J'Adore by Christian Dior (1999)

J'Adore by Christian Dior is one of the youngest perfumes I've ever written about here on Yesterday's Perfume. It's "only" 14 years old. But if you consider that one of the reasons vintage perfumes are alluring to many folks, myself included, is because they're no longer available in their original — and usually superior — formulations, then J'Adore fits right in. In fact, J'Adore is a case study in how radical and destructive a reformulation can be and still be called the same perfume. 

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing J'Adore's perfumer Calice Becker for Refinery29. I had the awkward realization shortly before I met her that I knew about her perfume Tommy Girl, but I wasn't familiar with her blockbuster success J'Adore. (In 1999, I was too busy adoring Gucci Rush, which, come to think of it now that I know J'Adore, had a similar aura of paradoxical freshness and creaminess.)

In any case, what I did know is that many respected perfume-lovers were not keen on J'Adore's reformulation. Luca Turin dissed it in Perfumes: The Guide, and a couple years ago, Victoria of Bois de Jasmin complained about J'Adore's alien replicant. The reformulation, she wrote in a devastating critique, turned a perfume that "delivered its radiant quality through a beautiful progression of accords, from the vivid green top note to the lush floral heart and finally to the silky drydown" to one that was "both thinner and sharper overall." In short, J'Adore, the imposter, "completely destroyed the incredible balance that set J’Adore apart from all other modern florals." Ouch. And Amen. 

I recently ordered a decant of the original J'Adore online and set out to compare it to the J'Adore that now sits on a top perfume shelf at Sephora (or on a Dior counter at department stores). On my way to the mall (I'm visiting SoCal, y'all, so yes, I'm walking to the mall), I applied a bit of J'Adore to my skin, sniffing it as I walked.

At first, the original J'Adore is green and sharp and sort of fruity, a very familiar 90s opening salvo. Following this, a floral glow, which leads to an interesting tonka-tinged, buttery, delicately powdered base. OK, I thought. Not bad.

I wasn't totally keen on the top part of J'Adore, and I was prepared to dismiss it as another one of those synthetic-fruit 90s artifacts. But then the dry down arrived, and J'Adore, like a date who seemed ordinary, conventional, and possibly even boring in the first few moments, but who then says something strikingly interesting  — suddenly mesmerized me. I leaned in, eyes sparkling. 

Soft, milky, floral, and subdued, J'Adore, as it was disappearing, smelled to me like the clean sweat of a young girl, scented with the subtlest tincture of rose, fattened and rounded out with buttery vanilla, tonka and maybe powdery orris. Talk about a transformation from top to bottom! (I wonder if Becker was inspired by Sophia Grojsman perfumes; J'Adore almost seems to pay homage to Grojsman's style of florals.)

With the original on my left hand, I traipsed over to Sephora and sprayed the contemporary J'Adore onto my right. I'm going to be less generous than Victoria was in her description of the reformulation, which may have gone through another set of reformulations by the time I got to it. What started out for me as a typical synthetic-smelling fruity floral that prompted me to say to myself, "C'mon, it's not that bad; it's kind of like the original, only flattened, shortened and amplified" turned into serious dislike when I compared it to the original. (Check out the occasional dissonant reviews of largely positive responses on Fragrantica, written by those who loved the original.)

These are simply not the same perfumes. Not by a long shot. 

Sour, fruity, synthetic, and powerfully green, reformulated J'Adore is a fresh, neon, fruity floral — a Jolly Rancher candy in a bottle. It has that burst of shampoo-scented immediacy and produces a not-altogether-pleasant feeling that you are being assaulted with niceness. It's the perfume equivalent of someone smiling maniacally or being overly solicitous.

It's as if The Reformulators (I'm now picturing comic book villains in vintage robbers' eye masks, rubbing their hands together in glee as they pour chemicals into a caldron of the original perfume) took the original J'Adore and beheaded it, leaving it without a body to hold itself up. It's a rictus of a screeching fruity floral now, all head/top notes, no heart or body. 

There's also no development. It's fruity-floral o'clock, around the clock, in reformulated J'Adore's world. The original J'Adore starts off with this attention-getting fresh top, but then moves on to something lactonic and soothing, like warm milk with a drop of fruit essence, nutty and warm. 

There is no warmth in the new J'Adore.

Its hairspray's shellacked on. I can't run my hands through it or nuzzle against its neck. I can't smell the warmth of slightly perspiring, musky skin just underneath the veil of scent. The original J'Adore had a way of smelling, in the dry down, like the mingling of skin's musky perspiration with subtle perfume. The new stuff? It's just sitting on your skin like a chemical stew.

Although tonka is not listed in the original notes that are out there, it is unmistakably there. In fact, the base reminds me a bit of Aviance's base, the surprise of something warm and slightly rich after a fresh, floral beginning. According to Victoria, that fresh green scent that is also warm and "creamy" comes from the arochemical Glycolierral, a green ivy leaf note.

Whatever accounts for the difference between the original J'Adore and today's imposter by the same name, the reformulation, in its simplicity and vulgarity, doesn't hold a candle to the original, which shimmers and pulsates on the skin. I wonder how Calice feels about it all. It must be bittersweet state of affairs for perfumers when this befalls their originals, no matter how successful they continue to be.

