Heir to Dune?

[philistine]

So, I'm not a woman, more of a fierce femme. And I used, in the 1990s, to wear Dune as my signature scent. I love it for its incredibly unique personality, its gothic edge and the fact it's very definitely a perfume, not a collection of pretty smells chucked in a bottle. Sophisticated; a whole, blended entity.

Unfortunately it's close enough to an oriental that it gives me headaches unless very cautiously applied (my remaining half-bottle of 1997 vintage does, at any rate - I haven't tested the current incarnation). I'd like to find something I can use as daywear - definitely a perfume, a little unusual, a little unisex. I'm thinking floral. Not a damn limited edition. Preferably not over £200 for 30ml either.

I've tried Lush's Rose Jam. It's pretty. No headaches. Sexy in a free-spirit-in-summer sort of way. The artlessness of Lush fragrances is kind of what attracts me to them - but it also means none of them meet the "definitely a perfume" criterion. There was no "wow" for me. I tried Coco Mademoiselle after smelling it on someone at a dance class. My, but this is a people-pleaser, isn't it. Utterly inoffensive. As a floral it's actually kind of nice, very wet and alive - on my skin it keeps making me think of mint although there's no mint in it - but the only "edge" about it is the fact the person wearing it has a goatee. I'm kind of more of a hellraiser than that. This would only be "safe for the office" for me.

A touch complicated, I know - but any thoughts?

 

[CookBot]

So, I'm not a woman, more of a fierce femme

I don't know what that means.

 

[sagebrush]

Where have all the recent Friday Synch Dune-wearers gone ? Surely they might be able to suggest an alternative ?
I have never smelt Dune, so no idea. And florals are not my bag.
Peony.... how bad was Penhaligon's Peoneve ? The only peony scent that comes to mind.

My initial thought was Salvador Dali pour Homme, but that might not work for you, @philistine and may not be suitable for work. Worth reading the reviews, anyway.
Have you tried anything from the house of Santa Maria Novella ?
Or keep sampling : Papillon Dryad, Bengale Rouge, or Hera (that one is hideously expensive, even to sample); Tauer LADDM or ACDD (desert-dry, but ambery); Knize Sec is a dry, dusty citrus incense.

What do you think of Dior Fahrenheit EdT ? Violet, hawthorn, leather, gasoline ?

 

[philistine]

Where have all the recent Friday Synch Dune-wearers gone ? Surely they might be able to suggest an alternative ?
I have never smelt Dune, so no idea. And florals are not my bag.
Peony.... how bad was Penhaligon's Peoneve ? The only peony scent that comes to mind.

My initial thought was Salvador Dali pour Homme, but that might not work for you, @philistine and may not be suitable for work. Worth reading the reviews, anyway.
Have you tried anything from the house of Santa Maria Novella ?
Or keep sampling : Papillon Dryad, Bengale Rouge, or Hera (that one is hideously expensive, even to sample); Tauer LADDM or ACDD (desert-dry, but ambery); Knize Sec is a dry, dusty citrus incense.

What do you think of Dior Fahrenheit EdT ? Violet, hawthorn, leather, gasoline ?

Fahrenheit is a scrubber for me. The whole burnt rubber thing just switches my pleasure centres off. (Its flanker Fahrenheit 32 is nothing like it, it's a cool, lightweight vanilla, and I own it and love it; it's my go-to for evenings when I have to be polite.)

Dryad is already on my test list, as is LADDM. I do want an incense, but I'm after something in the lemony-gingery- frankincensey axis, rather than anything too smoke heavy; Sec sounds interesting though.

Santa Maria Novella has not yet crossed my consciousness, no.

 

[cacio]

Dune has a very nice dusty chocolate drydown-probably the gothic part. But I guess that's also the oriental part that you seem to find too much.

Lemony-gingery, frankincense, I'm thinking Tauer Rose incense. An incense, but floral and fizzy. Very different from Dune though.

 

[philistine]

Dune has a very nice dusty chocolate drydown-probably the gothic part. But I guess that's also the oriental part that you seem to find too much.

Lemony-gingery, frankincense, I'm thinking Tauer Rose incense. An incense, but floral and fizzy. Very different from Dune though.

Thanks for the tip - that one did stand out to me when I read about it. The incense hunt is a different question to this one, though - it's another niche in my wardrobe I want to fill someday

Oddly enough I don't get anything even remotely gourmand from Dune at any point. I probably wouldn't like it half as much if I did. Although yes, the longer it wears the more choking I find it.

 

[Kotori]

So, I'm not a woman, more of a fierce femme.

I don't know what that means.

Me neither, not precisely, but I love it!

 

[Kotori]

I used, in the 1990s, to wear Dune as my signature scent. I love it for its incredibly unique personality, its gothic edge and the fact it's very definitely a perfume, not a collection of pretty smells chucked in a bottle. Sophisticated; a whole, blended entity.

