Kayali Vanilla 28 EDP: The hype is real

Kayali Vanilla 28 EDP review and price

PRICE: 100USD (Approximately P5,600+)

FROM: sephora.com

OTHER LOCATIONS: Available on sephora.com

THE VERDICT:

I despised Vanilla fragrances a lot back in the day. Quite odd for a girl who loves vanilla- flavored desserts, but vanilla fragrances, at least most that I encountered locally, were annoyingly synthetic. Another reason why I think I disliked vanilla a lot is the fact that I associate this fragrance so much with home and car fragrance. No thanks, I don't want to smell like a car freshener.

So I really couldn't wrap my head around why Vanilla is killin' it on Tiktok nowadays most especially with Gen Zs.

"You know vanilla has come a long way already. I think you should give it another shot." mused by a friend who's also a self- confessed fraghead.

So I started the journey with Sol De Janeiro's famed Cheirosa 62. Delicious. Gourmande vanilla but not the car freshener kind. My friend was right. Vanilla has changed for the better.

And so my rediscovery of vanilla began last year. I've read a lot about Kayali and the famous Vanilla 28 so I tried to find a way to get my hands on it.

Guess what? The hype is real. This is perhaps the best vanilla perfume rendition that I've smelled in a while.

Kayali is an Arabic word that translates to 'my imagination', a fitting name for a collection of highly customized and refined fragrances, and a nod to the roots of its founder, Mona Kattan, sister of the famous Huda Kattan.

28 stands for the number of rounds of formulation that this fragrance had to go through to achieve its

signature sweet-warm scent

 

Vanilla 28 is the most famous fragrance of Kayali. In fact, I would even argue that it's the hero fragrance because I have yet to meet a person who does not like or have Vanilla 28 as one of their fave fragrances by Kayali.

Top notes have vanilla orchid and jasmine. Heart notes have brown sugar and tonka bean. Base notes have amber, amberwood, patchouli, and musk.

What can I say? A very well- rounded vanilla. It starts off sweet, floral, and a bit spicy because of the patchouli note. It's giving Middle Eastern perfumery vibes, which is actually part of the plan. Middle East perfumes are beautiful and complex, and I love that Kayali decided to use it as inspiration. After a few seconds, a rich dose of vanilla comes in, giving the bright and spicy opening more sweetness and warmth. The base lends an even warmer and sweeter vibe due to amber and musk.

Aside from being a well- rounded vanilla, it smells so luxurious too. None of the car freshener and candle vibes that I have long associated vanilla with. It's sweet, warm, sexy, and sophisticated.

And did you know that this perfume is meant to be layered with other perfumes and can even be used as a veil? I've tried it with other perfumes though I found that it works best if layered with a gourmande or amber fragrance. Unfortunately, a majority of my perfumes are floral. I don't mind though because I love wearing this perfume on its own.

Staying power is okay, but can be improved. Sillage is strong, projection is mid, and trail is weak; not the type of fragrance that leaves an aura in the room. If there's one caveat with the fragrance, it's that the juice tends to stain clothing so be wary when spraying it on light colored clothing. I've used it on light- colored clothes though and glad that I did not experience any staining, thankfully.

What made me more pleased is the fact that it's a blind buy. Brave yet scary decision, but I'm glad that the perfume and I have worked out in the end. Kayali Vanilla 28 is my current favorite year- round vanilla fragrance along with Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille.

Is it a safe blind buy? I think I just got lucky because I've had blind buy that I disliked too. Since this perfume is quite on the strong side because of the spicy note, I would say that it's best to get a decant/trial version first because I've also seen as many individuals who ended up regretting their Vanilla 28 blind buys as those who ended up loving it.

Have you tried Kayali fragrances already? What are your favorites?