Black Vanilla Absolute Perry Ellis for women and men

I have the complete PE oud collection.If you try to get this discontinued line of PE it is not going to be that cheap.Don't pay more than $100.00 for this because it's not worth it.This was the one that impressed me the least because it is of moderate longevity and low projection.It barely reaches 7 hours of longevity.Oud Vetiver Royale and Oud Saffron Rose are better in longevity and projection.

Quite good. Dark boozy vanilla that smells professional as opposed to foody. You can tell that the oud is synthetic, but it still smells pleasant. It gives the boozy vanilla a dark, smooth, woody backbone. I actually prefer this to the Mercedez Benz Club Black. It is true that they share a lot of similarities, but the ambroxan in Club Black just sticks out like a sore thumb to me and ruins the smoothness of the rest of the composition. Longevity is 12+ hours with moderate projection for quite a long time.

I would give it an "A-". I like it a lot, but now that I'm trying to cut down my collection to only select favorites, this just barely does not make the cut.

DM me if you're interested in my bottle.

This is such a beautiful boozy vanilla fragrance. Somehow, the dry down reminds me of Mercedes Benz Club Black. It last long on my skin but projection is moderate. This one is great during close encounters especially on cooler weather. I thought it has an irresistible sexiness 😉

The downside is the price. I pulled the trigger for my collection and it was a blind buy. Overall I’m happy

8/10 👍

This fragrance smells like Indonesian Vanilla Beans.

If any of you own Indonesian Vanilla Beans you've probably noticed that they smell a tad different from regular Vanilla Beans.

Indonesian Vanilla Beans smell strongly of Vanilla Extract with hints of Rum, lightly smoked Wood, & Tobacco. Which is due to their curing process.

Black Vanilla Absolute smells like Rum Cake Batter that someone is about to place in an oven to bake over smoked Wood.

Perry Ellis made a BIG MISTAKE in discontinuing its OUD Line.

I had this one and while it smelled as nice as reviewers below have said, it somehow reminded me of stale urine no matter where or how I sprayed it. Some note in it reminded me of that first and foremost, so I gifted it away. I paid $36.39 for it new on FN. Can't believe the extorsion prices now. It's good and unique, and lasts a long time, but I don't think it's groundbreaking nor irreplaceable. Don't sweat if you feel like you're missing out. It's definitely not a blind buy nor a crowd pleaser.

blind bought this because its rare and there's a slight underground hype around this?
it has all the notes I usually enjoy so no surprise that I do really like this
a nice boozy vanilla, definitely a noir vanilla.
quite enjoyable! good blind buy
lasts a few hours too, very date night friendly, projects decent enough with 3-5 sprays.

If anyone has a partial/bottle of this and isn't selling it for extortion prices let me know.

This is a 10/10 fragrance, can't compare it to anything else I've smelled. The vanilla in this is just perfect and the rum, oud, and white tobacco make for a unique, rich, airy, sweet, mature unisex vanilla scent. The oud is there but it's not off putting whatsoever. All of the notes in this fragrance are perfectly blended. The vanilla in this makes a really nice scent bubble around you but it is not dense or heavy.

Excellent for cold weather, it lasts for a long time, smells unique. Unbelievable for a house like Perry Ellis, as you usually find fragrances from this house at Burlington. But as with any house, a private line is always totally different.

If you get the chance to try this I HIGHLY recommend it.

And if you have a bottle or even a low partial, please let me know.

Vanilla is my all time favorite note. I’ve been looking for this all over the place. I’m trying to find something similar to guerlains spiritueuse double vanille without the price tag 😩😫

The opening of this fragrance is like nothing you've ever experienced before. The blend opens with harmonizing notes of pure vanilla and molasses-like rum, alcoholic but sweet - it's an aroma that leaves room for imagination as well as desire! After these gentle beginnings there emerges deep lush agarwood (oud), engendering a smell so richly alluring; one I can't quite put my finger on...but when combined together in perfect harmony by masterful hands: animalic ambergris brings out its tender touch while white tobacco finishes off what seems to be just enough robustness in depth without being overbearing or too pungent.

Why do they do this? Now the $65 bottle is $172 on Feebay. C'mon PE make this frag again! This is crazy.
Now the PERRY ELLIS POUR HOMME is disappearing. I'm trying to corner that.
😒
Update: I cornered a bottle for $128. The date code puts it back to 2015, but it has the same on paper as the 1/2 bottle I have left.
This went back in the box, vacuum sealed in a foodsaver, and into my 52°F fridge for juices.

Also looking for this bottle at an affordable and reasonable price! msg me!!

@rtifak, where did you see this for $15? I can't find it anywhere, but I have been looking because I would love to try it! I can't even find decants of it anywhere! :)

I spent more than $100 when it came out and i even paid for international shipping and tariff. It was such a big deal then. When I first sprayed I felt it was hyped too much because it was smelled like a cough syrup with a bunch of booze and vanilla. I revisit the fragrance once or twice in winter and it's good. I guess I got used to it over the years. But, now it is around $15? It's a banger for the price. But, if you don't like vanilla, then stay away.

This vanilla is a love for me; I find that it projects and performs very well on my skin. It's sweet enough without being cloying and it is multi-faceted. While it is somewhat linear, the fact that it stays true so long on my skin is a bonus for me, because I like how this smells off the nozzle.

This vanilla is definitely boozy; the rum is like a dark, spiced, rum that has been aged in an oak barrel a bit. Then, if you could imagine adding whole vanilla pods to the rum until there was absolutely no more room in the barrel for anything and allowing them soak and extract the fragrance and flavor from the pods . . . . . That is almost what this smells like. The tobacco is detectable, but more of a supporting and grounding presence to the rum and vanilla.

I couldn't wait when I first ordered this one, before it got outrageously expensive, to get it in my hands. It has some of my favorite notes - vanilla, tobacco, rum and it delivers. On the opening, I can smell the oud and of all the notes I was concerned about, oud was it. It can smell awfully dirty sometimes and I wanted a smooth oud. Luckily, I got that and because this is well-blended, it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. The white tobacco plays so nicely with the rum and vanilla absolute and makes for a beautiful fragrance - if you like boozy vanillas with a light tobacco flavor. This is also good for layering, I put it with Cafe Lush from Ganache, Norwegian Wood by Kanon, The Pride by Armaf, etc. This is one of my favorite and most versatile perfumes in my collection. I get good longevity and moderate sillage. I usually wear it when it's cooler out, day or night. An all-around, unisex, lovely fragrance.

The opening to my nose is reminiscent of spiriteuse double vanille but that where the resemblance ends. The dry down is like a less dense version of magnificent Gold by YSL.

Gorgeous gourmand, I can't detect the oud. 4hrs into the wear the vanille and tobacco blossom are beautifully present.

Slightly feminine leaning but unisex.
May need more sprays in the coldest months

I love the scent, boozy vanilla and very pleasing. Great date scent. It lasts long enough and the performance is very polite which has it's place too but with this, I do wish for more.

It is very patchy in its performance and you can get wiffs of it when the wind blows in the right direction. It does leave a light trail as my wife has pointed out to me but does not project at all. You can only smell it when you swish the wind from the application spot to your face or press your nose into it.

Just meh. I wanted to try this for so long and was disappointed. The dry down for some reason really reminded me of 4160 Tuesday's Over the Chocolate shop. The scent doesn't last very long on skin but I could still smell it on my shirt at the end of the day.

This is a vanilla-rum bomb. This was very affordable and easy to find a couple of years ago then the stocks dried up completely. I have seen a couple of batches pop up at the trusted discounters - pricier than it used to be but certainly well below the currently sky-high eBay prices.

I'll second those who say that any fear of a ripe, animalic oud in this is unfounded. If there is a synthetic oud in here it's quite subtle - in fact I suspect that the moderate synthetic oud is what gives that vanilla-rum accord much more pop and depth than similar accords in other designer fragrances and that's why this stands out so much in this group as a boozy vanilla fragrance.

If you like the sweet stuff, think about this. If you like vanilla or boozy scents, seriously think about this. If you like all of those, you need to get this - a cool/cold weather favorite for me.

@Vanillastorm40, if you're concerned about the Oud (which is NOT easy to pick out, at all), try a decant first; I'm happy I went that route, because now I'm going to track down a full bottle.

Liquid Vanilla Candle (Steve Demercado, 2015)

In my honest opinion, Black Vanilla Absolute is a very nice and wearable fragrance, but does not possess the niche density of Guerlain SDV.
Do I like Black Vanilla Absolute? Absolutely. The presentation is stunning. The fragrance is nicely composed. The notes are perfectly mashed together. It opens with a gorgeous boozy vanilla kick that reminds me of baking the cookies during the festive season. Beneath the rum and vanilla there is a shady darker note, like a moist soil, possibly due to use of some oud or even patchouli. Usually vanilla is a boring, one-dimensional, attention-grabbing note, but tobacco perfectly saves the day from the vanilla monotony. Under all these layers I can sense some salty ambergris or amber accord and Iso E Super woody undertones. This composition reminds me of beautiful Esteban’s Vanilla candle with its waxy, calming quality. It is serene, romantic and warm. Like a well-educated introverted person.
Do I recommend Oud Black Vanilla? Yes, I do. It’s a nicely composed autumn and festive day fragrance. Just do not expect any rare niche quality from this Perry Ellis, but a semi-gourmand, romantic and warm seducer.

