Count me as a Diane von Furstenberg fan from way back. I read her beauty book/memoir when I was in college and felt we must be sisters. Maybe I didn’t marry a prince or launch a fashion empire, but I sure understood her struggles with curly, frizzy hair. When she re-launched her clothing business, I snapped up silk jersey dresses when I could, and now I have seven of them, plus two skirts and a blouse. The flattering cuts, the easy fit, the exuberant prints — I loved it all. Naturally, I dogged perfume counters when Diane Von Furstenberg Diane came out. Verdict? Sadly, not for me.
Diane von Furstenberg describes Diane as a “woody floral” fragrance and says it is “powerful and seductive, without being aggressive.” Perfumer Aurélien Guichard developed Diane, and notes include frangipani, violet, patchouli, myrrh, and musk. That list of notes is seductive, seemingly paving the way for a fragrance with an oriental twist: alluring, earthy, and feminine. Not so on skin. In a nutshell, Diane smells to me like a rose chypre someone tried to wash off with the lily of the valley soap normally kept for show in the guest bathroom.
Gosh, I wanted to love Diane. I even like the bottle, which has garnered some complaints online. I gave it a second, then a third and fourth round of skin-slicking spritzes. Right off the bat I smell nose-tingling aldehydes that say clean clean clean, like Narciso Rodriguez Essence. Beyond the fizzy halo is what smells to me like rose with a barely fruity tinge that must be the frangipani and the candy perfume of violet.
Eventually the rose settles in more resolutely, along with a hint of patchouli, but Diane always feels vaporous and light — almost ozonic — behind its wash of clean musk. Remember Natori? Natori settled heavy-hitting florals behind a classic aldehydic veil that lifted it into an almost retro, elegant fragrance. Many people found Natori too subtle and fizzy for their taste. Natori, with its spicy floral heart, is actually more assertive than Diane. Diane cleanses its florals in a musky laundry soap so that there is little left to make my mouth water. A touch of mossy funk does live in Diane, but it’s subservient to the soapy clean overlying it.
To me, Diane doesn’t fulfill its mission of suggesting power and seduction. I don’t need a bombshell oriental to go there — on the contrary, there’s something off-putting about a fragrance that tries too hard to be sexy. That’s what I like about Diane von Furstenberg’s dresses. They’re sexy, but with a wink. Frankly, I find Diane to be demure to the point of passivity. Demure and not overly imaginative.
On the other hand, Diane’s reined-in nature makes it perfect for office wear, and it’s good value for the money. Although the fragrance is quiet and clean, it wears like iron. A few spritzes of the Eau de Parfum applied before breakfast last until well after dinner. No one will complain about it, either. Diane is clean and friendly, and many people who find Bath and Body Words Japanese Cherry Blossom hand lotion troublesome won’t raise an eyebrow at Diane’s soapy, watery rose as it dries down.
Am I crazy? Am I missing something about Diane that I should be cluing into? Please let me know what you think. Or, if you haven’t smelled Diane, tell me what you imagine her perfume would smell like.
Diane von Furstenberg Diane is available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum ($85 and $110) and Eau de Toilette ($65 and $90), as well as in lotion ($45).
50 Comments
Read more about commenting at Now Smell This.
Was it the eau de parfum, or the toilette you tried? I have the EDP, and I get a nice dirty chypre effect that makes me think of how elegant ladies smelled when I was little…
I tried the EdP. I know just what you mean about the chypre effect, almost like Madame Rochas, but for me it was drowned by the watery clean musk. It sounds like you like, though, which is good!
Oh pooh! I have been SO looking forward to this one. She did a couple of great fragrances back in the day and count me as another fan of her fashions. Heck, I’m basically a fan of *her* in general. So naturally, I’ve been aniticipating this new fragrance. Of course, I’ll still try it, but my hopes aren’t high. Gosh darn it.
You might like it a lot more than I did. Please let me know what you think when you do try it.
there is nothing as perfect as a DvF wrap dress, I agree, so I was so hoping the scent might be promising, I haven’t tried it yet, and I’m not in a hurry to do so now after your review. My perfect matches to the dresses are, at the moment, either 31 RC, OJ woman or jasmin et cigarettes (or however it’s called nowadays)
Yes! Those are each perfect matches. I think it’s especially clever that you chose Jasmin et Cigarettes.
Such a shame…oh, well
Maybe you’ll like it, though! Or maybe not.
this line kills it for me: “smells to me like a rose chypre someone tried to wash off with the lily of the valley soap normally kept for show in the guest bathroom.” I didn’t read on after that
I know what you mean. That clean, watery component is what gets me.
I SO want one of her dresses.
I wouldn’t turn my nose up at the perfume, but those dresses…..
I’ve seen her dresses around for a decent price in consignment shops–that’s how I bought all but two of mine. Keep looking and one can be yours!
Angela–Say it ain’t so!
Where did you test this?
Hugs!
I got a sample at Nordstrom. It’s supposedly at Sephora, too.
Oh this is a disappointment! I love DVF, too, and hoped for something a bit more creative than what was just described. I was given a small sampler the other day, so I’ll give it a road test. I’m happy to hear that it lasts a long time, and it’s nice to hear that it’s a pleasant scent. It sounds like it would be a good quality, non-offensive present a la Kate Spade’s Twirl.
Twirl is a little more fruity to me, but I get where you’re coming at and agree. But maybe you’ll love it!
I have always lusted after DvF and DvF-style wrap dresses, but I most be one of the few people on the planet they look AWFUL on. The waist always hits too low on my figure and the jersey clings all wrong, making me look like a bag lady. I finally found a knock-off of the style at Target that fits, but it makes me sad that I’ll never be able to rock the real thing : (
More on topic, I’m sad to hear about the lackluster perfume. I would have definitely thought it’d be more along the lines of a heady, dominating Jean Patou than watery musk and violet.
Oh, but you’re lucky to find that the Target knock off works for you!
I was surprised, too, to find Diane more wan than I’d thought it would be.
“In a nutshell, Diane smells to me like a rose chypre someone tried to wash off
with the lily of the valley soap normally kept for show in the guest “bathroom” that was the best thing I’ve read in an age I loved that phrase (smile). Oh what a pity I so remembered loving her Tatiana when it first came out. when it was launched again at a later time it just seemed louder and sharper to me. I was so hoping this would be as Spring like in a bottle as I’d remembered Tatiana originally being. You mentioned the bottle and the reactions it motivated. Can you describe its shape to me?
I was a big fan of Tatiana back in the day, too! I also wore Chloe. For years I loved white florals, apparently, then shunned them, and now am ready to let them back in.
A photo of the bottle is the photo at the top of the post. It’s the bottle grasped by the pink-talonned hand.
Hi,
Oh dear I’m sorry the reason I asked for a verbal description is I’m a blind person and can’t see the bottles as pictured. I thought with your way of words you’d be quite similar to my mom in translating that which she saw into words for me (God rest her soul). I bet it’d come easily to you, bottle descriptions that is. sorry for the confusion (smile).
Well, then, let me take a stab at describing the bottle: It’s an ovoid, clear glass flask with a gold collar and gold setting on the bottom, each of which extend down the side of the bottle about half an inch. The word “Diane” in large, jumbled gold letters cover the front of the bottle. The cap is clear acrylic and mimics the shape of the bottle, except lying on its side. I don’t know if that helps much!
Hi,
Ooh I just knew you’d be good at it with your wonderful use of descriptive language in so many other contexts I just knew it’d come naturally to you. My Mommy would be proud (smile). Watch out now I might ask to borrow your eyes a lot when new bottles appear (laughs). If any of them strike you as potentially being interesting to feel don’t hesitate to describe them in the future. that was the best thanks so much (big smile).
thank you so very much for taking the time to do that for me (smile).
I’m happy to do it! Hopefully you’ll be able to get to a store and feel the bottle, anyway.
Love DVF wrap dresses. I don’t think I’ll even bother to try the fragrance. Whenever I see musk featured in the notes these days, I’m usually in for a migraine from the “clean, fresh, laundry detergent, whiteness” of these chemicals. Whatever happened to funky, animalic musks? Or simply musk as a note that enhances other notes?
