Reviews of Dioressence (1969)
by Christian Dior

Very pretty, well balanced and elegant. It smells less 'vintage' than some of its contemporaries. In fact, to my nose, smells quite modern and niche-y. Still, a bit too much powder for me to wear on all but the rarest occasions. I wish the green floral opening would last longer--add a dash more spice, a dollop of creaminess, and I'd be hooked.

I have a vintage mini of this that I just discovered in a drawer. I haven't tried the reformulation but I can say that this smells really beautiful. Very well-constructed, deep and rich and not as terribly "perfumey" as some of the vintage scents can be. There is something very peppery in it to my nose in the middle, and as it dries there is something almost buttery. Still something, I suppose the geranium, keeps in from being full-blown powdery and adds a little edge, a bit of interesting sharpness. It is not sweet at all, and might be a nice masculine. I'd put this in the same general category as Chanel No. 5 and Youth Dew, but not as prim. Very sophisticated and almost exciting. So glad I opened that drawer!

I agree that it packs less of a whallop than Miss Dior, which is good for me. I can wear this to work, whereas Miss Dior has people coming from upstairs (I work on the first floor by myself) asking, "What are you wearing today?" Not complaining, but that makes me feel like it is a bit much.
It is still the oakmoss chypre of Miss Dior, only far more subtle. All Dior's last forever on me, something in the composition of Dior's goes with my skin chemistry. I get no rose from this at all.
I have only a decant, but plan to have a big bottle soon. This will become a second stringer in my stable. I so wish I could locate some of the vintage juice.

Dioressence opens up with a pungent green floral accord that grows progressively more powdery as it develops. The green notes and powder become seasoning for a "doughy" rose that soon dominates the composition. Because it remains relatively dry and green, the rose in Dioressence is neither heavy nor heady. Instead, it remains quite crisp and relatively bright. Once settled, Dioressence continues for some time on its green and rosy way in a relatively linear manner.

Only after an hour or more do traces of spice and some woody notes emerge in the base. These soften and sweeten the composition while providing some additional complexity. Dioressence is notable for the clarity of its construction, if not for any great longevity or projection. It doesn't really excite me, but it is a very finely tuned, dignified, and understated scent that would work well in a professional setting.

This review is for the new reformulation of it:
A very green, somewhat spicy and very unisex (if you can get past the top notes) fragrance that shines with contemporary coolness yet still adding a little of old world class to the mix. Contrary to what standard knowledge might say, I get more of a fourgère type of fragrance than a straight-up chypre. Maybe it’s the “new oakmoss” thing. I think it was called a chypre so chypre and dioressence fans wouldn’t feel “cheated” from the start.
The very fresh, intensely dry but flowery opening makes you wonder what has happened to those petals: they seem mixed with hay, wild grass and twigs, all moving in all directions, and the dryness of it all makes you feel that the flowers (among them a waxy violet) are drying up on your skin in real time, right there on your wrist.
After the rather rocambolesque opening, the scent settles quickly into the longest green pasture of unisex nature, combined with a pond-like air of freshness that says wet, grassy yet rocky with lots of fall winds, cool yet comfortable, with just a very soft hint of sweet. It’s intensely violet-colored geraniums, hidden in between intensely green shrubs and wet earth (after that very dry opening) and with an added dash of rosemary and even juniper. I would assume that if we layer it with lavender it would fit very comfortably there.
The whole composition of this new EdT, is rather short lasting and you’ll need to reapply during the day. Cool sillage. The drydown turns back to dry again, with what seems to be a very balanced marriage of patchouli and cinnamon with hints of clover. But it doesn’t really feel too spicy as the overall green feel of it all never really ceases to exist. I can see very practical, nature-loving people wearing this scent. It can feel nostalgic at times.
I like this EDT a lot. But this needs to exist in at least EDP in this new incarnation. An extrait would be even more attractive of course, like a stormy afternoon in the country.

What begins with "D" and has four syllables? Dioressence. What else? Disappointment. This cannot be the dynamic fragrance that influenced a generation. It is attractive, but not earthshaking. It is warm and vaguely animalic, but not overtly sexy. Because of its history, I wanted this fragrance to grab me by the neck and shake me like a tiger. If there is anything to a name, it should mean The Essence of Dior. By the same token, it is odd that the primly named Miss Dior carries a bigger whallop. Most of the time, when I like something on a paper strip, I love it on my skin. Even if I hate it on paper, I sometimes love it on my skin. I loved Dioressence on paper, right from the start, so I was prepared to go ape over it on my skin. The first whiff was animalic, fecal, which got my attention. But the opening note faded quickly, politely, and softly into the background, leaving the rest to develop into a sharp, then tangy cinnamon and sweet/sour floral combination, and then progress into an earthy geranium and patchouli aroma, still mildly dirty. I love chypres and patchouli and all of the notes contained in Dioressence. Altogether it strikes me as a good, but not glorious fragrance. Maybe the modern version has changed drastically from the vintage? Or am I only expecting too much from a legend?

Classic, but definitely not a summer scent. Goes well with cashmere sweaters, though. I'm undecided on this one - some days I love it, some days I can't stand it.

Which hasn't stopped me for having it in my wardrobe, so I guess I love it more than I hate it.