Yesterday I wore Dior Homme for the first time. I've never formally worn it, although I've sampled it. I currently have a generous sample of the eau de toilette concentration, and I think it's quality stuff, with a solid composition, and very pretty notes. But I don't get the hype. In fact, I think hyping it is the opposite of what it deserves. Dior Homme, upon initial wearing, smells very average and intentionally safe.
I'm pretty sure that my feelings for this fragrance will change, and I'm also sure that my experience with it mirrors the one I had with Mitsouko about a month ago. I wore Mitsouko EDP and really disliked it. It was summertime of course, with heat and humidity adversely effecting my perceptions. I imagine my feelings will be markedly different on a crisp October day. We'll see.
Although it exhibits some fern-like qualities (with a very precious rendition of lavender), Dior Homme EDT smells like Mitsouko 2.0. It is intended to smell like a traditional chypre, but without quality citrus, oakmoss, or moss of any kind. The labdanum note is right there, dead center, but it's been embellished by a weird fruity accord, similar to the lactonic peach in Mitsy. The iris is the Biolandes molecule that I've smelled a few times now, and each time I encounter it, I like it less, although in Dior Homme it's not so bad. Its performance is identical in every fragrance - so far I've smelled it in Mitsouko, 31 Rue Cambon, and now Dior Homme. Biolandes iris sticks out like a sore thumb. It never feels fully integrated into a pyramid. It's just whatever top notes, then Biolandes iris, then whatever heartnotes, and so on. And it's fleeting - wispy start, bready middle, powdery-grey finish. It's usually gone within twenty minutes.
Is it possible I don't like the classical chypre structure as much as I thought? Tough to say. Grey Flannel is a classical chypre, but then again its proportions are so obtuse that it's hard to imagine anyone smelling it and thinking, "this is like Mitsouko." When my head cold passes I'll give Dior Homme, Mitsouko, 31, and the Flannel more comparison time. I want to love chypres the way I love fougères. I want, I want, I want.