Dolce Vita

What can I say about Dolce Vita that hasn't been said much better already here? Nothing, really. I can only give my own take on it. I see Dolce Vita as part of a kind of Perfume Trilogy which consists of Dolce Vita, Giorgio Beverly Hills and YSL Cinéma. All of them share the same kind of basic vibe imo: upbeat, warm and sunny, classy and sophisticated and definitely strong. If the colour Yellow had a scent profile, these three would qualify. Giorgio would be bright, rich summery yellow. Dolce Vita would be rich gold and Cinéma would be gold with glitters. Giorgio is like the "juvenile" version of Dolce Vita. Dolce Vita is what her older sister would wear. I suspect it's the name that makes me have the association, but I very much so associate Dolce Vita with The Sweet Italian Life. Anita Ekberg dancing in the Fontana di Trevi. The almost pornographic shots of gorgeously dressed Italian women eating in Eat Pray Love. Elio's mother chain-smoking and watching her friends debate each other with a smile in her gorgeous garden somewhere in Northern Italy. Dolce Vita embodies its name. It's beautiful and perfectly fitting for the concept it's named after. It is also one of those exceptional scents that - while strong and rather heavy - are very much suitable for warm weather. Sweltering heat even. The good thing being: you only ever need a little to last you a long time. It's suitable for everyday but evening events as well. I imagine roaming the streets of Rome in a sleeveless, sleek but airy black dress at night when wearing this. Or ambling about the shores of Lago Maggiore a glass of Italian wine in hand. It's really as though someone took Giorgio, with the assignment 'make it more classier and more grown-up', and ran with it. It evokes the same feeling but in a much more polished way. Dolce Vita is so much smoother yet - while strong - less attention grabbing. Cinéma is the last in this trilogy. It has the same vibe but it is much more obviously a 'special occasion' kind of scent; like for events that happen maybe once a year and are so special they almost require you to wear a ballgown. You could easily have Dolce Vita as a signature and have Cinéma as your 'special' scent. They work extremely well together. Also: I read a lot about reformulations here. I wasn't yet of age in the 90's so I cannot comment on vintage versions; I've only ever smelled and owned the Dolce Vita versions sold in stores after the 2010's. And they smell divine and last me forever.

Oh my, how can I even begin to explain... My one and only true love. Magic in a bottle. This is what perfumery is all about - making us happy. Words cannot explain how much I love this creation. It is everything I hoped and dreamed for. This perfume was my first and true love and it will stay this way until the end of time. I only wish I could be able to go back to this exact moment I experienced it for the first time - it was my mothers hug, dressed in her finest coat, perfectly beautiful, gently pulling me in and covering me with warmth and love. Ever since that time I was sneaking into her perfume drawer to experience the magic. Every time I put it on the most amazing memories and vivid pictures come to my mind - beauty, music, gold, silk, long hair, driving in a car with windows rolled down, a fresh and warm summer evening or maybe even a crisp winter wonderland, covered with woollen coat, or just that perfect time when the temperature is just right and you're content, truly happy, and love is running through your veins and radiating through this scent off your body. This is everything. This is my signature scent, no doubt about it. I do believe that the 90s version was absolutely superb - I do have and treasure my bottle from 96 like gold. It does spray on quite strong, but the dry down is still the same beauty. Modern version lost it's heavy punch, but nevertheless, it is still the same, unique and unforgettable creation. I do repurchase it every now and then, whilst using my 96 bottle for special occasions. There are no replicas and I am sure about this. I have not tried Shiseido's creation, but Serge Lutens Feminite Du Bois is not it, whatsoever. It lacks softness and it is way harsher comparing to Dolce Vita, where Peach and Apricot turn the spices around + coconut sweetness, magnolia and citruses make this fragrance shine bright. Serge Lutens is way more woody and astringent, if I can put it this way - I could see where the familiar picture comes from, but the details that make this fragrance so special are not there. Truly, this masterpiece of fine perfumery is the exact scent that got me into this craft and made me crave for more, and I am forever grateful.

