Diorella (1972)
by Christian Dior

Said to be the scent of choice for Maggie Thatcher and the younger Lady Di. Lemon balmy citrus underpinned by gentle flowers. Similar to Eau d'Hadrien but less assertive. I love it but my husband despite buying it for me finds it reminds him of toilet block. It's therefore a personal treat

18th December, 2011.

Barely wearable lemon sorbet. Couldnt get any further with it, sadly. Smelled this on a card. Wouldn't want to put this on my skin.

12nd November, 2011.

I bought a bottle of EDT that looks like the one pictured above about a year ago. I wanted to reserve judgement on it until I'd given it a few good wearings. I'm wearing as I write this and I have to say that it is nowhere as iinteresting as some of the descriptions that come up in other reviews. Where's the intriguing "flowers on a garbage heap" dynamic and where are all of the wonderful notes listed above? I suspect that what I have is an awful and cheap refomulation. I keep searching Ebay for a vintage bottle to get a real Diorella experience, but they're rare and expensive. My EDT doesn't have enough going on to make much of an impression, because it doesn't last long enough or project very well and smells a little to obviously synthetic. I cant say what other versions of Diorella are like, but I can tell you not to waste your money on this version.

17th October, 2011.

I just read someone else's review of Diorella that said Diorella is "yester yeary" which I love. I will second that. But it's yesteryeariness refers to an odd period of the 1970s, so a part of Diorella is fresh and unisex and free-spirited and citrusy...and in that way, also somewhat current. But, another part of this fragrance is old school perfumey, powdery and even leathery. This thing is really a bit weird, but it takes you on such a classic journey. Very interesting. It works.

23rd August, 2011.

I have never been a great fan of these kind of classical chypre perfumes, but I also feel very confidant that I have the ability to appreciate a masterfully made fragrance when I meet one.

Diorella is delightfully decadent, yester yeary perfume with astonishingly heavy feel of class, confidence and mystery. It's very complex and haunting. Somehow it clearly makes me think about the time of season when autumn has just punched the last breath out of summer : Rottening fruits, waxy overripe flowers, damp earth, wet woods covered with brownish moss and other stuff of that kind.


I just recently bought me a bottle of this (blind) - A well restored wavy glass bottle with light blue cap. I presume it's some sort of vintage, and although I don't know the exact time of this version, I know it certainly isn't the latest one.

I don't like to wear this outside myself, but I do enjoy to spray it on my hands from time to time indoors and let my mind wonder in special ways. Generally speaking it is easily unisex though, just don't be too frightened about those piercing aldehydes at the top, they dry down soon enough.


On a side note, I once asked if my girlfriend liked it enough to wear it...Her response with grimacing look on her face : "God, no. It smells awful and awfully cheap."

13rd July, 2011.

Diorella is a classic scent, you'd be hard pressed to find anything of this calibre in modern fragrances.

Typical of most chypres, Diorella opens with a citrusy and refreshing burst of Sicilian lemon and bergamot. Adding to the citrus is an interesting blend of green notes and basil which gives this fragrance a herbaceous like quality.

Despite this rather sharp and sour opening, Diorella is extremely feminine and balanced.

The top notes transcend delicately into the heart which is mostly subtle, green and slightly sweet honeysuckle, rose, jasmine and peach. After a while the heart takes on a clean and soapy quality which is a little similar to Miss Dior.

Rounding off this scent is the drydown which is rich, animalistic and woodsy. A masterpiece in my opinion.

Upon your first encounter with this fragrance it may not be love at first sniff, but like so many other Dior fragrances it will certainly grow on you

11th June, 2011.