Comments on: Christian Dior Diorella ~ fragrance review

By: Robin

Robin — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:28:09 +0000

You’ve been very loyal! And yes, it’s not all that easy to get in the US, although lots of the online discounters carry it.

By: josy

josy — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 19:42:56 +0000

I started wearing Diorella in 1979, and do now. There were several years when Dior stopped production of this scent. When they brought it back there was an odd difference. As noted by others, it is similar, and very nice, but heavier–a bit more matronly. (Then again, so am I). The original had a magical lightness to it, which it definitely does not have anymore. (A French perfume journalist once explained the change, but I don’t remember what he told me). That said, there’s a former boyfriend that loved the old Diorella on me. I saw him again after many years, and when he hugged me he immediately recognized the fragrance. So… not that different, I guess.

In the U.S., I believe that Saks and Dior itself are the only places that carry it.

By: Robin

Robin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:13:52 +0000

Perfume does not usually lose its fragrance, although it might “turn” — go bad, essentially. Also pretty sure Diorella has been reformulated at this point (reportedly it’s still quite good, just different), so treasure your old bottle!

By: nostalgique

nostalgique — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:14:34 +0000

I came across this blog while trying to locate some Diorella perfume. I was given Diorella when I turned 13, in ’79. The full works: soap, edt, perfume, powder. Although I’ve tried others, Diorella has been my fragrance ever since. In response to the original post, I still have a very small bottle of the perfume, bought for me years ago and which I hardly wear. Although I’ve been told that perfumes loose their fragrance after a while, recently when traveling I started bringing it with me instead of the larger EDT bottle. Still, the search continues for the more potent concentration…

By: Robin

Robin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:05:06 +0000

I always think of peaches & plums, but yes, a very distinctive scent whatever fruits you get!

By: Marilyn Waters

Marilyn Waters — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:44:31 +0000

I always thought Diorella reminded me of the scent of slightly green bananas. Anyone agree? I just love it and it’s great for these cold Scottish winter weather blues. Whenever I wear it people ask about it, so it must be distinctive, hopefully in a pleasing way. It’s so brilliant being able to find out its history! Thanks nst.

By: Robin

Robin — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:55:54 +0000

Several reponses. First, you know, chypres really vary…even if you don’t like oakmoss, you might find some chypres you like, so I wouldn’t write off a whole fragrance family that quickly. Second, things grow on you. You might put Diorella aside for 6 months, and keep trying other things, and then go back to it and see what you think. You might also give Dior Eau Sauvage a chance…it’s lighter than Diorella and perhaps an easier “entry level” chypre.

Third, so far as tips for appreciating it — gosh, why bother? I mean, give it a chance later, as I said, but beyond that, there will always be fragrances you don’t like, right? There are many, many wonderful classics that I simply can’t stand to wear.

By: sylvianst

sylvianst — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:41:59 +0000

Hi, I’m a newbie to the world of perfume, and just beginning to explore building a small collection of fragrance for myself. This blog has been a wonderful source (both entertaining and resourceful) for me. But I also need some help here. I bought a bottle of Diorella without sniffing it, because of its wonderful reviews, being a classic, not a floral, and also because Saks is too far away from me and Saks online had a discount. (Uh!) Smelling Diorella teaches me that fragrance does “develop”; but sniffing it is also annoying. Somehow shortly after spraying it on my wrist, I smell something kind of powdery and pungent (probably inaccurate adjectives since the smell is hard to describe), lingering quite strong, and persisting into the drydown, though less pronounced than before. And it makes my nostril itchy. I don’t know if it is the “mossy smell” of the oakmoss, though it seems kind of similar to the drydown of Cristalle EDT, which, I learned, has oakmoss, and I find not easy to like. (But I don’t remember if I got itchy nose after sniffing Cristalle EDT in Macy’s.)

I try not to dismiss a perfume simply because I don’t adore it from the first sniff, especially the classics. But Diorella is my first chypre perfume and a challenging experience that maks me wonder if I should simply stay away from chypre from now on. Any tips/advice of how I may learn to appreciate Diorella and chypre? Thanks!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:13:00 +0000

EL PC *is* a chypre — a green chypre, and you can see more green chypres here:

http://www.nstperfume.com/blog/_archives/2007/10/23/3309445.html

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 01:18:37 +0000

Ah, so this is chypre…it is wonderful! I'm an archivist by profession, so I love the musty smell, lol, glad they bottled it. The herbal/citrus/(very light) jasmine is divine…I'm in love. I get what you mean about sticking in the back of your throat at first, but it doesn't bother me if I don't rub my nose in it. I give up on the sticky-sweet contemporary scents. It's all about the '60s and early '70s for me for a while. Private Collection is next. (Am I correct in thinking it's NOT a chypre? “Just” a green floral?)