Diorella

(Review of an early 80s EdT) If it’s possible to ascribe a magnum opus to Edmond Roudnitska’s name, it’s probably Diorella. If perfect is possible: Diorella. We have Roudnitska to thank for the use of synthetics to create the watery-melony fruit note at the top of Diorella that blew people’s minds - though I’m not sure “thanks” is exactly what Roudnitska would feel is deserved if he knew how perfumers and houses were handling calone today. The rest of the perfume is an impeccably - perfectly - balanced floral chypre. The perfume sparkles away in the opening with glimmering aldehydes and green and yellow hesperidics providing the watery melon and peach notes with a shimmer like sunlight bouncing off of sliced fruit. It shifts very seamlessly to the fruity facets of the floral heart, carrying an insalubrious and salty quality that tantalizes the nose into blind voracity. Perfection. The citrusy jasmine, the orange-flower-honey of honeysuckle, green roses, and a gentle swell of damp woody oakmoss (just to make sure the watery calone from the top has a natural link to help stuffy 1970s noses find familiarity). I could smell this heart section nonstop for days, weeks, months on end and never tire of it. But I guess it’s not perfect because it eventually leaves me, yearning, but yet presents a silky smooth woody base that is nearly equally divine. A creamy and slightly spicy sandalwood accented with a clove type note, gently green and aromatic vetiver, and a fine beige patchouli give me the chills. A perfect dry down that is hopelessly addictive. Edmond Roudnitska was a workhorse and a visionary. Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, as the saying goes, but how true that is to Roudnitska is debatable. The man certainly seemed to be inspired by more than a percent, but he played with this structure for decades on end - constantly tweaking and evolving it. Perspiring workhorse indeed. This is unheard of today, and would be unthinkable to the vast majority of perfumers and houses. But it paid off. He’s a legend, one of the all time greats that will always remain so. Diorella is a legend, one of the all time greats that will always remain so.

portrait a new woman، which one ? Mrs Ramsay or Lily Briscoe. To the lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Female Eau Sauvage with peach in the base 9/10

This is for Diorella the vintage parfum. From the vial a most alive and vibrant aromatic and fruity citrus. Simultaneously spicy earthy woody mossy and bright. It as though the color white had it’s own scent. It has an overwhelming whiteness to it without smelling of white florals specifically. A spicy aromatic slightly sweet white scent. It is fresh yet dry. A neat trick of subverting sweet fruit and white florals with citrus, woods mosses and dry grass. 20m in it is taking on a honeyed hay-like quality. 5h 27 later it has a dry sweetness of hay (vetiver) and a touch of oakmoss. Very unusual. Very appealing. 8.5/10.

I keep on reading reviews of people calling oakmoss fragrances "old" "outdated" "something you smell on a cat lady" like being older is something bad. Honeys, youth has no merit. Diorella. Cristalle, Chanel 19, Eau de Lancaster, Ô de Lancôme, Eau de Courreges... all fragrances from another time you can only enjoy when you have developed that je ne sais quoi of love for the sabi さび of life. Almost 50 I can now truly enjoy these fragrances (I admit, vintage versions with now forbidden ingredients...) for myself, not needing to call for attention with screeching bubble gum scents.

a scrubber. This sample didn’t work for me (maybe it went bad?). Initially I’d describe this as vintage, fresh, soapy; something i might smell on a person of older age back in the day, in a church crowd. Also Reminds me of white diamonds and Chanel no. 5. As it began to dry down it turned sour on my skin. It could be worn in warm weather. Not sure how it would perform in cool weather.

What an absolute beauty. Crystalline. Citrus. Testing 1970's vintage edt. Smells so much like Cristalle (came out 2 years after this I see) initially and then turns into a stunning citrus woods. Others springing to mind, eau hadrien (from memory) and the drydown, balmain de balmain parfum (worn the other day). All said, nothing compares. This has got to be the best citrus I have ever whiffed and will ever whiff. THAT oakmoss! and the slight melon/peach fruitiness. And something a bit musky/fulsome. They certainly don't make em like they used to.

This actually smells like an “aquatic” perfume avant la lettre; it was made long before the synthetic “rainwater” aromachemical calone was popularized, but the fresh melon, juicy green notes, and watery cyclamen have a similar effect. It feels pale blue-green, like glazed porcelain. But it doesn’t stop there! The melon has a wickedly funky, overripe aspect. Garbagey, but somehow in a good way. And for a brief shining moment, the peach, rose, and jasmine all come out at the same time and make a beautiful radiant orange-pink sunrise that fills the room. And then we fade back to the cool blue-green. I love it. It’s so weird and it works so well. Nominally a feminine, actually feels unisex; it’s far more fresh/bitter than sweet, despite the fruit. Its coolness and jaunty irony actually makes me think “androgynous trickster god” more than anything else.

