LAVANILA Vanilla Passion Fruit

I want to love LAVANILA, I really do. This fragrance line uses 100% natural ingredients including pure essential oils and active botanicals. In addition to fragrance, LAVANILA makes body wash, lotions, candles and lip balms in vanilla-based scents that sound positively divine: Vanilla, Vanilla Coconut, Vanilla Grapefruit, Vanilla Lavender, Vanilla Spice, Vanilla Blossom and now Vanilla Passion Fruit. The problem is that every product I've tried has disappointed me, and I want to like the line so badly that I've tried quite a few. The candles had no throw at all, the Vanilla Coconut shower gel smelled so off I actually returned it to Sephora, the Vanilla Grapefruit fragrance smelled like cat pea after a few minutes, the Vanilla Lavender deodorant..well, let's just say I would have been better off going without. I like the Lip Shines quite a bit and thought that the range had finally redeemed itself with Vanilla Passion Fruit. Two of my favorite scents in one!

"Experience this irresistible, long-wearing blend of passion fruit, guava, and peach nectar steeped in a warm base of sandalwood and Madagascar vanilla. Created by master natural perfumers, this love-attracting scent is uniquely infused with a romantic blend of powerful aphrodisiacs (blue lotus, clary sage, and juniper berry) prized for their seductive properties."

Doesn't that sound yummy and perfect? I found the product at Sephora today ($58) , spritzed it on a tester strip and was enthralled. It smelled SO good I just had to spray it on my wrist immediately! I left the store resolving to come back and buy it and went on my merry way. By the time I reached Loehmanns 3 blocks away I found myself asking "what IS that awful perfumel? It was like a cloyingly sweet Gucci Rush (my most hated fragrance ever. Lancome Tresor is a close second for what it's worth) on steroids! I thought it was the woman in the dressing spot next to mine until I realized, horrified, that it was ME. I was the one polluting Loehmanns smelling like cheap pink cotton candy coupled with the syrupy sweet Vanilla Fields of my teenage years.

Of course, this is the most enduring scent ever since it's been 4 hours and will absolutely not wash off or fade. I couldn't get my Bond No. 9 to last on my this way if I tried, but Vanilla Passion Fruit is not going anywhere! Of course your mileage may vary, but for me this is a migraine-inducing dud that refuses to dissipate. It's too bad because the first sniff is absolutely lovely. LAVANILA, I had such high hopes for you...