Vanilla Chantilly
DSH Perfumes (2016)

The name refers to, I assume, the famous Chantilly by Dana, but the only thing it has in common with that scent is a tactile sense of something deeply powdered, like a bosom coated in white talc. In fact, Vanilla Chantilly is so powdery that it comes across as faintly smoky. Wearing it, I’m reminded keenly of passticche di mandorle, those Italian almond cookies thickly dusted with confectioner’s sugar and squidgily almondy in the center.

Delicious, sure, but also too close to Etro Heliotrope, a perfume I own and only wear very occasionally, to reel me in. Also, this might be just me, but there’s something about intense almond notes that runs more to pungent-sharp than to sweet-fluffy, and this is the case here. However, if you love those milky-powdery musks like Love’s True Blueish Light (Ava Luxe) and Fresh Cream (Philosophy) and are looking for a third MVP in your line-up, then Vanilla Chantilly is a nice rendition of the theme.

Piercing spice; sheer vanilla. Vanilla cream soda without the creaminess, to start. The "creaminess" appears a bit later, as does the musk. It's like a white musk. This is a high quality vanilla fragrance. Smells real. Cinnamon seems to be here, as one of the spices. Maybe some clove, too. The spice remains strong for quite some time. The vanilla "layers" are always present, never sickening, very smooth and soothing. A great one to try, for vanilla lovers.