Dame Perfumery Scottsdale - Black Flower Mexican Vanilla (perfume review)

Heeeeellllllllllloooooooooo! Just in case you've forgotten, my name is Sun and I like perfume :)

It's been forever, and I am so sad that it has taken so long to get another post up. Between some new in-progress DIY home renovations (they'll eventually get published at rustyfarmhouse), Clint's awful work schedule and my wonderful baby that hates sleeping (unless I'm lying next to him, that is), I've barely had time to try any new perfumes attentively, let alone write about them.

But, I wanted to get a review of this one in before the spring fully hits and this recent wave of cooler weather has been a perfect time to wear Black Flower Mexican Vanilla (hereafter referred to as BFMV) again.

photo from Dame Perfumery Scottsdale,
artistry by Jeffrey Dame's father V. Dave Dame.

While there's probably hundreds of vanilla scents I've yet to try - so far BFMV is one of my favorites. It's a little bit foody without being sickly sweet or reminiscent of cake, cookies, frosting or ice cream. Ultimately it's vanilla - all grown up.

The opening is big and plush, like a cumulous cloud of dark, rich vanilla. Some slightly sharp citrus elements (I smell mostly grapefruit) cut through the cloud like bolts of lightning, but they're wrapped in the spicy warmth of nutmeg which keeps them from being overwhelming and gives BFMV a really unique character.

The strength of the vanilla tones down a bit in the heart, and this provides room for the florals to peek through. They're not strong and I personally couldn't identify the floral notes as gardenia and jasmine, but they are lovely. If I *really* sniff hard, there's a tiny bit of soapiness for me. The florals are slowly replaced by sandalwood in the early dry down, which makes the composition begin to feel lighter, like replacing a thick wool scarf with a cashmere scarf. 

Later in the drydown there's a lightly chewy, black licorice-y note. Usually I hate black licorice, but here it seems to just add texture to the vanilla rather than scent or overpower it, so I don't mind. The black licorice note reminds me a little bit of Un Bois Vanille, but BFMV isn't nearly as sweet.

And then there's the super late drydown. This part of BFMV is completely awesome in it's own right. Though the earlier stages of BFMV aren't super gourmandy on me, the late drydown smells like hot cocoa and s'mores. A touch of cocoa, a touch of vanilla, a little powdery graham cracker... Yum. It's the first time BFMV presents as sweet - but not overly so. I probably couldn't handle a strong overtly s'more from-the-get-go scent, but in the soft drydown, it's perfect. And it is enjoyable for a long time because the longevity of BFMV is really great - it lasts at least 24 hours on my skin. 

BFMV has usurped Eau Duelle to land in my top 3 favorite vanilla scents (along with Vanille Galante and Orchidee Vanille). Some may be able to wear BFMV year round, however vanilla (in general) feels a little heavy for me when the temps are up. As such, I think Black Flower Mexican Vanilla is especially wonderful on chilly fall/winter days. 

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My rating of Black Flower Mexican Vanilla: 4

1  -  - -  -  2  -  -  -  -  3  -  -  -  -  4  -  -  -  -  5

   Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation    

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Black Flower Mexican Vanilla as described by the Dame Perfumery website:  "The composition is vanilla absolute with touches of lemon, grapefruit, caramel, nutmeg, gardenia, jasmine, sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver, musk and tonka - but the ingredient list is less important than the final blend. " 

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Have you tried Black Flower Mexican Vanilla or any other Dame Perfumery scents?


*sample of BFMV originally obtained through Olfactif, but I also received a sampler set from the perfumer himself, Jeffrey Dame. Like all of my reviews, the review of BFMV was objective and unbiased, however I feel compelled to mention how sweet and generous Jeffrey is. His passion is truly to share perfume with the world. Very very reasonably priced samples and bottles are available at his website, and he has a free postcard sample program as well.