Vanilla has gotten a bad wrap by being a synonym for “boring.” I’m here to stand up to my tried, tested, and true friend. I love everything vanilla: ice cream, lip gloss flavors, body splashes, lotions, cupcakes, pudding, milkshakes, perfumes with vanilla notes. You say the word “vanilla” and my ears perk up. It’s an obsession, really.

The scent of vanilla reminds me of my first body spray that I bought when I was in 7th grade (that was a loooooong time ago). My entire cheerleading squad was obsessed with the scent of vanilla. Before football games, we’d spritz ourselves from head to toe with the sugar sweet scent. Many, many, many years later, this scent is still near and dear to my heart. However, the idea of smelling like a walking cupcake is not quite so cute anymore.

vanilla + bergamot is the sophisticated sister to regular ol’ vanilla. “What does bergamot smell like?” you ask. Ever have Earl Grey tea? That’s what bergamot smells like. It’s the perfect note to balance out vanilla, making it smell slightly musky and mysterious. My favorite product out of the vanilla + bergamot family is the body buff. It’s infused with shea butter, jojoba oil, and oat protein for hydration and conditions and smoothes the skin with sweet almond oil. There are perfectly round, soft exfoliating beads inside and specks of Tahitian Vanilla. YUM! Too bad it’s not edible.