Surrealist Sculptures
I must admit that I’ve been rather naff at posting regularly this year. It’s no excuse but I’ve just finished two university modules with assignments, which mixed with work commitments has meant that my brain hasn’t been in blogging mode. The good news is that I can direct my attention back to The Candy Perfume Boy (yay) and I aim to achieve three to four posts per week.
Another thing that seems to have happened to me over the last few months is the fact that I appear to have been struck by a surreal sickness. The symptoms are obsessive and compulsive. The prognosis is poor and there is no known cure. What’s wrong with me? Well, it seems that I cannot stop collecting Salvador Dalí perfumes.
It’s funny, for years I paid next to no attention the weird amorphic sculptured bottles of Dalí’s fragrances yet I’ve always been somewhat of a fan of his paintings. There’s something about the arid landscapes scattered with surreal figures and shapes of Dalí’s paintings that I find utterly fascinating and beautiful.
As part of my Postcards From My Collection Series I would like to share with you my Dalí collection so far. It is by no means an impressive collection yet, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up in sheer awesomeness.
From L to R; Eau de Dalí, Dalí Eau de Toilette, Laguna and Dalií Parfum de Toilette
Dalí’s signature lips bottles was originally created for his first perfume Dalí released in 1983 (far right). Designed by Dali himself, the disembodied nose and lips are lifted straight from his painting ‘Apparition of the Face of Aphrodite of Knidos in a Landscape‘, but the scent itself really isn’t anywhere as surreal as the bottle or painting might suggest. In fact it’s a beautiful, sweet and powdery floral chypre that has very quickly become a favourite of mine.
Eau de Dalí (far left) is a clean and slightly shrill musky rose with lots of sharp citrus up top. It’s very pretty and easygoing but it’s not something I would like to wear often as it lacks oomph. I like to spray it on after I’ve had a shower, something about the mixture of steam and warm skin gives it some real lift.
Dalí Eau de Toilette was released in 2011 and is a more youthful interpretation of the original Dalí perfume. In this case youthful means lighter and fruitier BUT that’s not necessarily a bad thing and what the EDT does rather nicely is keep the powdery, musky notes of the original but just livens them up with sweeter florals and fruit. Not bad at all.
Laguna. How do I describe Laguna? The problem is that it’s such a weirdo that it’s difficult to define. It could easily be described as an aquatic, there is definitely something oceanic about the fruits and musk, but at the same time it could be described as a powdery floral. There’s also the coconut which gives the whole thing an odd suntan lotion vibe. So I guess ‘weirdo’ is the best way forward after all?
Dalí Pour Homme
Now, if you thought the feminine Dalí bottles were creepy then you should probably avoid Dalí Pour Homme. This chubby little monster with a pair of lips for a head is also plucked straight from Dalí’s Aphrodite painting, but where the feminine Dalí bottles appear as sensual and slightly alien, Dalí PH looks like something straight out of Clive Barker’s book of nightmares.
The scent isn’t as shocking as the bottle but just like the original Dalí it’s certainly not boring. In true ’80s style it is an inexcusably loud fougère with animalic undertones. Think of it as a demi-Kouros and you’re on the right track. It may not be entirely shocking, in fact the most shocking thing about it is the fact that it was created by Thierry Wasser, but it sure does smell good.
From L to R; Dalíssime & Rubylips
There are many fragrances within the Dalí stable and not all are as interesting and well done as the original feminine and masculine. Take Rubylips for example, inspired by Dalí’s portrait of Mae West and housed within a totem-like column of red lips, it is a vague sort of gummy fruit scent that quickly peters out to even vaguer florals and musk.
Dalíssime was created by Mark Buxton (responsible for a number of the Comme des Garçons scents as well as Laguna) and is quite intriguing. It starts really peachy with sweet apricot and quickly develops into an odd powdery musk. There’s a dry, dustiness to it that straddles the line between pleasant and down-right-weird quite precariously. I only have this one in a mini but would be open to the prospect of a full bottle.
So there you have it folks, this is my Dalí collection thus far and I’m pretty sure that it will continue to grow. I know for a fact that I have my greedy little eyes on bottles of Laguna Maravilla, Dalímania and Dalíflor. Sigh, it looks like there is no hope for me being cured any time soon.
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Join the Discussion!
Do you own any Salvador Dalí scents?
What is your favourite?
Do you collect a particular brand?
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Disclaimer
Images: my own.
Nice post, never had the chance to smell them. Last week I visited the Dali exhibit at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. If you are a Dali fan, you should see it. It’s open until 25th of March.
Gosh, how I wish I was in Paris to see it!
Your obsession with the Dalis did make me pull up and look twice when I saw a sale online recently. I’m seriously considering some Dali now. And I think I need to try Laguna, just for the freaky.
