To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
CrRonaldo – :
Love, love love….such a warm spicy carnation scent. My Moms favor flower ( lost my Mom 3 years ago). I will be wearing this a lot during the fall and winter months. All the notes blend well together but the carnation and rose stand out the most to me. I can tell this we’ll be a long lasting scent on me and with my chemistry…yay! Sillage I’m sure is good but really I want to keep this a secret, it may become my signature scent. Always loved Etros, bottles they are simple and clean looking. Etro have great designs and I love there fragrances. Just….WOW!
levashov – :
I went after Carnation scents in a big way this year. I had a tiny and very old pot of Lush Potion, which is actually one of the better carnation scents. They haven’t made it in years. I already had L’air du temps and L’heure Bleue, both of which have Carnation notes, but it is less prominent. A friend pointed me towards Caron Bellodgia, which is a true Carnation and quite forward, but fairly difficult to acquire at this point and quite dear. Etro Dianthus, though still in production is very close. In fact, Dianthus is quite close to Bellodgia in a number of ways. It is very strong and almost a pure Carnation. There are spices too, cloves and cinnemon, but it is not harsh like Vitriol D’oeillet (a cologne which truly lives up to it’s name) and the only Carnation I did not add to my collection, finding it too harsh and too masculine. While the Etro is strong, has great silage and longevity, I do not find it harsh, or particularly masculine. This one is more unisex.
I found it to be pretty linear. I does not change a lot on dry down and at no point becomes powdery.
For those distinguishing between Carnations, this one is a Sweet William (red,) which I grow and love. They got it just right. I told my husband I had found the holy grail, the last perfume I needed. What a fool thing that was to say.
For others on a similar quest, the other Carnations in my collection are Bellodgia extrait (the closest to Etro,) and Piu Bellodgia (very unique, and really *not* comparable to Billet Doux, but for the carnation note,) Fragonard Billet Doux (probably my favorite of the lot, though PB is a strong contender,) Prada’s Infusion D’oeillet (a trifle which lasts 2 minutes at best,) Penhaligon’s LP no 9 (which I will probably be selling or swapping as it is a like, not a love for me,) Fragonard’s Moment Vole (I do not know how or why the descriptions here, several of them, are so off, but it is a fairly straight-forward Carnation, one I would place just after Bellodgia and Dianthus in terms of clarity, longevity and silage. It was a blind buy and a big surprise, but a winner 😉 I have only a sample vial of L’artisan perfumer Oeillet Sauvage and so do not feel I can review it fairly. Nicolai Sacre Bleu is another which I am looking to add to my collection, also a Carnation (but not as straight forward). I also have 1 from Portugal and 2 from Russia which I could not find in the database but may try to review at some point (very nice, particularly for inexpensive consumer colognes) and Lush’s Potion, which has reappeared as “red slippers” and under one or two other names, usually around the holidays worthy of mention if for no other reason than that it is the only Lush bath product (bath bomb or bubble bath) which has lasted on my skin, and in fact, does so for hours! Caron’s Parfum Sacre is also worthy of mention though it is by no means a straight-forward Carnation. It is a note, and a prominent one. I feel there are one or 2 which I have forgotten and will revise or add a note when I figure out what is missing {a couple of Krizias fall in this category.} Of the half dozen or so currently in my collection, Etro Dianthus really is the truest, while not being a solifleur, and IMO a must have for any carnation lover. It’s a house which deserves more attention. I have since picked up samples of just about every Etro I could find and have not been disappointed yet, but Dianthus really is my holy grail in terms of Carnation scents. If you love Carnations, or Bellodgia it is one not to be missed.
SaviorSav – :
Wondering if Dianthus smells like the vintage Replique… I’ve been hoping to find that particular scent — and no, the reformulations don’t begin to come close! I’ll get a decant of Dianthus and report back.
Artawower – :
This review is for what I belive is the vintage juice – the packaging is green and cream, rather than the more recent white, black and violet.
The carnation in this is the most realistic and pure I have experienced in a fragrance. It’s just lovely. Initially there is certainly a warm effect from the geranium and cloves, but as those notes fade out a clear and true carnation emerges and lasts for several hours. Rose and musk are muted background notes.
I’m a new convert to carnation as a note – I recently learned to love L’Air du Temps for example – and the Etro fragrance here is an essential for any carnation lover, in my view.
Sillage is moderate but longevity is good.
