Providence Perfume Co Vanilla Vellichor and Vanilla Vellum via Instagram
Vanilla has been having a moment for several years now, especially since the onset of the pandemic, when the craving for comfort scents began to blossom exponentially. This year has been a particularly vanillic one: let’s face it, there are few who spurn her versatile, decadent appeal, whether she is portrayed as woody, spicy, dry, or creamy. Given natural perfumer Charna Ethier’s hands-on penchant for creating her own aromatic materials, it was only a matter of time before she turned her attention towards chopping and macerating her own vanilla beans – to the tune of approximately ten pounds per each gallon of perfume. Providence Perfume Co. Vanilla Vellichor and Vanilla Vellum are their own dynamic duo; each showcases a different visage of vanilla. They are quite subtle when experienced alongside other fragrances, and less sweet overall, providing a ghostly veil of resinous charm. I honestly could not choose between the two, so I’m reviewing them both.
iStock vanilla orchid and beans
“Madagascar and Tahitian vanilla beans are hand chopped and macerated for a six month period infusing our vanilla fragrances with their exquisite natural aroma before we add additional layers of vanilla absolute and rare botanical essences to complete the final fragrance.” ~ Charna Ethier, natural perfumer
Providence Perfume Co Vanilla Vellichor Instagram
Providence Perfume Co. Vanilla Vellichor: If you are an avowed bookworm like me, the act of opening an older volume from a used bookstore is a reverential gesture: it’s a little dusty, a little musty, accompanied by the decidedly woody, resinous sweetness one attributes to the lignins in the wood pulp from which its pages are made.
old leather-bound books by Andrew Howe for Getty images
Clever Charna happened upon le mot juste from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig: vellichor. Koenig invented this compound noun which originates from vellum, parchment+ ichor, the fluid that flows in the veins of the Ancient Greek gods. Pick up the leather-bound hardcover; crack its spine ever so gently. From its well-worn leather (likely embossed) emanates an odor old as collective memory, warm and reassuringly familiar: dry, delicately animalic, lightly spiced (nutmeg), woody-sweet (vanilla, oud), and mellow (amber). Providence Perfume Co. Vanilla Vellichor commences with a nod of oud which initially reads as pronounced, possessed of a subtle leathery bite which melts into the background as the fragrance develops. This first hit is most compelling, and it is my favorite part of the perfume. Vanilla Vellichor develops rather quickly, resulting in a drydown that displays a crepuscular vanillic wraith – more shadow than light. It hugs the flesh and lingers for several hours as a skin scent. Notes: nutmeg, amber, vanilla, oud
Providence Perfume Co. Vanilla Vellum via the perfumer
Providence Perfume Co. Vanilla Vellum derives its inspiration from the sheer elegance of vellum parchment paper: in this instance, composed of cellulose fibers. Historically (and on occasion, to this very day), vellum was made from calfskin (hence vellum, from the French word veau); it is smooth and semi-translucent. In contrast to its kissing cousin Vanilla Vellichor, Vanilla Vellum is a more floral, honeyed haunting; you can smell their shared DNA, but they are far from identical twins.
Magna Carta from the British Library via wiki
Vellum begins with the most beautiful flash of bergamot: it’s stunning and brief. The lactonic tones which emerge are weightless and unctuous, perfectly companionable with white florals and floating musk. Vanilla Vellum is gauzily serene and subtle. I don’t believe that it’s possible to over-apply either fragrance; even if the preliminary impact delivers a more heightened experience, it will project intimately. Providence Perfume Co. Vanilla Vellichor and Vanilla Vellum are a study in delicacy and quality over volume, so one does well to acknowledge this and tailor their expectations accordingly. Notes: vanilla, whipped cream, lily, white musk, bergamot
I purchased these two fragrances from Providence Perfume Co. My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Photo courtesy of the perfumer
Thanks to the generosity of Charna Ethier we have a travel-sized bottle of either Providence Perfume Co. Vanilla Vellichor OR Vanilla Vellum for one registered reader in the USA, or a reader with access to a US address. To be eligible please leave a comment about what appeals to you in Ida’s reviews and which you would like to win Vellichor or Vellum. Draw closes 12/25/2024
Charna Ethier was a 2010 and 2012 Best of Scent Award recipient for best natural perfumer. She also received Michelyn’s Best of Scent award “For the hardest working Perfumer of 2014”
Please enjoy Ida’s 3 you should be wearing to celebrate Providence Perfume Co.’s 15th anniversary here
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