Vanilla Royale Sugared Patchouli 64 by Kayali Full Review: A Scent Fit for a Queen
Kayali has just launched a new interpretation of one of the Vanilla accords, which is Vanilla Royale Sugared Patchouli 64, one of the most cherished notes. After their best-seller Vanilla 28 was called out for allegedly having short longevity, the founder, Mona Kattan, addressed those dissatisfied fans. With 64 modifications, Kayali came out with one of the most delicious yet complex Vanilla scents ever created.
“…The Vanilla note is always a part of our Kayali DNA but for this scent, I really wanted to show another side to this delicious raw material, make it something incredibly over-the-top and make everyone feel like the royal version of themselves!” Mona Kattan
The new Limited Edition is built around one of the most fragrantic and powerful Vanilla absolutes, or as it is referred to, Vanilla Surabsolute, which is usually sourced from Madagascar. “Madagascarian Vanilla” is known to have rich, complex and deep suede leathery nuances. This is supported by Vanilla Infusion which truly makes this composition a delightful overdose of Vanilla!
Once I sprayed Vanilla Royale Sugared Patchouli 64 on, I quite literally thought of a scene where Cleopatra arrives in Rome with her enchanting entourage, riding on a golden wagon ornamented with shimmering jewels and gemstones, with spiced “Golden Rum”. The fragrance gives off a rather sweet, rounded and warm cocktail-like booziness more than your traditional smoky oak-woody type. Vanilla, which is admittedly the main star of the show, soon after emerges like a phoenix in all her glory, resulting in that deep and even slightly leathery nuances, stemming from Vanilla Surabsolute.
After the intense “wig snatching” sensation, the delicious floral core of a rich bouquet of creamy textured Jasmine and very fragrant Rose blooms paints a picture of a dessert landscape after a romantic dinner. A classical French dessert Crème Brûlée accord mingles with Burned Brown Sugar accord creating that photorealistic feel of the deliciousness. It is a scent you can visualize if I may say so. To prevent the sweetness from going too far, Tonka brings depth and the warm nuances of Tobacco and Toasted Almonds.
The dry down gets even better as it deepens with Patchouli that has been dipped in thick liquid sugar. The Patchouli, golden Amber, and mighty Vanilla together emanate the opulence of the composition. The “Royal Oud”, as they call it, is quite tame and takes a back seat. Therefore, I wouldn’t say this is an oud fragrance by any means. It reminds me of the oud accord used in the Western perfumery. It, again, prevents the core from getting too sweet, giving the extra depth, complexity and woodsy texture to the scent.
Let’s make it clear. If Vanilla 28 is the princess, this one is the Queen regnant! I’m not comparing them to one another because they do differ a lot in terms of how Vanilla and Brown Sugar were balanced. The Brown Sugar acts like the side element for Crème Brûlée. Speaking of performance, there’s no chance that you enter a room unnoticed with this scent on you. It’s loud, radiating and sumptuous with that smoky gourmand edge. It lasts remarkably longer than any other Kayali I’ve tried, so I’d say that there’s no need to carry the bottle around with you on a night out unless you want to refresh that glorious opening which I really love.
My verdict in three words is “DING DONG, DARLING!” This is how I like my Vanilla; rich, golden and complex. Vanilla Royale Sugared Patchouli 64 is available in Eau de Parfum Intense form in 10ml for USD 27, 50ml for USD 100 and 100ml for USD 138.
