Diorella (for women)

Robert White

(I won an award? Where?) I'm reading a wonderful and hilarious book called WORD FUGITIVES by Barbara Waldraff. It's a collection of made - up words for situations, thoughts, things, and people that never had names but clearly need them. For example: what do you call going through the dirty clothes hamper for a reasonably clean and wearable item of apparel to finish up your outfit? Why, DRY GLEANING, of course. I invented one of my own: what do you call the foam that goes over the rim of a glass of beer or soda, making a mess? A BEVERLANCHE, naturally. Anyway, there needs to be a name for the anosmia induced by overly solicitous and/or nosy sales people who hover over you when your'e holding a smelling strip under your nose and trying to evaluate a perfume. I have a word for that type of sales associate, anyway: SMELLICOPTER. Well, I've always wanted to like Diorella, but the goddamn smellicopters at Saks wouldn't leave me alone to find out. I've always wanted to like it because Luca Turin raves about it, and I truly LIKE the guy; I feel a kinship with intellectually restless, hyperactive nonconformists. That's a shock, huh? Come to think of it, there should be a word for those kind of people, too. I've got it: SPLINTELLECTUALS! Well, now I have a bottle of Diorella, thanks to a nice little discount stor I discovered on Sunday, and I can truly say that it is everything that he says it is. What makes Dirella great? The same thing that makes Chanel No. 5 great: Titanic Abstraction. Diorella does for fruit and citrus what Chanel No. 5 does for flowers: creates an entirely NEW and original fragrance; it's fruity, but not sweet; citrusy, but not acidic or oily. These perfumes do for scent what Willem de Kooning did for the human figure: take it to the realm of abstraction while keeping an identifiable shape. Great creativity in perfumery consists, in part, of this: creating entirely NEW smells. Sure, there are amazing scents that I love that smell LIKE things; incenses and gourmands, naturally. (I think the most amazing thing a gifted perfumer could do is create the scent of a completely new and unidentifiable food that's also wearable...wouldn't that be amazing?) But I think that the level of true ART is reached when you can't find words or analogies, when you can't say "this smells like X" and your only recourse is to say "this smells like No.5 or Shalimar or Mitsouko" This smells like Diorella.

glitteralex

I adore the Green Chypre family, and this is the reference. The bottle I am using, from the early 90s, has an incredible amount of oakmoss. Lots of citrus in the top, too. The floral heart is mild and serves more to round out the compostion than make a statement. High quality ingredients, and Dior is not skimpy with them. I am happy to see that it has not undergone a massive reform to make it more marketable to the 21st century set. Let's see how it survives the new EU "oakmoss regs" Wears very well due to the almost oily base (I note this also in older versions of Ma Griffe). Classic.

b.n. Definitely the grandmother of "Wrappings" by Clinique, but not as dry.

glitteralex

I adore the Green Chypre family, and this is the reference. The bottle I am using, from the early 90s, has an incredible amount of oakmoss. Lots of citrus in the top, too. The floral heart is mild and serves more to round out the compostion than make a statement. High quality ingredient, and Dior is not skimpy with them. I am happy to see that it has not undergone a massive reform to make it more marketable to the 21st century set. Wears very well due to the almost oily base (I note this also in older versions of Ma Griffe). Classic.

b.n. Definitely the grandmother of "Wrappings" by Clinique, but not as dry.

Ester

One more "great classic" I can’t understand (not to say it makes me sick). Chypre with green, floral and lemon notes. I can handle that, but there is one note, I call "old". It makes me want to breathe some fresh air. I can find this "note" in Opium, Rive Gouche and Obsession.

ineedavktion

I don't know what it is about these types of perfumes...floral-chypre. I wanted so much to like this especially because of the lemon and lime but I just couldn't take it. I even waited a few hours to see if the scent died down to a smoother floral scent I could deal with and it didn't. This one is going back!

veruska

I must admit it took me a long time to fall for diorella maybe because i also had le parfum de therese by F.Malle and comparing the two i felt more inclined to wear the second. But in reality Diorella is the archetypic classic and in my own opinion deliciously unisex.It starts sweet but cool at the same time, and it becomes even more juicy, with a green springy mildly fruity rose heart. Definitely the pinnacle of floral fruity abstraction. No note is easy to indetify but this give a mesmerizing effect of sunshine early in an Easter April day.As for the drydown it heads to more masculine territory with a strange but attractive mildew note.A poem wriiten in the past, defining the future!

pimentosugars

This is where Dior always wins. Diorella remains one of the most exquisitely structured fragrances ever created. The heart is a wonderful honeysuckle, neither sickly nor overpowering, due to soft clean top notes and a base that is warm and subtle, deepening the presence of the flower without interfering with it.

It's strange how few perfumes seem to work well with the signature of honeysuckle, perhaps because it could easily overtake everything, but this perfume shows Roudnitska's skill; If anyone wonders what is meant by a well harmonised perfume, Diorella is the perfect example. I do not use the word 'classic' often nor do I automatically treat famous perfumes with respect (too often a case of 'The Emperor's new clothes' )but to my mind, Diorella remains one of the most delicate and memorable perfumes ever.

ccr727

I just bought this for my girlfriends mother as a bd gift. I'm told she's be wearing it for over 30 years just thought I would check some reviews.

Juliette has a gun

My new favourite. One of the best perfumes ever, Roudnitska siad it was his best creation and I'm inclined to agree with him. So French, so fresh and vibrant! No cool young woman should ever run out of it...

elgab89

Green, citrus, flowers - honeysuckle is the main note - and definitely mossy. This is a flower perfume that is not romantic, but would appeal more to a chic businesswoman. With this, she will be noticed, she will be powerful, she will be classy.
I understand the F_A_ description of "mono-scent" in the way that the perfume changes very little from the top notes to the base notes, however do not be fooled, it does not lack in complexity!

kiselina

Classical and beautiful-the most beautiful bergamot in the perfume world!
Suitable for warmer seasons, in winter you might feel cold wearing it.
Unfortunately, it's hard to find it in the stores, especially in my country.

gigimarketing

It's a classic...when I smell this I remember my mum getting ready to go out to some special dinner...very intense and very femminine

Sherihan

I cant resist it, it is a dream, special in a greeny way

winx61

Strepitosa fragranza anni '70. Fresca, vivace, effervescente. Un classico per ogni momento della giornata. Ci sento il caprifoglio e il mughetto... ma quello che mi piace di piu' sono le note iniziali di limone e basilico... mettono il buon umore!!!