Vanilla Veil

I bought a sample of this a few months ago and I've worn it maybe 3-4 times. There's not much vanilla here, and it really annoys me when I can't smell any vanilla in a fragrance that has vanilla in the name! Vanilla Veil is a sweet pistachio and almond combination with a hint of fruit and it's way too similar to Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 to be worth the price. If you added caramel to Vanilla Veil you wouldn't be able to tell them apart. The name is very misleading, this is neither vanilla nor a veil of any kind. Moderate longevity and projection. 7/10. Edit: So now, three months later, I've bought a full bottle of this (when it was heavily discounted at a flash sale). I stand by what I said in my initial review, but this has grown on me. Vanilla Veil IS indeed very similar to Cheirosa 62 but without caramel, and it's also less heavy, a little less sweet and more airy. Vanilla Veil is the grown up version of Cheirosa 62. I do get a little more vanilla now, but the pistachio is still the main note. As the biggest patchouli hater in the world I can tell you that there's no patch here. I know that Björk & Berries says otherwise, but I can't smell any patch in Vanilla Veil. I also noticed that the longevity is way better with the full bottle than the 1,5 ml sample I had, I can still smell it on my skin the next day. My initial rating was a 7/10, new rating is a 9/10.

I usually don't like overtly sweet perfumes and vanilla (I gravitate to citrus, fig, blackberries, green spicy and herbal scents) but wanted a new fragrance for fall and winter. I like Björk and Berries and went to try some of their autumn-y scents yesterday. At first I thought Vanilla Veil was overpowering, way too sweet. But as I went home from the store I noticed how it transformed - at first some lovely notes of mandarin appeared, which made it lighter and fresher, and then it became this perfectly balanced woody and nutty scent. Still sweet, but now a mature and comforting kind of sweet. Went back today to buy a full bottle and I can't stop sniffing my wrist. It smells like a sweet, warm beverage in front of an open fireplace, with a bowl of oranges on a table somewhere in the room. I love it.

I see the similarities to Cheirosa '62 in that vanilla nuttiness but I enjoy this one even more in its longevity and sillage!! I feel like its sweetness runs deeper and its way more interesting and less plastic than Cheirosa '62. I had to stop using it because I made a huge dent in two months and I bought it during warmer months. I feel like its very christmassy thanks to that vanilla and creamy sandalwood but at the same time it's beachy thanks to that fresh mandarin and mimosa. You can definitely feel those notes. I'm glad Bjork and Berries decided to do a vanilla scent!

Vanilla Veil opens as a raspberry vanilla pastry with a nutty aroma (grilled pistachio). Nothing stuffing, this opening is surprisingly light, I think because of the sour raspberry note. As the fragrance evolves, the pistachio is more and more present. It's the same milky caramel pistachio note as in Cheirosa '62 but the overall fragrance is more refined, still a sweet gourmand but not intoxicating. The balsamic notes rise with time making this scent more and more enveloping. The sour note is still there, making it very balanced. On clothes you can smell it for several days as a bubbly soapy vanilla caramel with hints of coconut and patchouli. Overall the fragrance is very nice, better than Cheirosa '62, but to be honest I find it very expensive for what it is.

First of all, I never consider myself a fan of gourmand perfumes, because most of the time I find them too sweet and even cloying. When it comes to vanilla-dominated perfumes, I tend to find it similar to body lotion, especially in the later stage. Vanilla Veil no doubt meets my expectation of its vanilla theme. As the name suggests, vanilla is no doubt the main character here. I get its presence from the first spray. The opening is actually quite interesting to me. Creamy sweet and nutty from initial sprays, but I also get some tart citrusy notes, which somehow balances the sweetness. Next to it, I also get some red berry scent, or to be more specific, red cherries. At this stage it leaves me with the impression of cookies with jam, a good balance of sweetness and sourness. It gets sweeter as it develops, and it feels heavier on my skin, as if I am enveloped by honey. It smells thick and rich. In stead of almond blossom, it smells more like almond to me, the nutty and milky almond. From this moment on, it smells exactly what I normally describe a vanilla-themed perfume, body lotion. It is milky, nourishing and thick. I was expecting some green nuance from mimosa to balance the sweetness, but I could not detect any. The drydown is simply a vanilla bomb, sweet and creamy all the way. Again, I could not smell any patchouli. The performance is very good, especially the sillage. To me it is a pretty feminine perfume, and bring warmth and comfort in cold weather.