Shanti Shanti

Well-balanced, soft and natural spicy rose with a hint of patchouli. To my nose, in the opening it's a light version of ELdO's ROSSY DE PALMA, as it opens spicy, earthy and "oily" in the sense of rose oil. The scent itself is very similar, it's the concentration what is different. ROSSY is twice as dense as SHANTI SHANTI and thrice as stinky and offensive ;) Later on, Shanti Shanti develops into a completely different perfume: slightly powdery because of the iris, smooth, without any edges. The earthiness and the spiciness of the opening are gone. Basically, it is just a soft rose with a hint of delicate sandalwood. Very good, and probably just wonderful as a summer spicy rose, but still a little too delicate for my tastes. However, I really appreciate its natural character and its tasteful balance and definitely will sample it again in spring or summer, and it seems to me that this perfume will unfold all its potential in warmer temperatures.

Incredible. Oily, soapy, scrubbed-clean rose, beautifully concocted. The spices I feel on my skin are extremely mild, and the rose blooms majestically. Actually, it's not a "bloom"' as this is not fresh rose, but a concentrated, amazing oil of great quality. I'm a great fan of rose scents, but usually wear them for summertime (my winter roses are hidden in musky scents like "For Her" and "Idylle"). I thought this would be an oriental rose, very spicy or peppery, but instead this is like bathing in a rich, luxurious bath. I just love it. So far, all the Miller and Bertaux I've tried (I own seven of them) were fantastic. They all use close notes, but each variation is complete, balanced and fascinating. The longevity is good and so is the sillage.

Shanti-Shanti is a beautiful and peaceful rose-powder scent to me. The first impression is a strong but joyful rose, like Bulgarian rose oils. I can't feel anything else (spices, woods, etc.) here. After the first 10 minutes it becomes softer and as missk said, more spicy and woodsy, but in a very feminine, soft way. I can't feel patchouli at all (thanks God), only the richness. To my nose the drydown is quite similar to Montale's White Aoud, and yes, I see some common notes here, but I like S-S better as it lacks the first aoud-shock:)! It's somewhere between WA and Rosine's Rose IMO. Sillage is low-medium but on my skin lasting power is pretty good (more than 8 hours). Miller et Bertaux impressed me again:)...

The first time I tried this perfume it didn't quite meld on my skin, but I find it suits warmer weather. Where before I noticed the pepper, this time (with a more generous spray) it's suddenly very clear what it reminds me of ... Indian rose incense! The kind you find in any Indian shop, it's the scent that seems to permeate Indian carpets or fabrics, and I'm loving it because it's a scent I associate with the embroidered Indian slippers my mum used to pop into my Christmas stocking when I was a kid. I've been looking for the right perfume to wear with my light silk tea-dress which has a delicate Indian pattern in light greens and deep pinks. Shanti Shanti is perfect!

One of my favourite houses, but this one for me doesn't have enough depth and is mostly a very sweet rose (like rose water from a department store). It's leaning towards feminine and quite linear. Similar to MFK's Oud Satin Mood. Not blind buy worthy Will probably add a nice Fragrance to a boring place but wouldn't take you on a beautiful trip like 'A Quiet Morning'

Shanti Shanti opens with a dewy, delicate pink rose, set off by a little bit of tangy and almost salty sandalwood. The rose expands over the next hour or so until it’s wafting up all the way from my wrists to my nose (so, like, two-foot sillage) and feels like layers and layers of rosy-pale silk. It almost goes in a rosewater-like direction, but never quite crosses the line into “sweet.” And then it lands gracefully onto a spicy base. I get quite a bit of what smells like black pepper, with a nose-tingling effect, and maybe cardamom. The base balances the rose for a while, and then takes over until the rose is almost undetectable. The whole thing is incredibly sheer and weightless. Most “spicy rose” perfumes, I think, lean into the warmth and richness, but Shanti doesn’t. The rose is pristine; the dark base is thin and clear, like tinted glass, with nothing creamy or sweet or umami to give it heft. It’s so gracefully done that it makes other “dark rose” perfumes seem excessive and irrelevant. Almost. Miller & Berthaux perfumes so far seem a bit too well-mannered for me, without the offbeat verve that makes me really love a perfume. (Salome and Knowing are still my favorite roses, and they’re a lot more aggro: one an animalic rose and one a rose chypre, both dripping with darkness and damasconey goodness.) Shanti Shanti has a restrained loveliness that doesn’t grab my attention as much, but on the right person it would be perfect.

