SchatzSucher

There are significant differences in the rather large fragrance world of Dior. On one hand, there is the modern fragrance world that offers us inclined sniffers fresh-spicy, fresh-floral, iris-powdery, rather uncomplicated and everyday-appropriate scents.
Not every fragrance finds great appeal. And the current developments at Dior unfortunately give a bit of cause for concern. The last major releases are quite some time behind us, and some popular fragrances have either been taken off the market again or even reformulated, which has also caused distress for many of us. Additionally, it feels like new flankers are being launched at breakneck speed.

Then there is the exclusive series with quite high-priced fragrances, where everything from strange to remarkable is included, and which you cannot find in every perfumery. Okay, it is supposed to remain exclusive. Not every fragrance appeals to everyone, and this series has also grown quite large by now.

Finally, there is a world of Dior that looks back to a time when haute couture still held a certain status and fragrances were designed to match exquisite gowns. The release of these fragrances did not happen in a hurry. Often, years passed before a new fragrance was launched.
Some of these fragrances have survived to this day and are offered as "Les Créations de Monsieur Dior." Some of them were created by Edmond Roudnitska (1905 - 1996), a fantastic perfumer who understood like few others how to excellently combine fragrance notes. Many small masterpieces were created under his hands. And those who know his works can confirm that there are quite close relationships among his creations and that the fragrances build upon each other.
Diorella is such a beautiful example of his great craftsmanship, one of my absolute favorites, a beautiful, bright, and cheerful chypre fragrance, for example, and Diorama, which is what this review is about.

Originally launched in 1949, this fragrance has now been adapted to today's standards and guidelines.
Since I cannot compare it to an earlier version, I will simply say with full conviction that this fragrance has been very well reworked.
And my enthusiasm is great.

Diorama has nothing girlish or playful about it. It is an adult and self-assured fragrance that does without any sweetness and artificially inflated cheerfulness.
It combines classic chypre elements (no wonder I like it so much) and also has fruity undertones. However, these fruity notes are anything but sweet; rather, they are dry and have a fine spiciness.
The opening is already a grand appearance, the typical bergamot scent in interplay with flowers. The flowers also appear without any sweetness. They are elegant, present, but never intrusive. Alongside the flowers, I notice the fruity notes, and as a refined counterpoint, cumin is added. It is not cumin that often brings an unpleasant sweaty note in fragrances. It is the "real" cumin with its certain sharpness.
Towards the base, it becomes a bit woody, and I would not be surprised if a bit of moss was also used. Patchouli adds a nice depth but never comes across as dull or earthy.

That the fragrance shows all its skills in its final phase, when it has become very quiet, and concludes beautifully floral once again, I find very remarkable. Here, true perfume art is once again revealed when a fragrance is designed so multifaceted.
Diorama has a fairly good longevity of about 7 hours and never becomes loud or brash. Overall, this fragrance presents itself as adult, rather cool and slightly distant, somewhat serious and self-assured. A fragrance from the category of those that need to prove nothing to anyone anymore.
This classic orientation suits Diorama very well, yet you wouldn't guess that this fragrance is 71 years old.
In any case, the fragrances whose names begin with Dior- have consistently sparked great enthusiasm in me, and I am pleased that these fragrances are still available.
Surely, fragrances like Diorama are not for everyone, but one should definitely have tested them.
And the full score is more than deserved.

My great thanks go to Gold, who made this wonderful introduction to Diorama possible for me.

There is usually a lot of fuss surrounding Tom Ford fragrances. There is general excitement when a new scent is announced, money tends to flow quite freely, and many fragrances enjoy great popularity.
I took a look, and the average rating of all Tom Ford fragrances listed here is 7.9, which is really a very respectable score. Until a few years ago, the ratings for fragrances were given in percentages here at Parfumo. I thought that was very good too.

I probably don’t need to say anything more about Tom Ford himself. It also probably doesn’t need to be mentioned that he doesn’t stand at the lab table himself, diligently handling test tubes.
Not all fragrances enjoy widespread recognition. Some are quite polarizing.
Vert de Fleur is one of the less common fragrances. But it is one of the scents that I find particularly appealing, so much so that I absolutely had to have it.

Anyone who knows me a little better knows by now that I am very fond of fragrances with floral notes. I also really like green notes in fragrances, and when Chypre notes appear, I am usually over the moon.
Vert de Fleur embodies all of this.

Created in 2016 by the French perfumer Yann Vasnier, who works for the Swiss flavor and fragrance manufacturer Givaudan and has created various scents for brands like Comme des Garçons, Jo Malone, Divine, and of course Tom Ford. Currently, 26 people own it, including 10 female and 16 male noses.