Rating: 7.5/10

Well, this is simply beautiful. Vanilla and rum heaven. It has a bit of a smokey kick to it that darkens it up a bit. This absolutely shines in cold weather and will definitely be lovely around Christmas. Longevity is medium and sillage is rather soft, but this is the kind of fragrance that does well as a "come closer" type of fragrance. It will get people to lean in. Very romantic kind of scent. If you like boozy vanilla with a bit of darker edge, give this one a try.

Edit May 28th. 2020
We had a couple of winter days again in early spring, it was really cold and a little snow came back. Until then I hadn't noticed the tobacco in it, but during those cold days, it really came out. I was standing outside on a windy day and smelled sweet tobacco in the air around me and it took me a while to realise that it was coming from me. Up until then I mainly could smell the vanilla and rum. After it was back in full spring and summer it went back to being mostly the vanilla and rum. Both "versions" are beautiful but I've put it aside for using in the fall and winter because I think the tobacco being more prominent adds such a lovely depth to the overall experience. Very nice indeed.

Scared of the oud in this... Would love to try it so thank you to the reviewers who state that the oud is barely discernable.

the fragrance is a wonderful heady vanilla enriched with sweet, dark booze and a VERY tamed oud (really, no dank, damp oud to be found). if someone told me the only notes were vanilla and rum, I would believe them in a heartbeat. however, there is this soft, floral element to it, which I'm assuming comes from the white tobacco.

the performance is surprisingly good for a PE frag, with me getting about four hours of arm length projection and nearly 24 hours purely as a skin scent. as for the wearer, it wraps you up in a cozy aura for hours.

if you are looking for a warm, seductive vanilla that is safe for the colder months, look no further than this.

Perry Ellis Black Vanilla Absolute is virtually Joop! Homme Wild meets Axe Oud and Dark Vanilla. That said, the fragrance projects and smells better. I got this in a swap and I definitely came out the winner on that one. Even if my climate doesn't allow me to wear it as often.

Black Vanilla Absolute starts out with a strong boozy vanilla mix. You get rum but it isn't sweet rum like in say Joop! Homme Wild or even a spiced rum. It is just a boozy rum note matched perfectly with vanilla. The vanilla lasts and lasts. It goes into the oud heavy mid (and softens it) and into the tobacco base. There is a slight ambergris in the base too.

The fragrance projects pretty good. It isn't exactly beast mode, but does heavy sillage and it does last and last. I sprayed it on as my scent of NYE at about 10 and it is still strong on me 10 hours later. It isn't like I have to try to smell it on me.

Black Vanilla Absolute really is limited in use. It is a cold winter scent. You really can't wear it for fall and it should not work in spring and summer at all. I can't see it working in the office because it is a strong scent. I also wouldn't exactly wear it to kick it. That said it works really good dresses up for weddings and formal dinners, concerts, and night outs. I wouldn't say clubs since it is not a fit most clubs. Maybe a more formal bar.

Perry Ellis Black Vanilla Absolute is my third favorite fragrance and I LOVE it. I wish I could wear it more, but it is what it is. I rate it a 9.2 out of 10.

This used to be my favorite vanilla, along with Oud Bouquet, but I just discovered OK Fine Double Vanilla so it's now been replaced. I just joined the page to be able to find other gems like the Double Vanilla - it's truly one of the best fragrances I've even had the pleasure to wear :-)

I love this one even though I despise oud! It's very minimal here. What stands out is the vanilla booziness. I even got a compliment on this tonight and that doesn't happen often with any perfume I wear.

It's beautiful for Fall or Winter and especially when it's cold. A perfect fragrance.

Sweet & powdery.

Starts sweet & fruity, like a children's fruit cocktail/red berries drink.

A minute later: less sweet, more powdery, still cocktail-fruity. The final drydown: powdery mainly, that might be due to ambergris, with just a hint of sweetness, saltiness, & white flowers.

There's an obvious floral accord that kind of smells like violet/iris combo plus tobacco. The sweetness is of vanilla & rum.

The final smell is like a scented powder.

Like most occidental houses who claim "oud", no oud. Don't you even bother trying it for oud. The only visible oud here is the ink with which the word "OUD" was printed on the bottle. People who haven't tried pure oud oil or burnt oud wood should not comment about oud. I am sick of people misleading other people by voting on things they know nothing about.

A likable scent. Comfortable & warm. For my own vocabulary's lack of better terms, nothing special.

Good for daily wear.

If you love woody &/oudy fragrances, this will be a disappointment in those 2 categories.

Like & pass.

This is a nice one, and while some fragrances are classified unisex but seem to lean much more one way or another, this one is a scent I could truly see being unisex! It reminds me of my Alexandria Vanille Doree, if anyone wants something similar (my opinion only!). It is soft, long-lasting, and smooth. Vanilla doesn't seem to be the central note in this, but it is so well-blended with the other notes that I don't care! It is a well-done fragrance for me. I have a travel-size bottle and I a happy with that since I have a large collection of other vanillas too.

I bought a bottle of this a few months ago and want another one but it seems to be out of stock everywhere or else available online at double the price. I paid $60 CA. I read that is has been discontinued! WHAT!!!!!! This is an absolute masterpiece of a fragrance. WHY?????
I bought the Joop Homme Wild as people said it smells similar....not even a tad similar...very different fragrances even though the notes listed are similar. I DO NOT recommend Joop Homme Wild as a substitute. You will be very disappointed.

Oh god I love this, and MUST have it. Boozy rum and vanilla with a touch of oud, and a base of leather and gorgeous amber. Dark, lovely, and unisex. I DO smell the oud, which makes it different and darker than Tobacco Vanille. I love the comparison to waffle cones, below, and I can be down with that. But it’s darker than waffle cones.

A sumptuous, intriguing blend of vanilla and booziness. The tobacco and woody notes eventually show up, all of which make this a wonderful cold weather scent.

I get pipe tobacco vanilla and booziness...very nice

I agree with the review under me. First spray is pure vanilla with a hint of rum...after that the tobacco creeps out but still vanilla and rum. Really don't sense any oud...maybe just a little hint but that's pushing it. This frag will be great by itself in the fall and winter or layered.

3.5/5

Very vanilla. Tobacco shows in the drydown. No oud, ever. I can only wear this around the holidays. Outside of that season, it's too Vanilla for me. Reminds me of Main Street, Disneyland. Cookies and waffle cones.

Very easy to summarize this one - vanilla absolute and rum. That's it. Not sure why the name "oud" is present in this, as you would be hard pressed to find any. You would have better luck finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Very linear with below average projection and longevity.

Gave this a few wearings and then passed it on, as it was simply too boring and uninspiring for me. Hard to offend anyone with this one.

Rating: ⭐⭐1/2 out of 5.

Hidden gem!!!

I am amazed by the quality of the juice!

This smells to me like Xerjoff XJ1861 with a less sweet, more alcoholic, more masculine twist!

The projection is rather weak but i prefer it this way since i can wear this to the office without feeling nauseous or offending anyone.

The longevity on the other hand is bonkers!! you can easily get 12h+ of skin scent with a single trigger, but for a night out you'd probably need 4

I'd also love to smell this on a girl,its really well executed!

9/10 for me, a new love!

Wearing this one for Christmas. I'm a big vanilla fan and vanilla is my favorite note. I have collected quite a few vanilla fragrances but there are only a couple that don't smell so feminine that I feel self conscious wearing them. This one, with it's white tobacco note and oud, really is special. Very warm and inviting. Every single one of my family members has commented on how great this smells on me. It really shines in cold weather.

To me, this and Mercedes Club Black are the best two men's vanilla fragrances out there. There, of course, could be more but you can't own every one of them! I'm always on the hunt for another. Also, please note that there is absolutely nothing wrong with all the sweet, feminine vanilla fragrances out there. They smell wonderful! One of my ex's wore a sweet vanilla fragrance and it smelled absolutely delicious on her. I just can't wear them.

Merry Christmas to everyone and happy New Year's!

To me it's very much like cologne mission and spiritual Vanille with a dash of Aoud, really great alternative to those but a little more to my liking because of the sweet gentle Aoud.
I should point out that when I first got this I couldn't smell the Aoud at all, it just seemed like a classy boozey vanilla but the last three times I've worn it I can definitely smell Aoud, so that can happen, give this one a few goes before reviews because I read someone say it is weak and not last long, but even since day one my bottle has been long lasting. It's not a loud scent, virtually a skin scent but long lasting like over ten hours.

It's nothing like that Joop in my opinion. But I only smelled that joop once in the chemist and didn't like it.
My dentist said this one smells expensive.
I think it's a great perfume if you buy it for a good price.
I'd not spend well over one hundred dollars for it on eBay thou and no way over two hundred on Amazon. Try to get it from fragrancex, I'm not affiliated, just shop there
A+

I so wanted to love this scent as the notes on this looked amazing and I’ve been looking for a boozy scent but unfortunately it’s a lukewarm like.

This has a great boozy rum and vanilla opening but once this dries down unfortunately the tobacco and the Oud clash with the rum and vanilla once this starts To drydown. I LOVE the rum and vanilla in this but on my skin the Oud over takes the pleasantness of the vanilla making me only think this scent is ok.

I asked my fiancé what she thought and she said from far away it smells ok but the closer she got she smelled a note she said she hated and started to make her head heart.

Sidenote— Oud is a note that always seems toreally push through on my skin and I see not a lot of people got Oud so it seems that my skin chemistry may have caused this to smell different than what most people have gotten.

Performance- this projected heavily for 2 hours before it came a scent with a good scent bubble for the duration. This lasted me 5-8 hours.