Edmond Roudnitska claimed Diorella as his proudest creation and although absolutely justified, I do not think it is his best creation. That aside, I adore this scent. Roudnitska created a new type of floral chypre with Diorella, one which was inspired by the great Eau Sauvage and to a lesser degree, Eau Fraiche. The airy freshness of jasmine, along with a rindy bergamot and lemon, is a major key in this composition. But he somehow removed the sweetness and headiness of traditional jasmine, amplifying the floral heart through carnation, rose and cyclamen which are given a natural feel through the inclusion of basil - whose aniseed warmth, alongside a traditional Chypre base, stops the scent from feeling cold. Whilst the current formulation is also beautiful, the restriction of certain materials over time, namely oakmoss, means that nothing will compare to the original formulation. This is such an incredibly unique take on a floral Chypre with it’s satisfying herbal freshness, a true masterpiece.

This is a very intense green perfume with a definite jasmine note stampeding through it all. If you like sharp green notes and have a thing for jasmine, and like sharp, sparkling botanical drinks on a hot summer day, you might very well enjoy this perfume. It has serious silage and lasts a long time, smelling as though you just sprayed it on for hours. I have worn this perfume in different temperatures and humidities and it loses nothing in the translation. In the winter, it smells like you have just trampled through a hidden garden bed of green stems, and then the jasmine surges with its creamy sharp odor. There is no getting away from the overt femininity of Diorella: if you wore it in a business meeting, you’d mesmerize every man there—unless he hates the scent of real, actual flowers: this perfume devours subtlety in its path. While I like this scent to a certain extent, I’ve decided that jasmine is too intense and sharp for my personality and I will stick with my Yves St. Laurent Paris, my Kenzo Flowers, and my Ralph Lauren Lauren.

I’m wearing my 1970’s bottle. Continuous and generous spray and still one of my favourite perfumes of all time. Bright, fresh and a juicy burst of funky overripe melon. This is a sensational fragrance. I have been wearing this for decades and the vintage remains beautifully complex and a more sophisticated eau sauvage (original). I don’t wear this often because to replace it is pricey however I am never disappointed with this concoction. Hypnotic, multilayered and unique.

I find this one to be a weaker and less fresher version of Cristalle edp.

[675] Diorella is another masterpiece composed by the legendary Edmond Roudnitska, and it certainly contains facets of his other compositions. It is a classic chypre, 1970s in style, featuring a prominent melon note up top - so far, so Le Parfum de Thérèse. Its woody-floral heart is reminiscent of a more potent Eau Sauvage, and there is an astringent green-citrus quality to the opening that recalls Chanel Cristalle (not a Roudnitska creation, but worth mentioning). It also reminds me of Ô de Lancôme, a radiant, summery citrus chypre (and affordable gem). I've long wanted to try Diorella, and bought a vintage miniature from the 1980s. It is a dream for this chypre-lover. Diorella has a radiantly fresh opening, with dewy green-herbal notes and bright citrus notes evident at initial spray. The melon note follows, initially green but becoming increasingly ripe as it progresses, dominating the opening for a while. Peach adds sweetness, rounding out the fruitiness of the opening. As it develops, the powdery floral heart emerges. Rose and sweet jasmine are initially detectable, given a nice spicy edge by the carnation. The herbal notes remain, alongside the melon note, muted at this stage, but keeping the fruity component alive. Soft woody notes ground it, and pave the way to the chypre base. It becomes deliciously mossy as it dries down - that vintage oakmoss is hard to beat. Patchouli adds earthiness, rounding out the chypre accord. The powdery florals remain until final fade, where it becomes a musky skin scent. Sillage and longevity are moderate. A masterfully-composed perfume, Diorella is cohesive, high-quality, reminiscent of other classics but is also very distinctive. Classically elegant yet bohemian, it is timeless, ageless and definitely unisex by today's standards. One of the best examples of its genre, Diorella is a stone-cold classic. 5/5.

