LAVANILA Laboratories – Vanilla Blossom review
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A Vanilla Scent for Adults, and it’s Green Monday approved!
photos: we heart this
Oh vanilla! Where do I start in laying praise on one of earth’s greatest natural creations? Vanilla, I love what you do for bread pudding, ice cream and crème brulee. And vanilla, did I ever tell you that you were my first perfume (before I ever had perfume)? More on that later. Right now I’m excited to let you all in on Lavanila Laboratories, an entire company formed around that amazing fragrance loved pretty much by the whole world.
One of the most expensive spices in the world (second only to saffron), vanilla bean is harvested from the vanilla flower, a type of orchid. Difficult to pollinate and labor intensive to harvest, vanilla has always been prized. Originally from Mexico and brought to Europe by Hernando Cortez (along with chocolate—gotta love that Cortez), history set the stage for vanilla’s demand and its reputation for luxuriousness. Today, Lavanila Laboratories brings us a modern incarnation of vanilla’s demand and luxury.
Lavanila Laboratories is a company founded on the concept that fragrance can be good for you and—with a scent as universally loved as vanilla as its anchor fragrance—can be warm and luxurious, too. With this concept in mind, Lavanila seeks to share their love of everything vanilla with us the health-conscious, fragrance-loving public.
To do this, eco-friendly Lavanila starts with a long list of healthy products made with all-natural and organic ingredients and vitamins, and without harsh chemicals (no animal testing either—whew!) In fact, Lavanila is as proud of the ingredients they leave out, as they are the ones they put into their scents for home, body and baby. A few of the good-for-you ingredients found in Lavanila’s products are denatured alcohol from organic sugar cane, aloe, shea butter and purified water. Synthetic dyes, parabens, sulfates and silicones are a few of the things you won’t find.
That brings me back to vanilla. Vanilla finds its way, of course, into all their scents: Vanilla Coconut, Pure Vanilla, Vanilla Blossom, Vanilla Grapefruit
, Vanilla Passion Fruit and Vanilla Lavender
. Moms out there, I’d love to smell a Lavanila-scented baby
– they have all the baby goods to make it happen.
All this vanilla talk brings me back to my first fragrance…I remember vanilla extract being my mother’s answer to my preteen request for perfume. “When I was young,” she would say “I just dabbed a little vanilla extract behind my ears.” As a preteen, so did I. I just wonder if Lavanila co-founders Danielle Raynor and Laura DiGirolamo had such humble beginnings in their pursuit of sweet-scented dreams.
Generous contributors to the we heart this Raffle for the Rescues, Lavanila supplied many gift bags with full-size Vanilla Blossom Healthy Fragrance ($58) as well as Vanilla Blossom Healthy Body Butter
($25). What a score! My pet love translated into a high-end amazing product acquisition.
As a bonus, I now know what grown up vanilla perfume smells like. Lavanila’s Vanilla Blossom is vanilla that lost its virginity. It’s sweet, but not sugary with top notes of earthy musk. This musk isn’t heavy or oppressive; it melts away to a soft-scented core. This should be news for anyone who ever used vanilla as a synonym for plain or boring. Wholesome and hearty, Vanilla Blossom is what a good girl smells like when she’s been very, very good. Alone, the fragrance wears well throughout the day. Layered with the oh-so-thick and creamy body butter, you’ll smell good all day. Very good.
Ladies, was Lavanila in your gift bag?
Sherri is co-author of What Would You Do With This Room?
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. It also contains an affiliate link, a link that gives us a small commission if you purchase the item. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
Lavanila was not in my gift bag and now, thanks to your review, @sherrishera, I am officially obsessing! I wonder if I can find their products on the east coast (so I can smell before buying)? I do love vanilla!
Sadly, Lavanilla wasn’t in my gift bag either (but lots of other great goodies were!) but I’m no stranger to the brand! I love their scents, but they’re not quite the kinds of scents I would wear on a daily basis. My sister loves them! The Mini-roller ball set is a great gift idea for the Lavanilla fan in your life, and I know she loves the portability of the rollerballs.
@sherrishera – I love how you describe Vanilla Blossom, you really pegged it. Before I smelled this, I wouldn’t think something could be sweet but not sugary, but this totally is. And it def. gets warmer as you wear it, when the musk notes settle in. I really like it! I do warm it up even a bit more though, and wear it over a oil base (usually sandalwood) because I like REALLY earthy scents in the fall/winter. But I would imagine this is going to be perfect as is in the spring.
I LOVE that the body butter is in a squeeze tube! I think this is the first time I’ve had one like this, and it’s genius.
And, how pretty is that box? With all those delicate laser cuts. I can’t throw it away!
4 solid stars from me!
@turboterp – Sephora carries Lavanila. Sniff away!
I got the Lavanila perfume in my bag and was very intrigued. I completely agree that this is a more grown up vanilla scent. I tend to be drawn to lighter scents in general, and often wear lotion as my perfume, so one small spray of this went a long way for me. But it was by no means overpowing like so many other perfumes are. I was really impressed with the idea of a perfume containing ingredients that are truly good for you.
I give it 3 1/2- 4 stars!
How pretty is that packaging on this perfume pictured above!! Loved your story about putting vanilla extract behind your ears! Your mom steered you in the right direction!
I’m loving the exotic floral bouquet in Vanilla Blossom. You’re so spot on.. it’s for grown-ups! This scent is simply gorgeous, it’s feminine, it’s soft, and sexy. I get nothing but compliments when wearing it. Just for the record, I’ve also worn pure vanilla behind my earlobes as a confessed vanilla freak! I was not young when I pulled that one off either!
I’ve fallen hard for pure vanilla, thanks to a co-worker who wears only that to work EVERYDAY! However, Vanilla Blossom takes the front seat and to me, is even prettier on as it takes up residence on my own skins chemistry. It has an amazing blend of orange blossom along with some subtle rose and another fav, jasmine. Sound amazing or what? It’s also got the warm notes from the ever lovely nutmeg and Madagascar vanilla. It’s No WONDER to me that LAVANILA a laboratory has a great thing going here! It’s intoxicating and really seductive- you will be noticed with this flirtatious floral! I love that they infuse pure essential oils with active botanicals. This is also made without parabens, sulfates or anything synthetic! That’s rare and worth it just for that alone! I gladly give this pretty packaged perfume a blazing 5 stars..:)
Great review @sherrishera! As a big vanilla fan, I’m also wishing this one was in my gift bag! Good to know it’s at Sephora. That packaging is gorgeous!
I received the Lavanila Vanilla Blossom body butter in my goodie bag. I had already tried the Vanilla Coconut body butter and really liked it, so I was excited to give this a try. The texture is great, nice and smooth. It moisturizes without leaving a greasy film on my hands. I love that Lavanila products are organic and all-natural. However, I wasn’t in love with the fragrance. I had expected something softer, and more floral. However, Vanilla Blossom has some intense musk notes, and I’m not a big fan of musk. I give it three stars.
Awesome review, @sherrishera! I received the body butter as well. While the scent is super strong at first – which actually kind of surprised me – it does fade after a little bit (as do all scented body butters/fragrances/etc)…I really like the scent it leaves behind. I guess it’s good that it starts out strong and leaves a scent that is just right. I happen to love all things vanilla sceneted, though! The packaging is really pretty, as a few others pointed out. I personally really like it and I’m definitely planning on checking out some other scents by Lavanila.
Great post @sherrishera! This sounds like a lovely product. Vanilla always makes me think of my preteen years as well. Vanilla lip balm, vanilla sprays…I haven’t worn vanilla in years though, but this sounds divine. And love that packaging!
Ooh @lipglossandspandex, I’m usually right with you on the musk-thing but something about that vanilla and the way it melts into your skin changed my mind. I actually got this perfume for my sister for Christmas (I hope she’s not reading this).
For those of you who are definite no-muskers, maybe this one isn’t for you because it is prominent (at least at first). But for me, this is one musk I can finally wear!
I also received this in my goodie bag. What a whopper of a gift bag surprise! As a fan of this brand, I was so happy to see this in there. I was excited to try this Vanilla Blossom because I have tested + sniffed all the other ones already (I have a travel sized vanilla grapefruit). It’s musky at first but it dries down to a warmth due to the vanilla. It’s not a scent I would go for right away, but I love warm scents. In fact, I just sprayed it on me as my perfume of the day to help me write this review a bit more haha! The packaging is GORGEOUS and will also make a pretty present for any vanilla lovers that you may know.
For those who received the perfume – did you notice how it sprays a nice, light spray? Lighter than most perfume sprays? It could be just me but I liked the lightness of it, giving me a bit more control of how much I want to put on, rather that one heavy spray! 4 stars from me!:)
I got the body butter in my gift bag and I am SO glad that I did. The body butter smooths on easily and is not in any way greasy. My skin afterwards feels like it does when I get out of a nice hot shower, hydrated and soft.
But the scent. GAH…. (That was a good gah, by the way.) I wasn’t too thrilled when I first rubbed it on, vanilla and sort of flowery. But it’s as it sinks into your skin that it really starts to get good; @sherrishera really hit on it with the earthy musk description.
If normal vanillas are like cupcakes, this vanilla is like creme brulee, warm and grown up. I LOVES it. 5 stars.