BDK
VANILLE CAVIAR
2025
PERFUMER
Alexandra Carlin
caviar accord
mineral notes
blackcurrant
cardamom
cococa
peru balsam
labdanum
vanilla co2
vanilla absolute
‘In Vanille Caviar I wanted to explore the intimate flesh of vanilla, to plunge to the heart of its pod, when you open it and it oozes that shiny black nectar. A liquorish, amber and spicy addiction that left an indelible trace in my perfumery memory during my first trip to Madagascar. The squares of pods, lined up slightly apart, drying in the sun, create an alternation of matte and shiny blacks reminiscent of Soulages paintings. That’s how I built this perfume, using layers of thick, dense materials, balms, resins, powders, and working its shiny, luminous caviar.’ – Alexandra Carlin
Setting aside my personal issues with the creative director of BDK (for being a fervent genocide supporter), BDK has usually been on point with their fragrances; at least until recently. I’ve also not been impressed by their Extraits lately (I for one much prefer Gris Charnel EDP & Pas Ce Soir EDP over their Extrait counterparts for example) and the previous release, Impadia is a clear copy of Amouage Guidance. That being said, this Vanille Caviar is the first BDK that comes to mind that is a total miss in my opinion.
The opening in particular, is just off. The supposed ‘mineral’ saltiness mixed with the vanilla wears like spoiled milk. It’s very milky, rather than resinous, vanilla with cocoa and combined with some salty, freshness, it creates an unnerving experience that I would’ve washed off, if it weren’t for sampling and reviewing purposes. I get rice pudding and an overall starchy, muddy/earthy thick condensed milk for the first hour or two.
It does get better as it dries down. It becomes a bit less bright, a bit more of a familiar mineralic vanilla, but it’s still a far cry from some of those better options (my current favorite being Thomas de Monaco Sol Salgado).
Overall, it feels brighter than the notes let on to my nose. Definitely more of a ‘Summer’ vanilla, but it’s one of the worst options for that style.