In life there are only two things that are certain; death and change. Both of these certainties are also rife within the perfume industry, with ever-tightening restrictions on ingredients and brand cost-cutting leading either to the demise or the change of some of the world’s most beloved perfumes.

Most of the time perfume reformulations are cloak and dagger affairs, with brands swearing that “absolutely nothing has happened to your beloved Mitsouko, so please stop with your questions, or else…” But this isn’t the case with the new Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme, which the brand are fully admitting has been subjected to some “fine tuning”. Well, one can’t help but admire their honesty!

“Warm and voluptuous and a touch of creamy sweetness, this fragrance is for a woman who is compelling and sensual. It is made up of contrasts, an exuberance of sinuous details that strike the balance between strength and gentleness. Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme for women is not afraid to face any challenge, and does so with a strong sense of self and a fierce determination.”

The re-orchestrated Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme is described as having an “innately soft yet seductive character” and I would say that it definitely leans more to the soft side of things rather than the seductive. This may lead to some disappointment for long-term lovers of the original, which I’m led to believe was a bit of a floral-bomb. My advice? Stock up while you can…

The Notes

Top: Neroli, Raspberry and Tangerine
Heart: Jasmine and Orange Blossom
Base: Marshmallow, Vanilla, Heliotrope and Sandalwood

How Does it Smell?

I have to be honest and say that I am not familiar with the original Dolce & Gabbana (I’m not a fan of the brand at all) but comparing the notes of the re-orchestration with the original released in 1992 (Petitgrain, Tangerine, Basil, Ivy, Aldehyde, Freesia, Rose, Orange Flower, Jasmine, Red Carnation, Muguet, Coriander, Marigold, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean and Musk) it is safe to say that the old and the new are entirely different beasts altogether and more than just a bit of ‘fine tuning’ has gone on, but for a more accurate comparison please read Angela of NST’s review.

Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme opens with tart, yet fuzzy raspberry and bright, sunny neroli. Right from the get go there is an interesting contrast between the warm lactonic nature of the fruit and something sharp and almost green. It’s a relatively subtle effect but the balance seems to be skewed in the just the right way for it to be noticeable and slightly off-kilter.

The interest of the opening unfortunately doesn’t carry throughout Pour Femme’s development and the heart is a pretty bog standard accord of creamy flowers, namely orange blossom and something akin to rose-scented talcum powder. It’s a perfectly pleasant blend but rather predictable and it fails to fulfil the promise inspired by the contradicting facets contained within the scent’s opening.

Pour Femme’s base obviously plays to the “gentleness” of the D&G woman, placing its emphasis on all that is sugary, marshmallowy, lactonic and cuddly. Yes, that’s right, Pour Femme’s base is a big, pink, fuzzy and cuddly teddy bear. It’s very easy to like and peaks at an acceptable level of sweetness before becoming too gourmand. The only problem is; just how many big, pink, fuzzy and cuddly teddy bear bases can one smell before getting bored?

Change is inevitable, it’s true, but smelling Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme leads one to question whether it is always necessary. It’s obvious that D&G are attempting to refresh their flagship feminine in order for it to have more appeal to modern tastes and in doing so they have forfeited what little artistic integrity they had (let’s face it, perfume-wise they’re not a strong brand), and whilst I don’t think the result is dreadful by any means, there is a distinct sense of incongruity between the strong, sensual women represented by the marketing and the rather generic sensibilities of the perfume.

Availability

Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme is available in 50ml (£45.90) and 100ml (£58.65) Eau de Parfum from Escentual.

Disclaimer
Sample provided by, and quotes via Escentual. Image 1 luxuo.com. Image 2 dailyupdate.ie. Notes via Basenotes.