Gris Montaigne Dior for women

Testing from a decant, I'm very pleasantly surprised by this fragrance. First let me say that 'gris' is indeed what it is, I see a lovely deep grey silk or velvet fabric when I sniff this and that is strange for a chypre and it is most definitely a chypre. Usually I see green for a chypre but this is indeed an elegant grey.

It is one of those scents that I am aware of as the day goes on, it floats about me and 'meets' me when I don't expect it to. If I put my nose to my skin it doesn't seem to be there, but then suddenly when I'm thinking of something else it appears. Rather like a dance partner that steps away for a moment then returns in a warm embrace.

Truly a very elegant and lovely fragrance, perfect for office or evening. I can't imagine anyone being offended by it, and while being very ladylike there is also an element of mystery to it. Definitely fbw for me.

It's a fresh bergamot fragrance. Not bad, but it smells almost like A Mi Aire by Loewe. I don't like this fact, even despite it doesn't have smelling chemical base.

I only tried Gris Montaigne yesterday and I really adore this chypre fragrance that is the latest addition to La Collection Privee Christian Dior - love the dryness of the scent and the soft citrus, rose and moss undertones.

I also like the concept of creating a fragrance around a colour - in this case a tribute to Dior's signature grey, which appears throughout Dior's branding and has been symbolic of Dior since its inception in 1947. The name Gris Montaigne is derived from Dior's ubiquitous grey (and white) and the Dior HQ in Paris at 30 Avenue Montaigne - not surprisingly decorated in grey and white.

The bottle is also gorgeous and generous - I really like the elegant simplicity of La Collection Privee Christian Dior's fragrance bottles. There are now 12 fragrances in the collection, all created by the house's Perfumer-Creator, Francois Demachy.

The fragrances start at around £100 so I'll have to get saving...

Although it will be difficult to choose between this fragrance, the more feminine New Look 1947 and the soft citrusy Granville (described as the lingerie of the collection as it is designed to be worn on its own or layered with more dominant fragrances). Tough call!

It's a lovely smell but very difficult to catch and has no longevity or sillage whatsoever. Pity! It does smell like the Dior store but at the same time for some reason it reminds me of ironing on a cold rainy day.