I bought this fragrance last Spring but hadn't worn it until today. For some reason, I was nervous about this one. I had this idea in my head that it was going to be too flowery, too sharp and too sweet. I should start out by saying that I bought my bottle for such a good price after reading many reviews. Overall, the reviews were positive and that's what made me take a chance on it. I received the newer reformulation so I knew I'd never get to compare it to what the old formulation smelled like but beggers can't be choosers. Upon first application, I got the coca-cola vibe that so many people talked about but it didn't bother me. I actually kind of liked it and had faith that it would settle after some time had passed and it indeed did. Once it dried down, I could smell the cinnamon. I have to be careful with this note because it tends to not agree with my body chemistry, ending up smelling like bad body odour or strong, savoury food. At first, I thought that was the direction where this was headed but thankfully, I was wrong. It has to be said, that this fragrance is so smooth and so beautifully blended, it sits seamlessly on the skin in a glorious manner. It smells expensive! I find it surprising that this perfume isn't more popular but I'm actually happy that it isn't because I know when I wear it, I'm not going to smell like anybody else. There is a light sweetness which is understated. It doesn't reach out and slap you accross the face like the peach in D&G's The One or the lime in Lempicka's Elle L'Aime. No, it's not screechy here. It's subtle and blends perfectly with the warmth of the cinnamon and the cozy vanilla/sandalwood vibe. I honestly love this scent. It dries down into something so special. I find it unique in that it doesn't remind me of any other scent that I've tried. There is something comfortable about it, almost like slipping on a favourite item of clothing. The bottle is cute. I could do without the gold, plastic collar but the actual bottle is classy and playful all at once. I know that not every scent is meant for everyone and fragrance is subjective in that we all like different things but I'm really happy to have discovered this fragrance!

It was the mid-nineties when I befriended a Brazilian family, and subsequently came entranced one dinner party, when this hauntingly powerful feminine scent trailed behind my friend serving wine. She made tight circles around the table, for the spirits were consumed with the same veracity as the conversation. In the midst of an increasingly impassioned debate over the merits of modern art, and its impact on cultural development, I became too distracted to bite tight on my last critical objectives, and used my final moments to inquire what it was that broke my concentration and enchanted the room with the most provocatively ethereal illumination. The depth and shadow of mystical flora and burnished woods was worth the sacrifice. I needed a name. Dolce Vita rolled off her tongue with a casualness that seemed so confident. She didn't need to confirm, she already knew she smelled regal. A suffering student myself, I managed to miss a meal a day, slowly accumulating the cash funds for a purchase. It took me two full semesters, but finally the cheery yellow ball of a bottle, lay in my hands - polka dots embellishing the flesh of the glass, seemed to hold my fingertips, as if the design itself was an intentional act invoking the same tenderness one holds an egg. The juice I have yet to be able to dissect and describe in the context of a list of compounds. No, Bourdon and Roger have done so well incorporating individual components into a larger substance, that I am compelled instead to describe the emotions cast within each spray. Seeing the list itself, offers no hope either. Just a hodge-podge of seemingly random ingredients. Don't think by purchasing this you will be in possession of a peachy scent, just as you wouldn't have custody of a woody or oriental scent. This is about donning more than the physical realm of being. Bright, deep, spicy, sweet; staggering contradictions play out like a symphony dancing upon the ether. Resonating through distance, the sounds reverberate and exaggerate, lengthen and contract, as if the fragrance itself becomes a living being. Now that - That is Dolce Vita!

