Diva (Eau de Parfum) by Emanuel Ungaro
Bottle Design:
Jacques Helleu
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Diva 1983 Eau de Parfum

7.9 / 10 110 Ratings
A popular perfume by Emanuel Ungaro for women, released in 1983. The scent is floral-spicy. Projection and longevity are above-average. It was last marketed by Salvatore Ferragamo Group.
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Main accords

Floral
Spicy
Chypre
Animal
Oriental

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
CardamomCardamom TuberoseTuberose AldehydesAldehydes CorianderCoriander Mandarin orangeMandarin orange BergamotBergamot
Heart Notes Heart Notes
CarnationCarnation JasmineJasmine NarcissusNarcissus Orris rootOrris root Ylang-ylangYlang-ylang RoseRose
Base Notes Base Notes
OakmossOakmoss MuskMusk HoneyHoney AmberAmber PatchouliPatchouli VetiverVetiver CivetCivet IrisIris SandalwoodSandalwood VanillaVanilla

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.9110 Ratings
Longevity
8.797 Ratings
Sillage
8.196 Ratings
Bottle
8.6101 Ratings
Value for money
8.941 Ratings
Submitted by Sniffer, last update on 11/08/2025.
Variant of the fragrance concentration
This is a variant of the perfume Diva (Eau de Toilette) by Emanuel Ungaro, which differs in concentration.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Diva (Eau de Toilette) by Emanuel Ungaro
Diva Eau de Toilette
Diva Pépite by Emanuel Ungaro
Diva Pépite
Diva (Parfum) by Emanuel Ungaro
Diva Parfum
Shocking (Parfum) by Elsa Schiaparelli
Shocking Parfum
Animale (Eau de Parfum) by Animale
Animale Eau de Parfum
First (Eau de Parfum) by Van Cleef & Arpels
First Eau de Parfum

Reviews

11 in-depth fragrance descriptions
Oriane

139 Reviews
Oriane
Oriane
Very helpful Review 4  
Wearable, Classic-Style, Floral Aldehyde Chypre
Diva by Emanuel Ungaro is a Chypre Floral fragrance for women. Diva was launched in 1983 and was available in both eau de parfum and eau de toilette formulations. The nose behind this fragrance is the legendary perfumer Jacques Polge, later in-house parfumer to CHANEL.

Ungaro’s first perfume was dedicated to women. The word ‘Diva’ carries an association with prima donna and has the Italian meaning "goddess." Diva was/is a classic-style perfume, and its composition is built around rose, Ungaro’s symbol. The bottle imitates curves of the female body, which is again one of Ungaro’s idols. The opening is classic, floral with a citrusy note, which harmonises with tuberose. Ylang-ylang is mixed with rose. The sweet and sensual finale is reached by the notes of vanilla, sandalwood and iris.

Top notes: Aldehydes, Indian Tuberose, Coriander, Cardamom, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot

Heart notes: Turkish Rose, Moroccan Rose, Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Narcissus, Orris Root and Egyptian Jasmine

Base notes: Honey, Oakmoss, Civet, iris, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Amber, Vetiver, Musk and Vanilla

Diva is definitely a fragrance of its time meaning that you will not likely come across anyone around you wearing this fragrance these days. I have a vintage eau de parfum formulation. This is one of a few chypre fragrances I am able to wear. I must have a sensitivity to oakmoss in large quantities because that note makes some chypre fragrances unwearable or very seldom wearable for me, e.g. Estee Lauder Knowing and Christian Dior Dioressence---both of which are oakmoss bombs on my skin.

Diva is a beautiful chypre floral aldehyde fragrance with a lovely warm honey note in the base which I think is what allows me to wear this fragrance as it smooths out the hard, rough oakmoss note in the base. I particularly enjoy the top notes and the base notes. I mainly detect the rose and the oakmoss notes. I love ylang-ylang, jasmine, and iris, but I cannot differentiate these notes in this composition.

Diva is not overtly sugary sweet, but there is a sort of savoury sweetness to the base with the combined honey and oakmoss notes that are what draws me to this fragrance. I am happy to wear Diva on quite chilly Autumn and cold Winter nights either at home alone or out. I personally would not wear this fragrance to an office or even to church/synagogue/mosque. Two sprays would be sufficient in most instances. Three sprays would border on unbearable, and four sprays would be unbearable for all but those who are long anosmic to it.

I find this fragrance unisex. It is a sophisticated fragrance that is very classical in style (some may say "old style") and more apropos to someone over 30. I would not ever pair this fragrance with jeans or very casual clothing. Normally, I wear whatever fragrance I fancy with whatever clothing I wish, but in this case, that would not work. Diva requires some degree of dressiness if you are going to wear it in public.

