Grapefruit, Winter’s Fruit

A love letter to citrus, memory, and my newest fragrance obsession: Lavanila.

Grapefruit season is upon us.

When we think of citrus fruits, most of us picture warm breezes, summer sun, maybe even the Southern orchards where citrus thrives. But the truth? Grapefruit is a winter fruit — arriving quietly just as the temperatures drop, the snow settles, and the days turn inward.

And Lavanila’s Vanilla Grapefruit feels like the perfect olfactory companion for this season — crisp, tangy, vibrant, and shimmering with winter sunlight.

A Winter Kiss of Citrus

I swear when I spray this fragrance and step outside into the cool, crisp December air, something magical — and probably scientific — happens.

The juicy pink grapefruit bursts forward, mingling with lime, soft vanilla, and cedarwood, and suddenly it feels like the air itself is kissing your cheeks.

Bright, refreshing, almost effervescent. There’s a sparkle to it. A shimmer. A kind of frosted brightness that only winter citrus can hold.

The Grapefruit of My Childhood

I have a deep nostalgia for grapefruit. Growing up, my mom used to have boxes of them in our tiny kitchen  — maybe because someone gifted them to us — but they were always there.

I can still picture the box: twelve perfect pink grapefruits nestled in their own partitions; each one wrapped in netting. You could smell their tart sweetness before a single cut was made.

On cold winter mornings, I’d come downstairs to find she had already done the impossibly patient work of cutting each wedge loose. All we had to do was spoon them out, each bite bursting with juice and vibrancy.

Simple moments, everyday moments… the ones grief keeps reminding me were never simple at all. The kind I’d give anything to have back.

You’re Either a Grapefruit Person… or You’re Not

The taste of grapefruit can be polarizing — that sharp, sweet-tart balance that wakes up your entire mouth. I’ve always loved it. It’s intense, refreshing, a little dramatic… kind of like me, and winter itself.

Vanilla Grapefruit captures all of that and softens it. It’s vibrant without being sour, bright without being sharp. There’s a hint of sugar, a whisper of floral, and then the pièce de résistance, Lavanila’s beautiful Madagascar vanilla, warming everything it touches.

A Winter Citrus Wrapped in Vanilla

Lavanila calls themselves “the healthy fragrance,” and honestly, I believe they mean it. Their scents feel pure, clean, and intentional — not in the overplayed marketing way, but in the your body feels good wearing this kind of way.

Vanilla Grapefruit really is the definition of an “uplifting citrus.” Crisp grapefruit peel oil. Juicy goji berries. A warm, creamy base of Madagascar vanilla beans. It settles on the skin with this soothing balance of sweetness and softness — almost like citrus comfort food for the skin and senses — and it has quickly become one of my favorite winter fragrances.

And let me tell you, layering it with Lavanila’s Pure Vanilla? Chef’s kiss!

Bright + warm.

Crisp + cozy.

Sunshine + sweater weather.

It lasts, All. Day. Long.

Winter may be cold and gray, but this scent? It’s grapefruit season — and everything feels brighter because of it.

What is your winter fragrance?