Vanilla Collection 01

Olfactory Experience

Zara's Vanilla Collection 01 kicks off with a bracing, almost medicinal rosemary blast, cut through with a soapy petitgrain. The pink pepper adds a fleeting warmth, quickly overtaken by a floral heart. The jasmine and neroli create a clean, slightly sweet impression, but the orris root adds a powdery, almost dusty facet that leans mature. It's here that it diverges noticeably from its inspiration. Instead of that shimmering, ethereal quality, 01 has a denser, more grounded feel. The drydown is a predictable sandalwood with a touch of dry cedar. I get the vetiver, but it is very subdued. It lacks the luxurious creaminess and depth found in the Amouage original. There's a slight synthetic muskiness towards the end.

The Verdict

Wearing Vanilla Collection 01 is like admiring a reproduction of a famous painting. You get a sense of the original composition, but it's missing the texture, nuance, and depth that makes the masterpiece truly special. You gain a work-appropriate, inoffensive scent, but you lose the transporting experience of wearing something genuinely opulent. If you are looking to turn heads in a boardroom, this might be too pedestrian for your tastes.

Performance Reality Check

I've worn this to the office a few times and it projects moderately for the first 2 hours - about an arm's length. After that, it becomes a skin scent. Longevity is around 5-6 hours. I also tried it at the gym, and the sweat really amplified the soapy quality, which wasn't particularly pleasant. Probably best saved for cooler days or air-conditioned environments.