Review of Vanille Supermassive by Olga Steinfeld

I ordered this sample not because I’m particularly fond of vanilla, but simply because I hadn’t tried this fragrance yet. I tested it out of curiosity, without expecting it to really grab me. As it turned out, Vanilla Supermassive is actually quite difficult to describe as a vanilla fragrance at all. It’s spicy, resinous, balsamic, and I was glad that it wasn’t yet another classic vanilla. The composition opens with piquant bergamot and balsamic, slightly coniferous elemi. Fir balsam and labdanum conjure up an image of rough bark on a coniferous tree, with droplets of golden, fragrant resin sparkling on its surface. A touch of smokiness from patchouli appears, and up to this point, the vanilla remains firmly in the background: a quiet, introverted friend who sits unobtrusively in the corner, petting a cat. Then the fragrance becomes drier and more powdery – perhaps this is the ambroxan. And only at the very end does a soft, sweet vanilla trail emerge on my skin. I tested it several times, checking whether it would turn gourmand or overly sweet under different conditions, but nothing of the sort happened. It remains calm and unobtrusive, never overwhelming – a good everyday fragrance.