Diva Emanuel Ungaro for women

Love, love ♥️. Old fashioned chypre it is. Very strong beginning but warming up quickly. It's definitely old fashioned so only for the vintage lovers. Although the current version will be mass appealing i assume and shall be lighter than the vintage version i have. Projection and longtivity is moderate to strong. Not a beast but there to enjoy. Most chypre perfumes have moderate projection and longtivity. Only the vintage flower perfumes are the Beasts of the vintage world. 😊

There are People who will FLOCK to you if Diva agrees with your chemistry. It has allure, and it has panache, and it has purpose. It says, 'I am a woman; hear me roar!' A powerhouse, indeed. My bottle is 10 years old, so I have not a clue if the current formulation is as strong. Even if it is not, this is likely to be hated or adored, depending on your taste and that of your loved ones. No doubt it is too sophisticated and mature for many. It is too sophisticated and mature for ME on some days! It also requires me to shoo people away who zoom in for hugs, so there's that...

My sister has commented that it strongly reminds her of Amouage Beloved, and while I do not have that particular Amouage, it DOES vaguely call to mind the Amouage classics. Interlude and others have a bold, woody-rose profile and seem very like cousins of Diva. Put another way, if someone had given me a sample of this with an Amouage label, I would not have been at all surprised. It smells of the same family and quality.

To sum up: Oakmoss, wood, rose, and animalic notes in spades. Amouage quality on a budget! Not blind buy safe. A bang-up budget category win. Recommended. Five stars.

Beautiful stuff but what a powerhouse. This is what I would expect Billy Porter to be wearing to the Met Gala. I picked up a large bottle of it years ago not because I would wear it, but because I just like spraying it into the air periodically to enjoy the huge cloud of opulence.

Took a leap and got this for the honey, Jasmine and bergamot notes. I do not have the same nostalgia component as many others unfortunately, but my mum wore Coco Chanel as her signature scent and this brought a certain twinge of days gone by.

The fragrance is beautiful and layered, floral but grounded and elegant. It has a depth that a lot of gourmands and designer fragrances are missing and I debated keeping my bottle just to sniff for myself.

With that being said, I feel like you need a certain gravity to your personality or presence to wear it well. It’s a fragrance for someone that commands the room and captivates attention. For that reason, I passed my bottle along, but if you’re tired of linear or overly sweet perfume, this might be worth a shot. It definitely smells like it should be worth way more.

I loved this when it came out in the 1980’s. I remembered it recently and remembered the scent and realized it reminded me of Coco. When I looked it up I discovered it was created by Jacques Polge! I immediately ordered Diva. Amazing! Exactly as I remember. So glad to have this again! It’s powdery and woody and just beautiful. The rose isn’t too overpowering. It’s well balanced. Nothing it’s too overpowering Smelling this again after all those years was like seeing an old childhood friend. This is a beautiful fragrance. I can’t believe it’s only $25. Pro tip—> If you Love Chanel Coco but don’t want to splash out for it, buy Diva. It’s so similar. It’s maybe a little brighter and less spicy. But definitely a close cousin.

If there was ever a perfume that screams Jacques Polge it's Diva. The beginning of it all before we later received Coco Chanel Edp. This fragrance is so well crafted. Super 80's Floral's mixed with amber, civet, oak moss and aldehydes. A strong long lasting fragrance meant to reach even the highest shoulder pad's..lol. Truly aromatic and classy to the bone. If you ever wanted to try Coco this is the fragrance that started it all. I am so thrilled this beauty exists. And I have back-up's since I heard this could possibly be discontinued? Why would anyone discontinue this gorgeous gem of a fragrance??!! So absurd, it's so good...more of a hidden gem for us who know about her!!

Too much aldehydes, too much civet, too much oak moss, too screechy, too dusty, and too musty. This girl is too much, a real diva! I have a mini if anyone wants to swap. She is not for me.