Overall rating -6.5 out of 10 ! This was blended nicely and had a great vanilla and rum note but if only they replaced Oud with sandalwood perhaps this scent would have been amazing.

This smells nothing like Joop Homme Wild, not even 5%.

Smells just like Xerjoff Ivory Route.

Best blind buy so far It's been 10 hours since I sprayed and it's all around me. Vanilla and rum are awesome together, it soft and comforting. I love it !!!!

Niche quality for sure. It projects softly, not in your face or off putting. It's a very nice fragrance. It has a spicy vanilla almost like a vanilla chai latte smell. I love it.

Late to the party on this one. Sniffed a sample way back when...and thought..just.."so-so". I aquired a full bottle recently...and I am now.."WOWED" by this scent.
The opening is a bit deceiving...so wait for it to develop on you...like others say..this one "evolves"...and yes, it becomes sweeter thru the evolve.
Very vanilla..with a light oud and just a touch of floral ...makes this a nice blend. I love it !!!
Longevity is medium...but this projects on me rather well...mostly the vanilla vibe...with the other notes underneath reminding you that they are still "there".
Great scent....period.

Smells almost like Cologne of the Missions or SDV. Leans feminine. Cologne of the Missions is the better scent out of all 3. I would suggest men to avoid all 3 perfumes, they lean feminine (unless you want to smell like a women). Also, this cologne smells very medicinal, I don't like it.

Scent - 6/10
Longevity - 8/10
Projection - 6/10

[MY SUBJECTIVE PERSPECTIVE]
Hey you! I own Joop Homme Wild and to me, they smell NOTHING alike. Joop is really loud and sweet and borderline nauseating to my nose. At first glance, it smells like cough syrup and coconut rum to me. It's good but suffocating. It's a wild fragrance through and through. PEBVA as a whole smells like really soft oud with sweet, food-grade vanilla extract up top and a base of new leather jacket. I'd call it a classy, smooth fragrance. It's not loud at all on initial spray.

Yeah, this fragrance is not loud like Oud Touch by Franck Olivier or Ferrari Essense Oud, which are top-notch to my nose, but it's oudy woody for sure. Ah, the sweet vanilla is so good. It's barely there in the beginning but when it shows up when drying down, it's so good. It's sweet but not nauseating or overdone. I feel happy now. I've never smelled this type of vanilla in any other fragrance. You know what? I wouldn't mind smelling this on my girlfriend. It's that smooth to me. Women could pull it off for sure.

It doesn't have much projection, though. It sits close to the skin and doesn't last very long. But honestly, I couldn't handle being hit in the nose by it for hours. Ferrari Essence Oud and Oud Touch last hours and they become annoying. So I like that this one is tame and short-lived. It gets sweeter by the minute.

Does it smell cheap? Not to my nose. Nothing about it smells cheap. The ingredients here smell like quality. My brain can tell these are not low-quality ingredients. It's not thick or suffocating. I smell no hints of powderyness or soapiness, which I hate. No mall fragrance smell here.

It's not perfumey or cologney. It's way different. This ain't no cliché department store scent. Is it a safe blind buy? Only if you've made peace with fragrances containing oud notes or real oud...or if you like oudy notes, but just whispery and not in your face. It took me months to appreciate fragrances with oud notes. They're all different, but to my nose, they have a baby powder-ish and dried saliva-ish smell to them. My first one was Black is Black Modern Oud, and that was strong as an uppercut. But this one? A kiss on the forehead. =) God bless you and thanks for reading! <3

Wow this is compared most to a 10£ sugary cheapie. Ouch! It is lacking the wow factor for me, a nice enough sugary vanilla, but I'm not getting the rum...or the oud :/

Another beautiful fragrance from Parry Ellis beautiful opening with vanilla and rum but fragrance keeps on developing with the time in kind of sophisticated way.
It gets more sweeter after some time but darker at the same time. Really good mix of all the notes mentioned.
Not really unique scent but really good aa it is.
Not many mentioned it here but amber in it is quite nice.

You get a cough syrup sweet and heavily boozy opening then it transitions to ambroxan base. Not much of vanilla and definitely no oud or tobacco. It is mainly alcoholic ambroxan scent through and through.

A Good one for winter but generally it is way over-hyped and doesn’t worth more than it’s discounted price.

Longevity is acceptable but projection is very poor.

My previous review, which I deleted, was for a sample I got from a fellow member. It was in one of those small plastic atomizer bottles they used to use at Sephora's. I think there was some other fragrance in there and he just reused it without cleaning it, because sampling this from an actual bottle is very different. Now I get a creamy but only slightly sweet vanilla as the star of the show. And I can see why many compare it to SDV, which I have also tried. This one is a bit drier and not as syrupy as SDV, but if you don't want to spend the money on SDV this one might be an adequate substitute. There's not much complexity here (and I didn't think SDV was complex either), but it's very pleasant. I've got many vanilla-dominant fragrances but I think I'd rank this high on that list. If you smell it up close on the skin it might not smell quite as good, so keep that in mind. Joop! Homme Wild is similar but has more notes/complexity; unfortunately, J!HW is definitely on the "chemical" side of things, which some won't mind and others will dislike.

@BasilNasal I just got the same batch code as you, once I could finally read it. Nothing on the box. It was from "Perfumegirls" on eBay, though I won't buy from that seller again. I'll give it a bit before commenting. With Eau des Baux on the way direct from L'Occitane, I may test a layering.

Just get Joop! Wild.

A question rather than a review:

My grail fragrance at the moment would be a combination of Eau des baux (the smoothness and warmth, without that OTT cypress note) and Axe/Linx Oud Wood Dark Vanilla (similar smell with a hell of a lot more quality.

Would this come close?

Batch; 16267MEBZ (not found on CheckFresh.com OR CheckCosmetic.net)

I just received this in the mail and applied for the first time. I know it's more valuable to review it after trying it for a while, but I'm too excited and have to write something. I can always come back and add to it.

Opening;
This is very light and extremely unoffensive. I have to hold my sprayed skin fairly close to my nose to take it all in. Baking vanilla extract all the way, just like I've heard, not the usual vanilla note in frags. It has that quality vanilla smell you get from Madagascar Bourban Vanilla extract with an alcohol base. During the opening, when held very close to my nose, it smells so much like the drydown of John Varvatos original but lighter. The two share absolutely no LISTED notes in common. The only similarity is JV has woody notes and this claims oud, so I suspect they used similar ingredients to achieve those, but that JV was more honest in how they listed the note. I must admit I haven't smelled real oud yet that I'm aware of. JV original is my first frag buy on this new adventure of mine. I went to every department store and smelled all they had multiple times and JV original was my clear winner. This is the only frag that I've smelled similar to it in any way.

Drydown;
The vanilla extract turns into a chalky vanilla that distinctly reminds me of the vanilla flavored sugar dipsticks they sell in Fun Dip, which I haven't had in decades. The memories fragrance can evoke never ceases to surprise me. The skin scent is still reminiscent of JV, but even lighter.

Longevity;
After only an hour of wearing this, it doesn't seem it will last very long. I don't think this frag is strong enough to cause olfactory fatigue and I look forward to reapplying it or another frag when it fades.

I highly recommend this fragrance for the money. I think it's a very safe blind buy.

No oud is detectable, but if you're in the market for a really good boozy vanilla fragrance this is it.

I think i like it even i dont really into oud at all..end up bought a bottle and glad to have it in my collection. The oud not really dominamt here. All you can smell is vanilla and rum is dominant. Longevity on me is great and even project well 3 hours solid. Im glad to have it in my collection.

I really like the fragrance, but 2 hours longevity??

In your face alcoholic/vanilla opening that settles to a delicious vanilla/rum/tobacco scent. Very subtle oud. Moderate longevity. One for lovers of vanilla scents.

Instant LOVE! After trying a sample I just ordered a full bottle. This is a powerhouse diffusing vanilla, rum and sweet pipe tobacco in a wonderful sillage after only one spray to the wrists. After having had so many disappointments with weak fragrances this one is a welcome change. Although it is a powerhouse for projection the scent itself has a soft thoughtful presence like being in an old library study, sitting in a sumptuous leather chair surrounded by books. it makes you want to linger in its surroundings. A very comforting scent.

Wow! This fragrance has gotten a lot of hype in the community, and, honestly, it is more than well deserved. From the rummy vanilla opening through the smoky oud to the final amber/tobacco flower drydown..this scent delivers!!!! Perfectly blended. The vanilla is not too sweet, the oud is not too heavy and the tobacco flower lightens the amber... Longevity good for me as was sillage. Very happy with this one...

A bit underwhleming given all the positive reviews; this was always going to be a, excuse the term, ''B-tec'' Spiritueses DV for me.

I know that'll cause disagreement and even upset a few but I just cannot get past the trap of the annoying 'limey bergamot' vibe I get at the opening of the Perry Ellis.

It almost lends a screechy theme to the 1st hour of wearing, killing the deal for me. During this hour, it's sadly thin on the vanilla and 'airy', sort of annoyingly diluted but 'there' sort of feeling.

Not close to the delicious and intoxicating wham of Greatness on the 1st spray of SDV.

Does not pick up that wonderful hint of 'sugar-water' that co-exists incredibly with the faint and addictive boozy/rum accord and of course the vanilla at the start either.

After an hour, things all start to pick up, and fast however. Wisps of tobacco, thicker, syrupy vanilla and even incense start to rise up and dominate in a big cloud.

