Latest news with #VanillaCandyRockSugar
Elle
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Kayali's New Vanilla Fragrance Is A Nod To '90s Nostalgia
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Picture this: It's 1995. You are 14 years old. 14 years and eight months, to be exact. Yes, you're the sassy type. You're cruising through the mall with your two best friends and just called your crush on the pay phone so him and his friends can come meet you and yours. While you wait to meet in the food court, you pop into Victoria Secret's or Bath and Body Works and douse yourself in body mist. You stop at the candy shop and get a quarter pound of your favorite sweet and sour candy before heading to meet your crush. That's what Kayali's latest sweet scent, Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar, is giving—'90s mall rat energy. 'Oh my God, that's such a good description because I grew up in the '90s and that's when I was the biggest mall rat ever,' exclaims Mona Kattan, founder of Kayali, as we chat during lunchtime on Friday. For the gourmand girlies, this scent will satisfy the sweetest of cravings. Candied pears, marshmallow, rocky candy, and bubble gum dance with violet leaves, jasmine, and patchouli for a sweet scent that dries down to a saccharine, smoky vanilla essence. You can't help but feel like a kid in a candy shop—Kattan admits she worked in her school's candy store. 'I love desserts. I'm a sweet tooth girl. It's probably my biggest weakness in life, so that's why I always want to smell really sweet. It just makes me happy,' says Kattan. As I spritz the fragrance, I imagine Kattan selling rice krispey treats while smacking on Hubba Bubba bubble gum. 'I'm crushing on marshmallow right now—I want to put it in everything,' says Kattan. There are warm, woody notes of sweet tonka bean with the vanilla shining through as the fragrance dries down and becomes more complex. It's sweet but not childish, rather, nostaligic. 'They're really fun playful notes. We have jelly beans, we have so many fun notes in there,' Kattan says. Vanilla is a scent profile found throughout the Kayali collection and Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar fulfills a trio of this spice. 'A lot of people in our community were asking [me] to make something stronger and more long lasting, more intense. So [Vanilla Royale] was the answer to that, like the bougie big sister,' explains Kattan. She describes Vanilla 28 as the 'crazy rich auntie,' and Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar rounds out the sisterhood as the 'younger, more playful sister.' Vanilla is a nostalgic scent for Kattan, one that makes her feel at ease. 'I think it's related to vanilla cake when you're a kid and all of us had birthday cake and that smell of vanilla cake to me, just makes you feel happy,' she says. These family moments—birthdays, dinners, and times spent with people you love are the ones that are most precious to Kattan and often inspire her scents. 'It's not a big milestone. It's not a trip. It's chilling with people you love and having good food is the best memory. So that's why I feel like I always want to bottle those memories and wear it and feel that emotion again.' You can shop Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar at and
Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I've brought out my favourite spring perfume now the warm weather is back'
I have over 100 perfumes but this is the one I find myself reaching for time and time again Spring is here and I've now experienced the first evening I don't need a coat or jacket when leaving the house, which means it's time to swap out my perfume for something a little more weather appropriate. In the cooler months the first thing I reach for is a warm vanilla like Noyz Unmute, which is $85 and once available at Harrods but now quite difficult to find in the UK, or the original Eilish by Billie Eilish which starts at a much more affordable £35. But as soon as the weather heats up I'm shoving them aside for lighter scents that I daresay are even sweeter. I love a touch of floral dancing around a juicy and fruity gourmand when the weather's hot and for me Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar by Kayali does that perfectly. It's a blend of very sweet notes like marshmallow, bubble gum, jellybean and sugar alongside violet leaves jasmine and even cashmere wood. The result is something moreish and seductive. I get constantly told 'you smell incredible' when I wear this, especially when paired with Coco & Eve's Glow Figure Whipped Body Cream in Dragonfruit and Lychee. At £24 a pot it's not cheap so I do reach for this more when I'm pampering myself or going out with friends. I have well over 100 perfumes in my personal collection, which makes it difficult to make a dent in bottles majority of the time but I'm flying through my Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar and will likely run out before summer. The longevity is great although I do like to spritz it on a few times of an evening. To this day my cousin asks me about this perfume and rushed out to our local shopping centre to try and recreate it herself. It's light, juicy, sweet and fresh all at the same time. I'm a huge fan of Kayali but I think this may be their best scent yet. It's not just me who loves it, there are over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora's website. One shopper said: "Ever since I purchased this perfume, I've had multiple people stop me during the day at work or when I'm shopping or even just walking in the street they'll ask me what I'm wearing and they'll say that I smell very good this perfume is fantastic. I would buy it 100 times again." A second wrote: "Bright, sugary goodness but she dries down in a classy, woody vanilla way. Somehow nostalgic for something from my late 90s-early 2000s childhood. I've been hunting for my signature scent for ages and got her last week, and this is it. I bought the 100ml last week but just bought the 10ml mini bottle to keep in my bag for refreshing on the go. We need this in a lotion, body spray, everything!" A third said: "I got the travel size of this scent because I love the Yum Pistachio Gelato perfume, and this rivals for my new favourite!! When it dries down it smells so much like bubble-gum in the best way possible and lasts all day." It is worth noting that this is a very sweet scent and probably not a good idea if you avoid sweet perfumes or find them sickly. Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar by Kayali is available for £73 when buying a 50ml bottle.
