Dune (1991)
by Christian Dior

Dune is really hard to pin down, category-wise. And that's fine---it makes it interesting. It's a gestalt scent: sweet notes, floral notes, "dry" notes, wood notes, amber notes, resin notes, a subtle fruity note, pale musk notes, aldehyde notes, all coming and going and intermixing to create an overall impression of something else entirely. Something very beautiful but not at all predictable. If I press my nose to my skin at the edges of where the scent was applied, I can find what I couldn't get at first sniff---the smell of the seaside, of warm, almost metallic sand and salt air moving over it. In another way, this scent reminds me of uncut Bosc pears on a metal plate in the sun. On me, there is no sense of flowers; I know they are in there, but after a few minutes on the skin I lose them. It's ok, though, as they've simply given their contribution to the evolving whole. I find this scent otherworldly, subtly sensual, intriguing. I like it because it is not simple, and because its intelligence is one that remembers perfume should smell good on the body, not one of odd edges or dissonances. I find that I re-spray it occasionally just to enjoy the evolution of it again. I like its contradictory yet harmonious quality of raw elegance or cerebral sensuality. They should have called it "Goblin-fruit" for its earthy yet fey nature...
Sillage on me is moderate, more noticeable in heat, and duration is a couple hours at most. I feel it would work nicely on a man as well.

29th August, 2011.

I'm a bit perplexed by a lot of the descriptions of this fragrance. I don't find it "bleak" and the only thing that reminds me of salt, sand or sea breeze is the ad campaign. For me, Dune starts with a bright blast of aldehydes, then it quickly cycles through some light florals (the wallflower and peony in the description perhaps?), and finally it dries down to a dry amber. The amber is very pleasant, warm and sexy, and seems very easy to wear. I wouldn't necessarily classify Dune as a Summer scent, but if you enjoy orientals, I think this is one you could wear during the hotter months.

9th July, 2011.

This is a personal favorite of mine, and maybe it is because it is so difficult to analyze. A very special fragrance in the family of Hypnotic Poison. Complex and original, and only the tiniest bit beachy. There is an interesting faint licorice note giving Dune a sweet breezy feeling. Must be experienced directly!

22nd June, 2011.

Dune is the perfect name for this fragrance as it certainly reminds me of the smell of salt, sand and the sea. I've never lived near the ocean, so everytime I went there on a holiday it was always an exciting and fun experience.

Dune captures those feelings of happiness in its beautiful gold bottle. I can only imagine wearing this at the beach while feeling my feet sink into the soft sand and hearing the waves crash against the shoreline.

The fragrance starts off fresh and citrusy, with the aldehydes blending nicely with the citruses, peony and rosewood. Dune soon develops into a full floral heart of jasmine and rose, yet the drydown is the highlight. The vanilla and benzoin notes create warmth that can only be compared to the feeling of the hot sun warming your skin on a Summer's day.

The lasting power is fabulous, especially for an EDT that lasts over 7 hours. I really love the beachy like feeling that both this fragrance and Escape by Calvin Klein create. I had been disappointed when Escape didn't mix with my skin chemistry, so you can imagine my relief when this did.

Dune is for people that don't mind unique fragrances or being transported to another place simply by scent.

27th April, 2011.

A very powdery oriental. Strong and obnoxious if too much is used - I guess this can be unisex, but I already have Tiffany for Men to feed my powdery fix.

18th March, 2011.

This certainly is a unique & rather strange fragrance, & yet it draws you in , in an effort to understand its' mystery. l get a dry, sharp citrus in the opening, along with a saltiness, then as it develops there's a touch of amber, but that dry, almost herbal note (the broom?) stays with you all the way through to the drydown many hours later. lt really is as dry as a desert, & as prickly as a cactus, but in the base the desert blooms gently with a floral musk. l wouldn't call this a comfort scent, as it's almost disturbing in its' otherness. Neither would l call it sexy; it's too sharp-edged for that. l like it, but l'm at a loss as to when l would wear it, so l will simply admire it from afar as a work of art.

13rd February, 2011.