Star rating: 5 stars--outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars--very good, 3 stars--adequate, 2 stars--disappointing, 1 star--poor.
A whisper of Diorissimo on this cold day makes me imagine spring. I glance at the dark rooftops covered with white patches of snow, black outlines of icicle draped trees against the grey sky and even though the landscape is morose and silent, I can almost feel the warm breath of spring. The frozen winter vista is almost scent-free, which I find renders rich, oriental fragrances somewhat overwhelming. Instead, I tend to reach for citrus, iris, orange blossom and other delicate white floral fragrances. Like Venice covered in snow, the impossibly transparent and airy Diorissimo (Christian Dior) is a perfume whose beauty is only enhanced by the cold. Then again, just like Venice, it is beautiful regardless of time and season….
Created by one of the greatest perfumers of the 20th century, Edmond Roudnitska, Diorissimo (1956) is an excellent example of a perfume classic. Although it celebrated its 50th birthday last year, this perfume is beyond the effects of time, beyond trends and fashions. It is also a beautiful testament to perfume artistry. Inspired by the elusive fragrance of lily of the valley whose white bells resist giving up their fragrance using conventional methods of distillation, Diorissimo was Roudnitska’s stance against the heavily lactonic and sweet fragrances of the time. The fragrance was created for the perfume house of Christian Dior, who considered lily of the valley to be his lucky flower. Indeed, the composition wonderfully embodied the lightness, the elegance and the femininity of Dior’s fashion.
In Roudnitska’s vast repertoire, Diorissimo stands out as the least abstract and yet it is rather stylized. It is not a posy of delicate lily of the valley, but rather a dream-like image of flowers growing in the forest. Diorissimo unfolds with green leafy notes, which suggest the buds of springtime covered with translucent sap. The heart of the beautiful lily of the valley is painstakingly reconstructed from a range of materials, from natural essences to synthetic components. Its radiance and harmony are breathtaking. Although Diorissimo retains its sheer and floral character, a subtle animalic hint infuses life into what could have been a beautiful piece of marble. It feels like a living flower that speaks of spring days that are soon to come.
For all of its delicacy and transparency, Diorissimo has a gorgeous trail and tremendous lasting power, which is another affirmation of Roudnitska’s genius. The fragrance features notes of bergamot, lily of the valley, jasmine, lily, amaryllis, sandalwood and civet. It is currently available in the Eau de Toilette and the parfum (Parfum de Toilette used to be available at one point as well.) Unfortunately, the fragrance has been reformulated to comply with the regulations of International Fragrance Association (IFRA) as well as to replace animalic materials, with the result being a version that strikes me as somewhat strident. The parfum is better, but it also contains the same screechy synthetic woody note in the base that ruins the appeal of Diorissimo for me. Still, the allure of this fragrance is such that even these changes do not prevent me from enjoying it.
Update March 2011: there is now a new version of Diorissimo called Diorissimo Eau de Parfum. While the extrait de parfum and the Eau de Toilette are the original Roudnitska creations (even if reformulated to comply with IFRA,) the Eau de Parfum was created by François Demachy, Dior in-house perfumer. It is richer, denser, with a strong jasmine note.
For more lily of the valley fragrances and lore, please see my article, Spring Flower Bouquet: Lily of the Valley. Photograph from Moosecountrygarden.com.
Hi Victoria,
Venice covered in snow, I saw that several years ago.It's a fairy, one single and unforgettable moment in a life.
Your description of DIORISSIMO makes dream and I share your impressions. Perfume cherishing and poetic, it is certainly the most beautiful fragrance based on lily of the valley ever created. In my opinion, it is also the most brilliant and subtle perfume of Edmond Roudnitska.For me it is higher than Eau sauvage which is however a large perfume.
Have a nice day.
JP
Posted by: aryse | January 23, 2007 at 05:00
What a beautiful review of one of the most beautiful of perfumes! Diorissimo is a favourite of mine - whenever I smell it I think of creamy silk, cold and clean. I love how the green notes accentuate the impression of flowers in the wild. Truly one of the classics indeed! Thank you for a lovely review, yet again.
