Vanille de SambavaGourmand Vanilla Eau de Parfum

Vanille de Sambava by Noème Paris is a gourmand, vanilla-amber eau de parfum, unisex, created by Emna Doghri. It was a finalist at the 2025 Art & Olfaction Awards in the best niche fragrance category, and its founder describes it as the one closest to his heart.

A house that only names inaccessible places

Noème comes from the Greek noema and refers to what lies beneath the subconscious: the inaccessible. Founded in 2018 by Yassin Karim with French-Moroccan perfumer Majda Bekkali, the house lives up to its name—its fragrances bear the names of places that can only be imagined: scorching deserts, Mexican crystal caves, and the ocean depths. Yassin Karim was born in Madagascar to parents who exported spices and flowers, and grew up surrounded by warehouses filled with vanilla beans. Each fragrance has its own watercolor illustration, and the bottle features a quote attributed to Albert Einstein: "imagination is more important than knowledge."

An opening of bergamot, apple, and coconut

Five ingredients, none of which hint at vanilla. Bergamot and orange provide a citrus sparkle, apple adds a crisp green note, coconut brings a tropical creaminess, and pink pepper adds a spicy touch. The opening is fresh, almost electric.

A heart of cinnamon, chocolate, and iris

The transition is led by spices. Cinnamon and nutmeg add warmth, chocolate brings a roasted bitterness, and above all, iris and peony introduce a powdery floral note amid the gourmand elements. It is the iris that prevents the fragrance from becoming overly dessert-like.

A base of frosted vanilla, rum, and tonka bean

Vanilla finally arrives, and the house calls it frosted vanilla—the name of the ingredient itself, which hints at its treatment: a crystalline vanilla rather than a pastry-like one. Rum adds a woody dimension, while tonka bean brings its almond-like coumarin. The base remains warm and close to the skin, with the creamy, subtly woody sweetness that is its signature.

The house's signature touch

Sambava is Madagascar's vanilla-growing region, and it is the home region of the founder's family: his father was the island's largest vanilla exporter, and Yassin Karim grew up in his warehouses filled with vanilla beans. This is what makes this fragrance, in his own words, the one "closest to my heart." The Art & Olfaction Awards jury selected it as one of its 2025 finalists in the best niche fragrance category—the only distinction of this caliber in the house's catalog.

For whom and for what occasions?

For those who love vanilla but want to avoid heavy, overly sweet gourmand fragrances. It is a fragrance that can be worn all year round, day or night, and has excellent longevity. Vanille de Sambava Noème Paris is for those seeking a natural, woody vanilla rather than a pastry-like one.