Lately, one perfume brand has been all over my social media feeds. I can't open my Instagram without seeing one of these fragrances on the profiles of fashion people or in-the-know beauty lovers. The brand? Dior.
You're likely well-acquainted with the Dior's iconic J'Adore and Miss Dior perfumes, which are among the best-selling fragrances in the world. Miss Dior Cherie was one of my first fragrances before I then fell for Hypnotic Poison as a teenager. But you might not know about Dior's luxe line of perfumes, La Collection Privée.
Not only do the tall vials of perfume look chic on any dressing table, but the juice inside these bottles is expensive-smelling. The Maison Christian Dior line is inspired by precious fragrance ingredients, and you'll also find the fragrances in body cream, hand soap and candle form. After seeing them dotted on my social feeds (top nail technician Harriet Westmoreland often uses the body creams and hand soaps as part of her nail treatments), I took it as a sign that I needed to try some of the fragrances for myself.
Within the collection, there are 25 scents to choose from, which are split into different fragrance families. Amber, Florals, Sensuals (think lightweight and delicate scents), Light Florals and Fruity Florals. The names of each are also intriguing (I see the Lucky scent most on Instagram) and are a nod to the codes of the fashion house, so each one tells a story.
With 25 to choose from, I reached out to Dior to try some of the best-selling scents and shared my honest thoughts below. And spoiler alert: They're guaranteed compliment-generators.
Dior La Collection Privée Perfume Review
Available at The Fabulous World of Dior at Harrods
1. Vanilla Diorama
Notes: Madagascan vanilla, rum, patchouli, orange, cocoa, wood, amber
Imagine stepping into the warm glow of a French bakery, with syrupy desserts wafting from the oven. The scent was inspired by one of Christian Dior's favourite desserts, Diorama. The recipe is unknown to this day, other than that it comprised of orange-glazed vanilla pods and cocoa. It goes without saying that if you like vanilla scents, them you'll like this one. At first smell, it's almost a bit boozy (that'll be the hit of rum), but after a few moments, it mellows down into a radiant, glowing vanilla. Vanilla Diorama is a long-lasting perfume, so it will last for hours on end of the skin and will no doubt get you noticed. It would also make a great perfume for the evening or as an autumn fragrance.
2. Eden-Roc
Notes: sea salt, pine, white flowers, marine accord, citrus
I have to say that I think this is my absolute favourite of the fragrances I've tried in this collection. Eden-Roc is inspired by the the namesake hotel on the French Riviera, Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, and it really does smell like a luxury escape in the South of France. The hotel sits at the water's edge and is surrounded by pine trees, and this fragrance really captures that feeling. The opening is quite citrussy before mellowing into the smell of the sun beating down onto salty skin after diving into the Mediterranean Sea. It's the meeting of fresh ocean air and the aromatic scent of green pine. It's not the type of scent that radiates strongly from the skin, so the silage is more intimate—ideal if you like you're fragrances to whisper and not shout.
3. Gris Dior
Notes: jasmine, bergamot, amber, moss
Dior perfumer François Demachy posed the question, "What if the Dior grey were a fragrance?" and this was the result. Grey is an iconic colour of the fashion house, and Demachy's interpretation is a chypre scent with several notes that don't compete with one another but harmoise. It manages to be both warm and cool smelling, both a little bit aquatic and earthy too. It's clean-scented, lightly citrussy and as wearable as a dependable grey blazer.
4. Oud Ispahan
Notes: oud, Damascus rose, woods, frankincense, resin
I'm not usually drawn to oud fragrances, but let me tell you I fell for this one. I can see why it's another best seller from the collection. Dior describes this as an oud-floral, so the oud is soft—not overbearing—and complemented so well with velvety Damascus rose. A smoky note also unfurls at first spritz before the wood, frankincense and resin notes takeover to make it so smooth and ever so slightly sweet. It's all warm and decadent without inducing a headache. In one sentence? Wear this if you want to smell damn expensive.
5. Tobacolor
Notes: tobacco, plum, peach, amber
If sultry and smoky fragrances are your thing, then I would direct you straight to this head-turning perfume. It's all thick cigar smoke and glowing amber, with a fruity honeyed sweetness that feels quite intoxicating. It's safe to say this is another long-lasting perfume, and you really don't need to apply much of this for it to make an impact. The dry-down is my favourite part of this scent; it's softly smoky and warm, like sitting next to a roaring fireplace and watching ember glow and unfurl.
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