Dolce Vita (1995)
by Christian Dior

Happy.. happy.. HAPPY! I cant help but smile when i wear this fragrance - it's literally sunshine in a bottle! A sniff of this transports me to a sun-drenched, secluded spot in the south of France, sipping champagne cocktails and laughing softly whilst wearing a feminine full-length sun-dress & wide-brimmed hat, dripping with gold jewellery!
OK.. so my description leaves a lot to be desired, but somehow this scent makes me feel flirty, feminine, relaxed and youthful, yet refined, classy and 'grown-up' all at the same time.
For me this is the perfect scent for summer.

8th September, 2011.

Based on the reviews and the notes, I really thought I would like this one. I don't.

There is something a bit irritating to me - cardamon? Also, it's a bit too rich in white florals, which I am very sensitive to in large doses.

I can see how many would like this - it's a well-constructed modern oriental. Just not for me.

21st June, 2011.

Let's start by saying that this is a rather unique fragrance. It has a certain powdery and musky quality which could take you either side of the fence. Love it or hate it you can't deny that this is a very intriguing scent.

Sweet it definitely is, however this isn't synthetic or sugary sweet, it's more accustomed to being powdery sweet, almost a sunny and warming scent.

Peach seems to be the most dominant note to my nose. Subtle hints of rose, lily, apricot, coconut, vanilla and woodsy notes make up a majority of the fragrance. In a way Dolce Vita can be interpreted as a tropical scent, being slightly beachy.

Unfortunately this fragrance disturbs me. I'll blame it on the musky vanilla which makes me think of dark and damp cellars and second hand dress stores.

Overall, the lasting strength and sillage are equally good. Distinctive and generally well received, Dolce Vita may not appeal to me but I'm sure others will enjoy.

11th June, 2011.

Sweet--indeed sweet, but in a drier floral-reminiscent way. I think it would be a nice fragrance to wear in cold weather, to remind one of warmer flower-filled days-not woody on my skin, too sparkly sweet to make me think of woods, or smell outstandingly woody. I don't love it, but I like it, and I can't imagine it offending anyone.

It's one of those beautifully balanced fragrances, absolutely unremarkable on my skin, but pleasant. The right day could bring out Dolce Vita, the right day could give its not- light-but-not-heavy sweetness some kind of depth and allure, but I never had that day. This is not what I imagine when I hear the term "la dolce vita", although it is definitely la dolce vita di qualcuna.

Somebody once described this scent as one of the "boring sweets" (if you said this, let me know, identify yourself!) I agree with this statement, although it is classy, and it really stands out for a boring sweet--compared to most everything on the market today, it is superb!

Actually, it's kind of more interesting in warm weather, since it seems like a safer kind of fragrance-a gentle Oriental, not Floriental, not Oriental Woody, and none of the strength, but definitely not hollow. I only owned a bottle for a while, but I wouldn't mind having it again!

21st March, 2011.

I put on my skin dolce vita and i feel very elegant.

This fragrance is soft-warm and creamy, the kind of smell i will use in a beautiful sunny day, but I think it would be also very suitable for night.

Dolce vita is the kind of perfume that makes you feel glamorous, without being very vain.

Don't be alarmed, the presence of sandalwood, rosewood and cedar are very week, prominent notes are Peach, coconut, vanilla, cinnamon and a tender and creamy citrus side.

If Doce vita would be released today, i think it would have a great success, so i don't smell the old lady thing.

Very good fixation for a eau de toilette..

28th January, 2011.

Hmmm... Although I was somewhat amused by the early hint of b.o. (cumin?) that at least one other reviewer noted, I was actually shocked by its quietness. Really... it seems rather weak.

During the drydown I also started to get the sense that I had smelled it before. Gres Cabaret came to mind, and so did Chopard Casmir. The woody fruitiness of Dolce Vita is similar to these two, bit without the sillage of either.

Final analysis: It's pleasant and lasts well on the skin, but you don't get much 'bang for the buck'.

2nd October, 2010.