[775] Dolce Vita is a modern classic from Dior, a fruity-woody-amber, rounded out by lush florals and punctuated by warm spices. It infamously started life as an early version of Shiseido's Femininité du Bois, to which it bears a close resemblance (at least to the Lutens version - I have never smelled the Shiseido original). DV is less balsamic and spicy, more tropically sweet and fruity. I have a miniature from the noughties, housed in a scaled-down version of the retro-glamorous round bottle. When I au paired in France, the French mother had a huge factice of this bottle by the bath with some dried flowers inside. DV opens with sweet, juicy peach, bolstered to perfection by the lush lily that follows. Citrus adds freshness, more juice than rind. Peppery spice adds an edge, paving the way from the lush florals to the amber base. Powdery rose follows, bolstered by soft woody notes and sweet cinnamon. The peach-lily accord that defines this scent remains. It is rich and lush here; sweet, powdery, woody and softly spicy. There is a tropical undertone, unusually muted and giving just the right amount of sweetness. Soft heliotrope adds an almond-like edge as it develops further, rounding out the lush woody florals and smoothly leading to the amber drydown. The amber accord is sweet and balsamic, only coming to the fore in the later stages of this scent. Smooth, muted vanilla alongside the soft, sweet amber and heliotrope keeps things deliciously smooth. The woody notes really become prominent here, complemented to perfection by the warm spices that remain. Sillage is moderate and longevity is long-lasting. A rich, beautifully-composed cold weather scent, DV is a more wearable, commercial version of FdB, but a gem in its own right. This leans feminine, rather than the unisex (despite the name) FdB. Neither are particularly to my taste on paper, but it is a testament to their quality that I adore both. Aptly named, DV is boldly glamorous, like a well-dressed Italian. 4.5/5.

Like the Fellini Film, La Dolce Vita (1960)... Vintage amber-woody gem by Pierre Bourdon & Maurice Roger. Delicate blend of vanilla-cinnamon-peach with apricot & cardamom on a cedar-sandalwood base. Bourdon & Roger were no doubt aware of the film, La Dolce Vita (1960) when they composed Dolce Vita for Dior in 1994. I could imagine Anita Eckberg wearing this scent in the film, while splashing with her lover in Trevi Fountain after an after-party. With the satirical title "The Good Life" in Italian, The film remains cinematically lush while it's presenting its wistful disparity. Spraying this on, like Anita Eckberg, we too could be enveloped in a "La Dolce Vita", if only for awhile. It's up to the wearer to decide if being momentary means it was a mirage or not. Initially I was disappointed with the performance of this, but then again this is a delicate & softer scent with an amazing drydown! Dark storage after the first sprays helps a lot with the performance. The first couple of minutes smelt like quince, which for me is a bit like softer white-peach & Juicy Fruit gum. Once the sillage starts to open up, I get peach-cardamom with cinnamon-cedar swelling through. As it transitions to the heart, it gets sweeter and apricot emerges along with a gorgeous Brazilian rosewood. The other fruits & florals can be picked out, but it's smoothly blended. In the base there's a beautiful vanilla-cedar-sandalwood with faint coconut. Overall I get a wistful, vintage amber-woody scent with a delicate opening of near-quince fruits & spices that works itself slowly into a lush, round scent bubble, with a gorgeous woody drydown. This has become a love for me. 10/10. Enjoy! Update 07/10/24: Enjoying this today - it's gotten a lot stronger performance wise, in a good way. There's a perfume-y vein running through that I didn't notice before, which could be straight out of the 1950s-60s, although the woody base leans to the 90s. Everytime I wear this I love it more.

Dolce Vita! The mother of Jaipur Homme, a sibling of Feminite du Bois, a different side of the same coin. But one I love even more than the rest! If FdB takes cedar and stewed fruits as it’s damascone rich centerpiece, and Jaipur offers the powdery version of it, laced with cinnamon instead of woods, then Dolce Vita takes the best of both worlds. Rich flowers laced with a wonderfully potent cinnamon that recalls facets of Jungle l’Elephant, decadent woods that have seen ripe fruit rotten, a powder veil that recalls older eastern powder compacts and a musky drydown that shows signs of leather. It might be a family member of the above dressed in a leather jacket. Or it might be a leather corset. Even though it never had a major spotlight and it somehow wanted to be seen as a beautiful, jolie, laid back woman living la Dolce Vita, it was far more than that. There was always a darker side to that famous smile in the ads and the mystic musk that envelops the entire composition let’s you take a peek inside. Vintage Dolce Vita (1995 edt bottle reviewed) was a gorgeous powerhouse, although never at Poison decibels that came at a time when spicy fragrances wanted to shed that over the top Opiumness and wanted instead to give a warmer skin aura. Colder spices, creamy trails, all laced with classic floral notes and bursts of freshness up top. Dolce Vita scored all those boxes, and after making us fall in love, she winked and left her animalic breath on skin for hours. What a tease! And what a beauty!! Small note: the coconut that appears as a basenote is in fact castoreum. Or was. I have no idea how watered down the modern versions are.

