Vanilla Woods

The 7 Virtues is a Canadian house from Halifax, founded by Barb Stegemann. Its perfumes rely on oils bought from families in countries rebuilding after war or crisis, hence the motto the house repeats everywhere, Make Perfume Not War.

Vanilla Woods came out in 2018, in a series of perfumes each built around a material of precise origin. Its vanilla comes from Madagascar, bought from a cooperative that ensures families a fair income. The composition is signed by Angela Stavrevska, a perfumer at CPL Aromas according to BeautyMatter.

Barb Stegemann tells Refinery29 that it took thirty-one versions to find the perfume’s balance. BeautyMatter counted it in 2023 among the five best sellers at Sephora in Canada, carried by word of mouth and by the wave of videos on TikTok.

What the house says

The house describes a warm, refined gourmand that wraps a creamy vanilla and a golden caramel in a smoky amber, with a touch of pear and rose for balance. It lends it aromatherapy virtues: easing stress, calming, soothing the overworked.

The 7 Virtues announces twenty-two percent fragrance oils, where an eau de parfum usually contains ten to fifteen, an organic sugarcane alcohol and a hypoallergenic, vegan formula. Vanilla Woods is sold in fifty milliliters and in a ten-milliliter travel spray.