Fahrenheit Parfum
Christian Dior (2014)

Dior Fahrenheit Parfum EDP (5ml decant)

As a long time Fahrenheit enthusiast, this flanker was looking at an uphill battle with me right out of the gate. Here we go, game on!

Initial spray - “Uh oh….sweet Fahrenheit!?…Run away!”

First 10 minutes - A bit loud, but I’m still listening. It’s difficult to describe, all I can come up with is a Green suede jacket with vanilla dust on the collar and NO gasoline spilled on the sleeve like the original.

After 30 minutes - Quieter now. The green / suede / vanilla candy vibe is humming along. At this point, the frag could easily go either way and be considered unisex.

The OG Fahrenheit is a rock concert where everyone is standing, rocking and grinding the entire show. The Parfum is a rock concert where everyone is standing for the first 30 minutes and then begins to sit down, adjust their earplugs and clap politely for the rest of the show. Think Fleetwood Mac’s return to playing live with “The Dance” in 1997. They still rocked, but more politely!

Neutral - 2.5 / 5 stars

Syrupy, sweet gourmand that I purchased before diving balls deep into old school fragrances, so nowadays it's somewhat out of place in my collection.

The suede note is a welcome addition to the 80s Fahrenheit DNA, which is still there if you really go digging for it, but the renowned violet leaf accord quickly gives way to vanilla and rum to make it contemporary. It's a fragrance for the fall that I alternate with Chanel Egoiste on occasions that call for less loud, less masculine scents. Probably will not repurchase.

Masculinity Level: Compared to the bad-ass Fahrenheit EDT, this is Mel Gibson in What Women Want.

Dior Fahrenheit Le Parfum (2014) takes the DNA of the original controversial Dior Fahrenheit (1988) and effectively gives it a huge dose of civility and replaces its black leather jacket bad boy sex appeal with silk shirt and bedroom theatrics sex appeal instead. The results of this personality re-assignment create a fragrance that at its core is still the same one you know a love, but with the animal magnetism growl that either attracts or repells fight-or-flight style with something more deliberate in its flirtations, and something marginally more approachable as a result. Of the many flankers Dior has introduced then killed in quick succession over the years, Fahrenheit Le Parfum is among those likely most to be enjoyed by hardcore fans of the original Fahrenheit, while others such as Fahrenheit 0 Degree (2003), Fahrenheit 32 (2007), and Aqua Fahrenheit (2011) have been met with more mixed reception. It just seems outside of the sadly-axed Fahrenheit Absolute (2009), which was an oud reinterpration of the classic pillar, that there hasn't been much traction with the loyal fans for flankers of this range, and Le Parfum may be a step in the proper direction to keep the line relevant despite being into its third decade on the market by then. The basic gist of Le Parfum is to be a smoother, sweeter, more woodsy Fahrenheit. Clever noses that were around for the brief unpublished re-orchestration of the original Fahrenheit in the mid-2000's, which led to the scent being more vanilla-heavy and lacking a lot of the infamous "barrel note" the scent was known for, may recall some of that in Le Parfum.

It seems after reformulating Fahrenheit proper to be back in a form closer to the original release, house perfumer François Demachy took notes and kept in mind a proper place for this experimentation, and Fahrenheit Le Parfum is that place. Now this isn't to say that Le Parfum is just a higher-concentration version of those mid-2000's Fahrenheit batches, just that there is some lineage from them present. Ultimately, we see a sweeter opening infused with lavender and thickened with pink peppercorn introduce the famous "petrol violet" of Fahrenheit into the heart, which then slides up alongside a thicker vanilla to feel more like violet candy, something it shares in common with Mancera Aoud Violet (2014). The massive gourmand boozy benzoin and amber notes then lay on top of Fahrenheit's leather and vetiver accord, with smokiness from birch and patchouli completing it. The sweetness remains an important part so if you hate sweet you'll hate this. One can recognize most of the good old Fahrenheit we know and love is there, but it's had a few drinks, eaten some sweets, and kicks back with an unbuttoned shirt waiting to whisper sweet nothings at us like Bacchus. All of the nose-tweaking fight in Fahrenheit is gone from Le Parfum, but if you're looking for a more relaxed take that doesn't smell like a dilution such as some other flankers, Le Parfum nails it for you. Wear time is 12 hours and sillage is strong but close after the first hour. I see this being a winter fragrance much like the original too, but with more flexibility for romantic evenings or formal wear for those who don't want to "smell like pure gasoline" like the titular character said in the movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

There is the little issue about price and availability though, as it seems like with all Fahrenheit flankers, Fahrenheit Le Parfum was pulled from the global market and possibly discontinued, or at very least is only being sold in France and neighboring countries much like Dior Homme Parfum (2014) released in the same year. Oh well, I guess Dior doesn't think much of it's overseas audience outside of shoving Dior Sauvage (2015) or endless watercolor florals down everyone's throats because it's what the young, dumb, beautiful, and flush with cash boobosie crave, since they just want "nice things" with a brag-worthy price tag without the baggage of substance or meaning. In any case, Fahrenheit Le Parfum does filter down into discounters and the gray market, but doesn't really come with a discount even then, costing north of $100 for 75ml/2.5 oz of parfum. I guess this isn't terrible, considering if it suffered from online fragrance community hype like Dior Homme Parfum did, it would easily be $200 to $300+ for the same quantity of fragrance from resellers ordering from France and scalping up to meet that hype. Crap like this really makes me hate the online fragrance community sometimes, with so many sweaty try-hards throwing cash at clout, but I digress. Whatever the price, Dior Fahrenheit Le Parfum has, or at least had, the makings of a good cold weather or cozy time flanker to the original if a bit more sweetness and roundness is okay by you, but it cannot replace the original; nothing really can. Whether or not you choose to take the plunge based on that analysis is up to you, but I think Demachy did justice to the original "accident" of Michael Almairac, Maurice Roger, and Jean-Louis Sieuzac. Thumbs up

FP has the original Fahrenheit DNA with a slightly sweeter and woody floral vibe. Nice! 7.5/10

Take Bentley Intense, add Green Valley to it and you get this. But this is a lot smoother, softer and has that green/vanilla contrast thing going on.
Very faintly smells like the original, but character is vastly different. This smells most alike Bentley then anything on the market.
Very intoxicating scent, not at all fresh, and definitely for cooler weathers. Not a club going scent.
Boozy incense iso E with green top. Very smooth and soft ( with that green vs vanilla tension).

Took a few wears for me to come around on this one. Initially the lavender came off really harshly with spice and booze... granted, this was also at the tail end of summer. Cold weather is transformative... it really elevates this to another level. Also, Clockwork Alice's observation that this leans unisex, if not slightly femme, makes perfect sense. Doesn't put me off wearing it, I just see this as Fahrenheit that can be shared with greater ease.

The first ten minutes of application are still my least favourite, but as this develops on skin in colder weather some magic happens. As the screeching lavender and pepper get kicked off stage, this goes a little umami on my skin, almost vaguely reminiscent of boozy, violet leaf soy sauce, which then falls into the leather jacket accord from the EDT.

The vanilla and benzoins in the base form a lovely anchor with the patchouli and woods, and the dry down becomes what I'd probably best call a ruggedly smooth experience. It's good, leans gourmand without going gooey and never quite gives up its bite.

This goes in a couple of different directions before finally settling into a solid accord, but when it does it's stunning.

Not a favourite for me, because it falls short of the mark left by the EDT. It does fill a cold weather gap for lovers of the DNA, but still leaves me feeling a little unfulfilled. Still a solid thumbs up.