I don't normally love woody or piney bases, but I love this. The sweet, gourmand thread throughout doesn't lessen the oriental warmth, but it makes it a lot more welcoming. I got this in a sampler of peach perfumes and never got explicit peaches but it may be smoothing things out in the background. It does have that 90s/00s "I am a perfume" smell, but I wouldn't describe it as dated. I would wear this lightly to work and more heavily for dates. Impressions over time: Top is fruity and a bit spicy, but warm, controlled spices, just cardamom and cinnamon, nothing harsh. Something in that initial warmth makes me want to come back and keep smelling it up close. At ten minutes, the initial sweet tastiness has faded and it smells floral and woody, although there's still something yummy lurking in there. Thirty-five minutes and it's starting to feel really oriental, but it almost smells like traces of gingerbread. At an hour it's rosewood and cedar, but also vanilla and sweet ginger. At two and a half hours, it's largely settled into vanilla; I can imagine I smell coconut, but the woods are keeping things from being too sweet. After that it fades pretty quickly. I have a friend who wore this as a signature until her then-boyfriend (now husband) told her he found it choking. She didn't overspray, it was just one of those "catch in your throat" scents. That was reformulations ago; I don't know if the modern version is smoother or if I just like it more, but I really like this.

This perfume is one of my all time loves. It was late September 1995 and I had just come back from a late summer holiday in Corfu where my husband had bought Jean Paul Gaultier edt (which is now called Classique), which was the perfume that everyone seemed to be wearing there at the time. The weather in the UK had taken a turn and summer was gone and replaced by a cool, sunny autumnal day. I had just nipped in to my local Boots before going to collect my dog from the Kennels and they had just had a new perfume in, Dolce Vita, I fell in love at first sniff. This beautiful effervescent, illuminating and enveloping scent instantly made me feel so happy and warm inside, I knew then that I had to have it. I rushed home to tell my husband, as then, we had a young family and any purchases were on mutual agreement. When he smelled it he instantly went to Boots and bought it. We missed collecting the dog that day. Even though I don’t reach for her like I used to, I will always have this perfume (vintage) in my collection. It brings back so many happy memories and instantly lifts my mood. Unfortunately it has been reformulated beyond belief and so I only buy and use vintage.

I wore this when it first came out, in my early 20s. I went through a few bottles in the late 1990s. What a gorgeous, romantic, joyful perfume! Smooth, sweet, and a hint of a wool sweater smell to my nose. I also have Femininité du Bois, and they are relatives, but def not very similar. FdB is sharper, thinner, and woodier. DV is fluffy and warm. The current formulation of Dolve Vita is a paler shadow of its former self. It’s a watercolor version of an oil painting. It’s ok, it’s identifiable, but it has lost its depth. Dolce Vita is truly a treasure, not at all dated (at least not to me!), perfect for all seasons, occasions, and times of the day, and such a beautiful feminine scent. I wore it out the other night and was asked a couple times what I was wearing! I just found a well-preserved older full bottle on eBay, and I’m overjoyed to have the OG back in my life! It is just as it was in 1995 when I first loved it. It brings back only sweet (Dolce!) memories of when me and my husband began dating. Of note: the bottle is exquisite! And so were Dior’s lipstick cases at the time- similar design as the neck of the perfume bottle.

