I frequently talk about the potential of the gourmand fragrance style for innovation. That’s because it is the least explored perfume genre. Which is not equivalent to unexplored. We are at the point that it is mature enough to have generated its own characteristic ingredients and accords. Which means it doesn’t have to always be finding new frontiers. Sometimes it can sit back and enjoy what has already been elucidated as Skylar Vanilla Sky does.
Cat Chen
Skylar is another of the “clean” fragrance brands which have arisen over the last few years. Founder Cat Chen has created a full-service beauty brand of which perfume has been a part of. There have been six previous releases since their beginning in 2017. Ms. Chen has made an impression because she is not creatively directing towards the transparency trend. Her perfumes have had an extra bit of complexity along with some more heft than the typical “clean” perfume.
Vanilla Sky is the brand’s first foray into gourmand territory. Ms. Chen has shown that she is willing to have a collection which is representative of the prevailing trends. Vanilla Sky checks off a box. It is done through an axis of coffee, vanilla, and caramel.
It opens with what is being touted as a cappuccino accord generated through the proprietary “Smell-the-Taste” technology. Developed by Firmenich over ten years ago it has been used as a way of bridging food into fragrance. In this case the cappuccino is not as strong as I was hoping for. There is as much steamed milk as the bitterness of espresso. It is nice but it becomes overwhelmed by what comes next. A sweet vanilla and jasmine form the heart. As the caramel begins to ooze into sight so does a creamy sandalwood. It all forms a classic gooey gourmand fragrance.
Vanilla Sky has 8-10 hour longevity and average sillage.
I like that Vanilla Sky carries itself with a little more presence. I think with gourmands it works better. Ms. Chen has added another nice interpretation to her collection. If you want a good time gourmand Vanilla Sky can fill that order.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample provided by Sephora.
–Mark Behnke
