Valkyrie Sylvaine Delacourte 2018

A series of five fragrances actually, in place of these fragrances, commented on as a whole. For as such they are to be seen. They kind of belong together. Quite independent, but clearly related. Only when you have tested all five vanilla fragrances does one of the reasons for the series open up. Each fragrance should represent and capture a nuance, a vanilla gracefulness. Hesperidic, Floral, Solar/Sunny, Spicy and Aromatic. As different as the perfumer's demands on each fragrance are, I claim they are not as different as the ingredients and characters suggest. I like every direction. All five are very finely woven, balanced, soft and like a veil. To speak of Sillage here almost does not do justice to the scents, they surround me more like an aura, a shell. They adapt. No one has an in-your-face vanilla. All are created with the same fine natural Madegass vanilla. Probably for this reason they are particularly similar in the base. And yet, I guess everyone here will find someone they like more. But I don't really feel "inappropriate" for anybody. That is actually the special thing about this creation.
I'm not much of a vanilla fan. But this may also be due to the fact that sweet, synthetic vanillas blow around our noses.
All in all, a big compliment, if I may even say so. I'm trapped. And yet I have a wafer-thin favorite. This one here, Valkyrie.
Addendum: Now it dawns on me what the beautiful base vanilla reminds me of: Souffle de Shalimar - ouch, from the house of Guerlain :)