For me it’s a traditional spicy rose and patchouli mix, nothing less, nothing more. Rich dark rose petals with cold metallic undertones. Not bad, but not interesting enough.

A blast of bulgarian rose, I’m just too over it.

This is a peppery rose scent and is quite light. I am sorry but it smells nothing like Oud Satin Mood which has that vanilla (which makes me feel sick incidentally. I am the only person who can't stand this fragrance.). This one is light and airy with no oud. I am trying to sell my bottle incidentally.

This started with a blast of rose and then quickly morphed into a plastic, artificial play dough scent. That pretty much dominated for the next few hours. I don’t really know what’s going on because the notes sound lovely but unfortunately this was just horrible on my skin.

Testing perfumes with non-literal names is a lot of fun. With zero preconceptions, I am afforded the opportunity to try to figure out what the perfume was intended to be. In the case of Miller et Bertaux SHANTI SHANTI, the answer was clear within a couple of seconds: rose. A rich rose this is, with petals piled up to the sky, but SHANTI also evolves quite a bit. Initially the rose note seemed only to be rose petals, but then the composition began to manifest some greenness, leading me to believe that we might be moving toward tea rose territory. That impression was dashed within a couple more minutes, as the greenish quality faded and the rose began to smell ever-so-slightly sour to my nose, reminding me just a tiny bit of Hermessence ROSE IKEBANA. Next an unidentifiable spiciness began to emerge. I was not sure at all what the spices were, but as they continued to crescendo and the rose faded a bit, I came to realize that this composition must contain cumin and pepper, as I kept thinking of The Different Company ROSE POIVREE. I greatly prefer SHANTI SHANTI because the spices are kept in check and never reach the point of smothering the rose. I do not smell any cardamom or much in the way of patchouli in this composition, but I do smell a spicy rose! (I confess that my failure to detect patchouli may have something to do with the fact that I was wearing Juliette Has A Gun VENGEANCE EXTREME last night...) All in all, this is a fine rose perfume with significant development and lots of interesting twists and turns.

Shanti Shanti, although not predominantly rose, is undeniably rosey and sweet. This fragrance tickles the senses, with it being somewhat exotic and unique. This tends to have a much drier rose note than what many people may be used to. In some ways it reminds me of potpourri. It has a slight dusty and spicy feel to it. Shanti Shanti sits on the skin rather lightly. Had this scent been stronger, I would have said that it would make a marvellous Winter scent, however with its subtlety, I'd also recommend it for Spring wear. In the heart, the notes like patchouli and intensified spices, become more apparent. Iris tends to soften the rose note a little, creating a powdery and feminine quality. This is a rose scent, far from those typically conservative, 'English Rose' type scents. Shanti Shanti, like its foreign and enticing name, speaks exoticism. This fragrance felt very velvety and rich on my skin, however the lasting power wasn't all that impressive, although I must admit that I wasn't disappointed either. I do really suggest this fragrance for those hardcore rose lovers that are searching for something that little bit adventurous.

How could I have waited so long to review Shanti Shanti. This is my perfume staple ever since I walked into the boutique in Paris and stumbled on this unassuming gem. This is a bottle that I have repurchased twice now. It is always an easy pleasure to wear in winter or even in the dry heat of summer. This is also one of my most complimented perfumes, smelling sweetly and naturally rosy and bookish. It reminds me of a second hand bookstore with heavy vintage shelves and pleasant weekends whiling away the hours. Starting off fresh and green with cardamom and wet roses and then progressing toward a slightly dusty rosy sandalwood. It lasts all day but is never overwhelming. Effortless and always feels like 'me'. This one is a keeper.

This starts out with a sweet and strong rose note which dominates for a while. To my nose, the spices are hardly noticeable in the beginning. After a while, they appear, adding warmth. In the middle, the rose gradually become softly powdery and slightly soapy. Then towards the drydown, the rose becomes wooded and dry. This is definitely a very interesting journey- very far from the usual rose stereotypes. However the perfume has a very low sillage and longevity (less than 5 hours) so that was disappointing. It would be good for office as it is unlikely anyone else would be able to smell it. Great for a yoga class etc. A purely personal indulgence! I would love to have it my collection.

Very heavy on sandalwood and spices even to the extent that it scraches my nose. Now I see why it bears this Sanskrit name. A good rose scent that can transport me to South Asia. Nevertheless it's not my type.