Joy by Dior Intense by Dior

Delicate and mature, it shines on cold winter days. It’s intimate; you’ll feel it. If you like it and are sad it’s discontinued, try Allure by Chanel; it has a vintage air but shares several traits.

It has nothing of Intense: neither longevity nor projection. I have to bring my nose close; it’s very intimate, lasting at most 2 to 3 hours. It smells of gardenia or freesia with vanilla and talc. Nothing extraordinary or eccentric, nor elegant, just delicacy and poor performance. Similar to other perfumes and even cheaper, I find it mediocre and disappointing, as I expected something stronger than the original. For the price, it’s not worth it; in any pharmacy there are perfumes that smell of talc and little flower with vanilla, common and simple notes. Even a Sarkany perfume I heard of at Farmacity had better projection and longevity with a more accentuated aroma, and it was five times cheaper. What a disappointment; it’s not ugly, but I can’t see myself spending more than $100 on this little bottle with mediocre scent.

I bought it blindly despite the bad reviews; I don’t understand why. It’s not usually my type, but when I put it on, I feel elegant, feminine and smell like a classy woman; perhaps it’s the musk. Dior handles musk and roses in an angelic way. I wear it all year, day and night, for semi-formal to formal events. The bottle is beautiful, the magnetic cap and the CD seal always stay upright.

The original Joy is nothing special; it smells like perfume. Joy Intense enters from the right side of the stage. The amplified vanilla puts it in another league compared to the original. Joy Intense is a rich bouquet of roses and jasmines with vanilla. It’s beautiful, floral and vanilla-scented, suitable for everyday wear. It’s one of the few that has bergamot in the notes, but my nose detects it not at all; what a blessing.

No one should hate this; it’s gorgeous! I know it’s not quite gourmand for me, but it’s incredibly beautiful. It smells like the 90s, very floral and talcum-powdered with a sweet vanilla touch. It’s feminine and formal, unobtrusive, and ideal for everyday wear. It lasts over six hours with a lovely trail. It could be my signature scent for hot days. It’s not a bomb nor does it revolutionise the world, but it’s perfect for closed events without being intrusive or going unnoticed.

I bought it without testing it first. Although I didn’t fall in love with it, when I’m looking for an elegant and mature scent, I’ll turn to this again.

It’s my signature fragrance; it simply can’t be missing from my dressing table. Its powdery scent blends floral and sweet notes. It’s super cheerful and feminine.

I own it and love it for spring-summer in Spain. Very stylish, just like they say, a true 90s vibe. It’s clean, long-lasting and has good sillage. On my skin it’s very citrusy at first, but the dry-down and final stages are my favourite. An easy, pleasant scent suitable for a wide age range. Thanks Dior for something different, not copied from those boring sweet gourmands. I don’t know what those who say it’s sweet are on about.

I love it fresh, but this left me without a smile; on the contrary, I found it intense but boring. Too flat and for its price, it smells like cheaper fragrances. A floral citrus that smells of acidic flowers, as if they’d been soaked in bergamot leaving only the acidity. I don’t smell lemon, just acidic flowers. I wouldn’t recommend it; there are better comparables.

I laugh at those who claim it’s super sweet; they’ve surely never tried Katy Perry’s Meaow, which is pure sugar. It’s a floral-vanilla scent, uncomplicated yet with an elegant dry-down and well-executed. The issue is that now it’s fashionable to splash on seven litres of perfume and still complain about longevity; I’d say it’s a nasal problem. It’s ideal for those who want well-crafted floral-vanilla scents, without surprises or twists.

I just used it for the first time. Smells of sweet roses with jasmine and vanilla. Very rich and feminine. I’m not sure how long it lasts on my skin as it’s new. I also have the original, which I perceive as light depending on the day; I choose it for daily wear in the heat. I like both but I’ll stick with this intense one.

I absolutely love it! It felt sophisticated, delicate, and elegant. Fresh rose blends, a touch of subtle and natural vanilla. Not all fragrances need to smell like a subway station to be good. It lasts about six hours on me; every skin is a world. It has that special Dior house touch. The bottle in person is superbly beautiful, minimalist and classic, with excellent material.

I received a sample and oh my goodness (never a better time to say it). What sugared jam! What hyper-concentrated sweetness! I’m not a huge fan of gourmands, but there are compositions I like. I just couldn’t get past this one. I like the opening; it has a certain charm, but then it settles and loses freshness to become so sweet. For me, it doesn’t smell like a sweet treat, but rather like patisserie or red berry jam. That’s about it. Perhaps on other skins something else might come through, but it’s not for me.

Joy plus Joy Intense plus (Chanel Allure EdT x Chanel Allure EDP) equals Chanel Allure Sensuelle.