Chantilly

Like so many people here, I first wore this scent as a tween- maybe 11 or 12 years old. I tried a sample of it in my local Walgreens drugstore and liked it. I told my parents that I liked it and for the next 5 or 6 years I got various iterations of it from older relatives for Christmas and birthdays. Cologne, powder, body lotion, everything. If it came in Chantilly, they gave it to me. I kind of overdosed on it, to be honest. When I went away to college, I left such childish things behind. I was an adult now, dammit, and I was going to smell like one. Fast forward almost 40 years to now. In reading through reviews here on Fragrantica, I have re-encountered several old favorites and I thought I'd check and see what folks had to say about Chantilly. I expected high levels of derision and dismissal of Chantilly as a hopelessly cheap and childish scent. Instead of dismissal I read all sorts of glowing reviews of how lovely it smells and what happy memories it evokes. My curiosity was peaked. Could this actually be a scent for grownups? Could this be a scent I might enjoy wearing again? Hmmmm..... I started to keep an eye out for it when I was shopping. I knew that I could find it inexpensively especially now around the holidays. Last week I found a small bottle for a good price and picked it up. Yes, it was at Walgreens. I opened the package and sniffed the sprayer cautiously. Baby powder. Sweet, bland baby powder. Oh boy. Not what I was hoping for. I didn't have the heart to try it on me for several days because I didn't want to have my fears confirmed but I kept reading the reviews and they talked about the spicy, sandalwood base notes with hints of amber. Intriguing. Today I tried it for the first time since the late 70's. Although Dana may have changed the formulation since I had my Houbigant version it really smells quite lovely. Its clearly been long enough that I have only the most general memory of what it smelled like back in the day so this is close enough for me. The opening is strong and somewhat fruity but on me it dries down very quickly to a soft vanilla sandalwood with hints of smoky incense. Delicious! If this is baby powder its the most sophisticated baby powder ever. I've been sniffing my wrist all morning. This scent will definitely be staying in my rotation both for nostalgia and for pure enjoyment. I also owe an apology to my younger self. All these years I thought the younger me was hopelessly naïve when it came to perfume. Turns out, younger me had pretty good taste after all.

Beautifully put together Fragrance! I am 57 years old and I wear this perfume...this perfume is blended beautifully...It used to be my grandmother’s fragrance in the 60‘s-90’s until she passed away.... I knew that as I aged, I would learn to appreciate this perfume and I have, when I put it on and I’m out driving around I get this really beautiful aroma that surrounds me in the air and the best part is the Leather note for me... I really love the leather notes... I don’t think this perfume couldn’t have been put together any better than what it has. It might not smell like the older version but it’s pretty spot on. Absolutely gorgeous Fragrance. I would say it’s for a mature women, but I know plenty of younger women that wear this. Perfect for spring and summer.....I look at some of the reviews from you younger ladies and I can understand why you wouldn't like something that smells mature please don't say old lady it's just mature and you don't like it because you're not mature enough to wear it and appreciate it and I can understand that as well because when I was younger I didn't like it enough to appreciate it and wear it but as I've aged it is absolutely gorgeous and it's so strong one squirt does enough for me and that is all you're supposed to put when it comes to perfumes it should be strong enough for 1 squirt maybe 2.... I wish you younger girls would learn to appreciate a perfume even when it doesn't smell like candy cookies ice cream and cake.... I own two perfumes Chantilly for the spring and summer and Angel for the fall and winter and I wouldn't have it any other way I know who I am I know what I like and I am not confused and I don't need a bedroom or totes and storage areas and bookcases full of body sprays that do nothing for me except for take up space and waste money.....I do own 2-3 body sprays from BBW but thats all

I have a special place in my heart reserved for Dana fragrances. They are very affordable and have a backbone, they all smell very special and carry an old-fashioned elegance. Sometimes I forget that I have Chantilly in my collection, but then I take it out and enjoy it continuously for days. It is very calm and serene. The composition is somewhat similar to Shalimar's: citrusy opening and powdery vanilla drydown, both are very bright, ethereal, uplifting, sparkling fragrances, but the scents are different to my nose. There is some similarity in the drydown, but Chantilly chooses another road: doesn't have the smokiness what makes Shalimar breathtaking and a statement, it is rather powdery and very comforting, one wears this when there is no other statement to make than, "I am feeling so content because my life is where it needs to be and it is going where it needs to go". This is a feel-good scent for me, it smells like serenity and being loved. Having a pleasant, calm day, comfortably spending time with activities and people we enjoy, watching the bright clear blue sky from the comfort of home, no rush and absolutely no pressure of any kind. I need more of this in my life.