Performance is above average compared to most fragrances these days with projection of 6'easily.
Personally, I find the bottle very appealing. It catches the light beautifully and feels nice in hand. All my fragrances are stored in a dark, cool cupboard, but this bottle would look very attractive on a vanity.

Fragrance: 7/10 (very high marks for a chypre for me personally)

Longevity: 8/10

Projection: 8/10

Sillage: 7/10

Presentation: 8/10
0 Comments
Ringtale

135 Reviews
Ringtale
Ringtale
2  
Vivid aldehydes and a calm rose
I don't mind a cheap blind buy once in a while and this is one of them.
And oh what a succesful one this is! Didn't expect something this cheap to smell so rich, classy and versatile. It sure does have a 'vintage' scent profile, but in a timeless way. Luckily it doesn't remind me of the shoulderpad era. It's way too 'transcendent' for it to be placed in any era I think; It is only vintage in the way it outperformes the linear, boring scents of today.
The opening is citrussy fresh with 'fatty' sparkling aldehydes (you know: the real stuff when it comes to aldehydes :-))
Oh how I love the aldehydes in here! They're so vivid and I love how I keep smelling them even when the scent settles.
I only got one other scent that is build around a rose: Nahema Eau de Parfum . But in Nahema I find the rose a bit too sweet and cloying in the drydown (Nahema is a very beautyful, high quality scent, don't get me wrong, but just not what I reach for often).
In Diva, the rose is very calm, I even dont perceive Diva as a distinct rose scent, actually.
It sure is a chypre and I'm glad the oakmoss is not the bitter and musty 'spoiler' it often is for me (because of my skin-chemistry, I guess).
And yes: Diva is strong! But not bossy or overpowering unless you'd overspray maybe. I use no more than two or three sprays. The freshness from the opening remains and thus I may even wear her in summer. Sillage and longevity are great and the sillage is so lovely in it's versatility!

The bottle also is very classy and beautyful, with a real glass (!) cap unlike many, more expensive, bottles like the new bottles from Guerlain for instance, with their plastic caps that come off too easily when you take the bottle out of the box.

Really can't believe this beauty is so cheap, I would be willing to pay more if I would have to.

Very glad with this purchase!
0 Comments
EvitaVilla

28 Reviews
EvitaVilla
EvitaVilla
3  
French lesson - crash level
I was ready to write a mean review about Diva Eau de Parfum to express my huge disappointment, to say wether it has not aged nicely or it has been reformulated in a very cheap way, to add that its honey base note is sickly-sweet...
But earlier this afternoon, as I was working in my home office, I heard a big "boum badadoum" (French onomatopoeia for a big crash noise) coming from my dressing room where I store my perfumes. I got up to see what was happening, met one of my two cats on the way, he had a guilty look like he was trying to say "It's not what you think, Mom..."
Half a dozen of bottles were on the floor, no damage, except for Diva Eau de Parfum , totally broken in a middle of a big puddle of perfume.
Was it destiny or feline conspiracy?
Anyway, Diva Eau de Parfummade a dramatic exit from my collection and I have no intention to replace it.
And at least, it was a cheapy.

2 Comments
Missk

1357 Reviews
Missk
Missk
1  
Animalic Peach and Honey
Diva really is the perfect name for this fragrance. The scent is bold, outrageous and dramatic. I have fondly named it, "the animalic peach".

If you don't like civet in either its natural or synthetic form, then you probably won't like Emanuel Ungaro's Diva. You also have to have a good appreciation of boozy peach, carnation, narcissus, oakmoss and aldehydes. We're talking classic 80's fragrances. However despite being around for a fair while, Diva still manages to carry a hefty price tag in Australian perfume stores. My guess is that Diva's fans still buy her and wear her with pride.

To my nose, it's like a revved up version of Guerlain's Mitsouko. But perhaps not as refined as Guerlain scents tend to be. The chypre element is there, however it's also on the fruity side of things. A strong hit of carnation and narcissus in the heart brings to mind fragrances like Chloe Narcisse and Paloma Picasso.

I'm drawn to this fragrance, although I'm a little tentative about wearing it. It's the kind of smell I associate with the older women in my life, and I mean that in the least offensive way. Maturity wise, I'm just not there yet.

The 80's was the era of heavy hitters, and Diva does not disappoint in regards to projection. I don't know much about reformulations, but from my experience with the most current version, it keeps with that old-school vibe. I'll be interested to see what its much anticipated flanker, Diva Rose, will be like.

