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krotovanton – :
A sample vial and and I was hooked. Full bottle on the way.
wertyser2010 – :
I just came across this looking for a review of a Christian Dior perfume that I remembered from some time ago, but could not remember the name. I would like to thank Audrey2 for her fabulous review!!! Wow, what a life… in another life this is what I would like to have done. Imagine!! Lucky you to have an unopened bottle of what sounds like a beautiful perfume. I think I may well have smelt this back in the day, but do not think I have seen it recently. Has it been discontinued? If not, I would love to buy it. Sounds delicious.
ermambet – :
Not boring at all Audrey2. Absolutely fascinating. And what a lucky girl, having an unopened Diorling, just waiting for a rainy day! Thanks for sharing your story 🙂
Pesscoags – :
Audrey2 what an excellent review!!!you opened a window to a beautiful world to me!!!thank you
gtnfh – :
This will surprise a lot of perfumistas, but Diorling was not really a hit when it was launched! Shock, horror, how do I know this, very simple, my aunt worked for Charles of the Ritz (under licence for which Dior perfumes were sold) as a beautician, and I remember the launch of Diorling, because I was given several samples. I liked it immediately, it seemed young to me, and quie different to my mother’s Miss Dior. It was green and fresh, modern and so I thought , a little new wave. I was eleven at the time, but already in love with the beauty business, and all my aunts friends worked for other beauty houses, Guerlain, Lancome, Arden , and some that are forgotten today, Lentheric and Dorothy Gray. I had and still have a photographhic memory, and knew every detail of the product ranges, I could even correct my aunt. I suppose it was no surprise that a few years later my first job was on saturdays, you’ve guessed it, working on the beauty counter, and I was in heaven. Although only a saturday salesperson, I was sent on courses to London for new product training,it was a great opportunity.
At that time, Dior sold four perfumes, Miss Dior, Diorama, Diorissimo, and Diorling, plus a fresh cologne called, Eau fraiche Dior, as well Edt, edc, and dusting powder in all four perfumes. Dior di not do a beauty range but sold a range of lipsticks , les Rouges Dior. A little later a range of nail enamel was added (les Vernis Dior ) and I was duly sent to London for my manicure course. The nanicure was launched in the Vidal Sasoon salon,and suddenly Revlon had a rival.
Our best sellers were Miss Dior, and Diorissimo, Diorama was slower (people said it smelled like Rochas Femme ) and Diorling even slower, it was too different for these rich matrons. And in years to come they were both discontinued, which was sad, as they were my favorites,
It is hard in the 21st century to realize quite how glamorous the beauty business was in those days . We stocked Dior colognes and edt.’s in up to one litre bottles, as did many other perfume houses, they were called” pour le Voyage ” no weight allowance for these gals!
I went on to train as a beauty therapiist, trained at Arden, but worked for Guerlain under their european boss, Comte Henri de la Briere,but that is for another day. I stil have an unopened Diorling extrait in its fabulous Baccarat bottle( two ounce ) maybe some day I will open iit, and go back to those halcyon days,
Hope I haven’t bored you,
Jennifer.
kak99 – :
I wish that I had managed to get some that had not gone over. It absolutely stinks, and the ebayer that sold it should be ashamed of themselves. What a shame. I bought it because I enjoy old perfumes, and the other folks on here have some great reviews.
Gah!
fise – :
-(
jht973speagoessenda – :
I’m reviewing vintage Diorling parfum.
