Christian Dior Fahrenheit 32 ~ fragrance review

Fahrenheit 32 is the creation of Hedi Slimane (Christian Dior's former artistic director), perfumer Louise Turner, and François Demachy, current director of perfume development at Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy. Fahrenheit 32 is described as a “fresh oriental” and its main ingredients are orange blossom, vetiver and vanilla — with added “fresh notes,” a “solar note” and aldehydes.

The only similarity between “original” Fahrenheit and Fahrenheit 32 is the shape of their bottles, so judge Fahrenheit 32 on its own merits.

If Fahrenheit was about ‘heat’, Fahrenheit 32, with its name (the temperature at which water freezes), packaging (frosty white and metallic) and advertisements (featuring high altitudes) seems to proclaim its “coolness” — while using rather “warm” ingredients.

Fahrenheit 32’s opening is indeed fresh (ozonic) — if a little artificial smelling; a powdery-sweet candy note peeps in quickly and then disappears. The orange blossom in Fahrenheit 32 is not very forceful or “independent” as a fragrance note because it must struggle with rather bland vetiver and sweet vanilla notes. (I say ‘struggle’ because there are tense moments in Fahrenheit 32’s mid-development, a rocky transition between the “fresh” and “oriental” aspects of the fragrance). There is a strange note in Fahrenheit 32 that smells one minute like clove chewing gum and the next like ozone with hints of melon — is this the “solar” note? (Whatever it is, this ‘lightly-spiced-melon-in-the-sky’ scent lasts longest on my skin.)

Fahrenheit 32 stays close to the body, zips thru its stages of development quickly, and then disappears within 90 minutes.

Fahrenheit 32 is one confused fragrance. Does it want to be “fresh” and clear…or “oriental”, sweet and powdery? Does Fahrenheit 32 want to be “cool”… or “warm?” Fahrenheit 32 seems unfinished to me — a scent in which ‘conflicting” accords never meld successfully.

Though some believe Fahrenheit 32 is ‘feminine,’ I don’t find it girly or womanly at all, but it’s not really masculine either (in the traditional sense); it’s just (again) confused. Like me! I neither love nor hate Fahrenheit 32 — I don’t like it either but I don’t dislike it. It just leaves me cold, or should I say lukewarm...?

Christian Dior Fahrenheit 32 is available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette and in matching grooming products.