Dune Pour Homme by Dior

Rules change, ingredients change, and time takes its toll. I’m from the 70s; I used Dune in the late 90s and still do. Was it better? Maybe. More persistent? Definitely. Is it bad now? Not in the least; it’s fantastic. Shouldn’t I try a new formula to avoid ruining my 30-year-old memory? Well, no. Reformulations are mandatory by law. But that doesn’t stop me from enjoying beauties like Dune. Just because it doesn’t fill a room with three sprays anymore? I don’t need it. It lasts 6 or 7 hours well-applied at work, still smelling amazing with its fresh fig and sage top notes and woody vanilla base. 10/10 fragrance, back then and now.

My favorite commercial scent, a timeless classic and totally out of fashion because nobody talks about it nowadays. I met it in 1997, and it hasn’t left my collection since. Here in Brazil, there was an inspiration called Acqua Brasilis by Boticario; unfortunately, it’s discontinued. It had a lot of similarity, but due to its low cost, it didn’t perform well. A Dune with niche quality would be the King of the World in my preferred niche house, Boadicea The Victorious; this one is more refined, the quality of the notes is tremendous, but its performance should be better considering it costs over $800. The new Dune formulations are far from the original; at least I still have a bottle from the early 2000s that I keep with great care.

Christian Dior Dune Pour Homme. I’m lucky to have three bottles: 2005, 2014, and 2020. The 2005 one has a denser, vegetal opening; I’d say sandy. The 2014 one is a transition between herbal and citrus, and I consider the batches from 2020 onwards a modernization for these times, less heavy on the vegetal notes but still sparkling, losing a bit of depth. All three last the same; over the years and with reformulations, qualities in the overall note set have been lost. The opening contains natural and juicy basil and fig leaves. The dry-down goes through cassis, fig bark, vanilla, and sandalwood, all perceptible and of good quality. After 3 hours, a vanilla-sandalwood balm leaves a sweet, nostalgic trail for those who enjoy these aromas. I recommend it for the office, casual outings, mid-seasons, or summer mornings. It’s not worth paying market price for a current bottle, as there are better deals for less. If you find it in tester version or a partial bottle, buy it without doubt. Dune Pour Homme keeps its DNA intact, though more ethereal/new age. You recognize it in the air instantly. Try it for yourselves; don’t let yourself be carried away by reviews with presumed indignation; you can’t long for the return of an era where fragrances were packed to the brim. We’re in the future, and Dune Pour Homme is a survivor with much to offer new young people. Best regards.

Just bought it (June 2022). What I wouldn’t give to smell the original version… As already said, this perfume isn’t worth it currently. Extremely high price for what you get, nothing more than a stuffed toy. It smells delicious, I won’t deny it, and I love it. Herbal, fresh but soft, so soft that if you spray the whole bottle, you won’t overwhelm anyone; today at 40ºC in Madrid, it’s great; my boyfriend sprayed about 10 sprays, and I barely smelled it from 2 meters away. The scent can last a few hours on the skin. Perfectly unisex. I’ve read rumors that Dior will discontinue it; we wouldn’t lose anything (talking about the current version).

I had it about 10 years ago; it cost me a lot to get it because it doesn’t reach Chile in retail stores, and you have to search for it online or at import perfumeries. I was obsessed with getting it due to the good reviews, but it wasn’t as wonderful as I hoped. For me, it was just a clean, lemony citrus scent, a good office aroma, nothing more than that.

I thought I had finished my search from a decade ago. That 90s Dune, masculine and incomparable. When it arrived, I was trembling with excitement. But the disappointment: it smells different, totally reformulated. Vulgar and acidic notes. The bottle no longer says Christian Dior, just Dior, and they took away the beautiful notes of old for a generic perfume that smells like an imitation. Disappointing.

This fragrance is an outrage! This latest batch is weak. Dior should do two things: either give it real punch or discontinue it, no half-measures. The scent is pleasant but generic, weak and flabby. I get déjà vu with low-cost perfumes or the dry-down of L’Homme. I smell fig, like jam, but everything is so weak. My mom didn’t notice it when she drove me, but in the sun with a breeze, I do. Lasts about five hours, very weak. Note: it might be olfactory fatigue. The scent is pleasant but generic. Expensive price in Argentina. Conclusion: aside from the price, good for summer, but if they don’t add power, discontinue it.

