Come Hither Vanilla

Come Hither Vanilla is a grown-up take on vanilla. It is sweet, but the maker pitches it as dark, boozy and sophisticated, closer to burnt caramel and old-fashioned puddings than to a sugary dessert, and wearers back that up: buyers describe it as sultry, musky, cozy and rich, and one calls it complex and not just sweet. The current formulation opens with lactonic notes and coconut, then moves into honey, caramel, coffee and light sandalwood. The base is the point: rich vanilla with tonka and benzoin, and leather and cedarwood adding a smoky, drier edge. The earlier version of this scent was patchouli-led, and several wearers still report a strong patchouli backbone, a dark chocolatey impression and a sherbet-like sweetness, so expect vanilla with a woody-earthy undertone rather than pure candy. Performance is a selling point. The maker reports ten to twelve hours on skin, voters rate the trail as strong, and one buyer calls the scent strong enough to linger. Two wearers also notice an oily, alcohol-like smell up close. It is a cold-weather scent first: winter and autumn drew six and five votes against one each for spring and summer. It suits evenings, dates and anyone who likes their vanilla dark and smoky. Patchouli avoiders should sample first.