I agree with everything Celina had to say, this is pure class and elegance. Diorling is a soft dry leather chypre. I believe leather chypres from the 1950’s and 60’s are the most beautiful sophisticated perfumes ever created, Cabochard, Diorling, Doblis…
Cabochard is more related to Bandit, but as a softer more feminine version. Cabochard has stronger leather with wonderful green and tobacco undertones. Diorling is more floral than Cabochard, quite close to Doblis, highly refined and polished leather chypre, more fine suede than Cuir de Russie or Bandit type of leather, more floral than Cabochard, the most magnificent powdery suede in perfumery. Cabochard is a sophisticated attractive woman with strong personality and character, Doblis is in a class of its own, Diorling is ladylike, understated chic, elegantly sensual, absolutely French style.
nastysha7578master – :
I am reviewing the vintage EDT that I sampled from StC. This is a characteristic ’60s floral, very similar in style/scent to original Fidji pure parfum, Norell pure parfum – all of which came along a few years later. A leather scent? I don’t think so. Somewhere along the line, I think a reviewer has mislabeled this scent, and then the power of suggestion leads people to rhapsodize about the leather in Diorling. I’m familiar with all the classic leather fragrances and…I detect no IsoBQ or birch tar here. Where is this leather that you speak of? LOL. I find it to be a very pretty ’60s floral with some aldehydes & bitter greens.
Imbos – :
In my endless research on vintage diorling parfum, I reached some conclusions. I would love if other fragrantica aficionados would confirm, complete or disagree with my conclusions (ok, they are more guesses than conclusions, anyway…): I’m aware of 3 different bottles of diorling parfum. 1) the amphore, that I believe it’s the older one, but I do not know if it carries the original & unreformulated fragrance only, or it was used for the 80’s reformulation too. 2) the classic parfum bottle used for all the other dior fragrances that has an oval section & a crystal inverted cone dauber, that I believe carries the original 1963 fragrance 3) the newer but still classic parfum bottle, this too common to all other dior fragrances, that has a rectangular section & a gold inverted cone screw cap that I guess was used in the late 70’s on, to carry the reformulated diorling.
I found a 1fl.oz bottle of the 2nd bottle, the one with the oval section & the glass dauber. sealed box, sealed bottle with untouched onion skin & gold thread. no leaks, no evaporation, a full bottle. ain’t I a lucky guy?
In a previous review on ELdO RIEN I was mentioning, quote, the infamous diorling in its original formula, that in the ’60s was a commotion but to me smells only très chic & bcbg, like chanel’s cuir de russie did in the ’20s. unquote. I forgot to mention that I was talking about a very vintage EdC, leathery but no edge at all.
you can imagine my surprise when I opened the parfum bottle & the expected blast of leather… did not blast at all. & I have to say thanks god! I do not need any other leather fragrances: when I want a comfort leather I choose cabochard, knize 10, tabac blond, monsieur couturier & signor vivara. when I need flowers in my bowl I choose miss dior (the real dior’s leather) & jolie madame. when I’m in a ur-vamp mood I go for scandal & bandit/brigand. If I switch to a stay-away mood I use ELdO rien, CdG garage or bulgari black. If I feel really macho, like a blue balls ape, a spritz of balenciaga ho hang black will do.
after reading LT on diorling, I do not remember the exact quote, saying something about being too dyke to be used by your girlfriend in the first meeting with your parents, I had a vision of a female friend of mine with whom I attended a new year’s eve party: I was in black slacks & a vintage silk men’s pucci shirt. she wore a man’s tuxedo like an unholy dietrich… but I have to say that LT, whose books I love, seems to have a really scarce familiarity with vintage perfumes, to the point he raised many time the legitimate suspect that he never had access to one whatsoever.
so, back to diorling parfum. forget the lesbo butch thing & forget the leather, there’s no leather. a hint of it, says my brother (the nose) but we both agreed that diorling is a hyacinth fragrance, a very blue one, with a weird, disturbing bergamot note that plays hide & seek with the hyacinth & gives to the whole composition a whippy & witty edge.
“it reminds me of… ” said my brother. ” patou’s vacances” I completed. without that buttery coccoina glue paste smell (do not believe that coccoina simply smells like marzipan or sweet almond. it smells like coccoina, an unavoidable & unforgettable experience). yes. diorling reminds me of vacances.