I think I’ll hit a few consignment shops and stick to her clothing line. No disappointments there!
I hope you score something gorgeous!
I tried it today but I couldn’t sample it properly because my boyfriend got nausea almost instantly and I washed it off. I still get the musk some hours after and something like fruit? I liked the rose accord at the beginning but feel nothing for what is left of it. I’ll have to sample it again but I still thought that it is much more interesting and better put together than other designer scents. Thank you for the review.
Thanks for the mini review, and I’m sorry about your boyfriend! I hope he has a more positive response to your favorite perfumes.
I sampled this hopefully laast week and found it pleasant, a fragrance for adults rather than tweens, which is always a relief, but certainly not compelling. Too bad – like the rest of you, i love DVF!
Yes, at least it isn’t another fruity thing, even if it isn’t exactly what I wanted.
Oh, man, I had a leopard print DVF wrap dress in the late 70′s/early 80′s that a friend of mine found at the thrift store. I wore it to a rag and finally patched it up and sold it on ebay a few years ago, because it no longer fit and never would.
I’ll try this scent if I find it but my hopes are not high. Loved Tatiana in the day.
Sounds like a fabulous dress! I figure often a fragrance is worth trying, even if it isn’t your thing.
What an anti-climax it is when you find yourself not loving something you had pinned hopes on. So sorry to hear that Diane is not for you.
Octavian at 1000 Fragrances raved about this one, if memory serves. Which is quite something, given the bile he heaped on some of the new Chanels and Lutens.
But then his reviews are predicated on: ‘This is / is not a good fragrance’, whereas NST reviews are: ‘This may be / may be not a good fragrance, but try it for yourself and see what you think.’ Both approaches are valid, I think, but I learn more from the NST approach and it is more enjoyable to read. So thanks!
I have heaps of respect and always learn something from Octavian’s posts. I’m so glad he’s around. My approach is definitely more that of the average consumer who likes perfume a lot, which is probably what most of NST’s readers (and many perfume buyers) are. That’s o.k. with me.
Angela, I felt the same disappointment as you did. I was very much looking forward to this and raced home with my sample only to have my hopes dashed. It reminded my of Patou’s 1000 right away; it must be the aldehydes.
And maybe the violet? Although I didn’t get huge amounts of violet from Diane.
Angela,
I was expecting something so great with this new DvF perfume and you can imagine how very disappointed I was when I spritzed it on my wrist to sample it and smelled a very boring clean floral concoction. Oh and it was very light on me.
I put it in the same category at the new Cartier Baiser Vole. They have a similar vibe. Is there some clean floral trend happening?
~Dawn
I definitely notice a trend toward silky powder perfumes, and I’d put Baiser Vole in that category, but maybe the light florals that accompany them are part of a larger trend!
Love DvF dresses, she’s pretty cool herself too…..however, her fragrances have never appealed to me. It seems I’m the only one in the room who wasn’t anticipating its arrival. I thought it might be a little more aggressive (assertive) than what you’ve described…but if I see it I’ll for sure give it a sniff for the sake of science. You never know, right?
Science needs you! (And me!) Let me know what you think when you do try it.
Totally off topic, but I want the bracelet the model is wearing in the photograph. Yummy.
I betcha that’s a DVF bracelet, and you can own one!
Just commenting to quickly say that your link says “bath and body words”. Anyway, thank you for the review!
And the “k” and the “d” are so far apart on the keyboard, too! Thanks for the correction.
Oh what a pity I love DVF. Do you knwo who makes the perfume? Is it Coty possibly (do not mean the perfumer but really the industrial producer).
No, I don’t know who makes the perfume, but that’s a good question. Next time I’m at a department store, I’ll have to check the bottle to see.
Does anyone think it smells like Agent Provocateur? I kept smelling the rose!! I bought this from Sephora’s website (un-sniffed). I’m so disappointed!!
I’m sorry it turned out to be a bum purchase! I hope you can find someone to swap it with. (Maybe someone who likes Agent Provocateur?)
I think I’m going to return it today! I’ve learned my lesson.. : )