Vibe for Him

A term that has long since disappeared from the German language. Especially nowadays, no one addresses unmarried women as "Fräulein" anymore. This was already laughed at in the 70s and considered antiquated. The term Miss Wonder developed in the early 1950s in the USA and stood for desirable, young, modern, attractive, and self-confident young women who liked to be called "Fräulein." The catalyst was probably the first Miss Germany of the Federal Republic in 1950, Susanne Erichsen, who made a significant impression in the USA as the German "Fräulein" while representing German fashion. Back then, models were still charmingly referred to as mannequins, a much nicer expression, if I may say so. And during this time, the original version of Miss Dior (1947) was also created. This version was revised and adapted over time until we arrived at the current version, which replaced the 1947 version around 1992. And I can confirm that this fragrance radiates a great deal of self-confidence and attractiveness and can certainly hold its own against the "old" Miss Dior. What a remarkable development, as if layer by layer is being peeled away, and in the end, a radiant beauty emerges that has truly transformed and freed itself from its various skins. Upon the first spray, one experiences the crunchy, bitter note of galbanum, which was abundantly used in Miss Dior, and one initially thinks that they have sprayed a denser and more potent Vol de Nuit. It is also very green, with sage contributing to the rather bitter appearance. However, this striking similarity to Vol de Nuit only shows at the beginning; quite quickly, Miss Dior finds her own path. The cool austerity quickly gives way, and the stern and self-assured Miss Dior reveals her floral, gentle inner self and her true sparkling splendor. Cool, glittering, elegant, and soft. Nothing is crunchy anymore as it was at the beginning. The green undertone remains, but a cornucopia of flowers is poured forth. Individual blossoms are hard to distinguish; I can only perceive the whole, so densely are the flowers intertwined. I think I can smell the clove a bit more distinctly. The rough shell has been shed, and a proud swan emerges, unfolding its wings. Here, Miss Dior becomes truly incredibly beautiful, and I find myself sniffing at my wrist again and again to follow the impressive development. By the way, the Miss is not sweet at all; nevertheless, she radiates an enchanting sweetness in the heart note. And one wants to say, "Kiss the hand, gracious Fräulein!" And the Fräulein graciously and flattered extends her hand... As it progresses, when it comes to the base, it becomes bitter again. Oakmoss makes its appearance with its companions. And the sparkling and radiant Miss, who has smiled so meaningfully, appears buttoned up again, as if she has almost been startled to show her true self. At this stage, the Miss seems a bit more distant again. What would a true chypre fragrance be without this beautiful oakmoss base, which gives a fragrance of this type its character? Whether with a lot of embellishment or somewhat reduced. In this case, an animalistic companion like amber has been omitted, which, in my opinion, has benefited the fragrance greatly. In the case of Dioressence, which is much more opulent, something would be lacking. Here, it would be too much. In Miss Dior, they have limited themselves to oakmoss, a bit of labdanum, and sandalwood; patchouli has been used very sparingly and is not distinctly noticeable. Yes, what can I say? Another classic chypre fragrance that I have (re)discovered for myself and which is differently designed due to its restraint compared to its competitors. For me, this fragrance is the true Miss Dior. The fragrances released under this name in the 2000s and 2010s have nothing in common with this cool elegance from another time, even if they have their followers. Miss Dior Originale is a timeless fragrance that one should have experienced, as it stands out beautifully from the mass-appeal uniformity due to its versatility, unobtrusiveness, and pleasant presence. It works very well as a daytime fragrance in the office, is a lovely companion for leisure, and is also very well-suited for beautiful evening occasions with Miss Dior. The longevity is very good at around 8 hours, and the fragrance does not leave a huge scent trail. The bottle design has retained the houndstooth pattern and has not been given a band, but the pattern has been embossed into the glass, which I find very successful. Simple and elegant. And it can also work on self-assured gentlemen. Through its versatile development, Miss Dior Originale is for me a true Miss Wonder and has unjustly been in the shadows for years. The chypre journey will continue....

