Grand Bal
Christian Dior (2012)

Dior – Grand Bal

A better name for this generic oceanic floral might have been Petite Bal, as there is nothing remotely grand about it.

The note tree is amazingly simple, only six notes (bergamot, jasmine, ylang, orange blossom, musk, sandalwood), and the first four of these manage to be quite detectable and balanced. The problem is that everything is synthetic-smelling. The orange has the sweet fizziness of orange soda. The jasmine and ylang notes blend into a generic white floral vibe that, however strong, still doesn't impress as being anything significant or creative.

All in all, a perfectly decent, harmless, white floral of no particular distinction.

Sample this first before purchasing, is my best suggestion.

It's "OK" but nothing you can't find with a more digestible price tag.

Ylang-ylang tends to over ride any other note on my skin and go very, very sweet. Not my cuppa.

Floral and musky combination which gives it a retro vibe for women. A little too feminine for me, but a decent fragrance nontheless. I get the orange blossom and ylang ylang notes right away. I would recommend this for a mature woman. 7.5/10

I agree with alfarom. It is pleasant but indistinctive. It opens with prominent orange blossom and jasmine notes, a combination I usually love, but in this one, it rattles my nerves. In the dry down, it smells similar to OJ Frangipani with a sandlewood note. For me, it fails to evoke the grand ball gowns Dior is known for. Pretty, but I can think of many other floral fragrances that I prefer over this one.

What's happening at Dior? Lack of creativity and greed can lead to half disasters. Grand Bal is yet another white floral as billions of others. Smooth and kinda musky, well blended, nice smelling yet anything but distinctive. Smell it blind and I'm positive you won't be able to distinguish it from tones of other fragrances in the same vein...

Redundant.