Vanille Insensée: A vanilla perfume for the 15+ Set (by Atelier Cologne)

I must be on a vanilla kick. I recently reviewed my new favorite bodywash Vanilla Botanique, by DSH. Today, I'm back with another vanilla, this time one you can spray or splash on. 

I mentioned the other day that I have horrific flashbacks to the early 90s when everyone and their mother were doused in vanilla-scented chemical soup. Luckily, that trend has been put to rest. I hardly ever smell someone wearing vanilla these days. 

I think I may be past my twitchiness about the scent. And thank goodness! Right now, as I type, I'm freshly showered and quite relaxed, wafting the blend of my gourmand shower gel, Vanilla Botanique, and a gorgeous and nuanced vanilla perfume.

“He wove through the crowd when suddenly his heart quickened. That scent. It was hers. He had worn it first until she stole it for herself. Now, there she was before him and the magic of years past came flooding back in a moment.”

Today, my vanilla perfume is Vanilla Insensée by Atelier Cologne. 

The name,Vanilla Insensée, is translated to "insane vanilla" or "crazy vanilla" and does not have anything at all to do with incense (which one may assume by reading the name too quickly or with no clue at all about French*).

* I fulfill both criteria for having needed clarification myself.
I read too quickly and my French is non-existent.

Vanille Insensée, an electrical current runs through the subtle sweetness of vanilla, jasmine and fresh lime to bond with rich oak moss, woods and spicy coriander. 

Top notes:	Lime, cedrat. coriander
Heart notes:	Jasmine, vetiver and oak moss
Base notes:	Vanilla from Madagascar, oak wood and amber

I smell a delicious flash of citrus for just a moment when I applyVanilla Insensée. There's enough there to just barely register it, at least when the scent is dabbed on from a sample vial.  Perhaps spraying or splashing with wild abandon communicates more of the lime advertised in the top notes. 

Quickly, this fragrances melts into a unique, special creature. This is no heavy, enveloping vanilla. There is no blanket of sweetness, no foody denseness. Vanilla Insensée is as soft as the lightest silk. 

There's jasmine in this blend, but only a touch. The same goes for the vetiver that keeps this scent slightly green and very clean. Vanilla Insensée sits on a bed of amber, but again we're witnessing something very buoyant. This amber grounds the rest of the scent without pulling it down or warming it up too much. I considerVanilla Insensée a pretty darned good feat of magic. It's vanilla without being sweet or cloying or heavy. Perfect for warm weather, it also stands its ground in the cool weather. 

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It's interesting: Birgit, who travels the scented land as "Olfactoria" says spraying this scent always brings to mind a transparent glass orb. Since the first time I ever tried Vanilla Insensée , I see a constantly-moving, multifaceted round prism, kind of like a disco ball, but transparent and hollow. You can easily sense that it is lightweight and bright, but it is also nuanced and delights in catching and tossing the light to and fro.

Atelier Cologne describes their range as a completely unique classification: Cologne Absolues. They share the same bright citrus characteristics of a classic cologne, a style created three-hundred years ago, but they have the long wear and sillage of a more dense scent blend. Where a traditional cologne would have a mere 5% of it's recipe come from perfume oils, Cologne Absolues incorporate a whopping 12-20% which is equivalent to the concentrations usually labeled either eau de parfum or pure parfume. The Atelier Cologne scents are artfully balanced: the scents never feel heavy but wear as long as some perfumes. For the record: Cologone Absolues are totally "unisex". 

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The only thing insane about this vanilla perfume is that it is insanely beautiful. 

If you're at all in the market for a grown-up vanilla gourmand that wafts brightly and lasts and lasts, here you go. And even if you don't think you're interested, you may want to give it a go. It certainly surprised me! 

[vanilla bean + orchid image from header: source]