I'm a big fan of Eau Sauvage - like 2nd favorite fragrance ever - and so wanted to try Edmond Roudnitska's "Eau Sauvage perfected". Well it certainly shares substantial DNA with the world's greatest reference Citrus Aromatic. But in my opinion it is not Eau Sauvage perfected. Its Eau Sauvage with a green fruity/floral melange to soften it but at the same time clip the brilliant citrus effervescence. A variation. But not the equal of the soaring, effervescent masculine. Others have pointed out the almost skanky overripe nature of the fruity accords. It's just short of slight putridity. There is a slight skankiness in the opening that may be attributable to a slightly indolic jasmine note. But I don't detect cumin or caraway. Nor do I detect civet as someone suggested. Diorella is not very feminine. Certainly not as feminine as masculine-targeted modern fragrances such as Amouage Reflection Man, Prada L'homme or even classic Old Spice. It's not as masculine to my nose as Eau Sauvage, but it is very unisex. People are easily swayed by the marketing. I've seen it with a lot of other fragrances too. If Dior would have marketed this to Men and named it Thor's Elixer, with the exact same scent profile, the gender votes above would be completely reversed.

One of the most famous and beautiful feminine fragrances of all time--a green and floral chypre with complexity and elegance. You can recognize the basic DNA of this from Edmond Roudnitska's many other great chypres of mid-century: Dior's Eau Fraiche, Eau Sauvage, Diorama... each of them a masterpiece. This is one more among them. This will never, ever be old-fashioned--it will always be a classic.

Hey @bevren, welcome to Fragrantica. I bought a vintage (pre 80's) edition and ah the '70's. I love these green chypres. They are so interesting and make me wonder what the '70s were like. It's also funny that those sparkling fresh green scents made way for the complex, spicy, powdery floral, heavy musks of the '80s. On opening whiff, I get the lemon and basil straight into the carnation heart, I think the jasmine peaks its head out too, the spicy sweetness of the carnation. The dry down to the oakmoss (real oakmoss!) and patchouli are so fresh yet grounding so you don't smell like a car air freshener. This is a gorgeous scent, and I'm glad to have found a vintage edition that was so well cared for.

One of my favourite Dior scents. Long lasting, very femine Dior at its subtle and most enchanting. Definitely recommend.

Those of you who have tried the vintage EDP and pure Parfum strengths of DIORELLA... What are they like? I'm guessing the stronger iterations bring forth the chypre base more? And maybe the floralcy, also? There's only so much concentration you can do of bright citrus notes. Do tell! I've only tried the current EDT formula.

Responding to Bevren - your bottle of Diorella may well have gone bad, but that doesn’t mean ALL vintage bottles do. I have encountered vintage perfumes that have turned rancid, but I also own many bottles that still smell exactly as they should - I have some from the 1950s and 60s that still smell amazing.

Ive fallen in love with Dior Diorella, after our dear fragrance friend, kindly gave me a very generous sample. And its been a huge surprise to find that it addition to its gorgeous, airy yet warm. Green, citric, mossy, slightly powdery and big personality. Diorella has got a skanky note. That is very playful and a little bit dirty. Almost like being a woman who can be quite serious, but underneath the eye glasses and the hair bun. Shes a bit of a tiger once she lets her hair down and puts on a bit of red lipstick. Yet shes always classy, sensual but not provocative in a way thats inappropriate. However, looking at the notes listed. Im a bit confused about what note that makes this slightly skanky and spicy? As none of the notes listed usually behave like this but whatever this is, its magical and intoxicating.. Fragrantica says the base notes are: Oakmoss, Vetiver, Patchouli and Musk. Yet it feels like either cumin or civet to me.. Does anyone know what this could be? Edit:.....5 mins in and the spicy note and the skank has dried down, leaving behind the most gorgeous floral chypre with the most delicate yet sensual rose and peach peeking through, underneath and weaving around the white florals. As the oakmos, Vetiver and musk holding steady ground.

I have got 3 bottles of this older version: 2 splash bottles in Dior‘s houndstooth design and a spray as shown in the fragrantica photo above. I absolutely adore this scent: It’s truly unisex and a classic that will never be out of style. However, I‘ve got an issue with its longetivity: On me, this is a skin scent after 15 min and completely gone after an hour or so - what a shame. If you love this scent as much as I do and maybe got the impression it works better on your skin than on mine, send me a message. I‘m not gonna resell them (to avoid discussions if they’re off or not) but would happily give them away (EU only) if I knew that would put a smile on someone’s face.

