Royal Vanilla by Mancera

Could my bottle be spoiled? This smells like fermented liquor; the opening is tamarind juice followed by a spirit, like amaretto, champagne, or whisky (even though I’m not a drinker). It’s as if you’d splash beer on your clothes, but sweetish and slightly sour. I think it’s the combination of amber and patchouli that gives it that grating tone. I don’t feel it powdery on my skin. I know what I’m describing makes no sense, but that’s how I perceive it. The curious thing is that I like it and my son says it smells good. It’s a vanilla perfume that, for me, has very little vanilla, almost none. But as it dries down, it performs well. Longevity: 6/7 hours. Projection and sillage: strong for the first two hours, then fades but remains noticeable; sillage is moderate and people notice it. Although I wasn’t complimented, I saw faces of intrigue when I approached or passed, as if wanting to smell more. I wore it to the supermarket 😝 Conclusion: I like it, I give it 7/10 because I expected vanilla and got liquor. They should call it Royal Liquor, not Vanilla.

I bought a decant that initially seemed medicinal but interesting. Then the dry-down hooked me to the point of getting the 60 ml bottle, the cheapest I could find. However, doubts crept in because the scent seemed different from the decant… Later, I bought a decant of Instant Crush and, curiously, I perceive this scent identical to my 60 ml bottle of Royal Vanilla. I’ve bought the 120 ml bottle of Instant Crush and will see if it’s the same as the decant, and compare it with the RV bottle I also have.

The only Mancera perfume I’ve had that resembles it quite a bit is Roses Vanille. It’s very similar, and if you have it, I think this one would be redundant. It’s not like Instant Crush, not at all. It’s a very vanilla-forward, creamy fragrance that also smells of caramel, but without salt. We’re not talking about salted caramel, but of a very high sweetness. At first, I thought it would be an identical copy of Roses Vanille, repeating that they’re too similar, but then I realised its evolution and dry-down. In this scent, we have a gourmand paradise in our noses: very sweet, caramelised, with floral creaminess (from my perspective) and quite noticeable. It can be appreciated from more than an arm’s and a half distance. Longevity of about 10 hours on my skin. More winter than summer. And I repeat: if you don’t know Roses Vanille and are interested, of course I recommend it. But if you already have that, it’s not worth having both. I don’t know if I’ll keep it, although it tempts me. I already have very similar fragrances; over time, I know I wouldn’t give it the proper use for such an investment. I think I’d prefer to opt for something rarer, more original. Anyway, it’s highly recommended for lovers of oriental/gourmand scents.