Vanitas Still Life

Vanitas was a finalist at the Art and Olfaction Awards 2026. One of LVNEA’s best, an instant obsession from the moment I sprayed it! I seem to be allergic to this so I usually just spray on clothes, but I did another skin test today just for you all (and now I’m itchy)…

The opening is a medley of various dried fruits and spices, mainly orange peel to my nose. Rich, spicy, sweet. Then the most gorgeous aged wood emerges; centuries-old furniture in a historic museum house. There are powdery, waxy, and smoky notes, like dozens of recently extinguished taper candles. Underneath all of this are leather and resins, but the fruity, waxy, and woody notes remain in the forefront.

The way the individual notes comes together to paint a picture is truly magical. This is a 10/10 for me. Perfectly suitable for a museum date or skulking about an old library.