Miss Dior Essence – A Blackberry Jam

The first Miss Dior perfume was a chypre floral released in 1947. The beloved vintage was a green and watery perfume with delicate florals that created an aura of a walk in a summer garden. It was somewhat soapy and powdery with a woody, earthy base. Since then, the fragrance has transformed multiple times and birthed many flankers.

It has adapted to perfume trends over the years, becoming sweeter in 2021’s Eau de Parfum. 2024 saw the release of a Parfum concentration. It has very little trace of its chypre beginnings with only a touch of patchouli to remind us of what the Miss Dior line originally was.

The newest was released this month, a sweet fruity floral fragrance called Miss Dior Essence. The perfumer behind the new release is Dior’s Perfume Creative Director Francis Kurkdjian.

Notes

As Dior themselves describe it, the blackberry opening is jammy- thick and syrupy in its sweetness. It’s delicious like fancy artisanal jame I want to eat straight out of the jar. So, if sweet perfumes are not your thing, look away. The woody notes come through when the intense fruity sweetness begins to settle down. As the chypre elements dominate, the sweet fruits don’t leave entirely but stay in the background, adding to the woody-earthy profile. At this stage, it’s easier to notice the tart element of the fruits which is overshadowed by the intensity of the sweetness.

If you miss the Miss Dior Cherie, the Essence has captured some of its personality with the fruity aspects. But I have to say it’s much less tart than what I remember the Cherie being.

The projection of this perfume is through the roof as is the longevity. Spray it on your clothes and you will still be able to smell after days. It’s such a joy to have a perfume that isn’t afraid of being intense in an environment of light, clean perfumes.

The bottle is closer to the original Miss Dior with the houndstooth patterning all over the bottle rather than just the sides. It comes with a chic bow around the neck that we’ve come to associate with Miss Dior. With the Parfum, we got a silvery bow with flecks of color, a truly unique piece of fabric. The bow on the Miss Dior Essence bottle is a densely woven black one to represent the intensity of the fragrance.