It's Time To Love Vanilla... Again

Re-uniting with a long lost love, tackling spiralling thoughts and a daily game changer.

Everyone doing OK? We’ve got longer days and more sun but - it’s relentless out there. I feel safest at the end of the day when I’m bundled under my heavy linen duvet cover and heating pad. It’s comforting for both sore muscles and spiralling thoughts. But it’s not the healthiest, so I’m getting back into my night walks, so I can soak up all that good moon energy. Yesterday’s new moon in Taurus reminded me of the power in pause. Not everything needs a response or a reaction. There is peace in simply being. And on that note, here’s what I’ve been into this past fortnight. Lately I’m…

In A Vanilla State

I started my beauty career at a Sears fragrance counter when I was 16 in the early 2000s —where I shilled boxed sets of Calvin Klein Obsession to desperado husbands who left their wives’ Christmas gifts to the last min. It was there where I fell for Angel by Thierry Mugler — a gourmand (the fragrance category akin to desserts) juice bursting with vanilla absolute, praline, and red fruits. Up until that point, my exposure to vanilla was limited to The Body Shop Vanilla and inhaling vanilla extract from the baking cupboard with my eyes closed.

In the early 2000s, vanilla-forward fragrances dominated, as gourmands went cupcake-core, with scents like Aquolina Pink Sugar and Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar on everyone’s wrists. A decade-ish later I went to NYC for a press trip with Kiehl’s and lost my mind over their Aromatic Blends: Vanilla & Cedarwood (since discontinued), which was comforting and rich with a touch of iris to cut through the sweetness. And a few years after that, when green beauty started to dominated and I became obsessed with reading ingredient lists, I halted wearing perfume. I was worried about irritating my young babies, exhausted by the chatter about proprietary ingredient disclosure situation and lost interest in the category.

It wasn’t until the spring of 2024, when Michelle Pfeiffer came to Toronto to speak about her unisex fragrance line Henry Rose when my own nose perked up again. I had a few minutes with the iconic actress (become a paid subscriber for the full tea) and the convo had me feeling re-invigorated with the idea of finding my own signature scent. I left with the best selling Jake’s House , a neroli-spiked blend that reminded me of a hot boy cologne (Michelle’s take naming was hilarious). Since then, every juice they’ve released has captivated me, and the latest drop, Dave, is another win—a chantilly vanilla stirred into neroli, cocoa shell and smoky tonka bean. It’s a grown-up vanilla with weight behind it. I wear it all the time.

Another outstanding vanilla fragrance I’m layering with Dave is The Maker Dream Eau de Parfum, boasting notes of vanilla bourbon, cinnamon butter, amber magnolia and…my girl sandalwood. It’s familiar yet timeless, feels current but also classic. It’s another grown-up gourmand, and it would make the perfect gift for Mother’s Day (which is…pssst, May 11th).

I cannot forget Lush, and their all-new Vanillary, a steady creamy cocktail of toffee notes, vanilla, jasmine and the Robin to vanilla’s Batman— tonka bean. The cruelty-free brand has plenty of gourmand-based delights feat. vanilla like American Cream Solid Perfume and the restocked Vanilla De—Lite Body Lotion.

But before I mist myself with any of the above, I apply eos Shea Better Body Lotion in Vanilla Cashmere straight out of the shower. It bestows the most subtle sheen and keeps skin cushy soft the entire day, and creates a lovely base later of ‘nilla.

Keeping A Lid On It

I am certified spiller. When we started working together at Canadian Living, my colleague Brett would come sprinting when he heard a crash at my desk. As my spill shrieks continued (often onto bumfs, which are essentially piles of paper with all relevant research material) his rescues abated. With time and age, my clumsiness hasn’t improved, but I have found solutions like this this spill-proof lid that is compatible with my Stanley. I still drop it, but it no longer leaks.

Writing it Down

On the note of spiralling thoughts, I’ve learned we can’t move through emotions, we must sit in them for a minute. Sit, feel, then write them down. Good and bad and the awkward in-between feels. I keep a beautiful gel pen - similar to these ones - and gorge Anthropologie notebook next to my bed. Out of my head, with the power of the pen, and they’re a problem for the paper now, not me. I can’t say you’ll feel immediate relief, but it’s one of those micro moment things that has monumental impact over time.

Hyperfixations…

This Chobani dupe creamer by Canadian owned Earth’s Own (Cinnamon Cookie Dough is my top flav) makes my fave (first) coffee of the day even better, and Canadaland’s podcast, which has kept me calm-ish during this snap election stress. If you haven’t voted yet, today’s the day!

Up Next Time
White pointelle tank tops, mood-boosting creatine (for real this time, I needed more time to research and trial it myself) and actually good alcohol-free cocktails.

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