Here, classic ingredients have been mixed in a modern way, with some differences from the "great old Chypre fragrances."
The opening is already very floral and green, a big splash of galbanum brings this rich, gnarly-green note that persists throughout the entire fragrance. Galbanum can often come across as a bit unwieldy, but I have grown very fond of this note over time.

A distinct hyacinth makes itself known very quickly and remains present throughout the entire fragrance journey. I have noticed that I really like hyacinth in fragrances; it is also very noticeable in Cristalle EdP.
As a houseplant, I don’t like to have hyacinth around, as its penetrating scent often gives me headaches. However, in fragrances with various accompanying notes, it is a lovely note. And hyacinth is inherently rather unsweet, which I also appreciate. It always brings a certain sharpness that clearly runs through this fragrance.
The hyacinth has several floral companions, none of which really step into the foreground, but together they show a certain fleshiness that suggests a hint of animalic quality. However, a true animalic component, as often found in classic Chypre fragrances, is absent here.
Towards the base, it becomes a bit darker and earthier. I also notice that the fragrance has a generally cooler aura. With the vaguely defined green notes and the moss, the fragrance has a certain underlying "swampiness." Such notes sometimes bother me because they can remind me of old, musty floral water. Here, it fits perfectly and ensures that the fragrance doesn’t slip into the overly floral and generic. Counterpoints are important in fragrances; otherwise, they quickly become boring. And I don’t find this fragrance boring at all. It also exudes a large portion of self-confidence, which fits the image of the Tom Ford brand excellently.

Vert de Fleur has good longevity; the fragrance can be perceived for 8-9 hours and radiates quite well for the first 2 hours before it then pulls back.
I see it in spring and in the not-too-warm summer; at temperatures above 25 degrees, the fragrance could be too dense and might feel too cool in the cold season.

That there is a certain synthetic quality hovering over everything cannot be denied. But so much synthetic material is now used, even in the high-priced segment, and if it is well integrated, I can handle it well.
The fragrance is labeled as unisex here. I believe that floral fragrances can work well on men. And the slightly higher proportion of male owners apparently confirms this.

However, I do have to nitpick a bit. Specifically regarding the craftsmanship of the bottle. Certain details are not attended to very closely.
As valuable and appealing as the design appears at first glance, I cannot overlook a few flaws. For example, the label is a bit crooked, and the cap sits quite loosely.
You have to be careful when taking the bottle out of the outer box.
I find this a bit annoying, as the exclusive series is not exactly one of the budget fragrance lines. While the content is what counts, the packaging is also part of the purchase, and this one is a bit sloppy.

Vert de Fleur came to me some time ago in a sample package from Kovex and sparked such enthusiasm that I had to quickly add it to my wish list. Now the fragrance is quite hard to find, and I had no choice but to look in a well-known online auction house. After some searching and a bit of patience, the fragrance then arrived from Great Britain. And at a more than acceptable price.
I thank Kovex for allowing me to get to know this fragrance, and I am very pleased with it.
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Just a small note: I did not fall for a fake; the bottle and fragrance are real. I have noticed several times that there are occasional lapses in the craftsmanship of the bottles. My Mandarino di Amalfi Acqua (purchased at Karstadt) has similar small flaws.

The brand Etat Libre d´Orange is just 14 years old and already boasts a quite remarkable range of fragrances. Currently, 43 scents are listed here, and I am familiar with at least 11 of them. I first got to know this brand during my active time on Parfumo.

Etat Libre d´Orange was officially proclaimed in 2006 by Etienne de Swardt, who referred to that year as the year zero of perfumery. They see themselves as a virtual nation, a state where scent free spirits perceive their creations entirely as art and create their works simply following their inspirations. This sets them apart from the interchangeable designer fragrances that are increasingly spreading.
The name of the perfume house is derived from the Orange Free State, an independent Boer republic in South Africa that existed between 1854 and 1902. Etienne de Swardt was born in Pretoria, so the name is not chosen randomly.
I do not wish to delve into the painful history of South Africa, as that would exceed the scope here, and this is not the right platform for it.

This brand draws attention with very unconventional fragrances with equally unconventional names. It is said that Sécrétions Magnifiques is one of the most terrible scents ever. I do not know it, but I have read quite a bit about it. It is not a fragrance I would necessarily have to add to my wishlist.
Recently, I came across a small and very interesting test series, and I took the opportunity to engage extensively with the fragrances.
Of the tested scents, The Afternoon of a Faun made the most impression on me.
And I thought I could write a few lines about the fragrance.