Absolutely beautiful.
zla302elipseskism – :
This smells like the colour of “Baby Pink! “Its a nostalic scent for me, its very 50s style kitten-esque vibe, like wearing it with a baby pink angora cardigan! Its a sweet darling of a perfume, musk lollies, pink carnations and a touch of powder roses.
kostya080024 – :
almost a true carnation scent. I find it not dry but warm (cloves, pepper,ginger, vanilla) and round. the geranium does not stand out for me. wich is a good thing since i often dislike it in fragrances. The plant smells marvelous. Musk is in the notes but i seem to miss it. I can not smell it in a growing number of scents that i have tried. stupid nose. All in all a perfume that lives up to the name(dianthus=carnation) in an area where many seem to fail. Few scents i think, come so close to the flower they try to emulate.
Barigan – :
I have it in the vintage bottle. My grandmother grows carnations so this reminds me of her. The juice is well made. My edt should be en edp..powerful and a very real carnation
myp15535 – :
chiodi di garofano esplosivi!!! all’inizio bello, poi estremamente stucchevole
maksim59 – :
First off a huge thanks to all perfume reviewers worldwide on the interwebz. Because of you I found this fragrance.
I love love love love carnations. While roses may be my signature, carnations are my idol. They are simultaneously sweet and creamy and demure and bold and if you use your imagination spicy.
For years I caught an elusive note in L’Air du Temps and sprayed it furiously trying to bring forth the magic, but it was fleeting. I wanted THAT, and more of THAT, but it always disappeared.
Then I opened this. THERE IT IS!!!! Woweeeee!!! JOY JOY JOY. THIS IS IT.
So friends I’m really close to making this my profile perfume. THE ONE. But before I take this scent’s hand in marriage, I am going to test Ouillet Sauvage and Billet Doux.
Yes I have Intuition and Belladogia but that whopping note of JOY from L’Air du Temps is here. Most excellent.
tonibaryga – :
Strong spicy and soapy floral.
1) Carnation
2) Tobacco
3) Geranium
4) Pepper
5) Wood notes
It is very dry type a scent. Definitely mature. Again, quite strong at first, however it soaks up nicely. This is a very familiar perfume from many years ago, my mom and her friends wore something like this; heck think I’m going to show her this one, quite sure she’ll like it.
This scent has lots of potential, interesting….. excellent choice for evening occasions.
meergolve – :
It was a blind buy, as I like to try different florals. This is a spicy carnation. I get these lovely notes lingering on my skin. They are not sweet, cloying and heavy, rather fresh, adequate for colder weather to remind me of the spring to come.
MRichardV – :
(Just wanted to mention here that Etro has re-categorized & re-marketed Dianthus Etro as a unisex fragrance.)
After searching online for a modern version of a carnation perfume (I love the spicy, cinnamon aroma of real carnations) I found that a lot of people who weren’t “into” carnation actually came to love Dianthus by Etro. Others raved of how it has a more modern twist on carnation, because it added an “orange warmth”. Carnation perfumes, to me, tend to have that “old lady”, heavy baby-powder smell. What drew me in to trying Dianthus were the references to it’s orange, uplifting warmth that other reviewers said did well in spring and summer as well as the colder months. A year round fragrance? Great! So I bought some online, sight unseen and smell unsmelled. I just got it a couple of days ago and… I really liked it… at first. All in all, it didn’t seem to enhance my natural chemistry. It seemed to do exactly what I was afraid of: after dry-down, it became an old woman smell on me. It must be my darn skin chemistry! I’d imagine this can smell LOVELY on some people. God knows I love to just spray it in the room! It’s a wonderful scent, just for some reason, not with my personal skin chemistry. Rats! 🙁
Here’s the low-down: Upon first sniff of the bottle, I can immediately smell the light bourbon geranium mixed with spicy orange. I don’t get any pepper when I spray it at all.. I sort of wish there were more pepper to it. When I put it on my skin, that spicy-geranium-orange lingers, then turns into a perfect mixture of geranium and carnation. The clove is lost in the mixture though. :/ The dry down is definitely a smooth concoction. Pure carnation lingers whilst creamed with dallups of vanilla and a smooth, bourbon-y musk that lends a smokey scent, too. It must be the cedar? Yum!
