DSH Perfumes Chinchilla

A new fragrance release from DSH Perfumes is always something to anticipate and DSH Perfumes Chinchilla does not disappoint. Dawn Spencer Hurwitz created this animalic perfume as a reference to an era when women donned furs for elegant nights out.  DSH Perfumes has a strong selection of retro styled perfumes, and in my opinion Dawn has a real gift for evoking a bygone era of glamour and luxury.

Dawn always writes good descriptions of her perfumes which give a visual as well as scented image. Here is how she describes Chinchilla: "At the Grand Hotel, where the elite and gorgeously tailored meet for soirees, dancing parties, and other hedonistic meetings, the elegant always wear their chinchilla. Dreamily soft, sensuously cozy, and yet so chic; only the finest would do."

Dawn is expert at combining a long list of diverse notes and this perfume is no exception.  There are animalic and skin scent notes such as africa stone tincture, ambrette, oakmoss, castoreum, and civet; along with sweeter notes of french beeswax, honey, gardenia, carnation, and rose, but you will not pick out the individual notes for the most part. After the perfume has settled on my skin it smells of a slightly animalic musk with faint wisps of crushed flower petals and thick golden honey.

This vintage-inspired scent references a time when it was de rigueur for the fashionable to wear a fur to stay warm in a frigid New York winter. Trends and proprieties have changed; today the fur is probably a very realistic fake or has given way altogether to a warm cashmere coat. But the elegance of that once-upon-a-time era is remembered in this scent with notes conjuring warm skin, fur, and cozy  musk. Dawn describes Chinchilla as a floriental/musk/animalic fragrance, both sexy and comforting. I would agree with that characterization, but to me it's the understated "without trying" kind of sexy; a woman in her husband's white button down shirt or in a tee shirt and socks, looking innocently alluring.

On some skins the animalic notes might amplify but when I wear Chinchilla it remains more of a cozy, soft, yet sexy skin scent. It feels like it would be the perfect scent for a lazy crisp autumn day; wearing a warm fuzzy sweater,  tucking my feet under a cozy fur blanket, settling in for a good long read with a new book or watching an old classic movie. The scent manages to be both cozy and sexy, comforting and beguiling, without ever falling into either camp. I would like my skin to smell like this naturally: warm, musky, sweet and just a touch naughty. Chinchilla could be worn any time. It is elegant enough for a night out, understated enough for daily wear, or the perfect skin scent when you want to smell like yourself, but better!

Top photo www.eslamoda.com. Second photo, Dorian Leigh in chinchilla stole  from Maurice Kotler, photo by Guy Arsac, 1956. Third photo google image. Sample sent to me by DSH Perfumes.