Per say, I might being a bit harsh; it was never going or meant to be as good (as complete) as The Masterpiece that is SDV simply down to the bargain-bin price point.

Literally can buy 60ml bottle of this for under $50. Compared to SDV's $200 for 75ml. Make of that what you will,, could be someone's dream come true.

Doesn't have the slightest hint of pungent oud/woodyness that Bois d'Or has, nor the annoying nondescript powder or honey sweetness or just generic ambery-orange haze that plagues this genre. Also avoids the dreaded 'Play-doh' note that can lead to a cloying experience. So these are very welcome plusses in favor for it depending on tastes.

Ah,, it's trying, so I'll be generous.

My rating: 6/10

PS: If you want a properly upscale but 'cut price' Vanilla: try Beredoues' Oud Wa Vanilla.Possibly the most underrated Vanilla on the market, Niche proper and those missing the oud hit, you will surely get it there compared to non-existant in this Perry Ellis. But it's still faint enough for me, and that is pretty faint.

Give Oud Wa Vanilla a try =)

I'm new to modern cologne but my collection is expanding quickly. I started with Axe Gold Oud and dark vanilla deodorant and really liked it so I figured I'd try to find a cologne that sort of smelled like it. I cook a lot and really love the smell of vanilla. This was my first cologne since wearing Drakkar Noir in college around the turn of the century. So this is a review from a relative newby.

I absolutely love this scent! It is most definitely vanilla but not an overwhelmingly sweet, feminine, sugary vanilla. It really smells like high quality real (versus cheap synthetic) cooking vanilla. Quality cooking vanilla has an almost alcohol smell to it along with the obvious vanilla. This smells the same! It has a boozy quality to it that is far from being a cupcake vanilla (like cheap, synthetic cooking vanilla smells like). Being new to modern cologne, I can't comment on what oud smells like because I just don't know and have nothing to compare it to. Thus, to me it's a vanilla cologne. It does dry down to a kind of powdered scent. I n any case, I love it.

So, as someone that is, again, new to cologne, could anyone suggest something else similar to this? I'd just like some variety. This will be heavy in my rotation because who doesn't like vanilla? Thanks in advance to anyone with suggestions and I will look back on this post from time to time.

UPDATE: I now own quite a few bottles of fragrances and the majority of them have vanilla as the most prominent note or at least listed as a note. This is because, frankly, I love vanilla. Anyways, this is by far, hands down, my favorite vanilla fragrance and my favorite fragrance period. That boozy vanilla really impressed the girl working at the fragrance counter at my local Peebles (also called Stage or Coach elsewhere; "local" being over an hour away). She sells fragrances, obviously, and said she had never smelled Dark Vanilla Absolute before but that it was the best men's vanilla she has ever smelled on a man. Could it be just me? Absolutely, I'm awesome. Haha! J/K. I'm not that arrogant, it was the BAV. This was my first non Playboy cologne I bought when I started wearing fragrances again after 10 years or so and I really had no idea what a masterpiece my novice rear end had stumbled upon. I bought more bottles in search of something better than this if it existed but haven't found anything that is better at doing vanilla. This is it, the best, and my search has ended. I'll keep purchasing other fragrances because I like all the uniqueness and creativity designers put into their scent but because of Black Vanilla Absolute I don't need to hunt down any more vanilla. To me, it really is just that wonderful. And price! I would honestly pay much more. I'm sure at this point many of you reading this are thinking that it can't be THAT good but I think this is just a fragrance wearer's reaction when you find your signature scent. You know, the ONE. It just fits you. I, personally, am just that overwhelmingly pleased. Eros and Le Male are also both very good and more unique as they are more than just vanilla (citrus vanilla and mint vanilla) but Dark Vanilla Absolute does simply vanilla the best. Just my opinion. I really love this stuff and, as silly as it sounds, I have small regrets on days when I put something else on and wish I had reached for this one.
One last note: gourmand and sweet scents tone down significantly on me. No idea why but it's worth mentioning that this could very well be too sweet on other guys. My chemistry works extremely well with this but every scent smells differently from person to person. As I've found out through some horrendous errors (like any lemon dominant fragrance...a big no on me!), try it first!

An accessible vanilla...

I have been pleasantly surprised by this fragrance. It is a very accessible vanilla for men, and a great unisex choice as well. We have a rum-soaked vanilla bean vibe (similar to both Spiriteuse Double Vanille by Guerlain and Cologne of the Missions by Le Couvent des Minimes). That being said, it's a great lower priced alternative to the Guerlain and (in my opinion) more wearable by a man.

I get the dark rum and vanilla, the amber and light tobacco, and an oud note which has a slight, mild sweetness to it. It's an enjoyable fragrance. I would say that for men who are looking for a daily wear vanilla fragrance, this could be a good option. I can also see this working well as a female fragrance and at this price point, it's great to see a fragrance like this available and affordable in this way. The house of Perry Ellis has done very well here. I suppose I could be cynical about the fact that many designers are bringing out their own "oud" fragrance, but the ultimate question is... does it smell good or not? the answer with Black Vanilla Absolute is "yes"! That should be the only factor to consider when deciding to purchase and wear a fragrance. This is a very good effort by Perry Ellis. It's one to try out for sure.

Unique..Elegant..Luxury in a bottle is what you get here. This stuff is really good especially for 50$ I paid this smells like it's worth more then a 100+ easily. Beautiful vanilla and rum combo with a dash of oud to smoothen it out and a little smokiness also; brilliant. This is exactly the type of fragrance I can see hitting my top 10 I'm going to use it and it's going to grown on me I can tell, I love these kind of scents it's just different then the everyday colognes you come across there's something unique about this one and I'm really digging it 9/10 respectively

Blind buy. Heavy, a bit sweet although not overpowering. Dries down to a somewhat medicinal smell, I’m not sure with my untrained nose, where that comes from. My first try with oud. Lasts about 5 hours on my skin. Will have to use it a few more times to decide if I love it. At this point it’s just ok.

I love vanilla, booze, oud, amber and tobacco notes. It looked impossible for me not to like this fragrance. So, I blind bought it and I am glad I did it.
After spraying you get a boozy sweet vanilla scent that reveal an oud background some minutes later.
The vanilla persists almost all the time. As you reach the dry down the vanilla-oud scent is blended with amberish-sweet tobacco notes. The blending is very well made, and if like Oriental Gourmand fragrances, you will love this one.
Nice performance with 2 hours projection, an armlenght sillage at the peak and a longevity of 8+ hours.

Let us see what the maths tell us about this EDT:
Scent opening: 9.0 (my judgement)
Scent dry down: 9.0 (my judgement)
Longevity: 8.0 (average for the existing notes)
Sillage: 8.0 (same as longevity)
Uniqueness: 9.0 (You may get vibes of other vanilla fragrance but this cologne is preety unique)
Wearability: 8.5 (Winter, Autumn, early Spring, Night and Day)
Versatility: 8.5 (yes but with some moderation to socializing, events, restaurants, and office type of situations; Ok for clubbing, night out, bar with friends, dates and "close encounters"; Not for the gymn or any situations where you may swet)
Quality: 8.0 (my judgement; In my opinion this fragrance should perform better)
Presentation: 9.0 (very nice bottle, classy and not tacky; good sprayer)
Price: 7.0 (100 ml for $32.00 + VAT)

Overall rating for this fragrance: 8.40/10.00

I do recommend it. This is the best Perry Ellis fragrance together with "360 Red for men" and "m". I want to try "Saffron Rose Absolute" now.
Watch out Oud lovers out there. This is a Vanilla fragrance not an Oud fragrance.

BEST BLIND BUY EVER..!!(from Notino)
Realy guys, I'm speechless..!What an amazing & luxurious vanilla scent!
I have this masterpiece in my hands few minutes now.. I opened the box as fast as I could..one spray on my wrist.. And.. BOOM..!!!
I'm in heaven!!! ♡♡
A luxury, creamy and smooth fragrance right here..!
Sex in a bottle.! (IMO)
Perry Ellis,we shalute u..!!

A very masculine scent on me.
The opening offers a rich but somewhat synthetic, dry vanilla which fades to the background within an hour and just adds softness to the dominating amber and tobacco.
There is definitely oud in this, and it's not at all that hard to detect. But if you're really into oud I wouldn't recommend you to go for this one. The oud presented isn't at all as high quality as you'd expect from a collection dedicated to that note.

The scent is soft, well balanced and not offending in any way, and I can sure understand why so many love it. To me though it's far too outdated, too safe play and just too darn boring. Feels like I've smelled this one, but better done, a dozen times before.

Light.

It's a light scent. Much lighter than anticipated. The overall feel reminds me strongly of either Versace Man (just replace the saffron with oud and the amber with vanilla) or 24 Gold without the heavy amber.

In fact, if you already have 24 Gold, this may be a little redundant. The oud is exactly the same, but the vanilla and tobacco make it a much more rounded composition. Whereas 24 Gold is a screamer with that blotchy amber, this one is a smoothly blended low-rider, reminiscent of Christmas potpourri and vanilla cookies.

And how do people not get oud? To me, it's quite obviously the main note, and not the vanilla or rum. The performance? - just average - 6 hours TOPS for me with low projection - a little sucky, but I've got the re-released version so...you know. Yeah.

For Perry Ellis, this is an exceptional product, but in general...I dunno. It's definitely a very wearable oud and perfect for the winter holidays, but probably not hype worthy IMO. Like I said, it's fairly light and works great on clothing, but watch out, since it may stain due to the EDP concentration (the shiny spot is a dead giveaway).