The scent is entirely built around immortelle. The immortelle or straw flower belongs to the Asteraceae family and is characterized by a distinctive scent. I would describe the fragrance as strong, spicy, aromatic, and curry-like. I also perceive the scent as very dry, somewhat dusty, and medicinal. It is definitely quite idiosyncratic and not to everyone’s taste.
The immortelle remains dominant throughout the entire duration. Anyone who cannot relate to this scent note will not be happy with this fragrance.
In addition to the straw flower, there are some other floral notes, but they are used sparingly and remain in the background. Resinous spice also comes into play, giving the fragrance a warm undertone. It also turns slightly green, with moss bringing a certain dull and creaky hint. And a touch of cinnamon adds a bittersweet note.
All of this is very skillfully intertwined, as I cannot really distinguish a top, heart, or base note in this fragrance. The notes all blend together and surround the main player, immortelle, providing her with an exciting framework.
The fragrance shows slight hints of a chypre scent, a direction I am still very fond of.
Over time, the fragrance changes only slightly; it becomes a bit deeper, and a note that reminds me of Maggi comes into play. This is not directly unpleasant, but scents that remind me too much of kitchen spices or herbs are not quite my preferred direction.
Overall, the fragrance is not heavy or dark, although I cannot deny its awkwardness.
The longevity is quite successful at over 10 hours; however, during the first hour, the scent becomes quite intimate. I find the somewhat quieter tones that are struck here very fitting.
What does all this have to do with a faun? A faun is a deity of nature and the forest, protector of farmers and shepherds, livestock, and fields. In its appearance as a hybrid creature of man and goat, it is supposed to watch over the fertility of humans, animals, and plants.
The Afternoon of a Faun is inspired by the eponymous poem by Stéphane Mallarmé, which was turned into a musical piece by Claude Debussy. This, in turn, premiered as a ballet in 1912. Furiously choreographed and danced by Vaslav Nijinsky, it became a scandalous success due to its sexual innuendos. Unthinkable for that time.
This piece tells the story of a faun who awakens from his afternoon nap and recounts what he experienced during the day. Perhaps they were just dreams.

With this fragrance, one wants to pay homage to this work. I think this has been quite successful. The scent comes across as somewhat goat-like overall, and with this mix of bitter, floral, spicy, and slightly animalistic notes, it interprets the somewhat surreal mood of the piece quite well, even though I do not find it scandalous.
However, the fragrance will not be a candidate for purchase, as it is very good, but it would certainly be one of those scents that are hardly worn. Thus, it remains a very interesting and enriching testing experience, and I thank Ergoproxy very much for the testing opportunity.

And with the 100th comment, I wanted to report on a very impressive fragrance.

Thank you for your attention up to this point!

The brand S.T. Dupont was previously known to me only as a manufacturer of high-priced luxury items such as lighters, leather goods, accessories, writing instruments, and watches.
Fragrances from this brand were unknown to me until recently. However, there are 53 fragrances listed here, many of which are no longer available. Overall, the fragrances tend to fly a bit under the radar.

Thanks to a kind sample exchange, I was able to experience one or two fragrances from S.T. Dupont, and I found that they are actually quite good, even very good.

The company S.T. Dupont was founded in 1872 by Simon Tissot-Dupont and began manufacturing high-quality briefcases for diplomats and wealthy businessmen. By 1884, it became a supplier for "Les Grands Magasins du Louvre." In the 1920s, the company already had 250 employees.
After a wartime stagnation and poor leather availability, it shifted to producing lighters, which are still very popular today.
The production of leather goods was able to resume after World War II.
By then, aristocrats and statesmen were also among the clientele.
Queen Elizabeth II received an S.T. Dupont briefcase as a wedding gift in 1947 from the then French President Vincent Auriol and has since counted herself among the brand's customers.
Since 1998, perfumes have also been offered, distributed by Inter Parfums.

I took a closer look at Signature for Men. I liked the fragrance immediately.
Despite the quite numerous components listed in the fragrance pyramid, Signature for Men is a very pleasant and well-balanced scent that never becomes heavy or intrusive.

The opening is slightly citrusy, a bit herbal, and a nice fine spiciness can be noticed. No note pushes forward, and a light sweetness is added.
Fairly quickly, woody and floral tones blend in, and I also notice a gentle smoky note. One might almost think that some tobacco crumbs have been incorporated.
The base notes are actually noticeable almost from the beginning; the sweetness of benzoin, tonka, and vanilla appears very quickly, but does not make the fragrance unnecessarily heavy.
Despite the abundance of ingredients, Signature for Men does not feel overloaded or uneven, but rather light, bright, and friendly.
The fragrance also has decent longevity; I can perceive it for a good 8 hours. It does not create an immense scent cloud, but it radiates quite well in the first hour.