Posted by: Jason | January 23, 2007 at 05:41
Thank you for this lovely review of my mother's favorite perfume. I especially like this: "It is not a posy of delicate lily of the valley, but rather a dream-like image of flowers growing in the forest." How true! I always picture trees and trees of white blossoms in bloom, when I smell this scent, even though I know that lily of the valley does not grow on trees.
Posted by: newproducts | January 23, 2007 at 08:17
This is how I enjoy winter most - through beautiful, magical descriptions like this one. :-) Diorissimo was my scent of choice for the first long, impossibly frigid winter I spent in Moscow. I can't wear it w/out thinking of that winter. Wonderful times, but best preserved in memory w/out the reality of blue, frozen fingers and toes.
Posted by: Elle | January 23, 2007 at 08:20
I absolutely adore this one. So great to read the comparison between the modern and old versions. I do like the modern parfum a lot, but would love to compare with the vintage one. Thank you for the wonderful review.
Posted by: Marina | January 23, 2007 at 09:01
My feelings on winter fragrances are exactly the same. Although Bois des Iles and Chinatown are perfect in the days of mild sunshine and crisp breezes that precede Christmas, in true cold those rich perfumes suddenly seem clashing, too heavy. You find yourself wanting a sorbet, not a chocolate cheesecake. I haven't yet smelled the perfume of Diorissimo and hope to soon. You're right that comparing Diorissimo to standard, old-fashioned sweet lactonic florals, like Detchema or Fleurs de Rocaille, shows it to smell surprisingly different. Even among muguets, it's different in its remarkable fidelity to living muguet, as compared to, say, Caron's or Coty's muguets. Roudnitska famously planted muguet in his garden as a reference point while composing Diorissimo, and when Evan and I found a patch at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and kneeled down among the tiny white bells to inhale, we looked at each other in surprise and recognition: Diorissimo! In this sense, you might consider Roudnitska's years of work smelling the live flower and composing the fragrance to be a precursor to the technologically-aided art of headspace composition today. But without a gas chromatograph to guide him, he had to use the next best technology—his nose.
Do you have an idea of which materials set off the IFRA alarms, aside from any animal-derived materials? I was terribly sorry to hear that a screechy fake wood note has found lodging in Diorissimo. That seems suspiciously like a budget decision, rather than in consideration of ethics and allergies, but I could be wrong.
Posted by: Tania | January 23, 2007 at 10:28
Just saw a great price on the parfum at one of the discounters, I think Parfum1 but now can't remember. Anyway, $89.
Posted by: Robin | January 23, 2007 at 11:52
Aryse, I agree that Diorissimo is perhaps the best fragrance from Roudnitska. I admire his work very much. Wearing Diorissimo one forgets that it was created in 1956. This cannot be said of some others by him.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 23, 2007 at 13:01
Jason, thank you, it is one of the fragrances that never fails to touch me. I am fascinated by it, and exploring it further only makes me admire it more.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 23, 2007 at 13:03
N, it was my mother's favourite too. That is how I remember her as a young woman--trailing Diorissimo and wearing a grey cinched waist suit. She had a small bottle of the parfum, and I remember playing with it long after the perfume has been used up.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 23, 2007 at 13:05
Dear Victoria,
What a lovely coincidence V that you reviewed Diorissimo . as I wore it last Friday . I chose it as a pick me up as I was fatigued. My association with Diorissimo is a nostalgic one. I wore it with gay abandon in the mid 70's when I was a nursing student in college. I would wear it in the early Spring mostly when the winter chill was transforming into days of sunshine . It was on of the happiest periods of my life - and I associate it with the essence of Diorissimo. Like, others, I , too recognize Its familiar floral notes upon sniffing the newly sprouted lily of the valley plants. It is a moment upon whch I can only pause and be ever so thankful for the bounty and beauty of nature. And for the genius of perfumeur extrodinaire Roudnitska for capturing this joyous essence .
While I prefer to wear Diorissimo during the warmer months rather than now - I know it is awaiting me at Spring's first blush !
Madelyn E
PS Victoria, the top note of Diorissimo EDT - the chill that I experienced reminded me of Carnal Flower -eucalyptus blast . Do you notice that too? I know how much you love Carnal Flower. Also I am going to the Guerlain event on February 10th. It is a skincare, fragrance and color event.
