Vanitas

Vanitas, inspired by Profumum Roma Vanitas (2008)

Vanilla dominates from the first moment, thick and slightly burnt at the edges, like sugar taken just past caramel. Orange blossom brings a honeyed floral lift at the top. Myrrh, a resin with a bittersweet, faintly medicinal smell, sits beneath it and gives the sweetness a darker undertone. Sandalwood forms a smooth base, and the scent changes little as it wears.

About the original

Profumum Roma, an independent perfume house from Rome, launched Vanitas in November 2008, and it sits in what the brand now calls its Collezione Classica. Only four notes are listed: orange blossom, myrrh, sandalwood and vanilla. No perfumer is named. Vanitas was introduced as a women's fragrance, though Profumum's own page does not assign it a gender.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Profumum Roma stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Vanilla lovers who enjoy a heavy, resinous sweetness are the natural audience. One long review describes it as very sweet and fairly linear, so it rewards someone who wants the same vanilla from start to finish. If sugar-rich scents tire you quickly, this may be too much.

Related scents

• Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille
• Mancera Black Vanilla
• Montale Vanilla Extasy

Notes of the original fragrance, as published by the brand.

Top notes: Orange Blossom

Heart notes: Myrrh

Base notes: Sandalwood, Vanilla

Orange blossom and vanilla open together, sweet and floral with a honey-like tone.

Myrrh comes through in the heart, a resinous, slightly bitter shade that gives the vanilla a church-like edge.

The drydown is vanilla and sandalwood, smooth and caramelised.

How sweet is Vanitas?

Very. Vanilla leads throughout and the Kafkaesque blog calls it caramelised, with myrrh adding only a light darker edge.

Is Vanitas for women?

It was launched as a women's fragrance in 2008, but Profumum Roma does not gender it on its site, and its vanilla and myrrh profile works for anyone who likes sweet scents.

Does Vanitas smell smoky?

Not really. Myrrh gives a resinous, slightly incense-like undertone, but the impression is of dense vanilla rather than smoke.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Profumum Roma and Vanitas are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Profumum Roma in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.