Unfortunately it's close enough to an oriental that it gives me headaches unless very cautiously applied (my remaining half-bottle of 1997 vintage does, at any rate - I haven't tested the current incarnation). I'd like to find something I can use as daywear - definitely a perfume, a little unusual, a little unisex. I'm thinking floral. Not a damn limited edition. Preferably not over £200 for 30ml either.

I've tried Lush's Rose Jam. It's pretty. No headaches. Sexy in a free-spirit-in-summer sort of way. The artlessness of Lush fragrances is kind of what attracts me to them - but it also means none of them meet the "definitely a perfume" criterion. There was no "wow" for me. I tried Coco Mademoiselle after smelling it on someone at a dance class. My, but this is a people-pleaser, isn't it. Utterly inoffensive. As a floral it's actually kind of nice, very wet and alive - on my skin it keeps making me think of mint although there's no mint in it - but the only "edge" about it is the fact the person wearing it has a goatee. I'm kind of more of a hellraiser than that. This would only be "safe for the office" for me.

A touch complicated, I know - but any thoughts?

Well, first of all, I adore Dune. (It was also my signature in the 90’s.) So I obviously think you have great taste! And I really do get the vibe- that off-beat, quirky, masculine women’s or feminine men’s sort of category, combining goth overtness with earthy ease.

I wear the vintage. I did have a bottle of the modern a decade ago, and was unimpressed, though you might feel differently. The amber is ambroxan now, so that could really work for you if you’re sensitive to the original.

Dune really has no siblings; only 2nd cousins, to my knowledge. The amber in it is gorgeous at the drydown, but if it’s the “oriental” aspect you’re attempting to avoid, you may also want to avoid things that are similarly amber, such as Obsession, and L’Air du Desert Marocain.

Here are my thoughts on what you may want to try:

-Flora & Fauna by Rogue Perfumery (my top recommendation, definitely a perfume, has an earthy-planty aspect that remind’s me of Dune’s broom note, subs out amber for animalics)

-Gucci Rush (extremely overt, and maybe a bit goth, edgy and a whole complex perfume— you’ve definitely already tried it)

-Elixir des Merveilles (beachy like Dune, weird and a bit of a gender-bender— maybe too sweet— a patchouli-woods-orange thing that reminds me of candied driftwood)

-Galop d’Hermes (pricy gender-neutral rosy suede with a big presence, an off-beat sense of humor, and an opaque style of beauty)

-Paloma Picasso (if you can find it- it has a similar underbelly of patchouli-oakmoss-vetiver-sandalwood-amber)

-Wood Sage Sea Salt by Jo Malone (if you’re after the sandy lake-beach vibe I get from Dune, try this one— could be too ambery for you or not femme enough)

-Anne Klein (the original, not Anne Klein II— from the same period, similarly brash yet earthy, a complete complex perfume combining tuberose and galbanum— they did a re-release of the EDT which is available on the gray market now, though I haven’t gotten my nose on it; I’m wearing vintage)

-Chanel Paris-Deauville (for something different, maybe a summer thing, a light citrusy Eau de cologne with a Dune-ish soul in the basenotes)

-Sisley Soir de Lune (pricy big floriental with that vintage-feeling complexity and woody-patchouli base— maybe a bit too formal and ladylike)

I also cannot personally speak to it, but I heard folks compare Dune to Penhaligon’s Love Potion No. 9, which I’m sure is discontinued.

 

[ineespenes]

I was about to suggest Elixir des merveilles before I saw Kotori suggesting it. I defenitely agree

 

[ClockworkAlice]

And if Elixir des Merveilles proves too sweet for you, Eau des Merveilles is fresher and dryer - the orange is not candied/boozy as in Elixir, and the woody/ambery parts feel more aromatic and marine.
Tbh all flankers of Eau des Merveilles are worth trying if you can get your hands on the samples!

 

[ineespenes]

After wearing it today I also feel that CK Contradiction might be fiting to. It is not that similar, but has that fresh, but oriental feel to it.

 

[Dane]

Another big Dune fan here🤚 (and male of that makes any difference).

My go-tos in the Dune mold would be Etro's Shaal Nur, and good old Vol de Nuit EDT. Both have that classic oriental/amber elements, but are much lighter and easier to wear.

 

[Dane]

Me neither, not precisely, but I love it!

You don't have to have a vagina to be femme. (saying this in an educational, friendly way

 

[Salumbre]

You don't have to have a vagina to be femme. (saying this in an educational, friendly way

OH MY GOD HE JUST SAID VAGINA!!!!! *runs away screaming*

 

[Kotori]

You don't have to have a vagina to be femme. (saying this in an educational, friendly way

Gotcha. Fully agree. We all have our ways we express who we are.

 

[CookBot]

I have never smelt Dune, so no idea. And florals are not my bag.
Peony.... how bad was Penhaligon's Peoneve ? The only peony scent that comes to mind.

I don't smell a single floral element in Dune, peony or otherwise, and I love Dune to pieces.

Fahrenheit is a scrubber for me. The whole burnt rubber thing just switches my pleasure centres off.

Same here! Icky, and nowhere near the same ballpark as Dune.