Posted by: Madelyn E | January 23, 2007 at 13:05
Elle, Moscow and Diorissimo sounds like a perfect match. :) Dior fragrances were among the few that were sold in the Soviet Union, and I remember most of them well. The beautiful spring-like scents are the only way I can bear winter, although I admit that this year we have been very spoiled!
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 23, 2007 at 13:06
Marina, the vintage Diorissimo in good condition is very difficult to find, as it does not keep well. If the liquid is anything but transparent and slightly yellow, then it has turned.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 23, 2007 at 13:08
Tania, I agree that the richer fragrances are just overwhelming. I wore Coco, Shalimar, and other lush orientals in the fall, but now I find them to be suffocating when there are no other scents to compete with them.
Caron's is not my favourite lily of the valley, since it strikes me as soapy and strangely reminiscent of air freshner. When I smelled Coty's Muguet des Bois at the Osmotheque, I understood why even Roudnitska admitted that it was the best lily of the valley ever created. I have never worn it, however. Yet, on the blotter, it is striking--lucid, rich and yet weightless.
The main IFRA substitution affected bergamot, from what I have been told. Dior had to substitute the bergaptene-free oil, since bergaptene is a strong allergen. Of course, there were plenty of changes made for the budgetary reasons. I do not see why else they tweaked the sandalwood base.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 23, 2007 at 13:14
R, I also saw it on Imaginationperfumery.com. Very reasonable price.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 23, 2007 at 13:14
Madelyn, I also have a strong sentimental attachment to Diorissimo, because my mother used to wear it. It is such a special fragrance in many respects, however. How great that you still wear it! I see what you mean about the green top note of Diorissimo. I notice it more in the newer versions than in the ones I remember from my childhood (and the vintage ones I have now). It is beautiful, all the same.
Sounds like the event might be a lot of fun! I will see if I can go too.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 23, 2007 at 13:16
victoria,
this is one of my favorite fragrances. thank you for that amazing review. your reviews are always such a delight to read but that is something i say time and time again. paris has been cold and gray recently, with the sun setting barely past 5pm. the wind has been howling like a banshee and the atmosphere is heavy with winter melancholy. i too find myself reaching for fragrances with promises of spring. i think it's high time for me to pay a visit to the perfume houses in the 1eme. yes, i'll have a "perfume smellin' day" or something of the sort.
xx
a.
Posted by: a. | January 23, 2007 at 15:44
I used to wear this one a lot in springtime.
I found it a little strident on me in more recent years. It could be the reformulation or it could be that I'm leaning more toward orientals.
Or it might be that I don't live in Michigan any more where it fit just right.
Posted by: Karin | January 23, 2007 at 16:04
Yes, exactly right on the Caron. Ah, maybe I just had a dream that I smelled the Coty, then. Or maybe I smelled their more recent muguet, which like the rest of that line is nothing to write home about. I have got to get myself to that Osmothèque!
Posted by: Tania | January 23, 2007 at 17:01
I love the initial blast but rapidly Diorissimo feels "old" to me, I have no idea why and which notes give me this impression, I would still love to try the vintage versions as the new EDT also feels like synthetics imitating natural.
On the other hand I love love love Debut by Parfums Delrae specially the EDT, Michel Roudnitska 's homage fragrance to his father Diorissimo, greater ingredients quality and younger.
Posted by: Number Eleven | January 23, 2007 at 18:09
I'm coming late to this, but Diorissimo was the first 'real' perfume I had. My mother bought it for my Christmas gift when I was about 14 – possibly a year younger or older. Prior to that I’d only stolen sniffs of her perfumes - which, during my growing-up years, ranged from Opium to Femme, Mystère and Mme Rochas, Miss Dior through Cinnabar and Poison (HORROR) to Aliage and Magie Noire… I’d also been given drug-store perfume (Prince Matchabelli’s Cachet being the most memorable) by my school friends.