Original J'Adore notes

Top notes: bergamot, mandarin, plum

Heart notes: champaca flower, ivy leaves, jasmine sambac, Turkish rose, violet, orchid, blackberry

Base notes: musk, wood 

 

 

 

Comments

[breathesgelatin]

Ugh, this is so true. J'Adore was one of the most popular perfumes of my college years and though I've never owned it or wore it, many of my friends did and I've always felt really warmly about it. What's on the shelves now barely even resembles original J'Adore. I can't imagine the confusion or dissonance shoved upon unfortunately longtime J'Adore wearers. It's insanity.

[Perfumaniac]

breathesgelatin: It's not like any of this should surprise me; I've been railing against reformulations for years. But this was one of those reformulations that really butchered the original to the point that they're simply different perfumes. The new one is pretty much a flanker. Many lovers of the original JAdore, and other originals, know this. But for some, as is evidenced on Fragrantica and Basenotes forums, they just think maybe their tastes have changed, or maybe their noses aren't as good. Sigh.

[annemariec]

J'Adore has a lot to answer for. Dior called in the masked Reformulators (why?), ruined the perfume and hey! It's still one of the top selling perfumes in the world. Other companies must surely think that if Dior can get away with it, so can they. It is just so insulting to those who loved the original.

The J'Adore story also backs up Tania Sanchez's advice: if you love something, buy it, or you'll end up bidding on eBay against other poor fools who should have bought it while they could.

Love the new look website, BTW!

[annemariec]

New thought: I've read that Dolce Vita is nothing like it used to be either, but I've not smelled the original. Occasionally when I've spritzed DV recently on the shop it has made no impression on me. Have you tried it?

[Perfumaniac]

Hi annemariec: Nice to see you on the blog again! Prior to writing this post, J'Adore was one of those perfumes I felt like I really needed to sniff because so many women loved it. I'd heard grumblings about the reformulation, but this one was so egregiously disrespectful to the original in a way that seemed insulting to its fans. It's one thing to reformulate Bandit without as much oakmoss, angles or intensity; it still hints of the original. But J'Adore seems to keep the top notes and trash the rest! Pretty outrageous. And you're right, if they get away with it, others will do the same, and they will too. (I don't know Dolce Vita, but I wouldn't doubt what fans say is true.) I mean, this is not Occupy Wall Street level protest in the streets injustice, but what other industry could get away with this? There's no accountability. And perfume ain't cheap! As for the redesign (which is ongoing), I did it myself, yo!

[annemariec]

Yeah, it makes you pretty cynical. Dior's reformulations are the worst. Although I hear Caron is pretty bad too. Is anything safe these days?

[Joan]

J'Adore was one of the first perfumes I ever tried. I was 13 and smelled it in one of those powdered tester pages from a fashion magazine. It was full-bodied and approachable.

I recently picked up a sample of the reformulation and it's so much thinner. That's so sad.

[sea wolf]

So true!!!
It just fizzles out on my skin. It just sits on top like a sharp chemical bomb and then it disappears without a trace. Its just NOT the same perfume! This is the only perfume of my youth that has had a real hatchet job done to its reformulation.

[Perfumaniac]

Sea Wolf: And yet it's still so popular. Imagine if they made it as good again as it was when it first came out...

[brigitte]

Happy belated birthday and congrats on your book! Like the new look of the blog!

[Perfumaniac]

Thanks, sweet Brigitte! How are you?

Sent from my iPhone

[Hildegerd]

I used the original in many years and would have continue to do so if they did not change it so much. Same shit happen to Miss Dior Cherie which patchouli combinations I prefered to Coco Mademoiselle. I have now lost interest in Diors perfume line.

The same thing happen to Dolce & Gabbanas reformulation of Pour Femme last year, so they are all cheapening their perfumes. Aiming for the teenagers. So what are we older then 30 years + going to wear?

[Perfumaniac]

Maybe if we keep complaining, Hildegard, theyll go back to their old formulas. They should know that long-time fans have stopped buying their favorites because theyre aware that theyve changed so drastically.

[Hildegerd]

I did not rebuy, I surfed the net to see what Fredric Malle and Sonoma Scent Studio had to offer and I am very happy I did since if I am paying premium price anyway, I rather support those who still put a passion in to create a scent.

Anyway, I recieved more or less full 50ml bottles EuP of Cartiers Le Must from 1983 and Chanel NO 5 from 1982 from my aunts collection, and I must say this is serious brilliant stuff. They had always stayed in the refrigator so the liquid was not at all lost nor the scent, she is reaching her 80ies herself and thought they became rather hard on her skin these days, so the bottles came to me. The Le Must was like a good meal of butterchicken with a new lover and this version of NO 5 is like gold on black velvet, Love them both and have sendt an e-mail to cartier to bring us the EuP of Must back.

[Remy Chevalier]

I hope Charlize Theron reads this...

[Choi]

How will i know if it is the original J adore ,i am planning to but one.I am from a tropical country ,will that be fine? if not what can you recommend.Thank you

[JULIET-ANN]

YES I NOTICED THE DIFFERENCE; I REALLY LOVED THE ORIGINAL

ALSO CAN YOU HELP ME BUY THE ORIGINAL?CONTACT ME