& the verdict? while we were flabbergasted because diorling is NOT a leather, & cannot win a pankration match with scandal, it’s utterly splendid. there are so few blue flowers perfumes so good, so carnal & fresh at the same time. the bergamot plays the role of the whip, as the leather did in vintage shalimar. it is not an easy fragrance, & not a comfort fragrance or a gracious fragrance at all. is it classy? yes. is it sexy? no. is it frigid? well… no french kiss here; just a kiss on the forehead. is that the english way of an english fragrance? no sex please, we are english? a bad joke & that’s all? sorry there’s nothing remotely english in diorling, in strictly term of fragrance notes: only the very french, smooth, pale & ravaging watercolors of monet-like hyacinths, while the bergamot’s mot d’esprit floats in the air whipping your wits: mot d’esprit. it is what englishmen call humor. is this the englishness in diorling? yes: the darling -ing.
back to the EdC old bottle, but I cannot be shure if it’s from the ’60s or the ’70s (Is it possible to roughly date dior’s bottles & boxes?) I only smell at first a good, polite but generic leather, a bit unchallenging, than a slightly metallic hyacinth appears & when the leather fades that’s when things get interesting; then the leather appears again with a soft, fresh saliva smell & I loose interest. it was unfair by my part to put diorling EdC in the same bunch of chanel’s russian leather EdC; chanel’s RL actually IS a real leather head to toes, not a ‘let’s play leather for a moment then go back to monet’ as diorling EdC does.
diorling’s parfum disappearance is another massacre of good perfumery: while diorama was gorgeously refomulated (I have a vintage diorama parfum amphore) & I can easily live with the les creations de monsieur dior’s reformulation, I cannot live with the last diorling reformulation: it is true that the lCdmD diorling reformulation is edgier to the point of being disagreable, no hyacinth taming the HUGE, urinous bergamot, but it is such a shade of a shade of a memory of the original diorling that it is actually ANOTHER fragrance. so please change the name. call it diormetro, diorboulot, diordodo… but not diorling.
andre_sh – :
I guess I should have thought more about purchasing a sample of this, because it is a chypre, and chypres don’t usually work with my chemistry. Sure enough, I smell old books, moss, and just ‘fusty, musty, dusty’ all around! I think Hermes Kelly Caleche is a better leather-based perfume for me (although it doesn’t have enough of the leather note). Just to let you know, this review is for the original vintage Diorling, not any reformulations or newer version.
DEFmon – :
Apparently the name Diorling was a play on Darling. Christian Dior adored all things British and this was his take on how the upper classes pronounced Darling – so it’s not such a bad name after all! You can read all about it at the Dior at Harrods exhibition which runs until April 14th 2013…
denisbasenko – :
Over the past few years, I have been in the mode of discovering the House of Dior. It started with Dune and I have made my way through all the moderns including the line of Poisons. Now I am working my way back to the older Diors. I began with some vintage Diorissimo (floored by its simple beauty). My next project will be Diorling. Before trying any of the perfume I was charmed and won over by the “cheeky” line of names – Diorella – how fun! Diorissimo – how chic! Dioressence – likely …Diorling – darling! What a creative, productive and progressive era ~ Will update later…
fourfague – :
I’ve just bought it on Dior website.
A collector !!!
Leathery and chypre scent.
korish – :
Just to clarify, since there are many versions: I’m trying the pure vintage parfum of Dior Diorling from a tiny TPC sample, one of 13 floral aldehydes that I’m testing out. So far my favorites are Deneuve, Robe d’Un Soir and Sortilege. This one is the most powerful so far. Those fashion illustrations from the 50s/60s come to mind: high cheekbones, upswept eyeliner, long gloves and gorgeous voluminous coat, a turban and attitude. Not what I’m wearing today, but it sure feels like it!
Diorling has a strong “perfumey” attack and demands to be noticed. Not the one from today when you’re choking in a cloud of sweetness, but the old-fashioned variety — Grandma’s fashionable friend has her perfume on! Maybe that’s the Bergamot and Hyacinth, but it’s piercingly sweet and citric, I almost want to get away from it. Underneath is something much softer and more alluring — gentle rain after the hail and lightning has swept through.
