Here’s a contrast. I have added two new perfumes to my collection: a HUGE 100 ml bottle of Diorella, and a teeny tiny bottle of Miss Dior parfum, cute as the dickens.
I had contrasting shopping experiences too.* The Diorella came from Strawberrynet.com, a giant discounter of perfume, skin care and cosmetics, based Hong Kong. I’ve seen a bigger inventory and lower prices, but the Strawb.’s prices are okay, there is a loyalty program, good deals on shipping, and it gave me the best deal on Diorella I could find. My package turned up five days after I had put in the order and, as three of those days were public holidays, I was astounded. Gobsmacked, as we say where I live. (The Strawb. must have a warehouse in Australia.) Fabulous.
Still, you know what discounters are like. Impersonal, and prone to bombarding you thereafter with emails urging you to buy lipstick and perfume that a Barbie doll would not be seen (or smelled) dead in.
The Miniature Perfume Shoppe is a small business, based in Texas, specialising in perfume miniatures for bottle collectors. Leslie Ann photographs and describes the bottles carefully; you take the risk on whether the juice is wearable. You can sign up and get a 15% discount on every subsequent purchase, and an occasional newsletter notifying you of specials and new inventory. Leslie Ann has worked many years in the fragrance and cosmetics industry. She knows her perfume and is always ready to help, advise, and share your delight.
What was the same with each purchase was the thought I put into each before I ordered. I rarely impulse buy. These classic Diors have each been reformulated probably multiple times, and so in preparation I had compared modern with vintage, or at least the such vintage versions of MD and Diorella as I could afford. Tricky, but all part of the fun.
Miss Dior reformulations are an especially sensitive point with many perfume lovers. The MD I bought from MPS is not especially old, and was, indeed, in perfect condition. I don’t think it is ‘vintage’, but this modern parfum seems to restore some of the richness and depth that has been lost in reformulation of the EDT. (Even Dior’s Francois Demachy is admitting that.) Less dry than the modern EDT, the parfum gently floats and weaves around the body in the classic perfume veil. Quite lovely.
Had some good buying experiences recently? Share them!
* I am not affiliated with either of the businesses discussed in this post.
beauty on the outside 
First – congratulations on both of your purchases: I remember how much you wanted to get Diorella. I also have the same “ratio” – a huge bottle of Diorella (not sure about 100 ml, I think 50) and a small bottle of Miss Dior (vintage, half of the 7.5 ml bottle).
Second – my recent good buying experience was at a B&M store. In the recent year I started making all my cosmetics and (rare) perfume-related purchases from the same SA at Nordstrom. Several weeks ago when I called her to ask if they had in stock Pure Havane by Thierry Mugler she told me that their store didn’t have it and she would order it for me but she suggested to do it in a week – to get some double points during their event. I told her it would be too late because I would need it (it was a gift to my vSO) in 3 days after the event started and usually USPS took longer to deliver it. Then she offered to pick it up for me at another store and hold it until the event started which she did. I got it from her nicely packed with additional goodies on the day when I needed it and got my double points.
Too bad they don’t sell too many of the perfumes that I like.
Thanks, the MD and Diorella have both settled on nicely at my place.
Your shopping story is fabulous. That is astounding customer service, and would have made the occasion of giving the gift to your SO even nicer, because someone cared enough to help you. I’ll bet you will be going back to that SA again in the future.
I’m scratching back in my memory for an experience like that and cannot find one, but I did get very good service once from a Clinique SA when I wanted to exchange a product. I went home and emailed the store’s head office, and my message of thanks made its way back down to the SA. Hopefully she and her manager were made happy by that. Sadly, she is not there any more. SAs seem to move around a lot.
All this talk of Diorella over the past month or so has got me in a quandary: do I find a bottle and sniff? If I love it, will there be any room in my cabinet for it with the no. 19 Poudre? These are some very serious considerations!! LOL.
I am so glad that your bottle not only was not “off,” but that it smells good too! All those different formulations are just so ridiculous, but the topic exhausts me so I’ll leave it at that 😉
Mini’s are my new favorite thing, and I haven’t ever shopped with the Texan seller. Since I’m moving to her state, it makes sense that I ought to give her my business… off to check it out!
The different formulations are exhausting. I pay attention to Miss Dior and Diorella mostly, but leave the others. I have not enough energy to explore Dioressence. As for Diorissiomo and the d/c classics like Diorama and Diorling, I’d need to be robbing a bank to suport that habit.
To be honest dee, I reckon you should reserve cabinet space and perfume dollars for No 19 Poudre. A flanker to a classic Chanel does not happen very often, so that release has my full attention. And when everyone else is talking about No 19 Poudre, I want to know what they are on about.
Diorella will be still be there!
Anne-Marie,
I’ve been thinking of getting a large, modern Diorella just so I can get a touch of the juice I love so much. (I have a vintage spray with the periwinkle cap — 3/4th full? — but I can’t bear to use too much of it, although it’s more interesting.)
So glad you’re digging Miniature Perfume Shoppe. Leslie Ann rocks!
Thanks, yes, she’s marvellous!