Cruise Collection Escale a Pondichery

Warning: Dior Pondichery is DISCONTINUED. So, I'll be straight with you all- after ordering over 20 samples from PerfumedCourt 2 years ago, multiple wearings, paper strip tests, skin tests- for both my nose and my husbands, this was the winner. Hands down, from everything we tried, this was it. Versace Crystal Noir was somewhat in the ballpark but that soapy drydown- I just couldn't get past it. Dior Pondichery was it! I was excited, I found a new signature scent! And then they F*^%*(*@#% discontinued it. Of the three Escale fragrances, why on earth Dior decided to keep the very boring sea salt and lime Portofino baffles me. Completely baffles me. I can think of at least 10 different fragrances with the exact same scent profile. If you try to find Pondichery online, you're looking at a solid $200 for even a used bottle- it's that sought after. And there's a reason- it's amazing. It has a soft sweet spicy tea opening with a hint of lime and ginger at the back of your nose- but it's delicate. It's intentional. A lot of folks complain about the projection and sillage of the Escale line and to that I say, it's a matter of preference. Some people want to drown in a scent, others want it to be a little more gentle, and it works here. The drydown is even better than the opening- no acidics or alcohol, it uses that soft sweet tea jasmine to carry you through to the end. The end finally reveals the sandalwood with that lingering jasmine and a little tea- it's special. Reminds me of being in a quiet magical bookshop or something. The closest I have found so far is Jovoy's Remember Me, (more tea, softer, closer to skin scent than pondichery) or Aqua Allegoria Ginger Piccante (stronger ginger opening but very similar drydown), and Wulong Cha Nishane (heavier on the tea, no florals). As a side note, in my hunt for Pondichery, I tried Hermes Twilly Ginger- and while they are not that similar at all, I'm buying that too. It was gorgeous for me so maybe if you liked Pondichery you'd like that as well? Very different but in the same zipcode.

Escale a Pondichery is like a summer breeze on a hot day - refreshing, cooling and carefree. There is a class and quality in this fragrance. And though the composition is not complicated, it does not smell cheap or boring. The gentle tea note mixes lovely with a delicate slice of lemon and hint of cardamom. Nothing is overdone here; the scent is light and breezy to perfection. The feeling that I get from this fragrance is of a quiet beach on a clear summer day with strong cool winds coming from the depth of the ocean and hot waves of sun from overhead. Dior did manage to create a lovely coastal landscape with this scent without going into salty aquatic territory. And when I look at gorgeous pictures of Pondicherry city located in India on the Bay of Bengal, I do think that the scent captures the vacation destination quite nicely. I love tea fragrances and Escale a Pondichery is one of my favorites. The tea note dominates the scent right from the start. In the opening there is a lovely addition of lemon and I think a bit of bergamot. The spices are just enough in the heart to give it a slight kick. There is a very gentle floral tone to the heart but if I did not see the jasmine as a note, I would not guess it. There is absolutely nothing indolic about the jasmine note in this fragrance. It is quite refreshing and light here. The wood base is serene and pleasant. The sillage is noticeable but light. The longevity is medium. I like to re-apply throughout a day. Overall score 8.5/10. Lovely tea fragrance with lots of class and excellent quality. I use it a lot in summer time and definitely recommend.

This is one of the best tea fragrances ever created. My favorites have always been Bvlgari and L'Occitane for my tea fix. Actually, I dismissed this on first sniff thinking it was rather common and predictable. I couldn't even believe that it is Dior. My mistake. It wasn't until I tried it out that I came to realize its beauty. It is well blended and it mellows softly on the skin like most tea fragrances do. However, it has something more. It has these luxe nuances that may only be discernible to the wearer but they sure add something special to the experience. It's like taking a warm herbal bath someplace far and exotic. Like a regal "me time". You know the feeling you get when you're wearing a luxurious lingerie? Only you knows about it but it feels indescribable. I can't believe I am about to say this but I think this fragrance is sexy in that subtle way. I get the tea, the cardamom, and the flowers but they work beautifully together. Lasting power is amazing too.