Once this lady has made her entrance, she relaxes. A warm, sophisticated floral blend takes over the citric note with a faint undertone of soft powder (in a crystal and silver box of course) and something a little dry and sharp hovering under the flowers (is that this leather note I keep hearing about?). She may be relaxed, but she’s definitely not passive. I”m left with a strong impression of balance and sophistication — an allure that is based on self-knowledge, intelligence, and the experience of sorrow. Yes, this is madame not mademoiselle and she’s had her heart broken but is open to love.
And Diorling is indeed a silly name for this perfume!
nikolai19755 – :
Correction, I tried Les Creations de Monsieur Dior Diorling
2012 for women, which is of a different composition than the above. Sorry about that.
bbd776intitytek – :
I tried this on today (5.16.12) at Saks. The top notes are beautiful. I detected the bergamot/rose/jasmine.
The dry down on my skin is leathery, but the patchouli/musk/moss/vetiver softens it.
The base notes in the dry down are nice, 3 hours later, but the leather is a tad masculine.
IgnonseShoste – :
This review is about the new version of Diorling.
Bought today and love at first sight. Well, I am fan of this kind of perfumes so I am very partial. The opening is very flowery, very elegant and little by little the flowers leave space to woods and finally leather paired with a little bitter note. But both the woods and leather are tamed by the initial flowers which have not gone away but only hidden. I can’t tell about the original Diorling, if somebody told me this is the original formula I would believe without hesitation as the spirit of the scents of that time has been totally preserved and not destroyed as in other reformulations. I am happy that Diorling reappeared again after years of oblivion and I do hope also Dior Dior will resurface soon.
martel888 – :
This (EdT, I think) gets off to an interesting start as a softly soapy, rosy, slightly aldehydic scent with an odd, dark undercurrent that quickly disappears. I suspect that my sample is the newest version, since there’s not really much in the way of leather in it.
As it dries down, I smell a dry, dusty vetiver along with some slightly powdery notes, so maybe that’s the latest version of leather. It then sweetens into a lovely, dry chypre-like scent with lots of sillage, which lasts for an hour or two, then fades away so that by 3-4 hours it’s gone. This version of Diorling is nice enough, although I’m not impressed with its longevity. I think I need to try the vintage version, for comparison.
sona1950 – :
I’ve read elsewhere that Diorling is very like Bandit and if that is true then I will certainly buy it. I adore Bandit as a leather, it’s the perfect one, no girly florals as in Kelly Caleche, no powder as in Jolie Madame, and no cigar butts, as in Cabochard. Bandit is modern, but it’s not easy to get.
Dior is right that there’s a gap in modern perfumes for leather. Don’t know why that should be, because leather is so right as an expression of liberated independence and chic. I do hope that Dior can come up with a winner.
PS I agree that the name is cringe-making.
enrognogmak – :
Elegance and refinement in one word: Diorling.
This is a dry soft leather chypre. It feels like a second skin. It reminds me of Jolie Madame but less floral. The opening is slightly sharp with bergamot, but it lasts just for few minutes. The white floral notes: jasmine and lily of the valley elegantly come in after 15 min. This composition is really smooth and I would associate it with white velvet. Perfect, innocent, gracious.
A chypre that is so smooth and suave… this is art. I have never thought a fragrance would bring tears to my eyes. It sounds pathetic but it is true.
The dry down is soft and subdued with a hint of patchouli and few woody touches. Of course, the leather stays in from the beginning to the end and is unforgettable.
This chypre doesn’t scream or slap. It just whispers and caresses.
I also find it sensuous even if it doesn’t include sweet notes. It is the teasing leather note that creates that feeling.
I love many leather fragrances but this one will always be special for me. It is my mother’s image.
9.5/10