Neat, old lady, her white hair styled in a chignon, smells wonderful on the bus. I want to ask what she’s wearing, damn it, I know the scent *thinking*, don’t I have it? Too late, she gets off. I note in my head: soapy, bitter green (galbanum) herbaceous, without sweet floral notes, oakmossy, fresh, distinctive, elegant and not least also stubborn, it is indeed a Chypre. Now I’ve got it, Miss Dior... Haven’t worn it in a long time, already taken out of the collection, disappeared into the big box "Give away?". Today I put it on again, what a Chypre, not watered down but with edges and corners. How could I almost forget it and think about giving it away? The bottle is back in the front, where it belongs, in the first row. Sillage and longevity are good to very good, the milky, ribbed glass bottle feels good in the hand. And the Miss can also be worn well by the Mister, give it a try.

Miss Dior originale......Oh, she would turn over in her grave if she would know about all Miss Dior flankers of today! I never will understand how they dare to name these flankers also 'Miss Dior' and I always feel that I should tell: "The ORIGINAL!" if people ask me what I'm wearing, wanting it too. Because a mistake is easily made. So back to Miss Dior Originale: The most vintage scent in my collection and whenever I want to feel real 'perfume-y', I will wear Miss Dior Originale. Beautyful, she taught me what galbanum smells like, here it is so well blended with the other notes that provides her with a more feminine touch. Her little brother could be Dioressence, which is a bit similar, but more unisex if not masculine. I love them both, but Miss Dior Originale is my favourite of the two, because of that feminine feel. I don't know why, but carnation seems to be in most of my beloved perfumes, I always feel as though carnation has the quality to make a perfume 'tingle': no matter how heavy the perfume, carnation will give it that carefree, clean vibe, I think. There's also soapyness in Miss Dior Originale; From jasmine and neroli maybe? I'm not a chemist and I don't know how notes work, other than from my own experience and I am just guessing :-) but it feels like having washed your hands with the most expensive, beautyful French soap, wishing there'd be a perfume like that... Well there is and it is Miss Dior Originale.... Updated on 05/01/2024

This scent is a milestone in the history of contemporary perfumery. It was born with the famous and revolutionary New Look created by Christian Dior and its name refers to the couturier's sister, Catherine, because someone said:" Voilà Miss Dior" and these words became an inspiration for the scent's name. The advertisments of the late 40es associated this scent to the new woman in pants signed Gruau and to a refined feminity almost androginous. But let's smell the scent: it's a hymn to the galbanum and around this note was composed the very classy and discrete bouquet:at the opening you smell an accord of Bergamot, Galbanum, Gardenia, Sage , then you perceive the flowery heart made of Carnation, Jasmine, Narcissus, Neroli, Rose.At the base, a wonderful symphony of Oakmoss, Labdanum, Patchouli, Sandalwood , masterfully balanced to become not too heavy. The sillage is surprisingly good and the fragrance last for many hours although isn't not too strong, but composed and discrete. The woman wearing this scent is classy, quite mature, wearing a pair of black pants with a White silk shirt and a string of pearls or also a perfectly cutted tailleur. This fragrance, in its simple but rrefined multifaceted squared bottle , could be worn by day in the mid or cold season or in the afternoon for a very elegant tea time. The price is high, but, although reformulated, we have again a work of art. I love it!

