Since it came out in 1999, Dior J'Adore has become more or less a mainstream classic, at least as far as popularity and iconic imagery are concerned. I don't think J'Adore was the first of the shampoo-smelling fragrances, but it made such an impact that the perfume, its clones and spawns seem to be everywhere ever since.
J'Adore smells peachy, floral and pretty except for some shrillness in the opening. It bursts out of the sprayer with the confidence and determination of a prom queen, and states it claim on the skin with a massive rose-jasmine that smell spectacularly fake. It's not bad by any mean, and compared to J'Adore's contemporary Chanel Allure, I can't even call this Dior perfume heavy-handed. I'd much rather have people around me smell of J'Adore than of nothing (or of Allure, for that matter), but I can't say that I enjoy wearing it myself.
According to Tania Sanchez in The Guide, J'Adore has undergone a noticeable reformulation:
"I use the past tense because things have changed, perhaps because LVMH no longer simply buys the finished perfume oil from Givaudan but now makes part of it in-house, ..."I never wore J'Adore when it first came out (I think my sister did at some point) and never felt the urge. I remember thinking it was in the same category of Lancome Poeme which I used to wear and liked much better, probably because it's sweeter and ambery. In this regard, J'Adore is probably classier and more refined, even in its newer incarnation.
It's obvious that the people at Dior consider it a modern classic. They've rebranded J'Adore with Charlize Theron as it face, created the famous commercial where we can see other iconic blondes clutching the bottle. They can try as much as they want, but J'Adore isn't Miss Dior (the original, not the rebottled Miss Dior Cherie). J'Adore doesn't smell as expensive as the various ads try to convince us. It's too smiley and too safe, which maybe is the whole point.
Notes: ivy leaves, champaca flower, mandarin, rose, orchid, violet, plum, blackberry, musk, wood.
Dior- J'Adore ($70, 1oz EDP) is available from department stores, Sephora and other perfume sellers.
I had the original 1999 J'Adore, and it was the smell of pure happiness. Too bad they messed with it. At least we still have Calice Becker's BK Liaisons Dangereuses, which LT describes as the rose version of the original J'Adore. ~~nozknoz
ReplyDeleteFor what it is, J' Adore isn't bad-I've worn it as a safe for the office scent, it's pretty and easy to wear....
ReplyDeleteI think so many perfumistas have smelled the great classics in their original formulation, the bar is set pretty high. How can J' Adore compare?
I would like this more were it not for the shampoo-y aspect - and I agree that it is nowhere near as luxurious as its ad campaign.
ReplyDeleteI don't appreciate J'adore : perfum which smells like shampoo, cheap fragrance, very common.
ReplyDeleteI received a bottle and finish it was difficult, and for me the commercial is really missed...ridiculous (especially the false Maryline).
Paddychat
i only like j'adore in the elixir version. otherwise it is too wan for me. and even when i wear the elixir i have to convince myself that it is interesting enough for me.
ReplyDeleteon the other hand, can totally see how it might be a modern classic, since so many women like these bland scents, it seems. well, where i live, anyway!
cheers,
minette