“Thomas AKA The Candy Perfume Boy takes you on a journey around the fragrance world with ‘The Escentual A-Z of Fragrance’ a fun and fragrant ride that gives you all you need to know – the notes, the brands and the perfumers – to become a true fragrance addict/nerd”

D is for Dior…

In this wonderfully smelly A-Z the ‘D’ could only stand for ‘Dior’, any other D words would have been completely unacceptable. The reason being that the house of Dior is not only famous for its couture but also for its line of beautiful, classic and sometimes downright badly behaved perfumes.

In 1947, when Christian Dior launched his very first collection, the world took note and marvelled at the ‘New Look’ he had created. With his first fashions Monsieur Dior set the precedent of classic beauty and innovation that the house would follow for many years to come.

Miss Dior

The perfumes came the same year as the fashion, with Dior’s premiere parfum Miss Dior (now named Miss Dior Originale) being the first in a very long line of olfactory successes for the house. Inspired by Monsieur Dior’s sister, Miss Dior Originale is a glamorous, green floral chypre with a mean and bitter edge. A perfume with such an androgynous feel would make an ideal masculine fragrance for the man who dare wear it.

The Miss Dior of today however is an entirely different beast to the original, taking on the spirit of a lively, carefree and spirited parisienne with a thirst for life and a weakness for style. Fruits, flowers and patchouli fizz make for an entertaining fragrance full of that special je ne sais quoi to make it unique.

Les Creations de Monsieur Dior

Over the years Dior have released a number of perfumes evocative of the house’s fashions, many of which now sit within Les Creations de Monsieur Dior, the crowning glory of these being Diorissimo, an ode to one of the most elusive flowers that nature offers.

Diorissimo is a near-perfect replica of the scent of lily of the valley, a flower that does not yield any fragrant oil, meaning that it as much a technical marvel as it is a beautiful rendition of nature. The floral hues are given a huge amount of lift by some very clever musks which also help ensure that Diorissimo is a perfume that can be worn with the most casual or dressy of clothing.

Les Poisons

During the 1980s, when every perfume and fashion house was going ‘Big’ with a capital ‘B’ Dior decided to unleash the ultimate, huge and bombastic floral oriental that many would love and just as many would fear.

Aptly dubbed ‘Poison’ this Godzilla of a perfume stalked the streets and took no prisoners with its big syrupy bomb of sweet white flowers and ripe purple fruit that epitomises the excess and extremes of the ‘80s. Poison serves as a perfect example of how Dior always does edgy to perfection.

A number of poisons have been added to the collection since the original’s release with Hypnotic Poison and Pure Poison being the standouts. Hypnotic is a creamy, delicious blend of jasmine, vanilla and bitter almond and Pure is a megalith of orange blossom and musk. Both are interesting and unique compositions that stand apart from many modern fragrances of their style.

Dior Homme

In both fashion and fragrance Dior does not exclude the boys and the house is responsible for three of the most classic modern masculine fragrances around – Eau Sauvage, Fahrenheit and Dior Homme.

Eau Sauvage, Dior’s first creation for men, is a ground breaking blend of bright, sparkling lemon, hedione (methyl dihydrojasmonate – an airy, jasmine like aroma) and vetiver that smells clean, slightly soapy and ruggedly masculine. It’s the sort of fragrance that one can only associate with beautiful bad boys such as James Dean and Marlon Brando. The dapper and more debonair Eau Sauvage Parfum is also worth a try.

Fahrenheit came in the late ‘80s and uses a clash of citrus, violet and leather to create something that at once smells of car tyres and greenery – It is nature meets machine. This style has been copied many times since Fahrenheit’s release and its unique, biker jacket vibe works just as well on men as it does women.

Dior Homme is the most modern of Dior masculines and is easily one of this fragrance buff’s all-time favourites. Showcasing a powdery accord of sweet iris, accented by bergamot, cocoa and a subtle kick of lavender, Dior Homme highlights the softer, more feminine sides of the modern man.

You and Dior

What is your favourite Dior fragrance? Are you Miss Dior or are you the Dior Homme? Tell me, what’s your poison?