Umm… where was I? Oh yes - I am dismayed to hear that yet another perfume has been reformulated, not least because I *thought* I had some of my original bottle left but can’t find it. I swapped for some on MUA but haven’t tried it yet; and now I fear to do so in case it’s NEW – which I highly suspect it is. Not the nice swapper’s fault at all, of course; I should have known.
But - oh no! It was SO wonderful! WHY do they do this? Useless to ask, because we all know why. Damn the money: give us our ‘fumes!
Posted by: Tommasina | January 23, 2007 at 19:50
Beautiful V!! You have primed me for my little white bells of joy! and for those Diorable fans of the House, January 21st marked M.Dior's 105th Birthday!!!
If anyone is a Dior fan, and would like to contribute to a burgeoning Dior website, I recommend joining: http://groups.msn.com/Diorable
Posted by: Marian Bendeth | January 23, 2007 at 23:34
Wow, that is the best review of this fragrance I have ever read. It is a perennial favorite of mine. I had no idea it had been reformulated, what a shame! I am almost afraid to smell the new one....
Posted by: portlandia | January 24, 2007 at 02:06
The modern Diorissimo fragrance reminds me of what it used to be only at the very beginning - a few seconds before it really unfolds. After the first beautiful notes it tends to smell somewhat heady, the tenderness is gone. Regrettably, muguet fragrances are not good at being stored for years. It would be a wonder to find an old Diorissimo that still has the aroma one can remember from the past.
Posted by: flacon007 | January 24, 2007 at 05:18
A, a perfume smellin day sounds like a wonderful activity. I am glad to see that I am not the only beckoning spring with my spring floral favourites. I must say that we have been very spoiled on the East Coast this winter--the weather has been very mild, almost abnormally so.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 24, 2007 at 15:13
Karin, it definitely has been altered, because even my bottle from the 1990s is closer to what I remember it to be.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 24, 2007 at 15:21
T, you do! You will find herself in heaven. :)
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 24, 2007 at 15:21
Number Eleven, I like Debut too, although it does not seem to possess the airy beauty of Diorissimo. That is what makes Diorissimo a masterpiece. However, in its current version, it is slightly less striking.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 24, 2007 at 15:23
Tommasina, you had such sophisticated tastes as a teenager! Very impressive. :) I hope that the new Diorissimo will not be a disappointment. It is still lovely!
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 24, 2007 at 15:24
Marian, what a coincidence that I was wearing Diorissimo over these past few days! Thank you for the website link. I will explore it further.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 24, 2007 at 15:26
D, thank you very much! I find Diorissimo to be very special, partially because of my memories associated with it. All in all, I treasure my bottles of it.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 24, 2007 at 15:28
Dmitri, I find that it all depends on storage. Many ingredients used in muguet accords are quite stable, although not like woody and animalic notes. I have a bottle of Diorissimo parfum from the 60s that is in pristine condition and the liquid is transparent and slightly yellow (not ambery). However, one does not delve too much into the past to find a good bottle of Diorissimo. Even in the 1990s, it was great. I have a mini bottle of EDT from 1994, and it is fantastic.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 24, 2007 at 15:31
Victoria, that sounds very optimistic. I will pay more attention to these early 90s versions.
Posted by: flacon007 | January 24, 2007 at 16:53
Dmitri, the one I mentioned (1990s) comes in the classical houndstooth pattern with the pink oval in the middle. It is very good. I also have some EDTs from the 1960s, but they were not well-preserved.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 24, 2007 at 17:13
My skin usually violently rejects lily of the valley (or maybe it's my personality who does), so I'll make do with reading this lovely review. I'm pretty sure that my maternal grandmother wore Diorissimo during the 50s and early 60s in Lithuania, with other eternal scents like No.5. Which is why my mother never dared go there, but to me they smell grand and far away at the same time.
Posted by: Gaia, the non-blonde | January 24, 2007 at 17:16
Gaia, lily of the valley and various white floral fragrances have traditionally been very popular in Lithuania. Diorissimo was, of course, popular regardless. My mother wore Diorissimo when I was a child in the 80s, but now she will not go near it. Instead, I carry the tradition. :)
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 24, 2007 at 17:26
I also tend to reach for white florals in the cold weather as I find orientals quickly overwhelming suffocating and less refined.
