Espresso, Leather, Vanilla... and a Wink: First Take on Sarah Baker’s Va Va Vanilla

I wasn’t in the mood for another vanilla. Then I sprayed Va Va Vanilla and got side‑eyed by an espresso shot that refused to play background music. The upcoming 2026 launch from Sarah Baker, composed by Margaux Le Paih-Guérin, is the opposite of frosting. It’s satin and bite.

On skin, the opening is a jittery little thrill: roasted coffee warmth, a glimmer of boozy brightness, and a nutty edge that reads more chic aperitivo than bakery. The vanilla is lush but never syrupy. Think cream gloss rather than caramel drizzle. There’s a leather ribbon threaded through the heart that gives this gourmand backbone. I kept catching that subtle hide-tinged hum under the sweetness and felt instantly more dangerous than my black turtleneck deserved.

Spice flickers in and out like a teasing hemline. Nothing shouts. The dynamics are the point: warmth rising off the skin, a soft shadow of smoke, then back to that creamy core that refuses to turn childish. It projects with a low, confident voice and lingers well into the late night. On me, the drydown settles into a velvety glaze where the coffee softens but never disappears, like the last sip at the bottom of an expensive cup.

If your idea of vanilla is cupcake cosplay, this will feel like a plot twist. If you’ve waited for a grown-up vanilla that knows where the bar is and how to order, here it is. The sensibility aligns with Sarah Baker at her most playful and subversive, and yes, the name cheekily nods to the brand’s flirtier side. Side note for fans who’ve followed the house’s exuberant streak: the moniker winks at Va Va Voom, but the juice tells its own story.

Wear it when the night calls for lipstick and a leather jacket. Or when daylight needs reminding that sweetness can be sly. Va Va Vanilla doesn’t beg to be liked. It smirks, tosses you an espresso, and lets the vanilla do the slow burn.