Dioriviera
Christian Dior (2023)

Green and slightly soapy (from the floral notes), this one is a slight pass for me (especially for the price). The fig note seems too overpowering in Dioriviera. The dry down smells better than the initial spray in this one. Come on Dior, you guys can do better than this.

The Maison Christian Dior Collection is one exclusive line where I added zero bottles to the collection. Unlike with Hermes Hermessence and Chanel Les Exclusifs, this line in my opinion has been rather confusing to navigate, quite inconsistent, and none honestly have made me feel—excited. Charmed somewhat, perhaps, nodding in agreement that they are "well-made" (take that as you will). The one that I haven't yet smelled, Eau Noire, seems to be the one the most praise and fandom, but getting the straight story on whether new bottles are just as good as the old bottles, dark juice vs light juice, seems impossible, not to mention that they are egregiously expensive (yes, so are all exclusive lines really, which is all the more reason to be fastidious with such pomp).

I've been graciously given by a friend a 7.5ml mini of Dioriviera and I felt like tonight would be the night where'd I write my first review on any of the fragrances from this line, and upon splashing a bit on me, I am immediately struck by this: holy cow, Francis Kurkdjian was heavy-handed with the Stemone here. For those who aren't familiar, Stemone, is a product manufactured by Givaudan that is ultra-green, stemmy, leafy, weedy, sappy, and cortex-like. It is most well-known for its use, paired with Methyl Laitone or other lactones, to create a fig accord. Kurkdjian overdoses it here, and while I find it pleasant and certainly don't mind it, Diorivieria really is a very straightforward and simple fig leaf and fruit, leaning much more heavily on the Stemone than say, Diptyque Philosykos or L'Artisan Parfumeur Premier Figuier, the two that put fig-as-perfume on the map in the 80s. This extra leaning might be perceived as quite sharp, green grassy for the first ten or fifteen minutes before it mellows out, but as it develops over time, it just reminds me how the aforementioned fig releases were so brilliant to begin with, and this just seems to be a superfluous and forgettable release.

Maybe Eau Noire still has a chance, but once again I'm underwhelmed with these Dior exclusives. 

The sample was a super sour scrubber on me. Not even a sour rose, which I would have liked, but sour fruit, like the figs had been out in the sun all day. I didn't leave it on long enough to discover the rose because I wanted it off me as soon as possible.