Miss Dior (1947)
by Christian Dior

Don't let the name fool you - this is not a scent for little girls! Miss Dior goes on green, green, and green, with an intriguing bitter edge and just a hint of dry, aldehydic florals in the sillage. Floral and aromatic notes come quickly to the fore, but the crisp green edge on the scent endures. The accords brighten bit by bit, but without growing measurably sweeter.

Miss Dior's heart remains brisk, yet deep. Soft woods and powerful moss provide a firm foundation as the opening green notes begin to fade, but never becomes heavy. By the time I've worn it for a couple of hours Miss Dior has evolved into a very pleasing, dry, classically constructed chypre. Though it enters its drydown quickly, MIss Dior persists as a subtle skin scent for a few hours.

This is for a review of the parfum. I think think Dior was trying to aim at creating something unusual, but without trying to go over the edge.

The opening caught me by surprise. Screechy, bright, and almost blinding. Bright florals are married with some spicy and powdery notes and aldehydes. It doesn't last too long when it moves into something much more alluring. This part of the composition reminds me a lot of Vol de Nuit or Mitsouko, but not as warm and not as spicy as Mitsouko. The base of the scent emerges pretty quickly with notes of oakmoss and vetiver. The overall effect after its opening is soft and lasts a very long time.

To add "Miss" to the title of the scent probably gives an impression of what youth is all about to Dior which is probably to capture youth's ability to dare and be audacious, and to be different, all without going over the unsaid boundaries of being demure of the time.

Its birth is from a design house, but it now has the characteristic of a niche scent--unusual, not overly complex and doesn't try to overdo. Hearty thumbs up!

I used to wear this in my twenties and people who got close enough always remarked on how lovely my scent was. I forgot about for years and recently decided to try it again. I still love it. It's so soft and gentle smelling--almost like a light talcum powder.

I had a bottle of this scent as a student, but that was many moons ago. After reading the reviews on basenotes, I decided to try Miss Dior again. So I sprayed some on a freshly showered arm using a tester in a department store early this morning. My initial impression was that this scent has lost something in its reformulation. For the first half hour all I could smell on my arm was a battle for dominance between the different notes, resulting in a non-descript smell. I was hugely disappointed. But then after about an hour, that old familiar Miss Dior scent came through. It seems softer than I remember, and with more creaminess, but there's something about it that says "come back for more". I still prefer the original formulation, and the original bottle, but I can see myself purchasing this one. It really is a unique chypre with a certain class and nostalgia. No wonder it has stood the test of time.

Classic, clean, and so French !! They don't make fragrances like this any more.

"They just don't make 'em like this anymore", was my initial thought upon sniffing precious drops of vintage Miss Dior. I couldn't wait to get this stuff onto my skin. Cool chypre leather. A brilliant composition forever lost to unavailable ingredients...like real oakmoss and high quality labdanum. The opening is only slightly sharp, then a flood of mossy greens wash through, introducing a careful blend of carnation, iris, jasmine and rose. Leather too, and plenty of it! Not aggressive ~ but steady, deeply womanly. To my nose it smells aged and dry, very pleasant. This quiet treasure is among the greats like Mitsouko and Coty's Chypre. Dated? Maybe. I see it more as a timeless classic of monumental worthiness! (* djuna and purplebird7 have written excellent commentaries on Miss Dior)