like about it despite the heavy emphasis on the vanilla. Havana Vanille starts off with spicy rum and vanilla, and lots of it: it's rich and warm, with slight undertones of something like dried apricots stewed in winter spices. Sound good so far? It sounded darned good to me, and lo and behold, I was not disappointed. The perfumer is Bertrand Duchaufour, who developed all of the L'Artisan travel series fragrances to date with the exception of Bois Farine, and the notes include rum, clove, dried fruits, narcissus, tonka bean, helichrysum, vanilla, smoked woods, moss and balsamic notes. This mysterious fragrance is reminiscent of travels around the world, the nostalgia of crossing the seven seas to discover far off treasures and the smell of a wooden boat mingling with the aroma of rum and spice. This time, we're off to Cuba:įrom its vibrant Salsa rhythms, its famous cigars and Cuban rum, it is certain there is something magical about Havana. It follows Bois Farine, Timbuktu, Dzongkha and Fleur de Liane - not bad company, as these things go. Havana Vanille is the latest fragrance to join the travel series at L'Artisan Parfumeur. Update: Havana Vanille has now been renamed Vanille Absolument.
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