Dune Parfum

Extrait (bottle c. 1994) There's a golden orange sheen on my wrists, forearms, and the backs of my hands. I cannot help but think of the movie Dune and that golden orange sheen of the mystical and magical substance Spice that fueled the motivations of every character. There are no shortage of oils in this extrait, and it's clear Dior wanted it to make just as much of a statement to the eyes as it does your nose and those of the people around you. Upon application I get a bit worried because the perfume smells like it might have turned, as if age hasn't been kind to it. Sure, the juicy orange and lemon might have gone a bit vinegary but there's more than that; the saline marine accord, in combination with those slightly-turned citruses, gives the impression of stale sitting sea water. It's very salty and wet. After a couple hours of dry down something curious happens: there are definitely notes of roses, jasmine, and ylang-ylang, but they feel very compressed and condensed, like whole flowers have been crushed down by gravity into the smallest space they can physically occupy and becoming infinitely dense. Then the spicy amber and earthy base of patchouli, woods, musks, oakmoss, ambergris, and vanilla take starring roles. It's tense, like those base notes have a physical strength to them that's trying to beat down the friendly and gentler floral heart; but, on the blotter at this same point in time it's the florals and ylang-ylang that are the stars, radiant and energetic. What is most impressive and compelling about this perfume is its grandeur and size. It is extraordinarily weird and conflicting, but not in an off-putting way, and it leans into this character by being complex and bold. It is not going to faintly touch weirdness, as a perfume might in order not to push too many people away, it grabs it full-on by the hand. I cannot stop bringing my wrist to my nose for one more intoxicating sniff to send my mind and senses into a nether alien world of bizarre colors, lights, and textures. This is a true marvel of modern perfumery.

Dune is refreshing and bracing, piquant and sour. Someone else said it perfectly and I feel the same: I never want to be without this scent. I got a vintage decant of the original EDT formula. It fades into the background a little on my skin, unless I overspray it. I don't mind overspraying it but I have noticed others may be more sensitive to its slightly bitter and/or sour character. The rosewood is enchanting. It almost reads as a mutant chypre! A floral heart wrapped around wood and moss, then sprinkled with citrus. Just way less moss-forward and more like a run in the sand than a roll in the hay.... Dune comes and goes in waves and undulations. Spicy-salty scent bubbles sweat into powdery breaths. Sexy! Plays nicely with Maitha oil by Lattafa, like soooo many of these classic scents do imho. I want to try layering it with more scents or perhaps different formulations. Maybe EDP, or extrait espirit essence whatever they have... Any recommendations?

This isn't perfume. It's poetry. It goes through movements like a sonata. I keep searching for another perfume that can match it, but have been unsuccessful. The dry down is inexplicable. Clean, but the way a beach can be clean - with driftwood, grass, and salt. Fortunately for me, Dune isn't very popular these days and I can frequently buy used bottles at a fraction of the price. It's become my signature scent and it wears well in winter and in summer. Never cloying, Dune seems to have a personality behind it: a bit of a loner, slightly melancholy, comfortable in nature. However - I can't stress enough that if you are buying old vintage bottles and the color is a copper or brown, it has turned and you won't get that light airy beautiful scent. The color should be like honey. Otherwise, you haven't really smelled Dune as it was intended.

This was my first love when it came to perfumes. Love at first smell aged just 14 ... in a perfume shop in menorca .... Brought it home with me and wore if for years. Reminds me of a nice part of my adolescence. The new version just doesn’t smell quite the same . The question is ... to spend on an old perfume which may be off ? If anyone knows of anything that smells like this original 1991 version ... LMK !!

This, Guerlain Shalimar, and the Original Eau de Cologne Farina Have immense power over me. My great-grandmother used to wear this one. I remember the visits to her house after getting back from school. Every time finding her and her friends smoking cigarettes and playing cards. This is how she smelled. The image is too vivid. The memory lingers, and for as long as I own a bottle of the original edp no one can take that away from me. Except maybe for Alzheimers. She died of old age, and I never got to smell that smell again until many years later. It truly is a classical smell. I don’t know how else to put it. You can play any symphony or piano concerto alongside this perfume and you will find a beautiful synergy. I recommend listening to “Ballet music for the sun king” by Jean-Baptiste Lully.