Rihanna’s Nude was one of my first perfume purchases during COVID. The initial blast can be a little strong — you get that floral vanilla orchid with a hint of fruity guava. Still, it dries down to such a classy scent, kind of a your-skin-but-better woody, musky, sweet smell. If you’re looking for a cheap, long-lasting vanilla scent, the lasting power here is decent — Nude gives me around six hours with good sillage.
You might have noticed that there are quite a few celebrity fragrances here. What can I say? Generic perfumes have mainstream appeal for a reason. I had doubts when I impulsively bought Katy Perry’s Meow. Katy Perry’s line definitely doesn’t get as much love as Britney Spears’ or Ariana Grande’s. And it’s true, the lasting power in Meow isn’t great — it quickly dissipates after two or three hours. But I love the smell. It’s such a doable sweet, a subtly creamy vanilla that’s grounded by a pear note. Like melted vanilla ice cream, if you’re looking for a succinct description. The purple cat perfume bottle design is cute, too, though it won’t be your thing if you’re partial to sleek Chanel designs.
Ariana Grande fragrances can be a hit or miss. Cloud is one of my all-time favorites. Sweet Like Candy is…an acquired taste. It gives me that dose of tart berry vanilla sweetness when I want it, though it can be cloying when oversprayed. (Like most Ari perfumes, it lasts loooong.) Personally, I don’t think it’s safe to buy this scent before you smell it, but it’s cheap enough that you won’t be so regretful over your purchase.
Bare Vanilla is a vanilla body mist, so it won’t last long, but as it comes in a huge bottle for $10, I don’t mind using it to top my more expensive perfumes. It’s a cozy buttercream frosting on a sheet cake scent. It can get cloying and has a synthetic vibe, so you have to love sweet fragrances to get on board with it. To my nose, it’s a dupe of Philosophy’s Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere — the first scent I picked up during my vanilla perfume journey. It’s lighter than Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere, so I think it’s even more wearable. Plus, it’s half the price for 10 times more volume!
Fine, this is technically a mist — the Heavenly perfume runs much more expensive, but the mist is a watered-down version of it with so-so staying power and great sillage. This is one of my mom’s signature scents, so I actually feel weird wearing it. It’s still great, though! It reminds me of Rihanna Nude with its woody and musky notes, but it’s less fruity and more powdery. It’s a flirty and inoffensive smell — a safe blind buy in mist form.
This was a random $5 ($3?) T.J. Maxx buy that ended up being my signature scent for over a year. Rollerballs aren’t great for projection, but I wanted a nice skin scent. It’s a linear smell that’s exactly what it sounds like — basic citrusy and gourmand goodness. It brings back memories of sitting on the train to visit my ex.
Here’s a perfume for when you really want to ball on a budget. The 30 ml bottle costs $9.90, and you’ll usually be able to find Femme for cheaper in a bundle or in rollerball form! It’s a cozy, linear scent with peony, vanilla, and musk. The peony and musk are strong, and it reminds me of the Asian green oil my parents use for body aches — in the best way possible, of course.
That’s the extent of my budget-friendly vanilla fragrances…for now. I hope that anyone who wants to smell like a baked good discovers good finds here!
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