Enchantingly beautiful. The bottle design is supposed to closely resemble the pattern and folds on a fashion gown designed by Ungaro. This is a very grown up perfume that left me overwhelmed. At the very heart, a rose, dipped in sweet honey and amber, but surrounded by floral notes of ylang ylang jasmine, carnation and iris. It starts off with aldehydes which give it a classy and classic feel. Soapy aldehydes but warmed up with citrus. The honey and vanilla are already coming through. The floral notes in the heart let loose their sweetness. But like I said, it's mostly a pink rose perfume that just happens to be blended with all the other florals listed on this page. To me the spiced up carnation and the jasmine plus ylang are bigger floral players than the others. As the perfume begins to dry down you get some honey and vanilla, some cozy musk, amber and some slightly woody note. A vintage beauty that has a wearable quality for today. It leans feminine and worldly, sophisticated, and elegant. Great for wearing to a fancy dinner date. It asks you to wear make up and put your hair up. Long lasting all day and the next, projects well. This is a real beauty. I think it's great for spring/summer but may also smell well in autumn.

I was curious about Diva after I learned that it is the perfume that Jacques Polge created a year before he came up with the formula for Coco (1984), the signature scent of my early 20s. Back then, I chose Coco entirely for superficial branding associations (I was young and dumb and it wasn't as easy to research fragrances back then as it is now), but it turned out to be a scent profile that grabs me to this very day: clove-kissed rose with citrus notes, an in-between kind of fragrance that hovers over the various categories (oriental, floral, amber-woody) and eventually transcends them altogether.

Diva is built around a big, mossy rose. You might expect it to be a big, glossy rose, a luxuriant, backstage-bouquet type of rose, but you would be mistaken. Diva is a rose chypre, a rose engulfed in a dark welter of forest--woods, herbs, spices. Diva might not be as elegant and iconic as Coco, but in its own way it's more affecting, or at least more poignant, even in its reformulated version. Also unlike Coco, Diva is (almost heartbreakingly) underpriced.

I find the rose-chypre combination bewildering in a good way, an enchanted forest kind of way. There is oakmoss (almost certainly not real, alas, which makes me want to look for a vintage, pre-IFRA formulation) and vetiver and a dark juicy rose. Woods (sandalwood I'm pretty sure, maybe cedar). Some kind of citrus--maybe tangerine? It's a strangely liminal fragrance: not really a pure floral fragrance, and not really a chypre, and weirdly fruity also. And always the rose regnant! It's by Ungaro and made in Italy (to this day, it would appear), but it smells very very frannnnnnnnnnnnnnch, thanks to Polge. He based the scent on the rose because he loved the rose, but also because the rose is part of the family symbol for Ungaro, something I learned from reading Fragrantica. I'd love to smell the vintage version someday--as great as this reformulation is, it probably suffers from the absence of real sandalwood and oakmoss. Then again, maybe it's better not to find out, since loving a scarce commodity is a recipe for disappointment.

Diva is a bargain (couldn't bear to call this one a cheapie!) Jacques Polge, created around the time he created the OG (and in my view best) Coco EDP, and I'm delighted by this sweet little shell-shaped bottle and its complex but approachable rose-chypre contents. Often described as a mossy rose, Diva is that, yes, but also quite woody and spicy. It's pitched somewhere between big French '80s floriental and a classy '70s-era chypre. I have a new (shockingly inexpensive) formulation, but I would love to track down a vintage version. With all the oakmoss, it's bound to smell different in a pre-IFRA iteration. I'm happy with this version regardless, though. It will be perfect for those days when I can't decide whether I want to wear a woody floral, a floral-oriental, or a green floral chypre. The rose is dominant, as it should be, but the narcissus note really sings on the paper; I hope it shows up on the skin, too.

1983 Jacques Polge Chypre Gem of HONEY-ROSE-OAKMOSS with Civet, Coriander & Sandalwood. Language evolves, and the term 'Diva' didn't mean exactly the same thing in 1983 as it does today. There was more of an aspirational tone to the word that's illustrated by the '80s film Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). Bored & desperate housewife, Roberta (Rosanna Arquette), 'desperately' wants to be like what she imagines Bohemian drifter, Susan (Madonna), to be. Just how Roberta dons Susan's jacket with its gold-thread pyramid on the back, one could spray on Diva, and gain a little of that sparkling, Bohemian star quality. In the first couple of minutes before the spray dries, I can feel the coriander and oakmoss. Once the spray dries, and the sillage starts to open up, I get tuberose & aldehydes, with carnation & honey swelling through. As it transitions to the floral heart there's rose & ylang added to the mix. This has a traditional chypre base with oakmoss that's sweetened by honey & soft woody tones from sandalwood. Civet is there in the base, but it's well blended. There's a lot going on here, but overall I get a coriander forward vintage chypre-floral that has some sweetness from honey & creaminess from tuberose & sandalwood. Performance is excellent, and what you would expect for a vintage chypre.

