KAYALI
VANILLA CANDY ROCK SUGAR | 42
2024
CANDIED PEAR
SWEET VIOLET
RUM
YLANG-YLANG
MARSHMALLOW
VANILLA CREAM
JASMINE
LABDANUM
WHITE CARAMEL
BUBBLE GUM
JELLYBEAN
TONKA BEAN
VETIVER
SANDALWOOD
cashmeran
PATCHOULI
ROCK SUGAR
KAYALI SIGNATURE ACCORD
‘Live your sweetest fantasy with our newest baby. Inspired by Mona Kattan’s love fro candy and mouthwatering notes, Vanilla Candy celebrates one of the most desired notes in fragrance with its delicious blend of sweet ingredients. Notes of glazed candied pear and bubble gum playfully enhance the fruity, candy-like sweetness with tempting vanillic explosion at the heart, magnified by warm and woody notes of tonka bean, sandalwood and patchouli.’ – Kayali
Where to begin with a fragrance release like Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar… It would be remiss of me to review this fragrance, without taking into account the cult-like craze surrounding Kayali and this launch. If you’re part of the cult, you may want to skip over the next paragraph.
Here’s the thing: On one hand, you have a decent release here and I can totally see why people enjoy wearing this. By no means do I mean to undercut any individual’s opinion on a fragrance that they are happy with. On the other hand, you need mental gymnastics or a strong bias to turn Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar into anything special or elevated. This could arguably be the most overhyped release I’ve seen in my 4,5 years of reviewing fragrances. And the craziest thing about that statement is, that the fragrance isn’t bad! While fragrances are obviously a subjective thing, it can feel like any reasonable balance has been lost, as lately has been the case with Kayali. I hold objectiveness in high regards and all situations in which reviewers turn into brand-loyal, devoted fans, leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. While this particular fragrance doesn’t necessarily need any harsh criticism, you can chalk this paragraph up to being my purposefully critical whisper in a crowd of loud dogmatic voices.
Back to the scent. This was, among other things, hailed as ‘Vanilla 28‘s little sister’ and I guess that can ring true, given that it is indeed a vanilla scent. However, for me (Vanilla 28 being arguably my favorite from the brand), Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar has only added facets that make it less to my taste and definitely less mature. I don’t get the particular ‘darker’ vanilla and woody vibe from Vanilla 28 in here, so I wouldn’t really describe it as a lighter take on a similar DNA. Liking Vanilla 28 doesn’t assure liking Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar. This is a different kind of vanilla fragrance and it feels aimed at a different audience.
For one, this is a more traditionally feminine leaning release. Gender being irrelevant to me and most, but it’s very clear on which side of the isles at a Sephora this would land. Mostly, this is a fluffier, cotton-candy vanilla, with a slight hint of fruity bubblegum that I can only describe as ‘Sephora essence distilled’. That facet (always) smells cheap to me and luckily, it’s not all that strong in this composition. This alone makes that Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar overall, exceeded my expectations. It’s more bubblegum, than fruitiness, which is in a sense more forgiving to my nose and it’s subtle. And frankly, the only the thing that sets this fragrance apart. I do smell it mostly when I smell my skin up close, whereas in the air, it’s feels like an even more minimal vanillic sweetness. It just has a nondescript perfume-y cloud surrounding it. Simple, but (therefore?) not unpleasant in any way.
Texture-wise this a mix of soft and airy. I get some sort of sugary, dry coconut-oil vibe when smelled up close. Definitely a light hint of sun-tan lotion throughout. It’s milky and on first impression, even more milky after at least an hour, but not all that liquid or creamy overall; it’s a bit thinner and more ozonic than that. Yet, miles ahead of the texture of something like Yum Pistachio Gelato (which was perhaps the release more deserving of my opening paragraph). Solid.
Performance for Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar is more subtle on my skin; as mentioned, it feels very soft and that translates to a more subdued wear. I think it works in its favor, as this would get very cloying for my taste as a louder and thicker scent. Yet, longevity seems alright, to above average, so that’s a win-win in my book.
Maybe this is more in the direction of The Wedding Silk Santal, which I do prefer over Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar, than Vanilla 28, which I think is significantly better. The upcoming Maui In A Bottle is in the same genre as well, and on par, to perhaps also slightly nicer. So, Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar lands in the middle of the pack from the Kayali releases that I’ve tried. It’s fun, it’s playful, definitely youthful. The bottle has a cute color gradient effect; it’s not hard to see the appeal to those who enjoy this style of fragrance. It does not however, by any metric, merit the hype that it has garnered.