ATELIER MATERI
VANILLE CARBONE

2025

PERFUMER
Natalie Gracia-Cetto

pink pepper
Black pepper

frankincense
leather

vanilla
Vanilla absolute

Vanille Carbone is one of the more spicy takes on vanilla on the market. Quite interesting, given how subtle and often lighter/delicate most the Atelier Materi Eau de Parfum have been in my experience. This takes vanilla in a darker, more rugged direction, and does it very well.

Straight away I get full-on pepper, perhaps some nutmeg. It reminded me of the spiciness of the original Spicebomb EDT. And it sticks to this dry spiciness quite thoroughly; for example Spicebomb Extreme may grow more clearly vanillic than Vanille Carbone.

That’s not to say that this isn’t vanilla; it is, from start to finish, but in a mature, dark, spicy and also smoky manner. I often get sweet tobacco connotations, but here, it’s ashy, dried out cigarette smokiness rather than soft, smooth or moist tobacco. A slightly more resinous vanilla emerges, but at the same time, the woods become a tad fiery. The leather on the other hand, is not all that prominent to my nose.

This should be high up on your to try list if you like contemporary spicy vanillas in the direction of Electimuss Vanilla Edesia or Les Eaux Primordiales Vanilla Supermassive. The Atelier Materi being less loud than most, but at least equally focused on the spiciness and woodiness, rather than a gourmand vanilla.

A very strong thumbs up for me.