More than likely those that lived during the 80's will know this fragrance well, but for those that didn't, give it chance. I did and I don't regret it.

Original review written: January 2013.
0 Comments
Krmarich

226 Reviews
Krmarich
Krmarich
1  
Shoulder pad rose
I have waited awhile for Diva. I remember seeing ads for it in magazines in 1988. The bottles looked like cognac. I never had the chance to test it. Then about 10 years ago when I began writing on this site, I noticed the notes and the comparisons caught my interest. I thought maybe I should sample it but was afraid of getting a reformulation.

My quest began for the follow up to Coco from Polge. This comes from the era when Poison was everywhere. The powerhouse fragrance became like an invasive species in malls and restaurants by the end of the 1980s. I cant say this was a bad thing. That was the intention of their creators. When the time and place were right, they would shine. When the girl taking your order at McDonalds reeked of Giorgio, that was drawing a line.

The bold class of big rosey civet bombs was nothing new. Bal a Versailles was my first love. The 80s turned up the volume as loud as they could go-Kouros, La Nuit, Clandestine, Animale, Fendi, Parfum de Peau and Eqiutos . Tobacco use was still quite public and these baby's could compete in a smoky room. I think that Paloma Picasso was my gateway to this class.

Last February, I found a nice vintage bottle of Diva dated 1995. It even had a little tree on it describing it as a "semi-floral oriental". I gave a spray and was immediately caught off guard. Was it too strong? Was I just not in the mood? Probably the later. I stashed it away for a few months.

May arrives and my second try was worse. I got aldeydes, roses and white florals that seemed put together wrong. It was not my "wait until spring affair" I had planned. I felt like I had been in an argument with the best dressed guest at my party that I had not met before and lost. I came away insulted and had a black eye! (just kidding) It was my most awkward introduction with a new fragrance I blindly purchased. Did I waste my money? Was this a reformulation or counterfeit?

I am a seasoned fragrance veteran who hasn't gone a day without loud room filling clouds of vintage treasures on my body. How did I start off on the wrong foot with Diva? She is a ravishing beauty who lives up to her name. Her sister Coco is very fussy about the weather and demands a chill in the air. Diva is the same. Diva likes it cooler as well. I will do anything to please this Diva. Leaves are falling outside of my window today...Jackie Collins comes to mind-strong, confident, bold and sexy.

Those notes are stunning-tangerine/ROSE/ylang/jasmine/iris/honey/civet on sandalwood. Throw in lots of oakmoss and vetiver and you get one of the best from the 1980s. She plays no games, is very sexy and dominates all social circles. This majestic formula seemed to get lost in the shuffle as the 1990s and beyond turned down the volume, and restricted most of the ingredient. Diva was from a time when fur, cigarettes and strong drink were still in fashion in public. Diva is a dragonfly in amber and luckily still around. Just treat her with respect, wear heavy makeup and a leopard skin suit with shoulder pads. Or better yet, nothing at all...
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Statements

32 short views on the fragrance
1
This is all about the sillage, when used light handed, the sillage is beautyful! Nothing like Paloma in my opinion, this is more feminine.
0 Comments
55
69
Dressed yet so naked!
A thousand pearls and sequins on your skin. From spicy-floral shimmer. This is how divas and legends smell..!
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69 Comments
2 years ago
53
42
Aging diva
Squeezes into honey-yellow leggings
Gluing chypre-green nails on
Flower in her hair
Smiles seductively
Divas can do that
Are immortal +
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42 Comments
31
19
With her head held high
fragrant with aromas
she strides to the kitchen
laughing Mama
daring companion
seductive lady
for Sophia, Claudia, Gina ..
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19 Comments
25
14
Turns the commute into a catwalk:
Passersby marvel, salute, whisper.
Chypre cat in a bed of carnations, seductive & pure.
- THIS is how vintage should be!
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14 Comments
21
13
Wow, a cat purrs around the corner, chases away the aldehydes + snuggles up to the honey-sweet floral-crowned diva. Sensual! Vintage
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13 Comments
17
5
The scent is really beautiful, you wish you could wear it as a man, but hey, this is a DIVA: so feminine!
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5 Comments
15
4
A sophisticated diva with thunderous impact beneath her teased hair, an endless rain of flowers, kissing hands. Shimmering elegance, opulently arranged.
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4 Comments
14
11
Name is destiny! With her head held high, she stands surrounded by aldehydes & with an almost endless trail of flowers on the red carpet.
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11 Comments
11
6
Blind buy, should be similar to Fendi. I don't think so, but it's very opulent and will be great for winter. VERY floral but good.
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