-Elixir des Merveilles (beachy like Dune, weird and a bit of a gender-bender— maybe too sweet— a patchouli-woods-orange thing that reminds me of candied driftwood)

Eau des Merveilles is fresher and dryer - the orange is not candied/boozy as in Elixir, and the woody/ambery parts feel more aromatic and marine.

I did not know this about Eau des Merveilles! And now I need to try it, 'cuz vintage bottles of Dune aren't going to be around forever.

 

[Dane]

I don't smell a single floral element in Dune, peony or otherwise, and I love Dune to pieces.



Same here! Icky, and nowhere near the same ballpark as Dune.





I did not know this about Eau des Merveilles! And now I need to try it, 'cuz vintage bottles of Dune aren't going to be around forever.

I don't catch many florals either - but I know they're in there!

If anyone hasn't read my Dune ramblings before - it's been said that 50% of the (original) formula is made up of Hedione and Galaxolide. There's a significant amount of other standard "oriental/amber" staples like sandalwood, patchouli, vanillin, with the luxury of orris thrown in. Rose and jasmine are in there, but they don't jump out at you. I've never smelled peony in it either.

 

[Bogini]

Another long time Dune lover chiming in. I too wear the vintage and although I have other loves, I've never found another fragrance that would even remotely resemble Dune. For me, Dune is all about the magic of sandalwood and amber, along with a delicious helping of rosewood. I can't say I've ever detected any of the flower notes either. It just works! I must say I found Dane's response both, surprising and enlightening.

 

[yellowtone]

My Dune loving sister vibes with Ormonde Jayne's Tolu, which is definitely a Perfume, though also quite balsamic and warm, so perhaps not quite a head ache free option for you. Worth a try though, it is beautiful!

 

[Tea_Lilly]

I adore Dune and have a bottle (modern formulation is still great). I've not found anything quite like it. I feel the same way about Dolce Vita.

I would second trying Tauer's Au Coeur Du Desert - I love that too - enough to have a bottle.

Also Azarro Acteur for a dark rose/gothicky vibe (Note this is vintage - but not particularly pricey - you can get a mini for about $15 on ebay). Some kind folks here got me interested in it - I absolutely love it.

And now I've got to try Eau de Mervielles Thanks @ClockworkAlice

And @philistine, we hope you find something you love and brings joy to you.

 

[philistine]

So much food for thought here, thank you all of you!

I wear the vintage. I did have a bottle of the modern a decade ago, and was unimpressed, though you might feel differently. The amber is ambroxan now, so that could really work for you if you’re sensitive to the original.

Dune really has no siblings; only 2nd cousins, to my knowledge. The amber in it is gorgeous at the drydown, but if it’s the “oriental” aspect you’re attempting to avoid, you may also want to avoid things that are similarly amber, such as Obsession, and L’Air du Desert Marocain.

Ironically, amber per se I really love. It's something about the blend in Dune and other more traditional orientals that's just too much for me (Opium, alas, I so want to love it but I just can't, and Shalimar). Tom Ford Amber Absolute was damned intense, definitely for evening wear in cold weather only, but not the same "oh god please stop" headache monster as Dune. Most of the first nine or ten fragrances I loved were ambers of one sort or another, before I realised it was the amber note I was responding to!

I do dislike sandalwood, so if that's part of your standard issue oriental base and a big player in Dune it likely won't be helping. CK Obsession I have tried and it was a scrubber - turns out I haven't written any notes about it, it was early in my perfume nerd career, but if memory serves it was the bad kind of spices, just sour and harsh on me. Never tried LADDM, I really should.

I shall definitely try the modern Dune as well. It'd be a delicious irony if the capital-P philistines who destroyed a beautiful original made it perfect for me in the process!

 

[Dane]

So much food for thought here, thank you all of you!

Ironically, amber per se I really love. It's something about the blend in Dune and other more traditional orientals that's just too much for me (Opium, alas, I so want to love it but I just can't, and Shalimar). Tom Ford Amber Absolute was damned intense, definitely for evening wear in cold weather only, but not the same "oh god please stop" headache monster as Dune. Most of the first nine or ten fragrances I loved were ambers of one sort or another, before I realised it was the amber note I was responding to!

I do dislike sandalwood, so if that's part of your standard issue oriental base and a big player in Dune it likely won't be helping. CK Obsession I have tried and it was a scrubber - turns out I haven't written any notes about it, it was early in my perfume nerd career, but if memory serves it was the bad kind of spices, just sour and harsh on me. Never tried LADDM, I really should.

I shall definitely try the modern Dune as well. It'd be a delicious irony if the capital-P philistines who destroyed a beautiful original made it perfect for me in the process!

That would be interesting. I tried it recently at a drug store and it was SO much stronger. I was haunted by it all day, thinking everyone was repulsed by me.

Dior now adds "strength" legends on their website. They list Dune as second weakest. I must be insanely sensitive to something new in it.

 

[mikeperez23]

YES def try Elixir des Merveilles!