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A Shapeshifter Like Mr. Ripley
A strange oriental fougère, perhaps disturbing but beautiful enough to understand where things are going. Starlight Vanilla is a shapeshifter like the talented Mr. Ripley. It is a lovely Arabian scene, but something more sinister lurks. A sea breeze from the Gulf of Oman flowed over fields of gold and lymphatic trees, fastened by weavings of amber. It's strange but familiar. The perfumer has wholly obscured the division between natural and synthesised. Starlight Vanilla was the second piece of the Chapter N°7 collection I purchased after Vanilla Vibration. In this case, the smoky bottle has a dark purple liquid colour inside, between Byzantium and English Violet shades. I didn't go crazy, and I know very well that this perfume is not inspired or cloned from Azzaro pour Homme Eau de Toilette; however, the first fougère accords brought it back to my mind, that kind of powerhouse perfume from the 80s, a scent that I still love today. Here, Starlight Vanille gives off the same vibrations despite being two disparate perfumes.
What is Starlight Vanilla all about? It announces its presence with the almond accord, a keynote showing itself with bitter and dark edges, with nuances of liquorice and anise. The almond note is present as drupes and milk, reinforcing the bitter edge with a milky touch. Behind this bitter kernel, you can glimpse a frothy form of vanilla, like a soufflé, vanilla but not greedy. A fascinating aspect tends towards fougère thanks to dry lavender, not very floral, a little medicinal and camphorous with reflections close to straw and dry hay. It is very subtle and adds a little freshness to the blend with accents of anise, camphor, honey and hay, giving the fragrance its aromaticity. The lavender at the top is solid on my skin as if I were in the middle of a field in bloom. This lavender surprises me with a nuance that I have never smelled before. It's so dry it almost feels like someone struck a match on a pile of dried lavender, the smell of dry lavender burning. Then, the freshness and smokiness of the lavender become softer, rounder and warmer, allowing the other participants to participate in the game.
The heart still emits camphoraceous nuances similar to mothballs. Fortunately, the almond milk and vanilla foam amplify the creaminess and balance the composition. Vanilla and Tonka combine power and sweetness, creating harmony on the skin that continues throughout use. There's a resinousness and sappiness, which mellows out after the first hour and is more noticeable when first applied. Don't worry; it has nothing to do with incense-like things, in case you're not fond of it. It's warm and woody, similar to benzoin and myrrh, and slowly replaced by warm balsamic amber. The perfume acquires more and more sensuality. Amber adds that touch of flavour that keeps the sweet and bitter aspects of Tonka and almond in balance. Lazily, a veil of dust rises, undoubtedly due to a hint of the iris in the form of alpha-iso methyl ionone. It's that powdery touch that doesn't bother me.
The base note is well blended and brings out a smoky, powdery tonka enclosed in rich vanilla. The Tonka brings a delicate veil and amplifies the aspects of almond and vanilla, and makes this composition of sensual fragrances unique. It is necessary to wait for drying to fully reveal this mixture. Many people find it synthetic but stop at the opening notes without experiencing the entire fragrance. A sweet and amber trail with vanilla, not pastry-like, remains on the skin several hours after the first application.
Starlight Vanilla is ultimately a reasonably sweet scent but not cloying. Non-linear and made primarily from sweet accords, there is no citrus opening, making it a fragrance best suited to autumn and winter. I wear the scent in the evening as its strength cuts through the cold. It is perfect for autumn-winter evenings; think of the fragrance designed for classy black tie and semi-formal events. Despite being so bold, its sillage is not disturbing, but it remains present. On my skin, Starlight Vanilla performs better than Vanilla Vibration.
I'm formulating my impressions on a bottle I've owned since September 2023.
-Elysium
What is Starlight Vanilla all about? It announces its presence with the almond accord, a keynote showing itself with bitter and dark edges, with nuances of liquorice and anise. The almond note is present as drupes and milk, reinforcing the bitter edge with a milky touch. Behind this bitter kernel, you can glimpse a frothy form of vanilla, like a soufflé, vanilla but not greedy. A fascinating aspect tends towards fougère thanks to dry lavender, not very floral, a little medicinal and camphorous with reflections close to straw and dry hay. It is very subtle and adds a little freshness to the blend with accents of anise, camphor, honey and hay, giving the fragrance its aromaticity. The lavender at the top is solid on my skin as if I were in the middle of a field in bloom. This lavender surprises me with a nuance that I have never smelled before. It's so dry it almost feels like someone struck a match on a pile of dried lavender, the smell of dry lavender burning. Then, the freshness and smokiness of the lavender become softer, rounder and warmer, allowing the other participants to participate in the game.
The heart still emits camphoraceous nuances similar to mothballs. Fortunately, the almond milk and vanilla foam amplify the creaminess and balance the composition. Vanilla and Tonka combine power and sweetness, creating harmony on the skin that continues throughout use. There's a resinousness and sappiness, which mellows out after the first hour and is more noticeable when first applied. Don't worry; it has nothing to do with incense-like things, in case you're not fond of it. It's warm and woody, similar to benzoin and myrrh, and slowly replaced by warm balsamic amber. The perfume acquires more and more sensuality. Amber adds that touch of flavour that keeps the sweet and bitter aspects of Tonka and almond in balance. Lazily, a veil of dust rises, undoubtedly due to a hint of the iris in the form of alpha-iso methyl ionone. It's that powdery touch that doesn't bother me.
The base note is well blended and brings out a smoky, powdery tonka enclosed in rich vanilla. The Tonka brings a delicate veil and amplifies the aspects of almond and vanilla, and makes this composition of sensual fragrances unique. It is necessary to wait for drying to fully reveal this mixture. Many people find it synthetic but stop at the opening notes without experiencing the entire fragrance. A sweet and amber trail with vanilla, not pastry-like, remains on the skin several hours after the first application.
Starlight Vanilla is ultimately a reasonably sweet scent but not cloying. Non-linear and made primarily from sweet accords, there is no citrus opening, making it a fragrance best suited to autumn and winter. I wear the scent in the evening as its strength cuts through the cold. It is perfect for autumn-winter evenings; think of the fragrance designed for classy black tie and semi-formal events. Despite being so bold, its sillage is not disturbing, but it remains present. On my skin, Starlight Vanilla performs better than Vanilla Vibration.
I'm formulating my impressions on a bottle I've owned since September 2023.
-Elysium
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Elysium