Overall, it's an excellent alternative to 24 Gold if you want something a little smoother and more discreet, but don't expect genius or gypsy tears. I didn't, so I'm not disappointed.

In fact, I personally prefer 24 Gold over this because of the buttery-fruitiness, price and beastly performance; but I understand that it can be too much for some people, so if that's the case, then BVA is probably your best bet.

Scent - 7.5/10
Longevity - 7/10
Projection - 6/10
Overall - 7.5/10 - A warm, holiday snuggle.

This smells just like the dry down of 24 Gold or Raghba Lataffa on my skin.

A very pleasant and lighter alternatives.

Nope. I have to press my nose to my wrist to be able to smell anything at all, and that's after five sprays! There's only longevity if you keep your nose there, and almost no sillage whatsoever. Very disappointed!

Instant Love! I love Guerlain Spiritouse Double Vanilla and here I found a twin-scent. Very much alike SDV, maybe a bit softer and milder and too a much nicer price than SDV. After 2-3 hours its more alike SDV on my skin. This one was a bargin and I'm so happy I found this one.

Kessler Whiskey and marshmallows.

Great blind buy at a discounted price from Notino dot com. Very pleased with this all season fragrance that lasts all day. I get a wonderful vanilla with synthetic oud in the background. It is not a barnyard oud, it is the nicer type. This is a very inoffensive fragrance that if typically linear on my skin. Women love it & thats what counts in my book.
The bottle is very nice and their is nothing cheap about it. This is class perfume in a class bottle. Glad that I have this in my collection.

Lovely;-)

The vanilla and rum notes in this fragrance are indeed the two most prominent, but they combine and work together to present a vanilla scent that is very close to the vanilla extract used in baking. It's quite sweet, but also light, and slightly boozy, without being overwhelming.

The oud is present, but it's very subtle, at least from a distance. If I put my nose within a few inches of my wrist, I can smell the oud quite clearly, and it's not very pleasant at that close range. But unless you plan to sniff your wrists all day, this shouldn't be a problem. From a normal distance, the oud works to offset the vanilla, so you end up with a mostly vanilla fragrance that isn't as cloying as it could be.

This isn't the best oud fragrance I've encountered, if it's oud you're looking for. Still, it's a very nice vanilla scent that is unique because of the oud presence, and I can definitely see why it gets categorized as a unisex or even (on some online stores) as a feminine scent.

Black Vanilla Absolute is all about a boozy vanilla with some oud. The fragrance is very linear, there isn't really much going on aside from what you get from the opening. That's not necessarily a bad thing though as it smells really good!

There aren't really many such frags on the market with the exception of SDV from Guerlain and you can clearly feel the similarities between the two.

7/10

What we have here is Perry Ellis trying to create a oud fragrance since the rest of the universe is heading into that direction. Do they succeed in doing so? I think not!

This is your typical cheap, synthetic smelling fragrance that you could find in Macy's. The oud is barely there if at all, the vanilla is bland yet sweet & rather annoying to my nose. Typical for this house.

While it lasts a reasonable amount of time,
(8) hours & projects at a decent length & the price is perfect for what you are getting one can't really make to many gripes about this scent, that is if you are looking for quality than I would suggest you run for the hills because you won't find that here.

Over all I'd give this a average rating for what it is. Nothing ground breaking here, I would suggest this to somone who does not want to spend alot of money yet wants a somewhat of a Tobacco Vanille effect. Just dont expect this to smell like Tobacco Vanille. A pass for me.

This isn't bad. It just smells like a light Vanilla aftershave splash for men. It's not terribly masculine, it just doesn't smell like the vanilla most women wear. If OUD is in this, it is hiding, so do not get it for that. The only way I can use this is to lotion up, after the shower & generously spray myself down. THEN "Hope" to get at least a light vanilla skin scent all day. I would still put another perfume at least around my chest area, this isn't strong enough for me. I have never smelled The Guerlain Vanilla perfume, but I hope to goodness it is better than this with all of the hype it gets. I consider this basically a waste of $36 TBH. It would be ok after a soak in the tub & before bed. Maybe. Blind buy, but "My bad". I love Vanilla, but this is not my thing. IF I would have smelled this in a store, I would have put it down & kept on moving...

Imagine you’ve fallen into a vat of creamy, vanilla infused creme brûlée and you will experience this fragrance.
I almost chewed my arm off this morning....

I love Vanilla. I used to just straight up use vanilla extract as perfume when I went to high school. I would dab it behind my ears and on my wrists. I had friends tell me I smelled like cake. An old lady stopped me at Wal-Mart once and told me I smelled like cookies. So, the love affair with Vanilla has been a multi-decade affair. I have YSL’s Black Opium and love it to pieces. It’s a very in-your-face, deliciously sweet vanilla scent. I wanted something a bit drier, more vanilla woodsy/tobacco. I had been looking into Tom Ford’s Tabacco Vanille when I came across this much more affordable option. I ordered it and fell in love with it instantly. It’s such a nice, dry and boozy kind of vanilla. It’s very different from Black Opium. I’ll definitely be buying more of this when I run out!

This one is a very nice surprise considering how inexpensive it is. I wore Perry Ellis 360 for several summers about 15-17 years ago and can attest that for the price Perry Ellis produces good quality so I didn't hesitate to buy BVA blind plus I adore vanilla and oud. It does have an initial chemical blast that takes a few minutes to settle. The oud is there but not overwhelming by any means with a mix of smoky tobacco. The drydown is a lovely not too sweet boozy vanilla that lasts a long time especially on clothes. On skin, it is very close. This is more masculine but it's very wearable on a woman.

I sometimes combine this with Estée Lauder's Amber Mystique and the combination is beautiful and long lasting. You'll definitely enjoy this in the Fall and Winter while wearing your coziest warm sweater.

This fragrance is very middle eastern this what you smell in middle eastern weddings
I'm very happy to see PE release a very good fragrance.
If you like vanilla will mixed with white flowers and a hint of oud you gonna love this one
Scent: 6/10
Versatility: 7/10

Here on Fragrantica it says for woman and men. But on Amazon it says For Men. Is there 2 different versions? On Amazon reviews indicate it's masculine. I want to buy this for my wife as she loves vanilla and oud. But she does not like to wear masculine fragrances. She's Ms Feminine... like VERY feminine. So is there 2 versions? One Unisex and the other for men?

I got my bottle from Notino for $30 and would've been just as happy at double the price. This is a really pleasant scent. I get vanilla, amber, the lightly boozy rum and the oud. This is a very mild oud so if you're not a huge fan or think it might turn you off I suggest you give it a shot because it's pretty tame. The I don't find the oud synthetic it's just not an up front, in your face BOLD oud. You could honestly wear this year round, but of course due to the composition it lends its perfectly for fall and winter. I love Mugler A Men and the pure flankers line, but I have to admit I prefer this over PH or PM. A really great frag and a bargain for me!

Nice very mellow vanilla not gourmand with light tobacco drydown. Apparently white tobacco is a less caramelly and less amber more floral tobacco very nice for the price. Not really any oud but a slightly incense only. Long lasting. I am a woman this is good for people that does not like too much sweetness in vanilla or tobacco.

Great vanilla with some really good booze that also reminds me of Pure Malt (just that note but it's tame here). The oud is quite synthetic and annoying till it reaches the drydown. okay and acceptable longevity with very polite performance! I love it. My scent for meetings and presentations.

I find this to be a very nice scent to be worn on any occasion. I would say this is a fall or winter scent (got it the 1st day of May lol) so I may have to wait for a slightly cooler day to rock this scent. So far I find it does have a slight synthetic / mall juice undertone but other than that it is a slightly boozy vanilla juice with slight hints of incense out and tobacco. For the price it is a steal ($30 US online discount sites). Enjoy!

Finally got to try this, and it's quite good! Surprisingly, the boozy aspect has a tad similarity to Roja's Enigma/Creation-E Pour Homme! Definitely worth the $30 if you can still get that price, but if you have to spend more than $40, just get Dua's Enigma clone "An Evening with The Mobster."
Personally I'm not crazy about vanilla scents, and this one is not distinctive enough for me.

Opens up as vanilla extract then dries down to medicinal vanilla. I really like the opening but as the time goes on this starts to smell a bit artificial. If you are a vanilla aficionado i guess this one is for you.

Smell: 6/10
Longevity: 6/10
Projection: 6/10

I just bought this blindly from reviews. I'm a gourmie-fiend and I love spicy/booze/thick vanillas.

This to me is all tobacco sweet. (reminds me of the tobacco-like smell of Jeanne Arthes Boum Vanilla-Apple) Sniffed up close I def get the thick rum, but the sillage of it is all tobacco.

I still like it. Just not quite my holy grail of thick smoky spicy boozy vanilla. Haha.

Not the biggest fan of the opening, as it is pure vanilla extract like for cooking. After a few minutes, it becomes a nicer, almost medicinal vanilla which was nice to me. Also of note, the wife does not care for this one, so maybe not a crowd pleaser.

A very simple fragrance but it works! I get the rum, vanilla, oud, tobacco but it's simplicity and composition is what I find striking about this fragrance. It doesn't have good projection which is preference, but the dry down on my skin last about 10hrs. I'm wearing this right now and find it to be a competent winter scent yet I'd argue and say it's more a year round scent. I'm impressed...my first fragrance from PE.

