"A scent needs to reflect all the different facets of my personality. It had to be elegant, glamorous, sophisticated, sexy, dark, and mysterious" - Dita Von Teese
♥♥♥/♥♥♥♥♥
On first application I can detect the bergamot, and I think there is also something similar to a tea accord; I can't pinpoint everything down, but it reminds me of some kind of herbal blend of tea that a co-worker regularly brought into work. I can also pick up something that is similar to raspberry, but I recall a interview in which Dita said that the company that she worked with for the perfume nearly dropped her because she point blank refused to have any fruit or vanilla in her fragrance. Some variety of orchid perhaps?
I normally dislike perfumes with jasmine as I find it heavy and migraine inducing, so it nice to find a fragrance including it that I can wear. It is actually the rose note that is the strongest, and it is more rosehip, then the traditionally powdery, sweet rose. I get a brief whiff of sweet gardenia [tiare flower], but the sharp, spicy pepper note soon develops and overpowers all of the florals, other then the rose. in all honesty I think that Dita should have selected a few more powdery florals, to give the perfume a more vintage feel.
Dita Von Teese soon shifts from a floral perfume to a warm oriental, as the patchouli and the lightly smoked notes develop, mixing nicely with the spicy pepper. The combination warms up the reminder of the fragrance. I wish that the base notes lasted longer and were a bit more bold, as the perfume as a tad linear up until this point. Unfortunately the perfume goes close to the skin just as the base begins to develop.
Official scent notes: bergamot, peony, Bourbon pepper, Bulgarian rose, Tahitian tiare flower, jasmine, incense, patchouli, musk, guaiac wood and sandalwood.
20ml bottle design
40ml bottle design
The four hour average staying power of Dita Von Teese is a big let down. It also goes close to the skin quickly, so it is a quiet perfume too, despite the initial strength of some of the key scent notes. I tend to spray it directly onto my bra or tank top, to make it last longer - otherwise my 20ml bottle wouldn't have lasted very long, as you practically have to bathe in it for a lasting fragrance.
As Dita Von Teese is close to the wearer's skin it is not a fragrance that will irritate colleagues, so you can confidently wear it without offence to work. I mainly tend to wear it on weekends, as it is a soft perfume and helps me to feel 'put together', without feeling overdone. Dita Von Teese is not something that I've worn on nights out, as I do like my perfumes to be a bit more unique and longer lasting on special occasions.
Whilst it doesn't overpower me or give me headaches, I prefer wearing Dita Von Teese on cooler and rainy days. I'm going to save the rest of my bottle for Autumn/winter, as spicier perfumes are more appealing to me then. But overall it is something I think of as being suitable all year round, as it is nice and mild - not too sweet or too spicy.
Dita Von Teese is pleasant and easy to wear, but it isn't overly original and the mildness of the different scent notes make it seem quite flat and one dimensional for a bit too long. I do really like the actual fragrance, but the so-so wear and lack of originality add up to another average, been-there-sniffed-that release, so I don't think it is very likely that I'll replace my bottle of Dita Von Teese when it's gone. Though it is affordable enough that I'd never say never...
I received my bottle as a gift, and it is something that I think would make a good present for someone, as it is easy to wear and suitable for most ages. Plus it's not expensive, so if they don't like it you won't have wasted a lot of money.
I wasn't sure whether to rate this a 3 or 4, as I like it and it is affordable enough to almost forgive the poor longevity. I decided on a three because as far that I'm aware, you can't buy the perfume in any shops in the UK, so you can't try before you buy.
20ml bottle: £10.80
40ml bottle: £23.69
200ml scented body lotion: £9.99
200ml scented shower gel: £8.99
Gift set [20ml bottle & 75ml shower gel]: £16.79
[prices from Amazon UK]
