Maison Tahité
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The almond blossom and coconut blossom collide in the first moments, creating an almost creamy floral haze that's immediately softened by citrus zest—a bright thread that prevents the composition from cloying. The coconut reads more as a creamy textural element than a tropical note, suggesting lotion or warm milk rather than beachside indulgence.
Vanilla dominates without becoming saccharine, the vanilla blossom component adding a delicate, almost powdery quality that distinguishes this from straight vanillin. The patchouli begins its emergence here, creating a subtle earthy undertow that transforms the sweetness into something more complex, almost spiced—less candy, more cosmetics counter.
The patchouli and benzoin settle into a warm, slightly bitter base whilst the musk creates remarkable staying power on the skin. What remains is deeply creamy and intimate, almost like a scent drawn from the inner crook of someone's elbow after they've worn it through an entire day.
Vanillade announces itself as a deliberate contradiction—a gourmand fragrance that doesn't surrender to saccharine excess. Marie Duchêne has engineered something closer to edible perfumery than mere sweetness: the almond blossom and coconut blossom create a creamy, almost milky opening that softens the citrus zest's potential sharpness, whilst the double vanilla structure (straight vanilla molecule alongside the floral delicacy of vanilla blossom) prevents the composition from becoming a one-dimensional sweet cloud.
The real sophistication emerges in the base, where patchouli—earthy, slightly bitter—cuts through the creamy heart with a necessary grounding force. This is not a fragrance that floats; it anchors itself. The benzoin adds a powdery warmth, almost like heated almond skin, whilst the musk creates a second skin effect that feels intimate rather than projective. The spicy accord (likely derived from the interplay between patchouli and benzoin) introduces a subtle peppery undertone that prevents Vanillade from collapsing into pure dessert.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.8/5 (117)