AND THEN…
About an hour later, after the love-at-first-sniff wore off, it turned into this very heavy, sweet-smelling elephant in the room. And it wasn’t a carnation smell. Maybe it was the geranium? I’m not a big fan of obvious fragrances, and this was definitely obvious on me. My hubby got home and was like, “What IS that perfume smell?!” When I asked him what it reminded him of, he said, “it smells like I’m standing in a line at the airport” I’d have to say that the typical carnation perfume tends to make me smell at about the age of 90, whereas the Dianthus Etro carnation makes me smell about 55. (I’m 28…) But it may work for some! Don’t completely rule it out.
Dianthus Etro reminded me -at first- of curling up with a good book with some hot buttered rum in my cup, sitting next to a freshly lit fire or wood-stove during an unusually cold spring. Come to think of it – I know exactly what it reminded me of at first. The next time you’re out at a Thai restaurant, get a Thai Iced Tea. In the beginning of this fragrance, that is *exactly* the flavor of this EDT.
My big issue with the finish: the scent just flattened out and came up all mushed together making it a very cloying, heavy-sweet scent for me. I give it a 3 out of 5 stars, because I think this would actually smell REALLY good on someone else. I wouldn’t mind smelling this on someone more my grandma’s age or someone with a mature personality. All in all, test before you buy! It may smell better on you than it did on me. 😉
SPEC0072 – :
This one was a total surprise. I expected a carnation-based EdT to be so-so at best, but instead I have fallen in love at first sniff. I generally don’t like floral scents, but this one is more of a spicy oriental than a straight-up floral. However, it also contains some fresh flower-like notes that really round out the composition, making it lovely and natural.
Dianthus starts out with the promised carnation along with a spicy blend of nutmeg, clove, ginger, and vanilla. The spicy-floral blend is accompanied by fresh greenish notes that make the composition seem like a live flower. On the other hand, it could even be a luscious dessert. It’s also a little like the bouquet of a Muscat wine without the acidic notes and alcohol.
For an EdT, the scent is surprisingly emphatic, but never too much of a good thing. In fact, I could actually imagine spraying it on with abandon. I love it when a fragrance surprises me, proving once again that you never know until you test a scent – any scent – whether it will evoke love, hate, or indifference. I’m pretty sure that my sample of Dianthus will become a staple floral in my rotation.
jaco47 – :
Carnation and clove loom large in Etro DIANTHUS, an undeniably oriental floral composition reminiscent to my nose of Caron BELLODGIA, and every bit as powerful.
DIANTHUS is a compelling creation, provided that you really like both carnation and clove, as they sing through loud and clear from start to finish. The geranium is also detectable early on, and a touch of cedar in the drydown, but C&C dominate all the way. The other notes–including citrus, pepper, ginger, and vanilla–are but very subtle embellishments.
The very spicy, somewhat heavy texture of DIANTHUS make it suitable for cold weather, as the C&C complex is well-anchored in a musk-resin base. A caveat is therefore in order: Apply sparingly, as though this edt (!) were perfume! I applied maybe .3 ml, and found that this “edt” lasts forever and even penetrates sweaters!
I won’t be adding DIANTHUS to my collection, as I already have a several lifetimes supply of BELLODGIA, but I can recommend it do those who do not already own BELLODGIA and who love carnations and cloves!
.kbzreywvfy – :
I dare say that Dianthus is one of the most sophisticated scent to me, so different, yet close and well known. Fresh is just as much as desirable, is not simple that I recognize all the notes in the perfume, because everything is so perfectly merged in a bunch and this is what I love most.I love good old perfumes, and less like new modern; charming old perfumes so chic,while modern perfumes work incomplete and somewhat empty to me. But Dianthus is a combination of “yesterday” and “today”, just perfect for all seasons, not even slightly sweet or heavy, has the enviable power to linger on the skin and enjoy it all day.
cen967 – :
At last I have Dianthus. I had intuition – it’s wonderfull, very sound and longlasting. Carnation plays main role, but I feel paprika, imbir, pink pepper, cedr, wanilla too. Smell is very natural, deep, juicy, sweet, but simultaneously piquant. This carnation is energy, unhumble, joyful and inviting for flirt. Invitation must be accepted, because it simply unusually beautiful floral perfume. Many people gives me compliment for Dhiantus.
Denser708 – :
Composition of note this perfum, which I have read which in description in Fragrantica, name , history of name Dianthus, foto beautiful bottle so have sparked off my imagination, that I have wished Dianthus, though I did not have opening of it smell. I know other smells Etro – all are beautiful. So, I dream about Dianthus.