Category Archives: Main Perfume Houses

Dior Vanilla Diorama (La Collection Privée)

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We’ll kick off a series of Dior Privée reviews with Vanilla Diorama, my favourite out of the five relatively recent releases that I’ve tried. Dior rebranded its elite, quasi-niche line in 2018 as “Maison Christian Dior,” discontinued a number of popular entries, and debuted a number of new creations that, I’d argue, evince a new olfactory and stylistic aesthetic. While I pondering whether to do an overview post with my thoughts on Dior’s new look (pun intended), let’s start things by looking at Vanilla Diorama.

Dior Vanilla Diorama. Photo: Dior

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Serge Lutens Le Participe Passé

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I thought I’d take a look at Serge Lutens‘ Le Participe Passé which I enjoyed more than a number of his releases over the last few years, largely because it recycles many of his classic themes and scent combinations.

“Curtain Of Fire Kilauea Volcano Hawaii” Print by Karen Whitworth on Fine Art America. (Direct website link embedded within.)

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Dior Vintage Miss Dior (EDT & EDC)

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Vintage Miss Dior by Christian Dior is a fragrance loved by men and women alike. I finally understood why when I went back in time to try a 1950s/60s eau de toilette version. It was extremely different than the Miss Dior eau de toilettes that I’d tried in passing during the 1980s and 1990s. What an absolute stunner! It was a highly sophisticated, unisex, floral, smoky cuir de russie leather on me as much as a floral chypre

Oddly, however, when doing a comparative review with the same era cologne concentration, I had a dramatically different experience.

Vintage Miss Dior EDC, left, and Vintage Miss Dior EDT, right. Both from the same era.

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Jean-Paul Guerlain Elder Abuse Scandal & Charges

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Jean-Paul Guerlain, the patriarch and former nose of the legendary Guerlain family, is allegedly the victim of elder abuse at the hands of his son and guardian, Stéphane Guerlain. An article yesterday, January 15th, detailed a host of allegations against Stéphane who will be appearing in court. Charges include terribly dilapidated living conditions, bare financial support, loss of income, and both violence and death threats against Jean-Paul’s girlfriend who he’s wanted to marry for years. (Stéphane Guerlain put a stop to that, allegedly. He’s also brought counter-accusations against her which several courts have dismissed.)

Jean-Paul Guerlain

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