The late 90s Dune would sell today as niche, just like Fahrenheit. It was a beautiful masterpiece, a Proustian madeleine connecting to childhood memories of sun and sand. It evokes happiness. What they’ve done with the new formulations is one of the biggest mess-ups I’ve ever smelled. If you can find an old bottle, don’t hesitate. A luminous masterpiece.

I bought it on Notino, last unit. Motivated by mixed reviews, I took a chance. Upon spraying, it soaked the whole living room. Lasted 5 hours. First hour: fresh figs and basil. Then it seems to freeze, the rose and vanilla appear to sweeten it, ending in pine resin for another 4 hours. Evolves differently depending on pH. It’s not boring, doesn’t deserve discontinuation or a low score. It doesn’t win on projection but the trail is much stronger. Testing it on someone else or on paper is key. It’s not Ted Lapidus in terms of projection. Reminds me of a sunset in Zahara de los Atunes. Ideal for summer, spring, or a cocktail party near the sea. Could be unisex. Reminds me of Calvin Klein One, but on another level. Exquisite and elegant. Pity it will soon be expensive and forgotten.

I owned Dune a long time ago, my second favorite fragrance after Armani Eau Pour Homme. It’s the most refined and exquisite thing I’ve tried. I don’t know what the reformulation was like for that masterpiece. Everything about it was evasive, relaxing, and sophisticated.

I bought this back in 2000 and still have it, with barely a quarter of the bottle left—almost 20 years later. I just found out it’s now considered another masterpiece after the reformulation. It’s one of the most beautiful men’s fragrances I’ve ever owned: fresh, sweet, and herbal. The longevity is incredible, and the dry-down is spectacular. If I could get my hands on the vintage version again, that would be amazing. I remember wearing it at 22 and getting nonstop compliments on its unforgettable trail. It’s an adorable and exquisite fragrance.

Dune Pour Homme (vintage) is the perfume that best captures the feeling José Hierro wrote about: ‘There is a moment that isn’t mine… I caress it, I make it present.’ Dreaming of vintage Dune and thanks to my friend Bofifa, I reclaimed my adolescence. As if that era of Agua Brava and Le Male had been the time of Dior and its intangible Dune, poetic and futuristic. Like a different past where I was the shy long-haired boy searching for his princess in the desert. It’s a shame a group of executives drowned Dune in a joke, a mockery of loyal lovers who left their trail of love. Dune has become a scam for those who watched it grow up, graduate, find their first love, or their first job. When it was unsuspected that feelings could evaporate overnight without a note explaining the flight.

The Dune I’ve been wearing these days is from May 2002. I haven’t tried the current version. What I can guarantee is that it has no citrus notes at any point. The opening is extremely green, almost medicinal, and unfolds with fruity nuances. It’s a strange opening in the designer world, indicating that things were understood differently back then. There’s no effort to make everything look pretty at first to sell you on it. Dune develops very slowly and offers exceptional beauty highlights with every twist. It drifts toward a fresh, slightly talc-like tone with a subtle aquatic note, floral (I detect geranium), and a varnish of sandalwood and vanilla. It’s hard to classify: a cross between green floral, woody, and oriental. The perception is of something original and distinct, but not rare or unwearable. With a youthful spirit, it has iodine nuances that remind you of a sunny day at the beach with sand. The composition is brilliant. Dune conveys joviality, nostalgia for past summers, the beautiful part of life. I think it’s one of the most beautiful and complex perfumes I’ve ever heard. Without exaggeration, it seems like a masterpiece. It expresses poetry and develops an idea well. I needed several days to get used to it, and although it didn’t project as well as I thought, people clearly perceive it and I’ve received enthusiastic comments. Its longevity is prolonged. It brings echoes of legends like Cerruti Image and Platinum Egoiste. Impressive, a great discovery.

Today, around 6:30 a.m., I applied 4 sprays of the 2009 reformulated version. I think I was harsh in judging this ‘later’ formula. Although it has a lower concentration of that original powdery and spiced base, it still smells great with notable longevity. By 7:00 p.m., I can still feel it clearly on my forearm. This creation by Olivier Cresp hasn’t lost quality; it still has enough to be considered a great perfume, loaded with sophistication and romance.