Dior Dior is an absolute beauty, a real treasure which seems a world away from the style of perfumery we see today. At its core, this scent is a beautifully smooth and soapy white floral, with elements of lust hiding just underneath the surface. The magnificent trio of narcissus, Lily of the valley and Jasmine is what leads the composition, creating this intensely leafy, soapy and slightly green feel. The flowers feel tangible, as though the petals you are smelling are right there - a pattern I seem to notice a lot with older perfumes. The addition of aldehydes furthers this soapiness even further, whilst a base of moss and woods creates this element of darkness whilst simultaneously inspiring this image of walking through a forest densely populated with beautiful flowers. This is one of the harder perfumes to find when it comes to vintage Dior, and for good reason. This lesser-known scent is to die for, and if you ever find a bottle at a good price do not hesitate to take advantage of it.
Top notes: peach, prune, cumin, bay oil, honeysuckle, aldehydes. Middle notes: jasmine, jonquil, rose, tuberose, lilac, narcissus, carnation, lily of the valley. Base notes: oakmoss, sandalwood, amber, leather, civet. Taken from Cleopatra’s Boudoir, this is the most accurate and complete set of notes there is for Dior Dior. In a nutshell, this lost and forgotten Roudnitska complex perfume, misunderstood back then and even now, is an amalgam of previous Dior’s, rolled into one; you have the LOTV from Diorissimo, the melon/jasmine fresh funk of Diorella, the animalic leather of Miss Dior, the peachy milkiness of Diorama, all dazzled in 70’s disco funk. Prim and proper like any classy Dior but also more bohemian, more aloof and infinitely more modern, just like the times. I believe the reason it flopped was because customers weren’t accustomed to such modernity from a house like Christian Dior and the ones who wanted the ‘theme du jour’ in perfume would turn to other hippier brands. In a way, this ties perfectly with something like Vu. Dioressence, which got a small face lift in 1979, would revisit this funky new style with different ingredients to slightly better success. Double Dior is a lost gem that culminates Edmond’s genius! A masterpiece!