Roudnitska ripeness is in full effect in his classic Diorella, where the melon is at the precipice of swollen and soft, the peach has zero give when bitten into and so juicy it makes a mess all over you. Limes have been squeezed over salty flesh, and flower petals are in creases and folds, sweaty and plump, just before they recede and bear fruit. Musky carnation and salacious spice steer Diorella from its fruity citrus opening to a heavenly woody, oily dry down hinting at indecency but still behaving. Its restraint from full on lechery is its brilliance. Are we clean or are we dirty? We are human, we are both, day in and day out, always striving for the former when perhaps leaning into the latter can liberate us now and then. “Dagmar knew there were worse things in this world than pretending to be a caring, demure woman. For instance, actually being a caring, demure woman.” ― G.A. Aiken, What a Dragon Should Know Unisex? 100%

I bought a vintage bottle of Diorella. It is absolutely divine. People complain here that they wouldn't wear vintage, that somehow it's gone bad. That's how you know it hasn't been used. It takes several sprays with a vintage bottle to clear out the tube to get to the good stuff. Don't underestimate an authentic, vintage perfume as long as it's been stored out of sunlight.

Am I missing something here - but how can perfume lovers on Fragrantica forums keep telling us that they have and use 'vintage' versions of things like Diorella? Where do they store it - in ice? Someone below mentions Dior Dior - that disappeared over 40 years ago - how can you still use it? I have an old bottle of Diorella in the box in storage and it smells vile. It's off. End of.

Edmond Roudnitska is one of the founding fathers of modern perfumery and composed the original Eau Sauvage, Femme Rochas and Le Parfum de Thérèse, among many others. His style is Fruity Chypre with a little skank. ⁠ ⁠ I have a few of his hand: Diorella, Diorama, Dior Dior, and Femme Rochas. I like Femme the most, and after comes Diorella.⁠ ⁠ Diorella needed to grow on me as I am not crazy about lime. Once it dries down you’re left with in interesting but chique triangle of jasmin-cumin-oakmoss. It’s quite a 3D perfume, very well constructed. ⁠ ⁠ My 70ies bottles (I have the parfum and the EDT) still smell amazing. ⁠ ⁠ Do I wear it often? No. But I’m very happy to have a little piece of perfume history.⁠ (this review is for the vintage versions)

Dior Diorella (1972) - melon chypre - is a classic masterpiece that embodies Edmond Roudnitska’s signature style. The fragrance begins with a woody-citrus opening, featuring herbal notes of basil and an overripe melon. As it progresses, it transitions to a rich citrus-floral accord, where the flowers are so well-blended that they’re almost indistinguishable. However, I can definitely detect the perfumer’s signature of carnation, rose, and jasmine. The dry-down transforms into a dry, woody-floral scent on a chypre base that evokes the fragrance of #eausauvage.

8/10. Floral but not too sweet. I postponed trying this as I avoid heavier fragrances and was expecting it to be dark and strong. Instead it was light. Not for a teenager but college age or first job. The white flower notes like Lily of the Valley are structural and point toward the base notes. With time, green notes dissipate, replaced with spicy incense and clean White Linen reference. These green notes smell a little fake which dates this fragrance but I still think it is worth trying.

I bought this in a travel spray to sample and each time I wore it, I would tell myself there was definitely something about it it I did not like and wouldn’t be buying it ever again in any size. However, now that it’s gone, I find myself thinking of Diorella often, wanting to get more. I just want one more sniff! So, I will say, for me, Diorella is strangely addictive!

Mirth! vitality! Elegant jump. Sweet melon green, that salty taste will guide people to a better entrance. The "New look" of the perfume industry comes from the traditional Dior. Chanel cristalle side by side Diorella, which comes from the Edmond Roudnitska I admire. Diorella is concise and powerful, and this style points to a modern one, away from the so-called classical form. Young cristalle are cold, young Diorellas are gentle, and their relationships are close, but often opposing from different angles. Atypical chypre, with jasmine as its core, sketching out the spring and summer seasons, the yellow daffodils on the lake, around the fresh flowers. Refreshing, moist and juicy, diorella is an extension of Eu Sauvage, the ancestor of Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Therese. Like a cup of iced tea, that is more delicious than perfume. Did women's aesthetics gradually change in 1972? Worryingly, care needs to be taken to collect it to avoid spoiling. I'm afraid Diorella will change a little.

Beguiling perfume trailing contradictions and radiance. Opens with a dusty-juicy lemon and moss with a distinctly watery melon and floral vibe. It's an alchemical marvel that Roudnitska managed to create the foundational contradiction of dry-dusty-juicy-fresh olfactory experience and that alone makes this perfume a masterpiece. My bottle is a 1976 glory, rising up from my skin like a bottled spring morning, creating a distinct aura around me for hours. I don't have to put nose to skin to smell this but I can't help myself and do for the sheer pleasure of the up-close immersion. What a joy this old beauty is. Distillation: beguiling vintage radiance of early spring capturing my heart