Do it! They’re so cheap that it doesn’t matter if you hate them! Laguna would be a good place to start…
That Darth Vader one is seriously scary! I have never really considered investigating Dali scents – I don’t know why. They don’t get mentioned very often on the blogs, so I may have thought they didn’t cut it, quality-wise, and your reviews of the juice seem to confirm that they wouldn’t be my thing. Mega props for the bottles, mind!
Isn’t it?! Sometimes I’m scared that it will come to life. Dreadful beast!
They definitely don’t get much discussion on the blogs, and deservedly so I. Some cases, but I’d definitely recommend sniffs of the original feminine and masculine and Laguna.
And in all honesty they are not very you at all. There is definitely some civet in at least two of them…
I’m not sure if I have ever even sniffed one of the Dali scents. I can’t remember the last time I saw any in a store either. Your interest in them has me on the lookout for them though.
I never see them in shops either. I don’t think they’re even properly distributed here. Shame!
My Mum and my Dad were wearing them when they were launched in the 80s. Yes, a very long time ago, and my old brain still remembers them. I haven’t sniffed the new versions even if I was at the Roja Dove salon in Harrods the other day. They have the gigantic bottles in the showroom, very impressive. I understand your love for this collection, you crazy! I used to have the miniatures in a coffret. Do you have them too?
Your mum and dad had good taste in the 80s!
I saw that gigantic crystal edition in the Haute Parfumerie last year. I cannot even tell you how much I want it! £2,000 is out of my price range unfortunately
Fun post! Those bottles are well worth collecting, no matter what the juice is like. Interesting to learn which perfumers are behind them. The original Dali does sound good.
I had assumed they are relatively inexpensive, is that right?
You are spot on! I haven’t paid more than £25 and that was for a 100ml. The Dalí PDT was only £10!!
I think you’d like the original.
Nice posting Thomas, and welcome back!
The original male and female fragrances are seriously good and I’ve been using them for many years. The Dali pour Homme is still around on the discount sites, but I haven’t seen the Dali Parfum for some time.
Thanks Rob!
It’s good to hear that you’ve been using them for years. I keep looking for more of the Parfum de Toilette but it does seem absent on the discounters.
Welcome back Thomas,we missed you!
I have the Dali parfum de toilette,and I do love it also!My big addiction is Etat Libre D’Orange,and I have managed to build up quite a collection so far!
Looking forward to the next post!;-))
Thanks Johanob! I’ve missed blogging
I totally get the ELDO obsession. They’re fab!
Oh, I’ve got a weird one you should try! I got it in a swap recently. I was trying to unload some mainstream bottles and someone offered me Dali’s Le Roy Soleil in exchange for Calvin Klein Euphoria. Since Dali perfumes have limited to no distribution in the US, I jumped on it.
It is a really wild perfume, hard to describe. The top is dominated by tropical fruits (pineapple mostly, also rhubarb) and then it dries down to this spicy floral (carnation, cinnamon)… it’s honestly one of the weirder perfumes I’ve encountered. I need to do a proper review of it sometime soon.
That does sound wild and weird! I’d be intrigued to see your review.
It seems that he general consensus is that the earlier Dalís are the better ones.
The bottles are so distinctive! What I am most surprised about is the size of the line. Good for you though! There are worse, less artistic, and much more expensive perfume house addictions
There’s so many of them isn’t then?! About 30 I think! The newer ones seem to be a bi naff and generic though unfortunately.
You are absolutely right too, these wont break the bank and they’re good for the price. Dalí PDT is creeping its way up to being an all-time fave!
I own Daliflor, and while the bottle’s a little awkward (with that strange flower-bouquet head that looks like an old-fashioned ladies’ bathing cap covered with rubber flowers) I find the scent inside it strangely fascinating…. hope you find all the bottles that will round out your museum of Dali!
I wondered about Daliflor, it never seems to be talked about. I shall make sure to try it
I purchased the original Dali (far right in your first photo) at a drug store closeout sale for 9.99, strictly for the bottle, and I was so surprised at how well I liked the scent. Love your bottle collection, especially the chubby black little fellow
Me, I started collecting Shalimar in various versions – haven’t gotten very far, because I adore the pricey vintage versions.
My experience was almost the same as yours! It’s a surprisingly good scent and the good thing is that I can’t quite find anything that smells like it.
Shalimar is a wonderful one to collect, it has such a rich history. Pricey though
I used to like Laguna but never wore it. I’m contemplating purchase of a couple of Dali bottles – just because I like bottles, I don’t think I’ll be using those perfumes – so I completely understand your obsession.
I’m glad you’re on board with the bottles. They’re sort of so ugly they’re beautiful.
I’ve never tried the Dali fragrances, but your posts on them have me intrigued. I love the look of the bottles, and would collect them just for that!
They’re so pretty!
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