Christian Dior: 28 posts

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

La Collection: A Few General Observations

The Christian Dior line is not new to the idea of exclusive collections within the main range. Dior La Collection started in 2004 with three colognes: Eau Noire, Cologne Blanche and Bois d’Argent, and all three were excellent. Two years ago, Dior added Ambre Nuit to the collection, and in 2010, it grew to include 10 fragrances with the launch of Mitzah, Vétiver, Granville, Leather Oud, New Look 1947, Cologne Royale and Milly-la-Forêt (Cologne Blanche has been discontinued.) The newest fragrances for La Collection were developed by perfumer François Demachy. So far, my impressions are mixed, but despite my initial skepticism, I find that these fragrances are worth exploring.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

The summer has been chilly until the past couple of weeks, and I have been wearing ambers and orientals rather than fresh colognes. For this reason, I wasn’t in a rush to seek out the newest addition to the Dior “Voyage” collection, which debuted in 2008 with a light and fizzy Escale a Portofino. However, Escale à Pondichéry suits my current mood perfectly, for not only it has enough warmth to make its straightforward cologne structure enticing on a chilly summer day, but it evokes the memories of my Indian adventures. While my next trip is not until the winter, I am consoling myself with scents that remind me of India.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

In sartorial terms, an effervescent citrus cologne is as versatile and timeless as a tailored suit or a little black dress. It is immediately appealing and effortlessly chic, while still having a striking presence. Yet, eventually all little black dresses start to look similar, and all colognes exhibit that familiar fresh burst followed by floral sweetness or woody dryness. As one knows all too well, familiarity breeds contempt. In this light, I have put the newest cologne offering, Christian Dior Escale à Portofino, to the test.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Life is full of ironies. The more I smell Dior Addict, the more I admire it and the more I realize that I will never be able to wear it. The contrasts between a languid floral oriental and an assertive dry chypre that fascinate me on a technical level render the fragrance very sharp. The impressive sillage of dry woody notes and rich vanilla drapes around me like heavy velvet. Russian women, whose tastes in perfume run the gamut from classical floral aldehydic to high calorie orientals, embraced it, but according to market research, they are the only ones who did. …

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Who is Miss Dior? She is half Anna Karenina, half Brett Ashley. Created for Christian Dior Parfums, Miss Dior appears to be lady-like and soigné, and yet it hints at the worn darkness of leather saddles and the smoke of slender cigarettes. Although one can enjoy Miss Dior for what it is—a gorgeous classical chypre with a unique green freshness, I find that understanding its context heightens my appreciation for its heartbreaking beauty. Born in 1947, the fragrance carries connotations of the hunger for glamour, the austerity of war and the hopes for future. …

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