The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
I Am Vanilla is part of ESSNCE Originals, a collection of fragrances that reflect the brand's own creative direction. The 2024 launch brought this scent into the market with a clear intent: to create something that stands apart from typical fragrance conventions. The fragrance centers on vanilla and strawberry, two notes that play off each other in a way that feels both familiar and fresh. It's sweet without being heavy, and it carries enough complexity to reward repeated wearing. The composition threads these elements together in a manner that feels intentional rather than accidental, the kind of scent that makes you pause and notice what's actually there.
The composition channels that bakery memory through a precise note structure: vanilla and strawberry lead, orchid adds a quiet floral counterpoint, and tonka bean bridges the fruity opening to the warm base of brown sugar, amberwood, and musk. What makes this work is the restraint, none of the notes fight for attention. The strawberry stays bright without sharpening. The vanilla stays sweet without cloying. Brown sugar and amberwood in the base give it weight without heaviness. ESSNCE's philosophy of isolating a few key accords and letting them develop means this smells coherent from first spray to last hour.
The evolution
The opening hits immediately, vanilla and strawberry arriving together in a bright, confectionery sweetness that feels almost edible. The orchid keeps it from reading as one-note, adding a quiet floral dimension that softens the initial burst. Within the first 30 minutes, the tonka bean emerges as the heart. Warm, nutty, buttery, with a vanillic undertone that smooths the sweetness into something more grounded. The tonka bean is the workhorse here, tempering the strawberry's brightness into a balanced warmth that carries the next several hours. The drydown settles around the 2-hour mark. Brown sugar, amberwood, and musk create a soft, intimate finish that lingers close to the skin. The strawberry note fades but doesn't disappear, it stays present as a gentle sweetness beneath the warmer base.
Cultural impact
I Am Vanilla arrived in 2024 as part of the ESSNCE Originals collection, representing the brand's effort to develop self-directed fragrances. The pairing of vanilla and strawberry creates a sweet, playful character that feels approachable without being generic. Vanilla brings warmth and depth, while strawberry adds a bright, fruity edge that keeps things lively. For those exploring fragrance for the first time or looking for something uncomplicated, this scent offers a straightforward entry point into the gourmand category.