Current Dana version. I don’t have any personal stories about this, but find the accounts below of people’s memories of loved ones very moving. Even without a story of my own, this is a obviously an impressive scent with lots of character. It’s distinctive but not intrusive. It’s very warm and floaty. It’s light like clouds, not weak. It’s lemony as in meringue, with sweetness and froth taking the edge off any citrus sharpness, then morphing into orange blossoms. It’s powdery, fluffy, with lots of spices that are muted by vanilla. If I smell leather it’s the finest, softest type of leather made of baby goats... but I don’t want to think about that. If I smell soap it’s the sort of soap that would be pure, fine-milled and detergent-free... and definitely not tested on animals. This scent gets more beautiful over the first 30 minutes of wear. It doesn’t force any dreams on you, but it could be the gold-tinted clouds which envelop you and bear you up while you dream on about whatever you want to. Can’t imagine getting bored of this.

I wore - no, immersed myself - in Chantilly by Houbigant in college. Perfume oil, bath powder, lotion, splash perfume. It was an exotic, deep, heavy, rich scent that lasted an eternity and trailed 10 feet behind the wearer. Just gorgeous stuff. Thought I would try to recapture some of that feeling and time and ordered Dana’s EDT. I was cautiously optimistic, ready to be transported. Alas, it was not to be. Dana doesn’t do any kind of justice to what came before it. I do enjoy the lovely lemony blast at the beginning, just like cutting into a fresh juicy lemon. I want to like this, but the longevity is so poor and there is no depth or richness. None of the notes hold on long enough to progress well on me. It goes straight from initial lemon, to patchouli and sandalwood, then sweet powder in an hour. Nice enough for what it is - an inexpensive EDT - except it only stays around for an hour or two. I found a bottle of the vintage cologne online in an unopened box - looking forward to its arrival with high hopes!

I absolutely love Chantilly. It has become one of my favorite fragrances! It is vintage but to me it doesn’t smell as old fashioned in a bad way as others are saying. It’s delicate, soft and feminine. It is powdery but not in that suffocating way like some fragrances. The citrus in the opening is really beautiful too. This smells a bit like a softer and more wearable Shalimar which can be to much for me. It is like Youth Dew in the sense that it is a gorgeous vintage that surprised me by its wearability and that it is a fragrance I discovered that has become one of my favourites that I didn’t expect to be. I admittedly bought the bottle because I liked how it looked and it wasn’t too expensive! I don’t normally do that but I’m really glad I made that decision. I really love this. And it’s really not overly dated, just classic, not in the way I personally find fragrances like Aperge or Opium, just to give a couple of examples of my personal tastes.

My late beloved older sister had a big bottle of the Houbigant splash version when she was a teen. I used to sneak sprays of her perfumes and try on her makeup. Although I loved the smell of it on her, after the first try I couldn't wear it, it gave me an asthma attack. So seeing the Dana version in the store reminded me of her and so I had to try it. Not as strong as I remember, but the essence is still there. A little lemon vibe at first, then a fade to slightly spicy powder with a hint of vanilla. Not the "notice me!" floriental, but a very nice vintage scent. Different from what everyone else seems to wear nowdays. I ended up buying not only the cologne, but the lotion and powder as well. Have worn it every day this past month, and still haven't tired of it. A lady-like, sweet old fashioned scent. So it isn't the Houbigant version. It is still a great scent. Marcella would have loved it.

What a pleasant surprise! Chantilly is classified as a floral, and those tend to be the perfumes for which I feel less interest. This, however, is different. I agree with the previous reviewer-- it does give a Shalimar vibe. There is a depth to Chantilly, and the spices are what make this for me. So very beautiful! My first impression upon spraying was "expensive"... no way one would think it comes from a drugstore! I will be purchasing a full bottle of this lovely perfume. P.S. I believe this must be what the lady wore, for whom I babysitted as a teen. This had to have been her signature, and she must have worn it lavishly. I would recline on her sofa in the den watching TV all night, and it smelled incredible in there. As soon as I sprayed this, I immediately remembered those times. If only I could stick to just one fragrance, one day I could be remembered this way!

I wore Chantilly in high school back in the 80's and it was a really nice perfume but this reformulation is quite lack luster. It smells like 7-up in the opening, and that is about it. I just remember this perfume being a lot more complex, rich, powdery, alluring. This smells like something a young girl playing dress up would wear. I wish I had a vintage bottle because this one is disappointing. Very synthetic smelling as well. I was hoping to recapture my high school days in my memory by smelling this again but it just isn't the same. I think I will give it to my sister so she can give it to her daughter to play w/. It just smells like a sugary, vanilla 7-up. I wouldn't have worn this when I was a teenager, and I won't be wearing it now. Sad, this was once a really nice perfume.

