The sparkling lightness of being that is the Dior J’adore Eau Lumiere perfume

I’m a contradiction in terms. I don’t mind saying so, because it’s true.

For the most part, when it comes to perfumes, my tastes gravitate towards the clear and clean and spice. But if there’s one perfume I’d pick out of my perfume line up, without hesitating and without even thinking, it would be this floral, feminine scent of Dior J’adore.

It confuses me, because J’adore is everything I DO NOT look for in a perfume. It is floral (indisputably so!), it contains jasmine notes (I detest jasmine) and it comes from a mainstream beauty brand (while I try to go niche). Everything runs contrary to what my head tells me I like, but you know, the heart (and nose) doesn’t lie.

But my love for J’adore isn’t a recent thing. It began in 2011, with the introduction of the J’adore Eau de Toilette. I was much younger, life was more carefree, and it came at a time when I felt ready to take on the challenges ahead, without sacrificing my feminity. I work in a male-dominated environment, and while I know I’m as good as the next man, I had one thing better – I had a nicer perfume (and a prettier bag on my arm)! So there! LOL! :D

Prior to that, J’adore was primarily sold as an EdP, which had a much stronger, more floral note, and smelled more mature to me. It is a Dior parfum classic, and I’d grown up with images of Charlize Theron in her golden dress, reflecting that iconic golden, long-necked bottle of J’adore filled with the golden liquid perfume within. J’adore was a scent I thought older women would wear.

I was kind of right, because I eventually grew up, and slid comfortably into the target demographic. I’m happy now to wear the J’adore EdP which I carry around in my purse spray, and in the EdT. And then, they just had to go and remake this iconic scent! Cue gasps of horror and pulling of hair :P

The new iteration of this classic is Dior J’adore Eau Lumiere EdT, a remake of the lighter Eau de Toilette scent.

The new J’adore Eau Lumiere now takes on a pink blush in the bottle, although they kept the rest of the packaging the same. The pink liquid perfume reflects the blood orange essence it is now infused with, alongside neroli and magnolia and the Damask Rose that forms the base of J’adore perfumes.

Almost immediately, from the bottle and from the first spritz out of it, I knew what Dior was going for. They were going for the younger demographic of customers. The young women, just starting out, testing their womanly wiles, and wanting to wear something classic, yet without the weight of traditions.

J’adore Eau Lumiere felt to me, like a fizzy soda. I found the opening notes fizzy, like bubbles hitting my nose when you stick it into a glass of carbonated drink – immediate and effervescent. The notes were undeniably citrus, highlighting that blood orange infusion, that lightens the scent.

For me, that burst of citrus dissipates quite quickly, which I like because I feel like it makes the scent feel a little frivolous, and it grated on my senses a little, making me almost dislike it at first. But it is also this burst that allows me to wear this as a casual scent, because it lightens what is a rather heavy scent.

After that little frivolous burst of citrus that hits me like a nervous giggle, the scent settles down into something a little more familiar. It starts warming up with the floral accents coming through. The earlier scent of jasmine is now replaced by magnolia – again, not a scent I regularly go for due to its sweetness – but it is quite masterfully blended with a slightly woodsy note, that grounds the scent and stops it from being too floral and too sweet. It’s such a delicate balance!

While Damask Rose grounds the scent, I personally do not get much of it coming through on my skin. Perhaps a hint of it, if I were trying very hard to smell it, but otherwise, it is an amalgam of magnolia and neroli, white, strongly scented flowers, almost tamed in J’adore Eau Lumiere.

Of all the perfumes I’ve used to date, only J’adore has made me appreciate a floral perfume, because it’s the only floral perfume I can wear without getting a headache, or feeling like I want to puke my guts out. With Eau Lumiere EdT, the intention was to make this a fragrance of sparkling light.

I think they succeeded, because of that burst right at the beginning when you first spritz it on. After it settles, it takes on the unmistakable scent of J’adore that I love – floral, feminine, romantic, yet with an underlying weight of spice that prevents this from being just another floral scent. Compared to the previous J’adore EDT, I find the new J’adore Eau Lumiere just that bit sweeter and that bit more floral, as it settles. I’ll need to get used to that.

Perfumes are such fascinating things, aren’t they? I’ve gone through a few bottles of J’adore since and I think I will still do so. As mainstream a perfume as it is, it isn’t a scent I smell on many people, which I have always been confused by. Not complaining though!

Do you like the smell of J’adore? Do you like floral scents?

It’s quite funny because every time someone asks if I like floral scents, I say no. But when they ask me what my favourite perfume is, I inevitably say J’adore. The look of consternation on their faces is priceless! LOL! :D

Paris B

Dior J’adore Eau Lumiere retails at RM330 (50ml) and RM465 | US$124 for 100ml and is available at all Dior beauty boutiques and counters, Sephora stores and online at Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue