Dior J'adore Touche de Parfum
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When I think Dior, I think of J’adore. As a modern icon of the fragrance world, J’Adore is eye-catching with its statuesque bottle – a flacon that is evocative of bodily curves and drops of precious fragrance – and is beguiling with its ethereal fragrance that captures the very essence of bright daylight. J’adore is a versatile fragrance that works at any time of day and on any occasion, and being available in many concentrations, from Eau de Toilette to L’Absolu and beyond, this particular Dior is a beautiful tune diversely played.
Just in time for the festive season, Dior have created a brand new interpretation of the fragrance from 1999 – a new sensory experience that has been made to accent the original perfume. Created by François Demachy, J’adore Touche de Parfum (as it’s called) is an oil-based interpretation of J’adore that allows the wearer to choose to apply it in tandem with J’adore or wear it simply on its own. Whichever way it is worn, J’adore Touche de Parfum is a glorious and surprising fragrance that takes everything that makes J’adore beautiful and makes it more so.
A Dazzling Fragrance
Touche de Parfum presents the dazzling floral tones of J’adore and intensifies them into something richer and somehow more golden. It opens crisp and green with a dewy character, and bubbles gently on the skin with a champagne-like sheen of citrus that harks back to the great aldehydic florals of yesteryear. Despite its overt freshness in the opening, the Touche de Parfum never feels thin or pale, instead it is vivid, unctuous and symphonic from the very moment that the first drop slips out of the stopper to rest silkily on the skin.
The florals that are unmistakably ‘J’adore’ are stronger too. Jasmine, tuberose and damask rose melt together in a hedonistic syrup that feels undeniably French, and utterly ‘Dior’ in every way. There’s a tightrope walk of sweetness and bitterness within the floral heart that allows the balance to switch from one to the other throughout its development. Being oil-based, the florals in the Touche de Parfum feel weightier and more dense than the original, which is a more airy creation overall. One gets the sense that the materials used here are some of the best out there, with utter refinement being the idea at the very core of this magnificent floral
Underpinning the floral hedonism is a rather wonderful note of sandalwood. The golden effect darkens to a bronze colour, evoking the intense orange glow of a sunset just as it tips below the horizon. The fragrance feel at its most smooth at this point and I would describe the base as an endless wave of supple woody warmth that, on occasions has a few hints of milky vanilla. It all works perfectly well with those resplendent floral notes of jasmine and tuberose, leaving a delicate trail on the skin that begs to be sniffed.
A Multitude of Uses
J’adore Touche de Parfum has been created as a complement to J’Adore (in its many variations) that can be worn in tandem with the original fragrance as a base or simply on its own. Naturally I opted to experiment and tried both methods of application to see which worked best. I can report that worn with J’adore (the Eau de Parfum, specifically), Touche de Parfum adds a floral warmth that intensifies the symphonic nature of the fragrance, casting it in a rich sunset of golden light. Worn solo, Touche de Parfum is a hugely complex scent that wears like delicate gold leaf. Both applications are beautiful.
My experiments didn’t end there, and seeing as I am often one to throw the instruction manual out of the window, I opted to place a dab of Touche de Parfum underneath another beloved Dior fragrance – the no holds barred orange blossom that is Pure Poison. Again, Touche de Parfum brought warmth in tone to the proceedings, bringing the blousy florals of the Pure Poison back down to Earth, softening them and making them less vampish and more cuddly.
A Clever Bottle
It would be difficult to talk about any J’adore fragrance without mentioning the beauty of the bottle. The flacon for Touche de Parfum shares the DNA of the original, with its elongated neck wrapped in gold rings, a modern interpretation of the iconic Dior amphora with a clever twist. Where this flacon differs from others in the J’adore lineup is with its delivery method. Seeing as Touche de Parfum is an oil, one dabs it on the skin rather than sprays. The glass orb on top acts as the applicator and as one untwists the stopper a drop of oil is drawn up from the bottle ready to be placed gently on the skin. As with all things ‘Dior’, the experience of handling the tactile bottle and applying a precious drop of perfume is utter luxury.
The Verdict
Touche de Parfum is wonderful stuff. It’s not often that a perfume will actually stop me in my tracks and render me speechless, but Touche de Parfum did. It feels intimate and complex, with endless warmth and a golden glow. As a complement to J’adore, Touche de Parfum works perfectly as an enhancer, allowing the complex floral nuances of the perfume to become richer and more prominent. Worn by itself, this perfume is as much an intense sensory pleasure as a drop of pure parfum, so in whatever way one chooses to wear it, what’s guaranteed is complete enjoyment from start to finish.