Telekinec
Helpful Review
1
A weird vanilla pencil shavings opening which morphs into a lovely dark vanilla
When Vanilla Skin came out as a perfume, I was pretty hyped to get my hands (and nose) on it. Although I often try out body mists in store so as not to get FOMO, I have decided a long time ago against buying them and adding them to my collection for financial purpose: I don't want to stretch my money between perfumes and body mists. Anyways, back to the perfume itself: it takes awhile before Canada gets its hands on perfumes so I was lucky enough to get a decant from a fragrance Facebook group member that I trust. Here goes my review!
Vanilla Skin starts out with a weird vanilla pencil shaving kind of scent. I've got a feeling pink pepper is the main culprit for it. Thankfully it rapidly subsides after 5 minutes. You're left with a vanilla that's on the darker side of the spectrum. It's not too heavy so it can be worn during warmer temperatures (even though I don't recommend wearing it in sweltering heat), but it's definitely more fitting for fall or winter times. It's overall a sugary, warm and musky vanilla. There's some creaminess from the sandalwood and an undertone of dark woodiness that probably comes from the oud while benzoin gives it a lot of warmth, like a hug. I do have to say I never really detected pink apple or the two floral notes mentioned. Vanilla remains the star up until the very end and the base notes only serve as support. They definitely don't share the spotlight. The drydown is an ambery, warm vanilla with a hint of woodiness.
It's a pretty nice fragrance, but I already have a dark vanilla type fragrance in my stash and this one is not unique enough to add to my collection. I also wasn't a fan of the pencil shavings opening. If you don't have a dark vanilla in your collection, this could be a lovely option for you. I do have to say I'm pretty satisfied with the overall performance of it. It has a nice scent bubble and last awhile (clocked about 6 hours of projection and 8 hours on my skin).