I think it’s fair to say that Dior’s recent fragrance releases haven’t exactly excited Perfumista’s the world over. Rose N’Roses, the latest Miss Dior flanker for women is more of a musky scent to my nose with some rose and citruses that I’m sure will satisfy the average buyer looking for a safe work scent that’ll get them through day to day. Likewise the new Dior Homme is a well-constructed masculine with a heavy dose of Iso E Super that will please the masses. The latest release in the Maison Christian Dior Line is Rouge Trafalgar, which I’ve only sampled on a card, but I get a fruity scent with an abundance of blackcurrant, berries and musk that I’m sure will sell very well in many markets. All 3 scents are well constructed, but they’re not the kind of scents I’d reach for too often considering the back catalogue of scents Dior has to offer. In today’s blog post I’ll review two of my favourites from days gone by, Dior Homme 2005 and Dior Homme Sport 2008.
Dior Homme 2005 EdT – Iris Masterpiece 10/10
They don’t make them like they used to”. A phrase that certainly could be applied in the case of the 2005 version of Dior Homme, and perhaps in light of recent releases an even more relevant proclamation. I bought 2 bottles of this fragrance back in the day. I blazed through the first bottle as my signature scent in a very short period of time. These days, the backup is used only a few times a year. It’s a precious juice that must be conserved. A striking, long-lasting (12+ hours) combination of iris, cacao and leather. Olivier Polge composed a hauntingly deep scent that goes through various phases as the day passes with the powdery iris and velvety cacao in perfect balance with the supple leather. Dior Homme sits at the very zenith of designer fragrances from the last 20 years. A trailblazing masculine masterpiece.
Dior Homme Sport 2008 – Podium Finisher 9/10
The first Dior Homme Sport scent was composed by Francois Demachy in 2008, and he was looking to create a scent based around ginger. He succeeded. This is a sports fragrance that has its contract extended season after season. Lemon, ginger and grapefruit combine to create an MVP candidate. The woody dry down of vetiver and cedar holds the scent together, ensuring its more of a marathon runner than a sprinter. A fragrance that’s good enough to get through any draw, all the way to a grand slam final, and when all is said and done, defeat all the competition and hold the trophy aloft. Dare I say it, Dior Homme Sport 2008 is The Federer of Sports Fragrances.
So there you have it, a couple of Dior masterpieces. Are you a fan of these scents? What do you think of the latest releases from the house?