I 'd love to try Diorissimo and Muguet des Bois in vintage but I 'm afraid to buy perfumes that have turned (I can only think of ebay, other alternatives?)
Posted by: LeaGirl | January 27, 2007 at 02:19
LeaGirl, if you buy either one on Ebay, please be sure that the liquid is not dark. If it turns anything, but pale, transparent yellow, the fragrance is no longer wearable. For other fragrances, this may not be the case, but it is for these two.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 29, 2007 at 12:09
(Some of this is totally off-topic, so forgive me for meandering away from the perfume itself. ;))
After having wandered around the virtual world for quite a while, "trying on" many websites, blogs and discussion groups, I hope to have found my fragrant "home". It certainly feels like it right now, after reading these posts and evaluating the obvious knowledge and love of perfume that waft from these pages...;)
Amazingly, I bought "Diorissimo" for my mother (one of her old favourites) - for the first time in twenty years! - on the very day this review was published. Which is why I decided to start posting here, on this page. Nowhere else have I read such an accurate description of "Diorissimo" - or such fun and intelligent commentaries...;)
And yes: it is definitely a winter/early spring fragrance. It reminds me of certain days around mid-February, dreary and cold - and yet, there is suddenly a clear hint of rich budding, even blooming, in the air: a fleeting vision of mid-April and early May (to me, the most beautiful time of the year). Where does it come from? Ah, it's a mystery. ;)
So, in a way, "Diorissimo" is subversive, certainly not for humble wall-flowers. Wearing it during the winter is like thumbing the nose (ever so elegantly, of course! :) of the herd mentality... Why should winter smell only of cinnamon, vanilla, musk and heavy basenotes? We who love "Diorissimo" love the promise of a radiant future - and WE know we ARE going to get there. :)
Posted by: Ivoire | February 02, 2007 at 17:57
Ivoire, thank you for your comments. It is a pleasure to welcome you here. I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts on perfume. I cannot agree more about cinnamon, vanilla and musk as typically winter scents. It is far too easy, far too predictable to pick those. I reach for citrus and light florals on cold days, because they seem to develop better. Now, in the fall, the typically winter scents work beautifully.
"'Diorissimo' is subversive, certainly not for humble wall-flowers." How perfectly put! I agree with every single word of this statement.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | February 04, 2007 at 18:41
Thank YOU.
After a few months since this first comment, my opinion of your wonderful blog hasn't changed one bit.
I don't write much at the moment - but that, too, might change.. ;)
Posted by: Ivoire | April 30, 2007 at 18:31
That was such a marvellous review on Diorissimo. I was mucking around my mom's dresser and chanced upon a bottle of that. I sprayed it on my wrists and immediately, images of meadows of flowers came to my mind. When I read your review, it was like you'd read my mind and have put them into words so perfectly.
Diorissimo might not be such a suitable scent to be worn in the tropics (as where I am) but I can most certainly understand how uplifting it can be on a cold wintry day, longing for spring to quickly come by.
Posted by: geekchic | May 18, 2007 at 23:04
I have flirted with many different perfumes over the past 20 years trying to find one that was me. I have tried everything from Oscar de la renta to Chanel. I have loved some and bought more, others I have disliked within a few days.
I have purchased a bottle of Diorissimo today, and as I am waiting for it to arrive I have not yet had the pleasure of smelling it yet. I was curious to smell it as when I was in my teens I read a Jilly Cooper book and a sexy, elegant female wore this perfume.
It seemed to sum up everything that a perfume should aspire to. After reading the posts on this wonderful page I am glad that I have purchased this scent, but sad that I will not smell it as it was meant to be, although this might be a good thing as I will be unable to compare the new with the old.
Thanks to everyone for sharing your wonderful descriptions and memories, I hope my delivery arrives very quickly!
Posted by: Lalique | August 11, 2007 at 16:43
Can't find Diorissimo eu du perfume anywhere., Plenty of "eu du toilette". Any ideas?
Posted by: Ernest Lowe | October 30, 2011 at 14:25
Help!!
Posted by: Ernest Lowe | October 30, 2011 at 14:26