Quick Sniffs: DSH Vanille Botanique

Sometimes I think I am putting pressure on myself to write some epic journey about the perfumes I review. What's that about? So today I am cracking a bottle of champagne over the prow of a new type of post on This Blog Really Stinks: Quick Sniffs. These are either mini-reviews or just "what you sniff is what you get" types of posts. Not a lot of background, no prattling on.  Just the facts, ma'am. I'm starting with...

Vanille Botanique by one of everyone's favorite indie perfumers, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz.

I dig that honey-colored body wash
and gorgeous amber 'fume, don't you?

I reviewed the Vanille Botanique shower/bath gel before, at a time when it was not offered anywhere. Happily, it is now! Get it on Dawn's site, here, along with a lotion, massage oil, water-based spray concentrée, and shea butter cream*.  The perfume, which I had not sampled at the time I reviewed the body wash, is now offered on IndieScents AND the DSH site. Bonus!

The all-botanical 'fume is more complex than the body wash. Where my bath experience was a gorgeous upscale vanilla bean ice cream, the perfume is a ridiculously divine vanilla + soft, almost incense-y balsamic nature that lasts for hours and hours. 

I have worn Vanille Botanique a few dozen times now and have gotten compliments every single time despite the subtle sillage. It's not "foodie", really, even though it's clearly a vanilla-based scent. The slightly-spiced woods are a brilliant counterpart to the sweet familiarity of vanilla. I enjoy this perfume from the brief flash of flirtatious citrus at the top all the way down to the smudged sweet balsamic-amber drydown that simply loves my skin.

Top notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Rosewood (bois de rose)
Middle notes: Bulgarian Rose Absolute, French Beeswax, Grandiflorum Jasmine
Base notes: Australian Sandalwood, Buddahwood, Civet, Labdanum, Peru Balsam, Siam Benzoin, Tahitian Vanilla, Tolu Balsam, Vanilla Absolute

*I never say this. Ever. Especially about "a vanilla perfume" - not that this isn't just some random vanilla perfume. I'm planning on buying this in every form made. I just love it that much. And my small edp isn't going to cut it. I'll be needing a bigger bottle.

Disclaimer: The original sample of bodywash
 was provided for review by DSH.
 I purchased the larger bottle and perfume.
 For more information about my review policies, read this.