Vanille Caviar by BDK Parfums

I took my time with this review because it’s a perfume very different from anything I’ve smelled before. These are scents that might not win you over at first sniff, requiring patience to understand, yet they become utterly addictive. If you know me, you know I don’t usually beat around the bush: if I like it, I buy it; if not, it’s forgotten… however, this perfume left me bewildered from the very first moment. I asked my trusted vendor for a decant to test at home and spent so long analysing it that I had to order another one before deciding. Now I have the full-size bottle. Vanille Caviar is not a gourmand perfume. It bears no resemblance to any vanilla on the market. It is dark, elegant, sophisticated, and slightly salty. Upon investigating its origin, I was told the ‘vanilla with olives’ aroma comes from the fact that the vanilla bean grains resemble caviar: small, circular, and black, releasing that particular scent when crushed. Without a doubt, this is not something to buy blind. It must be tested on skin. The scent is very distinctive but completely addictive. The longevity and projection are spectacular.

Well, after wearing it for a few days I can say something about this new BDK creation. First off: it’s a very unoriginal scent, zero surprise units. It’s a realistic vanilla, not pastry vanilla, but the orchid pistil that vanilla comes from. A herbal vanilla. Do I love this type of scent? Yes. Have I smelled this type of scent a thousand times? Also yes. For example, Perris Montecarlo’s Tahiti Vanilla does it very well too (and for less money). What happens with this perfume is that on the opening, especially, there’s a note that smells to me like olives. More specifically, the brine from the tin of olives with anchovies from Mercadona. I’ve given it a lot of thought and I swear it smells like that, along with the vanilla, of course. It’s not that I dislike it, it just amused me. The perfume is good, I’m not buying it because I already have other scents with this DNA. That said, it’s very versatile and totally unisex.

Well, after testing it for a few days, I can now say something about this new creation by BDK. First of all: it is a very unoriginal scent, zero surprise factor. It is a realistic vanilla smell, not a pastry vanilla, but rather the orchid pistil from which vanilla is derived. A herbal vanilla. Do I love this type of scent? Yes. Have I smelled this type of scent a thousand times? Also yes. For example, Perris Montecarlo’s Vanille de Tahiti does it very well too (and for less money). What happens with this perfume is that in the top notes, especially, there is an accord that smells to me of olives. More specifically, the brine from the can of olives with anchovies from Mercadona. I have given it much thought, and I swear to you, it smells exactly like that, along with the vanilla, of course. It is not that I dislike it, it simply amused me. The perfume is good, but I will not buy it as I already have other scents with this DNA. That said, it is very versatile and totally unisex.