I loved this from the first dip of my nose into the spice box. Way back in 2009 I decided it was time to give up waiting for Chanel to come back to their senses and return Cristalle to her former glory so I struck out on a journey for a new summer fragrance. I recall now having seen an advert for this fragrance line in a Vanity Fair mag so I headed over to the fragrance counter of the nearest department store. The clerk attempted to push heavy florals on me but I knew I wanted something light and fresh. Back and forth deciding between Portofino and Pondicherry but the later won. Yes it has poor longevity and low sillage but it hits the perfect note of balance between spice, floral and wood. Did I have to reapply often? Yes, but I didn't care, this fragrance was perfect light, warm, sultry and memorable. Did I lose my heart? Yes, because Dior discontinued :( Alas it's onto other fragrances but oh how I miss this beauty.

I just managed to get a hold of a 75ml in an obscure small town perfume shop, at half the price of any regular 50ml bottle. After spotting it lost behind all the J'adore bottles, I was in doubt whether to buy this or not, as there was no tester and I could not try it, but I decided to give it a go, as I read online it's been discontinued, and I'm just obsessed with collecting vintage perfumes. The perfume per se is a very fresh, summery scent, although it could work for colder days. it opens very citric and tea intense, like one of those black citrus teas you would find at a specialty store. The cardamom is also quite noticeable, and gives it a nice spicy edge. This is a very nice, every day fragrance, specially for warmer days, I would also wear it to a night outdoor party. I'm glad I found this, and although I tend to go for heavier patchouli based scents, it's a nice addition to my collection.

On my skin, Escale a Pondichery starts off with a lemon love fest, all glowing and sunny. The jasmin note evolves slowly and seems to come and go, as though the scent of the flower laden vine is brought up via a warm breeze. The tea and spice notes are the last to develop. I like all phases of this aromatic fresh and non cloying scent. Despite the fact it's in Dior's "cruise line" geared for summer and vacations,this is an extremely wearable and versatile scent which could also brighten your day at work, or fit in with any happy occasion throughout the spring and summer. Wish it came in multiple sizes, but it's still a reasonably priced scent given the presentation and the high quality ingredients. The large size means I won't run out before they reformulate it, a fate that has befallen too many Diors. Could be Unisex for guys who are not concerned about wearing floral notes.

Green tea is very distinctive in this fragrance with some cardamon and jasmine in the far background. I really like the scent of green tea because it reminds me of my best years when I was a teenager and used green tea body spray in the summer. But my point is, that Dior's Escale a Pondichery is very simple and generic fragrance and it wouldn't bother me if it had better silage and longevity but these two are very poor in this fragrance. And I don't care it's an EDT. It's Dior as well and that name of the brand obligates don't you think? The frag is in my opinion similar to The Vert by Bvlgari and could definitely be an unisex. Nice, but not for that price. I really like the bottle design though.

It's a lovely fragrance, fresh and relaxing. I guess it's not only for summer, I tested it today, on November afternoon and it worked quite well. It isn't loud or sensual, just pure, distanced and calming scent. One thing I found very interesting, five minutes after applying I was wondering where I know this fragrance from. And then came the revelation - this is very similar to "Green Tea" by EA. Or something between Green Tea and Green Tea Intense, also gentler and less sweet than GT original. When a tea note disappeared and cardamom emerged, the resemblance vanished, but it was so nice, since I love tea fragrances. Does anyone perceive it like me or is it my skin?

Pondicherry opens up with notes of black tea with cardamom and a dash of citrus. The jasmine follows clean, sweet and airy along with sandalwood that lends a creamy smoothness elevating this into the perfect summer fragrance. Beautifully blended, this scent will envelope you in a transparent bubble and float weightlessly through hot summer days. Bear in mind these are EDTs that perform like EDC and therefore, not great performers, but if you think about it, not such a bad thing on a hot day! This is by far my favorite of the three that I have from this line, a beautiful and refreshing tea centric summer freshy. Highly recommend!

