French Week 2011 Day 2 - Dior Miss Dior Cherie

Throughout history, France has been known as one of the major perfume captials of the world.  I am confident in stating that I own more fragrances from French companies than any other country in the world; Chanel, Creed, Annick Goutal, Dior all sit on the top of my dresser.  The House of Dior hasn't been designing fragrances for as long as many of the other large French companies, however most of their fragrances have been hits with beauty industry insiders and the general public alike. Miss Dior was the first fragrance that was created by this house and then about fifty years later, a new version, Miss Dior Cherie, was released to bring the brand to new heights.   The original version is the rarer of the two fragrances and I have only smelled it once.  The new version is available at Sephora and all major department stores so anyone can find it and embrace the spirit of Dior. 

It wouldn't be possible to discuss the new version of this fragrance without touching on the original and the inspiration behind the creation of the first fragrance for Dior.  The Dior website provided all of the information that I needed for the both fragrances.

"Inspiration.  When Mr. Dior was designing his first collection in 1947, he dreamed of a completely original fragrance to go with his Haute Couture line.  He saw fragrance not just as a mere accessory, but as the 'finishing touch' to his creations: it would be Miss Dior.  "I created this fragrance to surround every woman with exquisite feminity, as if each of my dresses were coming forth, one by one, from a bottle", Christian Dior." 

"Fragrance.  All of Dior's charm and elegance featured in a line of bold, chypre fragrances.  Miss Dior is an audacious chypre with a citrusy freshness and a jasmine heart sprinkled with fruity notes, underscored by an elegance of patchouli.  A tribute to the mother fragrance Miss Dior, with the green chypre signature.  A chic and impertinent new classic."

"Design.  Miss Dior, Christian Dior's first fragrance, has, since its beginnings in 1947, featured all of the Dior House's codes of elegance: sculpted lines of Dior's suit, the graphic background of the houndstooth-etched glass, English calligraphy which turned the fragrance name into a signature...  And, of course, the couture ribbon tops it off, metallic on the Eau de Parfum, frosted on the Eau de Toilette and a transparent version tied into a bow on the neck of the Miss Dior Eau de Toilette bottle.  The charm of the New Look infinitely evolving into an ever-irresistible object of desire."

Miss Dior is one of the strongest fragrances that I have ever smelled, I smelled on someone several years ago and it was just so unique that I had to ask her what she was wearing.  The jasmine and the green mossy notes are very noticeable and it smelled like nothing else has been made in the past few years.  I find this fragrance to be on the harder side to wear.  It is not appropriate for casual wear, I can envision it being worn at night, when getting dressed up and going out.  It is very ladylike and it was a perfect scent for the sophistication and beauty of the French women in the end of the 1940s. 

Miss Dior Cherie is a much lighter version of the fragrance and is one that can be worn in a less formal scenerio.  "Miss Dior Cherie is an audacious chypre with a citrusy freshness and a jasmine heart sprinkled with fruity notes, underscored by the elegance of patchouli.  A chic and daring new classic."  Sephora lists only three notes for this fragrance: Italian Mandarin, Egyptian Jasmine, Patchouli.  The fragrance must contain many more notes than these since I smell more than this in the fragrance. 

I needed another opinion on the description and notes of this fragrance since I smell both strawberry and caramel in this fragrance before the jasmine and the patchouli notes begin to come out with wear.  I turned to "Perfumes - The Guide", written by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez.  "Some fragrances, like some people, give a deceptive, facile first impression, which they then contradict with subtle twists and refinements that anyone who tuned out after the first few minutes would miss.  Dior's sweet flanker to their (now much diminished) classic Miss Dior is far better than you usually get in the fruity-floral category.  Although its main accord of strawberry-rose-patchouli isn't as arrestingly pretty as that of contemporary rival Badgley Mischka, it feels more carefully put together, seamless and balanced, done with one lump of sugar, not two.  Still, this fragrance never feels like the woman of the house, more like the nanny, even if she's getting her Ph.D."  There is strawberry and it is a sweet fragrance!!

This is definitely the younger version of the Miss Dior series, this one could easily be worn for a day out shopping, work, or out on a more casual date.  I don't not find this one quite as appropriate for getting very dressed up as the more formal Miss Dior.  This fragrance is light and feminine is one of the perfect scents to usher in the spring.  France in spring is lovely, with all the flowers blooming and the cafes opening up for the warmer weather and this fragrance brings that feeling alive.

photo courtesy of Sephora