Lovey combination of vanilla and oud. Performance not quite up to the job and needs more application thru the day but the price allows for liberal use at $100AUD for 100ml bottle.
I'll call it a 'safe' blind buy if you're a lover of the key notes of vanilla and oud.
Enjoying my small decant and plan to buy a full bottle.


Scent; 8/10
Performance; 5/10.

Reasonable price tag.

I just picked up a bottle of this from Fragrancenet, and all I can say is...I really like this. I like boozy fragrances, but this fragrance...with the rum and vanilla, very faint oud, with the amber and mild tobacco base....this is very sexy stuff. I have never owned a Perry Ellis fragrance, but this is good stuff. Beautiful, warm, sexy...

NuclearOud - they already did

I like the scent but I'm not getting much longevity out of it. It's a great cool weather scent but...

the smell is awesome but the longevity is very poor. i won't be able to smell it on me after a couple of hours.

Fire in the hole, vanilla bomb incoming! I never really considered myself a fan of vanilla, but by coincidence the last three bottles I have bought have all have a strong vanilla component (the other two being Spicebomb Extreme and Franck Boclet Tobacco, both gorgeous to my nose).
On first spray I was like, meh. But when I went back to it, KABOOM. Boozy soaked vanilla settles down to a creamy and woody vanilla with hint of oud and tobacco, awesome. Performance is also good , excellent value for money I paid £45 (about $55) for 100 ml bottle. The other day, I spritzed one spritz of this on the back of my hand and forgot about it. Later that day I went out on my bike. When I moved my hand, I kept getting these whiffs of this gorgeous smell, I could smell it through my cycling glove! Go and buy a bottle before they reformulate this SOB.

This fragrance is too legit to quit! Rum laced with vanilla up front for a few hours then glorious oud-y/tobacco-ambergris on the back end! I get 12 hours on my skin and it projects well enough for my sensibilities. A fantastic price point too, what more could a fragrance fanatic ask for?

Yes this is nice boozy rummy vanilla, with a hint of wood, it reminds me a little of Eau de Baux. My only complaint is that it is just to soft, the longevity is OK thou.

Sadly nowhere locally where I try this,so I'm gonna do a online blind buy and hope for the best! I'm hoping I can update with some further positive info,but as with most things;fragrances are subjective!Thank you all for you opinions.

When BVA was first released, it was an immediate sensation. Apparently Perry Ellis didn't do a good marketing analysis and so production ran dry. People watched in astonishment as their $30~35 purchase began to triple in value. And for a brief moment, even more than that.

The sensible people would have waited, if patience could be mustered... for it took nearly 8 months! And sure enough, production returned. Now you can get this for around $40~60. I finally took the plunge. Despite all of the exaggerated hype that floated about the first time around, a few reviews by people with who I share similar tastes drove me to pick up a bottle.

This is good. Very solid, decent fragrance for a sub $50 price (which can be had as low as $39 if you look hard enough). It's a boozy spicy vanilla. Simple. Easy to enjoy. And it doesn't have that "cheap synthetic vanilla" thing going on that you often encounter with inexpensive fragrances. And last but not least, the presentation is quite nice. The bottle cap especially. A gold plated heavy duty cap that snaps neatly into place.

Will it go up in price again? Knowing Perry Ellis, they probably overproduced it this time. Doubtful it will appear on the super discount rack for $15, but it's certainly a worthwhile buy from $30~49.

7.5/10.

Boozy vanilla, Tobacco and oud... This takes me right into my comfort zone. This is delicious and intoxicating. I think I might have a new favorite here :)

Don't forget about this gem guys! It was so hyped at one point you had to join a waiting list to get it and if you found it in between it was like $90 bucks!
This is a fantastic vanilla booze and western oud composition that for the price is amazing. This statement coming from a niche dominate collection means a lot. This was blended to perfection. Like a aged liquor is a oak barrel for years.
Highly recommend to blind buy this
A must for the cool weather!
10/10

This is really, really sweet.
At first when I spray it is all bubble gum and donut's dough...about 20 min. Later it does smell an expensive vanilla, but really sweet.
I never tried SDV but I do have Le Counvent des Minimes - Eau des missions and everyone says it smell like SDV... therefore, I bought Black Vanilla thinking it would smell similar, but no, this is waaaaay sweeter, almost sickening.
I do not really get the woods I get with Eau de Missions, and considering I am on a journey for trying oud scents (that's what happen when you travel to places like Dubai. You get to try REAL Oud) but hey, there is absolutely NO Oud here on Black Vanilla, honestly. Maybe a syntethic thing they though it would smell like oud but sorry, no.... no oud here.
Anyways... It still a nice scent if you like the deep sweet, warm side of vanilla.
I also think the 100ml bottle is way to big. They should have a smaller bottle option for those who are not so sure they can go through 100ml of this scent.


By the way, if you like Eau des missions you should try Laya by Ne'emah - they are really similar Laya has the real oud in there.

Great boozy vanilla scent, nothing more to say. The longevity is great, I can still smell it on my skin after 12 hours. The only thing is the projection kinda sucks (I have a bottle from the newly released batch). For the first couple of hours you'll get noticed, but after that it becomes a skin scent.

But nevertheless, for the price, it's well worth it. I am not impressed of the projection but I am impressed of the longevity. I will most probably buy it again after I finish my bottle.

just got it after all the fuss of out of stock ,reformulated already ?weak as piss, blast of rum!/alcohol more like its no oud wood not worth half the price ,after all that wait and hype did i miss something with not getting the original release ?

Sil: 6/10
Long: 8/10

If you love Fahrenheit Parfum, or L'occitane eau de Bavx you will love this one too.

70% Vanilla
10% Rum
20% White Tobacco

Perfect for dateing or a romantic dinner.

This is a beautiful boozy vanilla that can be worn by both men and women. It really does remind me of both Guerlain's expensive Double Vanille and the affordable but sometimes hard to find Les Couvent des Minimes. The rum and vanilla combo is very addictive and quite scrumptious! The dry down on me turns sensually smoky, rich, rum-my vanilla with soft hints of oud. What a budget-friendly treasure! Got it from Beautyspin for $50. The look and feel of the bottle is so elegant, akin to those expensive niche bottles. Surely smells and looks like the price will be at least doubled for the quality. Both sillage and longevity is also good. Lasted about 8 hours from the first time I sprayed it.

I missed out on ordering this and got on the waiting list. I decided to pick it up. I wonder since the reviews were so good if they reformulated it with this new batch? I am not impressed. Anyhow if you don't wish to read a mediocre review, skip reading further.

I am unfamiliar with the Guerlain that it is compared to therefore I cannot comment on the likeness. What I can say is from a semi experienced nose this is absolutely NOTHING special at all. I was expecting this orgasmic juice in a bottle. What I get is a very standard vanilla OUD. Does it smell bad?? Absolutely not it smells nice but it is nothing whatsoever special and do not feel compelled to get it, your not missing much at all. I have 24 gold Scentstory and if you ask me, that is one hell of a gem. It outperforms and is in a far higher league then this.

The bottle for Perry Ellis is gorgeous heavy and stout and the box is also classy. The packaging has a masculine edge. I am female and think it's a great unisex scent. Perry Ellis does have that rum note that Scentstory is missing yet they smell quite close with Scentstory being a more in your face fragrance.
.

Perry Ellis Oud Black Vanilla Absolute Review:

This scent opens up with a very nice rum note. This note is sweet and maintains the perfect level of booziness. It certainly does not come off as sharp or abrasive. I was worried that this note would just be present in the first few minutes and then disappear for the rest of the fragrance. I was pleasantly surprised.

The rum note does take a backseat to the vanilla after the opening, but it doesn't go away completely. Instead, it mixes in with the vanilla to make a wonderful boozy scent. The amber in the dry down holds this fragrance together beautifully. Even though this fragrance has Oud in it's title, it certainly isn't one of the key players in this fragrance. It's only ever in the background of the boozy vanilla smell. The only problem I have with this smell is that, very rarely, it can come off as just a little too sweet.

I would check this one out if you like vanilla or boozy fragrances. This would be a perfect choice for the colder months. That being said, I have worn this in the hotter weather and it worked perfectly fine. I also think this is a great unisex fragrance. While I do love wearing this one, I would certainly be happy if I went on a date with a woman who was wearing this.

The biggest problem with this fragrance is it's availability and prices online. For some unknown reason, Perry Ellis has only put a limited amount of these bottles out on the market. I luckily paid only $40 for my bottle. Do I think the smell and quality of this fragrance is worth $100? I do. That being said, I think one of the biggest benefits of Perry Ellis is that you're spending less money for a quality smell. People selling bottles of this for $200 seems like such a cheat. Here's to hoping Perry Ellis listens to the consumer and produces more of this gem.

Best Age Group- 20+
Best Season(s)- Fall/Winter
Occasions- Dates, Casual, Formal, Work
Projection/Sillage- Moderate
Longevity- 11 Hours
Smell- 9/10
Overall- 9/10

YouTube Channel: theaveragecologneguy

they just restock and raised the price, now it's 59$ on frag... not worth it at this point.

If anyone has an unloved bottle of this, or a decant to swap, please PM me! I haven't smelled it yet, but I am surely curious.

I have a bottle for sale email me at [email protected]

Have an extra bottle. PM me if interested.

Got this before the hype. Was ordering a fragrance online, this was recommended and I liked the notes and description. Was only £40 so thought why not.

It's okay. More on the feminine side, a soft, boozy vanilla. Oud? Hmmm maybe a touch but certainly not noticeable or lasting too long. I get a warm, cheapish vanilla vibe from this. Great bottle and box. Opening is nice. Projection is bad.

