Vanilla Diorama

Vanilla dominant scents can be broadly categorized into distinct categories, and I appreciate them all; exotic vanillas with floral notes, coconut or unexpected elements often referred to as "beachy" (Vanille de Tahiti, Lalibela); musk-driven scents with a powder note (Shalimar and its flankers); incense or tobacco creating a smoky vanilla (Vanilla Flash); herbal vanillas (Angelique Noir); gourmand or spicy vanillas (La Danza delle Libellule and most of 4160's catalog); Oud or woody vanillas (original Oud Wood); and boozy vanillas with rum or bourbon (Vanille Mona di Orio). Most vanilla scents blend elements from multiple categories, which is where Vanilla Diorama should be placed—into the boozy and spicy gourmand genres.

It's unfortunate that I won't be able to express my true opinion about this scent because it might get removed or downvoted. Instead, I'll simply say that one shouldn't buy into the hype without trying it first. It's understandable that people have different perfume preferences, but when even my parents, who aren't particularly picky, didn't enjoy it, something's amiss.

Unimpressive. The scent is dominated by a light, airy vanilla accord that's tempered by floral notes, dulling the richness of the vanilla. The other components, such as incense, patchouli, rum, and cacao, are noticeably absent or underwhelming. Ultimately, it's a fairly generic floral-toned vanilla blend that doesn't particularly stand out to me, and there are moments where it veers into unpleasant territory due to the combination of lemon, pink pepper, and cardamom.

One of the more refined vanilla fragrances that doesn't overwhelm. 🌿👌

With the exception of vetiver and bergamot, all my preferred notes are present in Vanilla Diorama, except that when I tested it today, I only detected some vanilla in the base. It's definitely a Cola-scented perfume, characterized by a mix of spices, cherry candy-like sweetness, and ambery tones in the base. However, unlike pleasant scents like Azemour or Feminite du Bois, Vanilla Diorama is more akin to a Cola-flavored lollipop designed to bind strongly and project off the skin rather than offering an interesting scent. Upon dry down, I do get a general resemblance to Feminite du Bois, but without its opening magic. Needless to say, I don't like it; it's possibly the weakest of Dior's exclusive line in my opinion.