When I was quite young, I gave my mother my mini bottle of this. I think it was a gift that followed with a womens magasine. Those were the days - I don’t think they give such nice gifts anymore. As I visited my mother, I always loved to take a sniff at this; loved it. Actually I think she actually used it, even if perfume and makeup were not much into her habits. Much later, I think my sister had thrown the empty bottle away, since it was just this: empty. Such a practical and pragmatic sister I’ve got... Well, I love my sister, but we are very different. I would have loved to keep that pretty little mini bottle. I might be TOO much into pretty things..! Anyway, I loved this fragrance. Since I have seen lately: it is still available, and therefore I am going to buy it at some point. I so agree what someone before me said: that it is so bright and bubbly. A happy scent, in this chubby little bottle. Just because it is so pretty, I will rather buy a smaller size than a bigger one. Childish of me, I know.

I've been using Dolce Vita for about 11 years now, and I've got a 90s miniature, and two full size bottles from 2008 and 2015. Probably that's already saying something about whether or not this perfume is any good. There were a lot of people commenting on how the formula changed and how it no longer smells the same but I personally think that it's just the matter of how "mature" the content of your bottle is, and for example, I can already see how potent the 2008 version becomes as it ages. Either way, Dolce Vita is a beautiful balance between sugar and spice (which kinda reminds me of mulled wine) where vanilla is carefully balanced against cinnamon, peach and slightly sour apricot. The woody base is definitely evident, especially sandal, but it ain't the cold wood that's present in scents like Samsara. Here, it's the warm and spicy cinnamon driven aroma. The silage and longevity are superb on my skin, and even better on clothes. Will certainly continue buying and using Dolce Vita for 11 more years.

Absolutely stunning.. Yes l hear the people saying it's not a patch on what it used to be, and I'm sure it was amazing in the 90s, but come on, its still pretty damn good. I find this scent just beautiful, a definite expensive designer smelling sparkling floral sweet magical scent that is so pretty and juicy and feminine its wonderful. My only criticism is they could dial up the cinnamon a bit, its warm and sweet and fruity it can be worn by all ages l think, its a definite feminine fragrance l would think a male wearing this would be a little surprising. I don't know why but this conjures up a mental image of black chiffon, silk, diamonds, red lipstick, and champagne. Glamour and date night are the words for this fragrance. She's a beautiful scent and this is going to be an instant re-stock for me as soon as its ran out. Love the bottle, love the colour, love love love. ❤️ It lasts about 5hrs on my skin so decent longevity too. l give this one a 9/10.

Dolce Vita was a love at first sniff for me. My fellow Fragranticans have already described this perfectly, which is what prompted me to blind buy this beauty. I can't speak to the reformulation as I have only tried the current bottle and wish I could get my hands on a vintage bottle to smell her in her original glory. This fragrance is so well balanced that it is hard to pick out individual note. They blend together magically and I get the peach and apricot along with spicy cinnamon and cardamom. The drydown is unbelievably beautiful I get vanilla, coconut, and with the rosewood grounding everything. This is a special occasion perfume, but also could be a signature scent and suited for every day. Men love this and it garners a lot of compliments. The performance on this is pretty good, although I imagine pre reformulation it was amazing. I highly recommend if you want an elegant, classically feminine and beautiful fragrance. 10/10 😍❤️

Dolce Vita by Dior is a magnificient EDT. It's classic, it's glorious, it's grandeur in a bottle.! Dolce Vita is sophisticated and yet majestically omnipotent. Dolce Vita is a Champagne-popping, shopping spree-feverish - lighthearted, yet alluringly intoxicating - heart racing, adrenaline-rush inducing - DOPAMINE DREAM that you wish you could shoot up straight to the heart every day. It's for the highs of your life, the grande moments, the brief, happy times that we know can't last forever, but while it lasts ; you are on top of the world, the top of your game and you are feeling invincible. This is how I would describe Dolce Vita. Not for every day wear, but for the special days, the great occasions, where you need a scent to match the almost picture perfect memories, that you know will be made. For days where depression, worries, negativity and/or melancholic longing are completely put a side in order to celebrate the good life.