Here, Gucci Envy for Men is mentioned as a fragrance twin. I cannot confirm that. Envy accompanied me for a long time until it was used up and unfortunately could not be found in stores anymore. Envy is much darker, even more herbal, and heavier. But every nose decides differently, as we know.

The bottle is also beautifully designed with its flip-top lid and square shape. It reminds one of an ink bottle or one of those elegant lighters. It is definitely a fine eye-catcher.
The fragrance is now 20 years old, but it is designed so timelessly that it still works perfectly today.
Nonetheless, the fragrance is no longer produced. I suspect that insufficient marketing led to little attention. I also cannot recall ever seeing S.T. Dupont fragrances in the usual stores.
It’s a shame about some fragrances.
But recently, I have a bottle in my possession, and I am very pleased about that.

I would like to thank Precious once again for the wonderful fragrance experience and the great surprise!

The scents from Zoologist are certainly anything but boring. Some of them are even real challenges for my nose, which can bring me to my knees, as my recent experience with Hyrax has once again proven.
Recently, I also encountered Dragonfly, and since I like to test practically everything that is kindly made available to me, I approached the dragonfly, the German translation, quite carefree.
With this fragrance, one aims to olfactorily honor the dragonflies and their habitat. This has succeeded very well in my nose.
Once you have the opportunity to observe dragonflies a bit more attentively, you realize what fascinating and delicate beauties these insects are. There are indeed several specimens that reach a considerable body size and also shimmer in magnificent colors.
The fact that dragonflies are predatory by nature and snatch their unsuspecting prey from the air, using their strong biting tools to finish them off, we will leave hanging in the air. As in nature everywhere, "eat and be eaten" applies, as there are numerous predators that would love to see dragonflies on their menu.
Contrary to popular belief, dragonflies are completely harmless to humans and they cannot sting.
A few years ago, a rather large, greenish shimmering dragonfly once flew into my living room. At first, it flew around a bit erratically and aimlessly, then observed me attentively for a while. But it soon realized that I could never harm it and shortly thereafter returned to the spot where the open window was located and disappeared without a word. I would have liked to know the thoughts of the dragonfly.

As multifaceted and fascinating as the dragonflies themselves, so is Dragonfly. It offers a fairly wide fragrance spectrum, from floral to fruity and slightly woody, to aquatic notes.
All the areas that dragonflies either need as a habitat or choose for hunting.

The fragrance opens very florally and also quite sweet. Aldehydes are clearly noticeable here, highlighting the floral aspects in a shimmering and powdery way. Fruity notes come into play, but one cannot specify them further. The fruits seem to me a bit too ripe, as they are very sweet and quite penetrating.
Then it gets interesting, as this floral-fruity sweetness is interwoven with an aquatic note. And aquatic notes are quite tricky for me. There are few fragrances with aquatic notes that I like. Most of the time, it feels too forced, too algae-like, and often too artificial. Although the North Sea coast is still about 100 km away from me, I know how it smells by the water. No fragrance can truly reflect that.
However, the aquatic note in Dragonfly takes a turn and remains quite discreet, not reminding me of stale flower water. Old flower water thoroughly spoiled Jardin d'Iris by Pryn Parfums for me back then.
Even though this note is muted in Dragonfly, it presents a certain "but" for me and develops into a slight disturbing factor.
It is often said that every fragrance needs a counterpoint, a little edge, or a certain portion of dirt to become interesting. I largely agree with that, but I would have preferred a different edge here.
However, Dragonfly is not an aquatic fragrance in the strict sense.

Additionally, slightly woody notes and moist-sounding moss come into play as the fragrance develops.
The pronounced sweetness recedes a bit after a while.
So, one can definitely attest to an interesting progression in this fragrance. There are fragrances that are much more linear and hardly change.
Dragonfly is not a loud fragrance that overwhelms with an overloaded fragrance pyramid. It is present and has an extremely good longevity. I can perceive it on myself for about 8 hours, and it does not create an immense scent trail.

However, this fragrance will not be a candidate for purchase; I like floral-sweet, but this one is a bit too sweet and artificial for me, and I cannot imagine wearing it for an extended period, even though it is certainly one of the more accessible Zoologist fragrances.
Thus, Zoologist will continue to be an exciting testing experience for me and does not necessarily require me to hit the order button.

I thank MoniE for the sample and for enriching my fragrance horizon, and I will continue to enjoy observing dragonflies in the wild. Even though they have become quite rare here in the big city.