Vanilla Bean Noel is one of Bath & Body Works’ most popular fragrances, especially around the holiday season. With notes of creamy vanilla, caramel, chocolate, and musk, this scent evokes warm, nostalgic feelings of the holidays But what exactly does Vanilla Bean Noel smell like? I’m going to break it down note-by-note so you know exactly what to expect from this cozy, gourmand fragrance
An Overview of Vanilla Bean Noel’s Top, Middle, and Base Notes
First let’s quickly go over the main fragrance notes in Vanilla Bean Noel
Top notes Whipped cream vanilla
Middle notes: Caramel, chocolate, benzoin
Base notes: Sweet notes, musk
As you can see, this is a very gourmand, foody scent focused around everyone’s favorite baking ingredients – vanilla, chocolate, and caramel. The addition of musk and benzoin in the base also gives it a warmer, slightly sensual touch.
Now, let’s look at each note in more detail.
The Creamy, Sweet Whipped Cream & Vanilla Top Notes
Right at the top, you get a milky whipped cream note combined with heady vanilla absolute. This creates an ultra-creamy, custardy, almost frosting-like accord.
The whipped cream adds a light, airy sweetness while the vanilla grounds it with its characteristic rich, robust, slightly spicy aroma. If you’ve ever smelled fresh vanilla beans, the top notes will remind you of their intoxicating, vanilla extract-like scent.
Together, these notes create a sweet, edible aroma that smells like you just baked a batch of fresh vanilla cupcakes or sugar cookies. Yum!
Adding Depth with Caramel, Chocolate, & Benzoin
In the heart of the fragrance, notes of buttery caramel, velvety chocolate, and rich benzoin deepen the gourmand nuances.
The caramel note adds a slight burnt sugar nuance – think crème brûlée. It gives the scent a wonderfully warm, toasty quality.
The chocolateaccord evokes the aroma of creamy milk chocolate and cocoa powder. It’s not overly sweet but adds a lovely cocoa richness.
Finally, the benzoin resin blends with the vanilla to create a soft, balsamic, lightly spicy undertone. This prevents the fragrance from being too cloying.
A Sensual Base of Sweet Notes & Musk
In the base, nondescript sweet notes continue the gourmand theme. They likely include things like praline, brown sugar, maple syrup, etc – basically anything that smells edible and sugary!
The musk accord gives Vanilla Bean Noel a soft, skin-like finish. It adds a subtle sensuality to the otherwise very foodie scent. The musk works symbiotically with the benzoin to give more depth and edge to all the sweetness.
Putting It All Together: The Overall Scent Character
So how does Vanilla Bean Noel actually smell when you put all these notes together and spray it on?
Overall, the main thing you notice is warm, edible vanilla. The vanilla absolute is clearly the star of the show here.
Around the creamy vanilla, you get wafts of caramel, chocolate, and baked goods. It’s a very nostalgic, holiday-appropriate scent that evokes images of baking Christmas cookies or unwrapping presents by the tree.
Despite the sweetness, the musk and spices keep it from being too one-dimensional. It has a surprisingly sensual edge when dried down.
While it smells undeniably foody and gourmand, the drydown keeps it from being too juvenile. It strikes a nice balance between edible and a little musky/spicy.
When and Where to Wear This Cozy Scent
Vanilla Bean Noel is absolutely perfect for the colder months. It suits the holiday season exceptionally well. Think snuggling by the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa after being out in the cold winter air.
I’d also recommend it for anyone who just loves cozy, bakery-style gourmand scents year-round. It’s great for vanilla fans and ideal for layering with other fragrances. A spritz of this adds a lovely warmth and sweetness.
Due to the gourmand nuances, Vanilla Bean Noel works nicely for casual daytime wear. It’s a bit too foodie for the office or formal occasions. But running errands, weekend activities, and holiday gatherings are perfect opportunities to don this scent.
Of course, it also makes a wonderful scent for your home during the holidays. Diffusing the fragrance oil or lighting the candle will make your space smell like Christmas in no time!
Vanilla Bean Noel: Not Just for the Holidays!
While Vanilla Bean Noel has become a holiday staple, you can definitely wear it all year round if you love the scent! It’s especially nice for cool weather, but a spritz on a hot summer day gives a lovely dose of air conditioning.
If you’re a gourmand lover who can’t get enough of cozy, edible scents, this B&BW offering needs to be on your vanity. The vanilla, caramel, and chocolate notes bake up one yummy perfume that’s sure to satisfy your cravings!
So there you have it – a complete breakdown of what Vanilla Bean Noel smells like, from top notes to base. Now you know exactly what to expect from this delicious holiday fragrance. It’s the perfect choice for anyone looking to get their hygge on. Snuggle up with a blanket, grab a mug of cocoa, and get ready to enjoy Vanilla Bean Noel’s warm, nostalgic aroma.
Plus! FREE SHIPPING ON
$50 ORDERS
when you sign up for emails.*
This offer is only for people who sign up for the first time. You will receive personalized emails and ads from Bath. You can unsubscribe at any time.
BATH & BODY WORKS (CANADA) CORP.
4875 Marc-Blain, Suite 201, Saint-Laurent, Quebec, H4R 3B2
Emails may be tailored to your interests and online and offline purchases and behaviours. By signing up, you also agree that we can share your email address, other contact information, and information about what you buy in our store and online with social networking sites and other third-party platforms so that they can show you or other people ads that are more relevant to you.
If you do not want us to share your information with third parties for these reasons, you can submit your request by clicking here. In any email, there is a link that lets you choose not to receive marketing emails. For more information, including your right to see and change your personal information and to withdraw your consent, please see our Privacy Policy here. Your information will be transferred outside of your jurisdiction.
We’ve got some really great goodies coming your way:
Exclusive offers | Special events
| And so much more!
*Offer will be emailed within 72 hours of subscription confirmation.
If you’ve never signed up for emails before, you’ll get an offer in your email within 72 hours of confirmation.
Psst, hey! Are you there?
Your session is about to end.
Heads up! Your session has ended.
Any unsaved information may have been lost. Please, refresh the page to continue.
What Christmas Smells like: Vanilla Bean Noel
What does vanilla bean Noel taste like?
The opening of Vanilla Bean Noel is a mind-numbing blast of pure white spun sugar. It’s amazingly, transcendently sweet. I actually shouted expletives when I first sprayed it on my arms. The dry down is milky vanilla butter cookies that are literally sparkling because they are covered with granulated sugar.
What does vanilla bean smell like?
Vanilla Beans are truly remarkable. The pungent aroma is nearly impossible to describe because there is nothing like it. For many of us, though, that fragrance sends us spiraling into a wormhole of nostalgia. A genuine calmness washes over us and we begin to crave our favorite sweet treats and baked goods.
Does vanilla bean Noel smell like alcohol?
This review is for Vanilla Bean Noel, not all scents pictured. I ordered the mist and lotion online and got 2 pocketbacs in store. They all have no scent whatsoever. The mist and sanitizers smell of alcohol. The lotion has that distinct “unscented lotion” smell. It’s as if they forgot to put any fragrance into these products.
When did vanilla bean Noel come out?
Vanilla Bean Noel was launched in 2014. Top notes are Whipped Cream and Vanilla; middle notes are Caramel, Chocolate and Benzoin; base notes are Sweet Notes and Musk. For the winter holidays season of 2014, three new (reissued) collections are launched, including fragrance mists, scented lotions and other body care products.