Don't purchase on the hype. It's not "that" scent.

6/10

I've never smelt SDV, but those that say this is along the lines of a more woody/less sweet 24 Gold aren't too far off IMO.

But instead of the raspberry pastry like drydown in the ScentStory, this delicious PE offering has replaced that with a touch of boozy rum thrown in to turn this into a much more masculine vanilla....and honestly this is what I had hoped the ScentStory creation would have been. I liked 24 Gold, but found it quite hard to wear with it's unrelenting sweetness and projection.

Black Vanilla Absolute is much more wearable for me and it lasts FOREVER on my skin. I also find the sillage/projection very good without being over the top/in your face.

Terrific frag Perry Ellis!!!!

This is awesome! Truly a heavenly scent that lingers for days on clothes, a full day on skin. The bottle is heavy and elegant. This is a fragrance that whispers class. Warm and inviting.
10/10

@Bigsly I know is hard to believe but Perry Ellis use a blend of highest quality vanilla extracts in this fragrance: Vanilla Absolute and Vanilla CO².

The other main note is indeed rum. But the background notes, the oud, the amber and the tobacco are adding to this fragrance a nice depth and complexity.

So, to answer your question, the fragrance is not smell like plain cheep vanilla and rum. :)

Very similar to: "Cologne of the Missions Le Couvent des Minimes" with more longevity and projection

Perry Ellis Oud Black Vanilla Absolute has been the recipient of a lot of hype due to its alleged similarity to Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille, and I agree that the two are very similar.

OBVA is a refined vanilla scent that gets to the very heart of what makes vanilla great--the bean without the caked-over, artificially-heavy vibe. It might be ever so slightly boozier than SDV, so it leans toward Tauerville Vanilla Flash in that respect. OBVA still is not as refined and strong (in terms of projection and longevity) as SDV, but it's decently close in both respects. Certainly a reasonably-priced substitute if it becomes available again at under 20% of the cost of SDV.

I haven't tried Le Couvent Des Minimes - Eau Des Missions but this is generally described as a lighter SDV clone, so I'm assuming OBVA has to be similar.

OBVA is a superb vanilla scent, so even though I already own SDV, I would still opt for a bottle of OBVA if still available at circa $60 for 100ml on Beautyspin. Only at a significantly higher price would this become questionable. Still, SDV is worth owning in its own right as the preeminent vanilla scent in terms of refinement and strength.

8 out of 10

I love, love this perfume! The Black Vanilla Absolute is sweet but yet very sophisticated. It togles the line on being unisex as if you as a man don't like a sweet soft smelling perfume, then this one is not for you. Also, it has incredible sillage! Will buy another one before I run out!!

simple outstanding! Nothing else to say about this. The moment I open the box, the beautiful smell, the vanilla! Just wonderful. Can't say much else. This is my opinion on it. Got to get another bottle before the price rise, I can guarantee that it will!! So relaxing of a smell, warmer and comfort. You just can't go wrong with this. Run and get it!

Maybe it's because this fragrance is so new, there's differing info floating around; some places call it for men, others for women, and some say both. Not that big a deal I suppose, but just yet another hiccup when trying to find this stuff for full-bottle purchase. But as of now, it's pretty hard to find.

Ever since I discovered Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille, I've been on this "vanille" kick and have been searching for something affordable and as comparable to SDV as possible. Before this, I always immediately dismissed vanilla-scents as feminine, and boy have I been missing out! So now, foolishly, I blindly compare occasional vanilla-oriented scents to what I have left of my SDV; I know it's not fair but I do it anyway.

Okay, sorry for rambling, on with it I suppose? Okay. This stuff, Black Vanilla Absolute; it's lovely! For me, it's a vanilla cognac served on a dry wooden coaster that emanates a woodsy smell as you sniff your drink. Light for an EdP and also for a vanilla-dominant fragrance, vanilla can often times overwhelm but it's just right here, even leaving you wanting slightly more.

I'm sold. If this stuff wasn't so damn hard to find, I'd already own a full bottle. I would rate this 9/10 for me; it's not a "perfect 10" but it really fits the bill for my current vanilla phase. And for the record, it's close enough to Spiritueuse DV that I marked it "reminds me of", but it's definitely not as potent nor exactly like it.

I'm not really inclined to a full review as I just got a 1ml decant off eBay . I did however just spray it all over my hand wrist and shirt.
Wow.
This stuff smells great. Such a sweet, but not cloying sweet. It's defiantly just a very pleasing scent to the nose. I'm really impressed that this designer house has come up with this scent, I mean I like the way this smells over a lot of my niche fragrances I've dropped lots of cash on in the same category.
It's been running strong for a few hours. If you're wondering if your going to smell an oud note like the one in oud alif, no. Like tom ford oud wood, no. Like the one in scent story 24 gold, mmmmmm gettin close, but it's one I've never really smelt before. I get more of a sandlewood, sweet tobacco with a divine vinialla note going on here, but instead of discerning the notes and thinking about all that, I just want to enjoy the intoxicatingly good aroma while it lasts.
My only problem with this fragrance right now is how HARD it is to find. I'm NOT paying $100 for a cheap designer either so if someone wants to help one fragrance connisour to another, can you please PM me if you have a bottle to sell? I'm not picky as long as it has the cap. Thanks!!

Edit update 12/7/2015

Thanks to the more than helpful and nice fragrance community, I was just informed that beautyspin.com just restocked this fragrance. If I were you, I'd jump on it. I got a couple. If you use code SANTA10 you will get 10% off your order all December. This is going to be one of them fragrances that people will pay ridiculous amounts for here in the next couple years when it s gone. That or I hope it drives down Guerlain SDV prices...

This one to me is much more like SDV from guerlain than it is eau de missions. Eau De missions to me never really captured the boozy dark vibe of SDV. Perry ellis has. And it hurts to say that. I have not been impressed with anything from perry ellis in decades. Everything would be lacking from the presentation to the performance to the quality of the smell in general. My only gripe with this one is the initial blast has a faint alcohol smell and then a slightly synthetic oud that resembles the garbage that nu parfums use. That note is fleeting though and it becomes much closer to the guerlain it seems to give a nod to. Longevity on me is amazing. Both sillage and projection are moderate on me but I am fine with that. For me its not the type of scent I want screaming from the rooftops anyways. And that was always my issue with SDV. I love it but I know others may not. And I am not the type who wants to choke others out and force my smell on them. I would say this is the best release from perry ellis period. Some will say, "that aint saying much" and it isn't. But I really do feel if this said Armani, chanel or Dior people would take it seriously. Oh and I forgot to mention. The bottle and box rival anything in the designer game. The quality is above and beyond anything I expected.

I really like this one. A pretty simple but nicely done perfume. It opens with very boozy and vanilla notes. After 30mins, synthetic/medicinal oud starts to show. The tobacco note is very mild, subtle. The fragrance is lightly sweet because of the vanilla, a bit feminine but I still like it.
I wish the performance could be better. After 1-2 hrs, it becomes a skin scent.
Rating:
Scent: 9/10
Projection: 6/10
Longevity: 8/10
Versatility:8/10 (only good in cool/cold weather. Best in Fall, not much in Winter because of the poor performance)
Overall: 8/10
A nice, simple fragrance for someone who loves boozy/oud/ vanilla scents. I don't think it smells similar to SDV since it lacks of the smokiness of SDV. I got it for $45, so I'm happy with it.

Excellent! Perry Ellis makes a few really nice fragrances that are just as good, if not better, than the original designer's they copy. And I enjoy having them around because they are inexpensive and a great value. However, they make a bunch of...well, let's just say lackluster fragrances. So it's hard to image Perry Ellis making something original and of niche-like quality.

I took at a chance and a did a blind-buy of a bottle of Oud Black Vanilla Absolute after reading the positive comments and reviewing the notes pyramid. It was reasonably priced so I could give it a relative if I didn't like it. Let me just say that I will be keeping this one.

The opening was nice and I remember thinking to myself that it was a pretty good scent, but nothing that was noteworthy or grabbed my attention. But as the fragrance started to develop, I was loving it a 20-minutes later and for the next 8+ hours it remained on my skin. I found Oud Black Vanilla Absolute to be a terrific boozy-vanilla fragrance with a niche-like quality and excellent performance...8+ hours on my skin and above average projection. Moreover, the bottle was solid and well presented. Definitely one of the best releases ever from Perry Ellis.

I wore this fragrance out this evening and received several compliments. The only drawback is that it's not a unique scent since it smells similar to SDV, Cologne of the Missions and a couple of my Middle Easter oriental-vanilla fragrances. However, it is a bargain at $50 per 100ml. Moreover, I don't feel it's redundant having this one in my collection because it does have it's own unique character and charm. Someone mentioned that it reminded them of SDV mixed with a just a touch of M7. At least that's the feeling it evoked when I wore it.

Finally, I have to say that I will no longer be recommended Cologne of the Missions to anyone looking for a less-expensive alternative to SDV...I will now refer them to take a close look at Perry Ellis Oud Black Vanilla Absolute. A really great fragrance.

Black Vanilla Absolute by Perry Ellis is one of three releases from their Oud collection. It was released in 2015 and has been putting the frag community in a headlock ever since. U know how like good frags get broken down names...like La nuit, Lidge, DHI, TDH, Well guys make room for BVA. I really like masculine vanilla scents and after I learned about the new line of Perry Ellis fragrances and realized one was a boozy Vanilla/Amber scent, I had to blind buy it immediately and hope for the best. I mean after all I was buying a perry ellis frag and only liked One frag the ever made which was Red...