It requires no clairvoyant abilities, just a glance at the assigned score, to recognize that I am thrilled by this fragrance and an enthusiastic comment awaits the inclined reader. However, for the sake of good order, two limitations (or rather guidelines) must be stated upfront: Normally, before a laudation like the one intended here, I would test for several days; in this case, I have limited myself to two days (under somewhat altered conditions) on the skin and a separate attempt on a cotton handkerchief (my old gray one from my Bundeswehr days, still in top shape). In times of epidemics, abbreviated procedures apply. And the fragrance to be celebrated here was purchased by me in the souk, where it was offered as "Miss Dior Originale EdT," although the sample was labeled "Miss Dior EdT Vintage," which leaves open the remote possibility that I had the original original from 1947 in front of my nose. However, I actually don't believe that, and the difference in the formula is supposed to be minimal anyway. That said: Miss Dior ranks among the very, very great "old" Diors for me, right at the front! Diorella is undoubtedly already very beautiful, Diorissimo a delightful, wonderfully fragrant lily of the valley scent (which, however, suits Frau von Spee better than me), with Dioressence it’s a bit of a mixed bag: The original, no longer produced today, is the most beautiful, most perfected, most complete perfume I have ever had the pleasure of smelling (thanks to a dear fellow perfumer); the current version is still excellent, but each time the gap to the original version stings a little. Miss Dior, probably the first fragrance in the line, although perhaps not as perfect as Dioressence, is the one I immediately and absolutely fell in love with. Descriptively, there is not much to add to the previous reviews, especially the outstanding one by SchatzSucher: Miss Dior opens with a wonderful, beautifully herbaceous, almost bitter green, which is only minimally lightened by citrus and into which only the faintest floral clouds mix, timidly rising from the heart note. As noted elsewhere, the scent in the opening resembles "Vol de Nuit," but is (although hardly less powerful) somewhat lighter and brighter. The heart note, which fully sets in after about thirty to fifty minutes, has little to do with this opening, and it is anything but the lush, heavy floral bouquet one might expect from the pyramid. Here we find a truly enchanting, subtle, and yet unique pearlescent, elegantly shimmering scent experience; light, cheerful, mostly champagne-silver, sometimes colorful, here almost sparkling, there nearly powdery, always fine and delicate, but only sometimes appearing fragile (then also with elastic strength). The distinctly separated third phase, now very close to the skin, perhaps from the fourth to the seventh hour, is like a bright spiciness, beige-brown, and reminds me more than just a little of archetypal masculine barber freshness. What holds these three seemingly completely disparate phases together for me (besides the beauty of each of the paths) is the moderate coolness of the entire scent progression, its anything but glaring, but still quite bright light intensity, and two "base notes" that run through the entire progression; one is a very slight menthol freshness and then the ultra-classic, distinctive, strict, and yet beautifully chypre bass. Yes, I really only perceive it (on the skin) as an undertone: on fabric, it dominates everything. Above all, there is a soul that holds "Miss Dior" together from within, despite all the dynamism of its development. Miss Dior is a fragrance that is young in the very best sense (I almost have to think of Nietzsche or Bergson, although that is not my philosophical direction): Fresh, clear, full of élan vital: tense, cheerful strength. It is one of the least sleepy and, despite its complexity, least convoluted fragrances I know. Certainly, Miss Dior is also a feminine fragrance (far from all relevant clichés, it is not sweet in the least and only very moderately floral), but within this beautiful lady resides not only an experienced soul (so that her games are not lacking in seriousness and wisdom), she has, like Niebelschützens' Princess Danae, all the (supposedly) masculine qualities: She knows the affairs of state and war, knows how to lead the reins, and can strike sensitively with both tongue and sword. Thus, it is no contradiction for me: On one hand: This Miss Dior is a beautiful young woman to whom I lay my heart at her feet. And yet also: We are (if not Pope anymore...) Miss! Young and feminine, Miss Dior is in a way that we can all be: A person who is not spiritually aging and does not wall himself in a self-made image of masculinity can wear this fragrance, for whose name I of course give a smooth ten, regardless of gender and age; it will suit him like a second skin. Why not a ten? I am a bit irritated by the abrupt drop in projection; after the very expansive galbanum opening, the second and third acts are characterized by almost erotic intimacy. And besides, the absolutely perfect is hard to love. The small flaws bring true perfection: when the Zen garden is perfectly clean and orderly, let a dried old leaf blow in. EDIT: PS1: Of course, wish list. PS2: I also find the name historically interesting: "Miss Dior," named in 1947, still refers to the fresh good French-Anglo-American understanding due to the brotherhood in arms during World War II. Twelve years later, de Gaulle would have had something to say to the house of Dior if it had dared to name the fragrance anything other than "Mademoiselle Dior." Updated on 04/03/2020