Mahni Cassonade

I was reading the below reviews and I knew people were going to expect it to be a lot more sweet due to the vanilla ice cream note, which gives the expectation that it will smell like a sweet foody/gourmand dessert. Sharida had mentioned in her video that it was unisex and musky, so I already went in expecting it not to be a very sweet fragrance. When I read the notes I thought it would lean in the direction between VS Bare Vanilla and Kayali's Vanilla 28. For me that's what this smells like. I def smell the vanilla overall, and it def gives Vanilla 28 vibes, with a little less sweetness and more woodiness. It is not a sweet foody/gourmand fragrance, and I consider this to be a true unisex fragrance. With that said, even though I am for sure a sweet foody/gourmand lover, I do really enjoy this scent. I have been wearing it every day and pairing it with my Brown Sugar Babe Hot Chocolate body oil. I would tell those who are on the fence of keeping it to let it macerate. Think of how Vanilla 28 darkens and gets better over time. I think this will age very well. This is the very 1st Navitus fragrance that I really enjoy. For those who have seen my YT videos know I do not have a high opinion on the brand. So for me this was a very happy surprise, and the 1st fragrance from Navitus that I have that was a love at 1st sniff. My only real negative that I have is that I feel it either doesn't last or I go nose blind to it within a few hrs. So I need to test it out more and be in close proximity of people to gauge it's projection and longevity. But so far I have been seriously over spraying myself throughout the day to keep smelling the fragrance. I stand strong with my opinion on the brand not being worth $300, so if you are on the fence and know you are probably going to purchase this, do yourself a solid and purchase it while it is $206. It's currently out of stock, but when it comes back, if the code is still available, I hope people are able to save the $$.

This is my first proper sampling of Mahni Cassonade, one of the most recent releases from Navitus Parfums, a mostly-gourmand with a prominent toffee note that comes off as syrupy to me, reminiscent of breakfast syrup and waffles or pancakes, even. It’s quote smooth, creamy, resinous, a bit dark, and super strong, with supportive gourmand notes of brown sugar and vanilla ice cream as well as amber and amberwood. The robust toffee component is reminiscent of Absolutio, part of the initial collection from Navitus in late 2019, and still my favorite of the line, though it has other aspects that distinguish it from Mahni Cassonade. Still, there’s some commonality to be considered, and I probably ought to do a side by side comparison, Overall, this is excellent and very enjoyable, especially for a gourmand fan that enjoys the syrupy, resinous, toffee intersection that it’s in play in Mahni Cassonade. It’s high-performing, as the line generally tends to be, in high extrait concentration. The pricing is the highest of the brand both in terms of overall bottle price and cost per ml, at $295 for 125ml, but I imagine it’s sometimes on sale. As with the rest of the line, it’s sold via the house site as well boutiques like Perfumology, where I bought my sample. 8 out of 10

Ok, so to me this is not a vanilla prominent scent, it’s actually VERY toffee based at least to my nose. It literally smells like a toasted waffle cone with a vanilla praline ice cream scoop inside, and lots and lots of toffee sauce on top. It also literally smells like opening a soft toffee candy and biting into it. It smells so scrumptious and delicious! 🍦🍮🍬 As it starts to dry down, I get a powdery vanilla blast, not a creamy or syrupy vanilla, but a powdery vanilla. The powdery vanilla gives it an elevated and sophisticated feel to the fragrance, which I really like. Overall, this is a delicious gourmand and it smells like waffle cones and toffee. In saying so, you have to LOVE a toffee note in your fragrance to appreciate this one. Also, I don’t recommend blind buying this for non gourmand lovers.. Ps, is it just me but this smells nothing like kayali vanilla! Like nothing at all. Kayali vanilla is a sugary warm vanilla and this is a sticky sweet toffee waffle cone

Mahni Cassonade truly stands apart from other gourmand releases that often feel too feminine for my taste (male) or overly “foodie.” The combination of burnt, smoky caramel and rich vanilla caviar is absolutely regal and divine; I honestly don’t understand why this gets any dislike/hate. I catch a whisper of toffee ice cream while the cashmeran, musk and amber accords add a soft, powdery warmth in the background. Just a quarter spray is enough to project and linger beautifully on my wrist. I’m thrilled to have scored this nearly full bottle at half the retail price. The presentation, complete with a leather box, is stunning. That smoky balsamic vanilla drydown, almost resemblance to Tihota or creamier version of Vanille Planifolia Extrait 21 is simply speechless and seductive, kinda remids me of Deee-lite's "What Is Love" lyrics: "Mmm how do you say.... Delicious, Delovely Delectable, Divine? How do you say.... Degorgeous? Dewith it? Degroovy? Define?"

Wow, contrary to what some may think, this is NOT a “basic” anything. It’s a rich and slightly smoky, sticky vanilla. Love at first sniff and addictive. The amberwood shines in this, which is what balances out the sweetness. Now while Navitus prices aren’t the most wallet friendly, I’d gladly buy this a second time (not bc I got it like that lol but I don’t mind spending for what I don’t wanna be without) to support both the curator/collab as well as to continue to make my nose and heart smile lol. As for projection and longevity, it lasts all day on my skin and MUCH longer if sprayed on clothes. That in itself makes it worthy of a repurchase for me. I’m ok with basic or simplistic fragrances when it’s their time to shine in my collection, but this isn’t one of the ones I’d put in this category. It definitely has depth and sensuality. Perhaps it’s their nose that’s basic and they’re projecting (the way they claim the perfume isn’t lol) 🤷🏾♀️.