Stunningly Gorgeous: The Christian Dior Jardin D’Orangers Candle and Gris Dior Body Creme

I learned a lot about La Collection Privée when I visited the Dior Flagship Boutique last month. I knew about Dior’s makeup line and fragrances - tried quite a few of them, loved everything so far - but I didn’t know that they have a couture beauty line. This one is more for serious beauty fans and collectors. They gifted me with a couple of items from the line (lucky me) so of course I had to share my thoughts!

But first, what makes something “couture”? In fashion it means clothes that are fully hand made, using only the best materials of its class, and designed by a fashion visionary. In beauty, for me it means a product that is unabashedly luxurious in every aspect, with textures and scents designed by masters in their craft. I think that Dior’s La Collection Privée fall in that category based on what I’ve tried so far.

I have the Jardin D’Orangers Candle (price to be updated). According to François Demachy, the Parfumeur-Créateur at Dior, "This candle tells a walk in the orange garden in Vallauris. Its solar fragrance combines the delicacy of Neroli flowers with the freshness of citrus to create a soft and comforting atmosphere."

The scent is beautiful, and has a strong cold throw that I can smell even from a few feet away. It seems to be soy-based so it doesn’t emit black smoke. Once lit, the scent itself can fill up an entire room! I do notice though that it takes a while for it to fully melt into a pool - I’d say over an hour. This only means that if you light it you better commit to it or else it will not re-set properly. FYI don’t put out candle fire until the entire wax surface is fully melted to keep it from tunneling.

The packaging itself is simple but iconic, in a way only Dior can be. The candle comes in a white box and matte white vessel with minimalist Dior print. I love having it in my living room because it adds such a gorgeous casual elegance to the interiors!

Overall, I find the Jardin D’Orangers Candle to be a great addition to my home because of its beautiful scent and packaging.

Dior also gifted the Gris Dior Body Creme (price to be updated). Gris Dior is a signature fragrance released in 2017 that is tied to the history of Dior Couture. It answers the question: what if the iconic Dior gray color was a…scent?

François Demachy, the nose behind the fragrance says, "This emphatic gray is not merely a mix of black and white, but the result of a chromatic blend. This profusion of colours inspired a composition that melds Jasmine and Bergamot with notes of humid undergrowth. Colour is transformed into an emblematic fragrance. Its lively scent is multifaceted and effortlessly elegant."

I’m a fan of complex, layered fragrances that allow the observer to discover a new aspect with every sniff. At first I thought this was like any typical fragranced body cream - smells fantastic but ultimately, its function is as a body cream. But this is a fragrance first and moisturizer second!

The scent doesn’t assault the nose but whenever I apply this on my neck, arms, shoulders and chest, my entire office smells like Gris Dior the whole day. My car smells like it even the day after! That’s how intensely it manifests! Now I’m interested in Dior’s other body creams, because even the J’Adore Diore perfume I have doesn’t come anywhere near the longevity of the Gris Dior cream.

And that’s it! I hope you enjoyed reading through my experience with Dior’s La Collection Privée items. Let me know what your fave Dior scent is!

La Collection Privée is available in Dior’s Flagship Store in Greenbelt 5, Makati in the Philippines.