Lemony, powdery, sweet and spicy. Just something intriguing about this one that I can't describe properly... as another reviewer said, Chantilly is a perfume I've been smelling here and there my whole life on teachers, friends, in elevators and the grocery store. It's almost an environmental smell it is so familiar. But there is this pleasing, warming thickness to it with something tangy that is tantalizing. Definitely a comfort scent to me. The current Dana version is the only one I've tried. Side note: I sought this out when I spent days trying to figure out what Avon Skin So Soft Body oil spray (I bought for mosquitos and fell for the scent-ha!) reminded me of. Layered together they are divine! Wear it at night to have nice dreams, soft skin, and no mosquitos too;)

To me, Chantilly reminds me of pure lust! As a teenager, my favorite aunt always gave me this fragrance for Christmas and it reminds me of my first boyfriend who I actually dated for almost 3 years during those hormone filled teen years and it will always smell sensual and full of angst to me! Over 30 years later, I still love this scent and my heart still skips a beat when I smell it! Unfortunately I powered my way through the vintage bottles I had managed to hang onto, it was before I became a true perfumista and I didn't realize how precious they were. I still buy it, but it's just not the same powerhouse it was in the 80s. Nonetheless, I enjoy it to this day, and I may need to search out a vintage bottle again.

I bought this blind to bulk up an order and to be honest I wasn't expecting much. I have to say this was a great surprise for me. I definitely get the Shalimar vibe but it's different. This reminds me of a very luxurious bubbly foam bath. It makes me think of something from the eighties, I think it was Badedas or Fenjal foam bath? Instant love for me. I've been wallowing in it for hours, Sillage is wonderful and it feels like I just got out of a long, lazy, luxurious bath. I will reserve this for cozy evenings at home. This is a great comfort scent. Longevity is moderate on me at around 4 to 5 hours.

Fruity, softly spicy, powdery...and really inexpensive! What's not to love? I find this perfume to be so comforting and feminine. It can be worn in all seasons. Suits any occasion. Sillage is soft and inoffensive. Longevity is 4 hours or so. It has an old-fashioned romantic feel to it...think of a vintage hatbox filled with pressed flowers, love letters, and embroidered handkerchiefs. This is a safe blind buy for just about anyone, because it's so low priced, but it may not be suitable for those who like more modern or sharp scents. Avoid it if you dislike powdery fragrances. I love this so much.

I have already reviewed the excellent vintage Chantilly from Houbigant. Dana Chantilly is very similar, although slightly weaker and with a touch more vanilla. It is, to me, a very powdery scent in the old-school "makeup powder" sense, although powder is not mentioned in the description. Since my partner and I enjoy that type of fragrance, this is a good thing! There is a lovely hint of leather which adds sensuality. Sillage and longevity are both quite good, although I would recommend a spray bottle as opposed to the splash, for the most effective application.

Chantilly has been one of my favorite perfumes since decades.... luckily I have a stash of bottles and lotions. Went to order on the Dana brand website. Everything is out of stock, all of it. Turns out the company filed for bankruptcy in August 2025. There is a new bidder (Fragrance Xtreme) but as is typical, lots of legal entanglement. Hope the new bidder can make it work! Dana have a lot of copyrights: Tabu, Love's Baby Soft, Navy, Tojours Moi, Heaven Scent.... Link below to the filing if anyone is interested: https://bondoro.com/img-holdings/

I'm biased as I've always loved this scent since I first started work 40 years ago; the firm had a cosmetics brochure go round each month and I ordered this and fell in love. I love its distinct, vanilla aroma, classic and powdery and all the associations its use throughout the years brings back to me. My partner could smell it from upstairs when I sprayed so it can be quite heavy, but once you gauge the right amount to use it settles down beautifully. I agree its not really a summer scent and I prefer to use this in autumn to winter. Lovely.

I got a vintage bottle of the Dana Chantilly and it is vastly Superior to the current version. It smells more like the Hobogiant Chantilly. In fact a lot more. I spent $14 on it FB! Cheaper than the current version which smells like 7-up and baby powder. If you like citrus, orange blossom ambers check this vintage beauty out. Very close to the original Hobogiant Chantilly. Very happy with my purchase. Will give me more of a chance to spray and spray!

This is my 2nd review. I just cannot get enough of Chantilly. This has been my best blind buy ever and my preferred bed time fragrance every night for over 2 months, it's got to the point where I cannot rest peacefully without it! Beyond addictive, I look forward to slipping it on with my PJs at the end of every day. I think Chantilly will soon overtake my lifelong love affair with Shalimar. An underrated gem, Chantilly is my heaven in a bottle.

I really like this. Soft, creamy citrus fragrance. It’s not groundbreaking FOR ITS AGE, but it’s extremely pleasant and actually, wearing it nowadays will make you stand out from the crowd. It’s not a room filler, but it has good body for its category and persistence is moderate to high also. Color impression is rose gold/pinkie coral, it’s a very serene, understated, comforting fragrance. Great for everyday use, one feels safe and cozy in it.

Ok there is something in this that is so very comfy. It's June, it's hot, but comfy is what I must need because here I am wearing this on a summer night. I'm wearing a little bit older version. Maybe 5 years old. I'm not sure. I'm just loving this creamy, slightly spicy scent that cannot be duplicated! It is just soft and cozy. I'm needing this in many many more bottles. Like enough for a good 20 years. Ha ha I'm totally in love