Boy has my faith been rewarded. I've been wearing Black Vanilla Absolute for a couple weeks str8 and it is an amazingly beautiful scent. You know its great when a reviewer uses the words "Amazing" and "Beautiful" back to back...lmao. But seriously this is one of my favorite scents in my collection and I've only had it for a few days. I have many scents that are arguably better but there is just something about this that just blows my mind. Maybe its the fact that I just still can't believe PERRY ELLIS made this...

The vanilla in this is smooooooooooooth and the amber has a resinous character to it. Im also a huge fan of resinous scents. Combined, vanilla and resinous Amber have a deep sweet character that I love and this is no exception. Normally Vanilla based scents are more feminine to my nose but this is not. This is no Eau Duelle by Diptyque ...Women can wear it if they choose but this scent, regardless of its sweetness, the booziness makes it lean more masculine to me. It makes me think of a rich man reading an old book in the library of his mansion while sipping rum on a leather Chesterfield. It has a rich and sophisticated vibe that persists throughout the entire life of the fragrance and is seductive. Women will appreciate this on a man.

Speaking of the "life of the fragrance" this one is very interesting. It lasts for about 8 hours on my skin but it projects mildly. I didn't get enveloped by a scent cloud that followed me everywhere I went. I'm shocked by so many saying they get Heavy Sillage (maybe olfactory fatigue sets in on this) because to me its more moderate. People noticed me but I didn't drown them in boozy vanilla...And I'm glad of this. I'd not want this scent to be too loud even though I do enjoy loud scents but this smells waaaaaaaaay to good to be at a high school level loudness. Besides a vanilla that is toooo loud verges on the fem side of the tracks and I'm glad the perfumer of this scent held back. As with all boozy or vanilla scents this would work best in the fall or winter. But I dig this smell so much and since its not a going to suffocate, I'm eager to try this during Spring and summer nights.

I received 3 unsolicited compliments while wearing it before I walked out of my apartment building. No exaggeration. The elevator stopped on two floors and both times a female neighbor walked on and asked what I was wearing. And as I was walking out the building I passed a neighbor who was walking in and she said "wow...U smell great". That was all I needed to know...Who said a scent has to smell generic to be a crowd pleaser?

I won't lie though...I'm almost embarrassed to tell people I'm wearing Perry Ellis...lol...and when I do, I wonder if they feel embarrassed that they wanted to know about a Perry Ellis scent. lmao...First Dunhill Icon and Now Perry Ellis...I wonder when Liz Claiborne will be dropping a Gem. lol...I hope these amazing releases from once overlooked brands pushes the creativity of more respectable houses that have gone the generic route.

Simply Put...A brilliant fragrance from a surprising source...

10/10- I'm biased because I love scents like this...But I highly recommend trying.

9/10- If I were being unbiased....

YouTube Channel- Simply Put Scents

First impressions:

Blown away that Perry Ellis created this...Its deep that my favorite brands have been disappointing lately. For instance Chanel misleading customers by relabeling the Eau De Toilettes in the Allure line now as Eau De Parfum when the juices haven't changed in concentration one bit. Or Dior doing the ultimate "F**k it!" and creating Sauvage...

Meanwhile brands like Perry Ellis and Dunhill are creating GEMS worthy of the Chanel or Dior name as well as niche brands. Interesting times we're in when the "generic" designers are creating unique, quality fragrances that are actually interesting and the respected designers, known for their creativity and uniqueness, are now making boring, generic lower quality fragrances that all smell like a "Best Seller". The good thing of all this is while the masses continue to smell like each other, scents like this get overlooked. If u own this u will smell very good but won't smell like a million other people. Scents like this people remember you for wearing. The unfortunate things though is that because it will be overlooked this may lead to discontinuations and another amazing scent being fazed out. I truly hope that doesn't happen with this new release by Perry Ellis. Im very happy as a fragrance lover that the little guys are pushing the envelope. KUDOS PERRY ELLIS.

Simply put...An EXCELLENT blind buy candidate for those of you who like a smooth vanilla and boozy scent.

Full review coming soon...

YouTube Channel- Simply Put Scents

Well, what a surprise this one turned out to be!

I purchased a bottle of Perry Ellis Black Vanilla Absolute based on the fact that some have said it smells like Guerlain's Spiritueuse Double Vanille. I was very keen to try it and at the same time I was hoping that they were alike as the SDV is my signature scent.

As soon as I sprayed this on my arm I could detect smoke, incense, vanilla, patchouli (although not listed), light oud and rum, rum and more rum! The Tobacco is not prominent in this fragrance, it does not overpower the other notes at all. There is a subtle sweetness to it like the sweetness you would find in cinnamon based fragrances.
This is a rich, boozy, well blended beauty that is both sophisticated and perfect enough for day wear and night. This fragrance is all about the dry down, the opening felt like all of the notes were trying to combine to create a wonderful ending.
I would personally wear this scent in Fall and Winter, it is a perfect one to wear for the holiday season as it is warm, comfortable and inviting.
Now, the million dollar question, does it smell like SDV? Well lets just say that this could easily be SDV's flanker! Black Vanilla Absolute has more pronounced smoke to it, possibly coming from the Amber/Oud but I do see a slight resemblance in the dry down.
This scent is not so powerful so in order for you to enjoy a cloud around you, you would need a heavy hand while spraying. Longevity and projection are excellent. The price is incredibly affordable, the packaging and bottle are worth much more on their own! I am surprised (and glad!) that a company could make such a good quality perfume for so cheap!

Black Vanilla Absolute is a great name for this fragrance as it features a dark, booze-laden vanilla extract accord over a smooth, amber-oud base. When it opens there is a distinct and sweet bubblegum note that more or less dominates. It's different than the bubblegum from scents like Invictus and One Million however. I almost want to say that it's sweeter, and definitely airier with a kind of higher frequency. I've never smelled "white tobacco" before, but it's described as a sweet smelling floral similar to jasmine, and over the rum and vanilla it's probably what creates this effect. It smells like a powdery piece of original flavor pink gum and lasts intensely for about 10 minutes before dissipating. It's an interesting start, and somehow manages to avoid smelling synthetic.

Understandably, this reminds people of Spiritueuse Double Vanille, and it's certainly the booziest vanilla I've smelled since. If you're averse to rum, you definitely won't like this. There's a prominent rum note--a good one--but it's pretty strong, and hangs around for a while. So if you like rum...you're in luck! It also features a deep style of amber, which actually sits below the vanilla and creates a round, encompassing base working in tandem with the oud. Overall, everything is pretty well-balanced and harmonious. This is a very smooth and well-composed fragrance with average projection and good longevity. The only caveat with stuff like this is that you really need to make sure you like the notes as they are quite distinct--vanilla, rum, amber, oud, and white tobacco--all are very much present in Black Vanilla Absolute. This isn't one of those fragrances where you look at the note pyramid and scoff. Everything that's listed is there.

Personally, I think this is an excellent offering from Perry Ellis and possibly the best designer release of 2015. It feels more luxurious than its price would suggest and is more interesting than 90% of the stuff at Macy's. At the same time, it's comfortable and easy to wear. Black Vanilla performs well and is 100% unisex. Guys will enjoy this because there's no frou-frou florals or makeup notes floating around and women may like to wear it because it offers a deeper, darker vanilla alternative. PERRY F***KIN ELLIS! Who'd have thunk it? Thumbs up.

Yes! I'm glad to say that the fragrance exceeded my expectations.

The presentation is outstanding, the pictures don't make much justice to it. Beautiful box, heavy bottle, metallic cap, excellent atomizer, nothing cheep like CH Prive for example.

The juice is very well blended, is not an oud or a vanilla bomb. I get a Coca Cola Vanilla vibe, with rum, tobacco, oud and something fruity, maybe plums. Is kinda linear but that don't bother me to much because its smell is delicious.

The performances are good, nothing out of this world, but still very decent for this kind of fragrance, moderate projection with about 8h of longevity.

If you love fragrances like Dolcelisir, Eau des Baux, Tabac Rouge and you find a good price for it(40-50$), I guess would be a reasonable safe blind buy for you.

Is miles away better that many of the newer designer releases, like Ch Prive, Spicebomb Extreme or La nuit Intense!

Let me be the first to say Lighten can strike twice"and by that I mean that some years ago Perry Ellis did an exclusive fragrance for Neiman Marcus. I wonder when seeing this thinking "What on earth could this possibly smell like to get in a Neiman's store and it had a price tag to boot as well. I never got a chance to try that fragrance and felt bad for years thinking on what could've been a fantastic frag but let us fast forward to the "NOW" and speak on these three jewels. I have 2 already the Black Vanilla and the Saffron Rose and let just say these are very good. The suggested retail was 90+ but here in the states it's a bit cheaper with some sites creeping the price back up giving the word of mouth that's going on about this collection. The Black Vanilla is a cross between a Guerlains Double Vanlla and Missions Le Couvent des Minimes Vanilla. It's a softer version of the Double Vanilla and bit stronger the Missions Vanilla. It starts off almost unnoticeable for about 10min and then stays all nite. The rum makes the appearance first IMO then the Tabacco and then the Vanille, Amber and Oud(not a overpowering Oud ) brings it all together. I would suggest that you get these jewels while the price is still reasonable because where I paid 40+ for one the price has already shot to 60+....