Oh my! Dolce Vita is really beautiful. I’m shocked it was created in 1994, but maybe my sample is a recent formulation. I may like this more than Dune and Shalimar! It’s so smooth and well blended, but I feel like I can make out a hint of the grapefruit and coconut which adds uniqueness. I suppose I should’ve known this would be a winner since it’s Dior and there’s only 2 notes that I sometimes don’t care for, lily and peach. I don’t believe there is a Dior that I don’t like. This smells rich and velvety and the name Dolce Vita is perfect! Edit: Still loving this! Just waiting for a deal on a bottle as every bigger bottle I’ve seen is 100+. The opening does have the musty hay smell I find in Samsara and Diva, but dry down is just gorgeous! It gives powdered raspberry sandalwood! I know raspberry isn’t listed, but that’s my impression! I love the shape of the bottle too so hoping to score a deal one day!

Very nice, deep and feminine perfume! I would say it is quite oriental and woody. Those are the main notes-spices and wood. I would not say that it is flowery or fruity at all. Some notes of flowers might be here, but its not easily the note of a white flowers, its some darker flowers. This perfume I was using mostly in a summer time-golden liquid, spiced and warm opens up in the right way. This perfume is really somehow..Italian..the given name to it was perfectly created.. I remember, I was dressing up in a little bit extravagant Italian summer clothes, those tops with high line of decollete. +30+35C outside, warm wind is touching your skin and the aroma of Dolce Vita puts you into a happiness. It is really "Dolce"-quite sweet, sunny, powdery.. relaxing you and a little bit, mesmerizing..and you want to continue "Vita" ..Life..You feel the moment of life and you enjoy it..

Wow what did they do to you? I remember buying this when I was on my way to London in duty free. My Mom said to get her a bottle also, she told me she had heard about this and wanted a bottle. Since perfume invokes a memory this one includes London and my Mom. I’m a Dior lover, I have plenty of different fragrances from this design house. They are beautifully made and well respected. It’s a pretty spicy cardamom and cinnamon with peach intertwined. I also get cedar and vanilla, unfortunately not any floral. Yes, it is sad that these beautiful fragrances get reformulated and smell weak or not even close to the original, this one included. It’s not as bad as I though. It’s a watered down version of the former. I still love it thou. Longevity is weak, unlike the former. Sillage, is ok. I still want to keep it in my collection. I did get a great deal on eBay and snatched it up.

Cumin. Check. Pencil dust. Check. Peach compote. Check. Magnolia and lily. Check. Vanilla. Check. The perfume’s linear but it doesn’t take away from its masterful delivery of spice and dessert. As it’s always been said and referenced to, Feminite du Bois is its sinister counterpart. Both renditions of stewed fruits overlaid on a wonderful cedar base. However, both aren’t heavy but wispy and has an airy quality to them. Right from the start, you get the citruses play with the cinnamon. Somewhat cola-ish to whichI could infer as anisic and cinnamic. Then comes the peach custard with a hefty dose of cumin and wood shavings. It’s creamy, gritty with an underlay of lilies and magnolias. People complain about its horrible longevity. I think that what they want is that the perfume project more, however, the perfume stays quite long on skin. It’s beautiful.

Exuberant! Radiating joy and happiness. Both young and mature, old-fashioned and modern, classy and ordinary - a scent which knows no borders when it comes to time and fashion. Timeless. I purchased an EDT bottle a few days ago and have been happily wearing it since. It is tingling spicy and hot on me in the most positive way, and very calming at the same time. The Cardamom is standing out, followed by the Cinnamon, the Peach, the Sandalwood and the Vanilla - strictly in this order. No Coconut and Rose at least on me. A distant whiff of Heliotrope probably can be discerned. Despite its ̈homely ̈ingredients it is not homely at all. Being an avid Christian Dior lover and wearer for years, I can say that this one took me by surprise and enchanted me. Good longevity and moderate sillage. It is a jewel and it ́s worth the last penny spent on it.