Escale a Pondichery is like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. I love it's crispyness, it's spicyness. It always made me thirsty for a nice cup of tea, good quality Earl Grey or cup of chai with cardamom. However, after wearing it for 3 months, I kind of got tired of it. It doesn't mean the scent is bad, totally opposite, Dior nailed it again, the scent and the bottle both sparkle, quality is good, as expected from Dior. I probably wouldn't purchase another bottle, because there are so many other interesting tea scents out there and I'm always hunting for something new, but for all the tea fans, it's worth to try out!

I like this one a lot, it actually reminds me of Pondicherry. So maybe it was the name that captured me first... but the scent would manage that on its own as well. It brings to me images of myself and my boyfriend from back then (who is a devote sandalwood lover) in India... Black tea with cardamom, like the one we used to drink day and night... refreshing and spicy. Sambac jasmine... calming and lovely. And then, sandalwood... smoky and intriguing. The one perfume that managed to bring back all these treasured memories in a whiff. I love you for that, Dior.

Gack I love this and it breaks my heart I can't get another bottle. Unfortunately over the years I have sprayed it with wild abandon, because it is SO dang wearable and easy to choose; who doesn't want to smell like an elegant blend of soft citrus and gently spicy tea? It's beautifully rounded out by the other notes...I don't smell jasmine or sandlewood, but I feel their judicious presence. Sidenote: much less sharp than Escale a Portofino. Bonus: pretty bottle!

I am a man but use this fragrance. The output is a tea note, shouting out ally of the cardamom strong arrives to annoy me in the first minutes. After he calms down, it gets soft and the notes before chanted now are wonderful, the drydown is perfect. The longevity on my skin is durable (about 6-7 hours) for this type of fragrance. The sillage is moderate in my view is soft, is not invasive in my skin stays about 2 hours until close to skin. I love this perfume!

This is my favourite one from the Escale collection. It doesn't remind me of India, as Dior suggests the name Pondichery, but knowing it used to be a French colony everything is clear now. The fragrance is very elegant yet fresh and original - it has become my favourite at summer, but nowadays I am wearing it at night - and it works just fine.. can't wait to try in in winter time. Energy and harmony mixed together. I would buy again.

I must change my mind about this fragrance. Although I found it generic and not worth its price at the beginning, I couldn't stop thinking about it. So I ordered few more samples and I've just fallen in love with it. It is so fresh and sweet at the same time. And the tea note is just georgeus. So now I own a full bottle of it and I apply it generously as I'm still not pleased with its lasting power and silage.

This is one of my favourite summer perfumes. It's a subtle, fresh tea scent with a twist. I have Bvlgari's Thé Vert, which I also like very much, but it serves me more as a post shower freshener. I would wear Escale à Pondichery to work or social occasions. The spices/jasmin warm the composition and the sandalwood gives it more depth than your typical summer tea scent. Refreshing with decent lasting power.

Absolutely nothing groundbreaking here: clean, refreshing and uplifting fragrance. BUT, you can't deny or overlook Dior quality! Amazing sillage and longevity and a very full 3-dimentional projection! There is no citrus listed here, but to my nose it's like an amplified version of Cerutti Image with a cardamom twist. A definite keeper for me, I know for sure i am buying another bottle when I run out.

I love this scent! The tea-note is, for me, too strong in warm weather but when it is cooler, the tea-note is comforting and not too overpowering. As it is fall now I love to wear it, it is perfect when the transition in weather comes. My absolute favourite in the Escale-line! It is a bit sweet, a bit spicy and a bit fresh but also with an earthy tea-note, so it makes it perfect for spring and fall.

Such an amazingly refrehing scent, on the par with EA Green Tea or AA Herba Fresca but a lot nicer. Perfectly suited for a hot sticky day, not a great longevity or projection but I noticed this seems to be the case in this Dior collection. If Dior could improve longevity, it would be a winner, definitely. Having said all that, I am so buying a bottle of this fresh 'elixir' pronto!

I loved the citrusy start first. But was amazed at the drydown (at least on my skin), a very well blended warm jasmine, cardamom and tea mix which stayed for a minimum of five hours. Slightly bitter, very elegant form of simple. Spent a few months trying to choose between Portofino and Pondichery, and went with this one, as Portofino seems to have a bit of too soap-y start on me.