Blu vs Vanilla Sex
Side by side. Scored honestly.
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Blu

Side by side
Comparing the originals — price, breadth, listed-note depth.
Citrus-led opening with bergamot doing the heavy lifting alongside a sharp squeeze of lemon — clean, uncomplicated, and bright without feeling soapy. The heart settles quickly into cedarwood that's dry rather than resinous, grounding the freshness without turning woody in any aggressive way. Amber and musk ease in on the dry-down, adding a soft warmth that smooths everything into an approachable, skin-close finish. Projection is modest; sillage stays polite after the first hour. — A reliable warm-weather daily driver for office or casual wear, especially useful at this price point.
Opens with a warm, slightly medicinal saffron that cuts through what could otherwise be pure dessert territory, then gives way quickly to a creamy jasmine-vanilla heart that smells expensive rather than edible. The benzoin anchors the dry-down into something resinous and skin-close — soft projection, intimate sillage, the kind of fragrance that reads differently on everyone but always lands as quietly sensual. It doesn't announce itself across a room; it rewards proximity — Cool-weather evenings, close contact, people who want their scent noticed only up close.
How they overlap
Blu and Vanilla Sex share no notes in common — these two fragrances target very different olfactory territory, and the comparison is a question of which direction you want to go rather than which version of the same accord.
The buying decision
Blu is the cheaper original at $35 compared to $405 for Vanilla Sex — about 91% less. Blu is built for spring/summer/fall; Vanilla Sex for fall/winter. Pick by when you'd actually wear it.
Recommendation
If you're price-sensitive, Blu delivers comparable territory at $370 less than Vanilla Sex. If you want the specific character of Vanilla Sex — the prose above is the better guide than the price — the premium is what you're paying for.
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