Thursday, July 11, 2013

The 80s called and they want their perfume back or Miss Dior Le Parfum and believe it or not that first part is not a put down.

I think we shall begin this review with what this perfume reminds me of and I just want to add I do love this film, Working Girl, trailer below.

Miss Dior Le Parfum is such a throwback to the big perfumes of the eighties it takes you a few moments to fully comprehend what is going on because your nose is in a bit of a shock. Let's just say that the relationship with the current Miss Dior fragrances is that it hints at strawberry in its fruit notes and that is about it. Now on to what Miss Dior is actually related to: Mauboussin's Mauboussin and the original Fendi fragrance. 

Miss Dior Le Parfum starts big with amber spiced fruits, there is a hint of strawberry but I would say it is mainly plum, think fruit compote made with dried fruits and cinnamon. This is where the relationship to Mauboussin can be smelled, that heady rich amber fruit opening is definitely a call back to that iconic scent. Then Miss Dior Le Parfum gets dry, powdery dry, while the spicy amber fruit remains it is suddenly  in the background, what comes forward is dry woods with a heavy lean towards cedar with the addition of rose that smooths out the rough edges. This is the stage that reminds me of the original Fendi, that big bombastic cedar incense of a scent that demanded reverence and tribute when you wore it. It is not nearly as bombastic as Fendi but the dry cedar is prominent with spices that says this is no shrinking violet of a scent. Eventually Miss Dior Le Parfum comes to a dry down that reminds me of amber and exquisite makeup powder with hints of rose and vanilla that has been sitting in a cedar chest. 

I know Sigourney's character wear's Shalimar in Working Girl but I think she would have worn Miss Dior Le Parfum had it been available at the time. Her character is an awful awful person, but dammit I love Sigourney, and she played the role so perfectly. 

So thank you Miss Dior Le Parfum for going down the road of big hair and big scent of the 80s and for not really cleaning it up on the way there. You are a rather unexpected delight. 

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2 comments:

Undina said...

Even though I disapprove everything Dior has done to both - the original Miss Dior and Miss Dior Cherie, including the most recent renaming game, I tried Le Parfum because one of my blogo-friends liked it a lot. And? Still no. I'm not sure I would have felt differently had it been some stand-alone new perfume, let's say, Veuve Dior. But with this name...

I also love Sigourney Weaver and it was hard to me to hate her character in the Working Girl.

Unknown said...

Well you gave it a try and that is the best you can do. As for Dior, I admit I have not kept up with them and for the most part I ignore their fragrances these days. I am lucky to have a bottle of Dior Addict before the reformulation but truly it is a shame to what they have done to their fragrances. Miss Dior Cherie was a wonderful strange little concoction that actually worked and it is no longer that wonderful strange little concoction.