Dali Salvador Dali 1983 Parfum de Toilette

I'm reviewing Salvador Dali's eponymous fragrance from a sample sent to me by the lovely EvaK ... and I'm simply astounded that this fragrance has never crossed my path.

The only exposure I have ever had to the Dali collection of fragrances was on a trip to Buenos Aires in the early 2000's, where I stumbled across them in a fragrance shop on Florida Avenue ... one of BA's main tourist shopping drags. I purchased Laguna and Le Roi Soleil, both in the masculine versions and while I preferred the former, once the bottles were finished I wasn't impressed enough to replace either.
This fragrance, on the other hand, is a completely different kettle of fish! The Aldehydes pop and zing into action immediately upon application, followed tout de suite by a lush and creamy bouquet of white flowers, the Tuberose and Muguet immediately more noticeable on my skin. There is a soft fruitiness here too ... manifesting itself in what I can only describe as 'warm ripeness' ... like the fuzz on peaches hanging in sunlight.
A little further in, a narcotic Jasmine note soars up to join the Tuberose in a duel of slightly indolic white floral power. Salvador Dali definitely presents its mid 80's powerhouse aspect here ... this is not a fragrance for little girls! Think severely tailored business suits with enormous shoulder pads and classic, high heeled crocodile skin pumps!
For a brief moment, this fragrance is reminiscent of a darker version of Lauder's White Linen, until the heavenly solid Amber and woodsy base takes over bringing it to its full right as an oriental from a bygone era.

What a lovely discovery!! From the gloriously kitsch bottle to the fabulous juice inside, anyone yearning back to the 80's should definitely give Salvador Dali a try.

Another Oriental that I love and keep returning to.
Tuberoses and neroli greet me at the first whiff and swirl around me. Then, the amber and sandalwood join in giving it a feeling of warmth, and -finally- in the dry-down there is a hint of lily of the valley and narcissus without that the scent becomes 'floral'. The silage is great, the longevity impressive. A real recognizable character for autumn/winter, sultry nights, or just because you love wearing a warm, sensual perfume.

It's a classic and stays true to itself. Throughout the years I have -sadly- witnessed many beloved perfumes being "improved". And some of them smelled better, but mostly they were 'damaged'. This one has resisted tampering and smells just as good as it always did. Thank you Dali!

Art has always been important to me. I have been sketching and painting most of my life, and I still enjoy it very much. There is something uplifting about a special mix of colours and the engaging process of a provocative or interesting motif that keeps me going. Salvador Dali is no exception, even though I found him more interesting when I was in my teens and twenties.
Actually, I was in my teens when I got this magnificent bottle. The year was 1986. I remember being totally blown away by the fantastic and overwhelming smell of this gorgeous juice. And I went through the bottle way too quickly, even though it was a 100ml. I kept the bottle for many years on my shelf. I simply could not bear to throw it away. But somewhere along the way it got lost.
Today I have both a 50ml and a 30ml of the original juice, one from 1987 and one from 1994 - and I have a 50ml of Laguna. I find the bottle design one of the best and most inventive of all times. It possesses a beauty that very few other bottles have. The gorgeous lips and the perfect nose. I am amazed that the process of staying true to the intentions with the artistic design and still making a bottle that is not too expensive to produce is so successful. There is one thing I would like to comment on, though. Some people turn the nose in the wrong direction, making it look way broader than intended. Maybe the designer should have thought of that and made it impossible to get it wrong. Just my humble suggestion.
Alberto Morillas, on the other hand, did not tremble or get anything wrong when he composed this classic, heavy floral. It has the perfect mix of spices, flowers and woods. One of the best orientals ever made. This is a warm coat in the winter; comforting like a big hug; an endless stroll down an alley in a Turkish town with booths selling spices. Such beauty in one single bottle. It is unbelievable!
I shall always have a bottle of the 1983 edition in my collection. And I shall hunt down and own the Parfum - one day…
Year 2, 189/365

The immensity of this one knocks me out. The opening, almost Chanel-esque aldehydes feel incandescent and nearly smack me senseless, but I like it, oh yes I do. This is one of those kitchen sink numbers, where its everything all at once, an aldehydic-fruity-green-floral-amber-incense-chypre, with a whole lots of everything converging, but what is most conspicuous is this paperwhite narcissus in the heart, so cresolic and indolic, penetrating and just lovely to my nose. I get some sunny, punchy mimosa and some other shapeshifting florals as well.

A bold Necco-wafer clove dollop runs through it while the green top notes converge with amber and resins, evoking Must de Cartier or Obsession, yet, there's also a sultry thickness, especially in its dry down, courtesy of a bitter-incense myrrh, bending the sharp and the sweet elements from previous stages. The spice lingers for some time before finally wearing off and leaving behind cozy, powdery woods. It is another one to file under perfume with a capital P. Yes, this one is loaded, but what a thrilling—and daring one—to wear!

I had this fragrance in the 80's because I found it cheap and back then it's all I could afford. In truth I bought it for the beautiful bottle alone and couldn't remember if I even liked it. I purchased a 2 ml vial of an 80's vintage from Vintage Decants to experience the scent exactly as it was without any expectations. I sprayed it on and immediately recoiled, at first believing it to be repulsive, but after a minute I said wait wait WAIT! There is something really intoxicatingly delicious going on here! When it dried down it did trigger my scent memory, and if I didn't appreciate it when I was in my teens then I certainly do now. I might have associated this fragrance with overly mature women but now I appreciate the complexity of a rich oriental mix. What turned me was falling in love with Arpege, and Salvador Dali smells like a very cool cousin. I just went and purchased an unopened vintage 80's bottle so I can have a full pair of lips on my shelf.