Contrast to Paloma Picasso Paloma Picasso:
These are different, although Paloma Picasso was released the year after Diva and there are similarities with rose, coriander, ylang, oakmoss & civet. However Diva is sweeter & creamier with forward honey & tuberose, while Paloma Picasso has much more forward animalics. Both have excellent performance.

Contrast to Coco Chanel EDP:
These are different, but these are both composed by Jacques Polge and there are similarities with rose, coriander, yellow-floral, civet & sandalwood. Coco has a more forward amber accord, while Diva is a chypre. Both have excellent performance.

Overall: gorgeous vintage chypre of honey-rose-oakmoss with spicy animalics, and excellent performance. It's a love for me. Enjoy!

This is not a scent I'll realistically wear much (if ever), but I'm glad to have it. It's definitely a time capsule, and it seems older than 1983 to me. I imagine the dressing room of a stage performer from the 30s or 40s -- big and bold, elegant but rough around the edges, maybe going for a little too much.

Big picture impression: aldehydes, animalic musk, and white florals, each competing for attention. It's not too far from a cross between Chanel No 5 and Shalimar, with a little dose of stage fright mixed in.

For me the notes are strong and team up to make something that's lovely but also close to "stinky". So for everyday wear, I don't think I can really pull it off. But the occasional whiff is like a theme park ride to another era. Being only $20 for a 50ml, it was a fun blind buy.

This is PERFUME. I love it. There are similar scents, but there truly is nothing like it. Absolutely nuclear longevity and projection. I spray each wrist and once at the base of my throat three hours before I leave the house, and that’s if I’m going all out and will be somewhere with a lot of space. It’s effing gorgeous. There is nothing I know like the journey it takes me on. I believe it could survive intact in a pyramid for 3500 years.

This is my dream chypre. The name describes it very well: the diva, the only focus of the lime light, she's where you should lay your eyes on. You can dislike her, but you cannot ignore her. She's rich, headstrong, confident, charming, and she knows it too well. It has some common notes with Aromatic Elixir, but they are also so different.

For me it's a great blind buy from Chemist Warehouse at 50 AUD. I did it because I know I can tolerate white florals. However, if you have problem with white floral scent, I suggest you try first. In the opening, the Indole is highly noticeable, even stinky if you get too close. It dries down after about 10 minutes and the good part begins.

Bold, complicated, demanding, over-the-top glamorous. A perfect diva. Love it. Furs, silk and diamonds optional.

I just bought a 2003 bottle of this on evilBay, got it home, sprayed it on, and immediately knew I'd made a mistake. Because it's 29 Celcius today and humid, and Diva is NOT happy. She's a fall and winter gal. I feel like I'm suffocating in furs and champagne when I should be topless sipping a Mai Tai.

Oh, did you think I meant a mistake in buying the perfume? Hah! Tell me another. Diva is drop-dead stunning. A genuine old-school honeyed chypre with lush floral flesh, animalic musks that hum like neon, a properly mossy backbone, and enough glittering aldehydes to blind the sun. Why does no one talk about this stuff?! It's a classic '80s kitchen-sink concoction, dense and decadent, but smooth as hell and utterly luxurious for its modest sticker price. Imagine Lauder's Knowing under a satin slip and after-bath powder, or Cartier's La Panthère after she's matured a bit and seen the world. I don’t get much resemblance to Paloma Picasso, even though on paper they should be siblings. Paloma always seemed sour and angry to me, like Maleficent’s green-eyed glare in fragrance form. Diva is forceful but playful, bordering coquettish at times. (Maybe I just think Diva smells better. De gustibus non est disputandum.)

Don't blind buy this unless you're of a certain age, love vintage chypres, can't bear the thought of smelling another modern fruity floral flop, or all of the above. Diva projects for miles, lasts ages without being obnoxious, and leans feminine in a velvet-evening-gown way, ie. not girly in the least. Sprayed on when the time is right, it makes me feel like Beyoncé hosting a New Year’s Eve party on top of a skyscraper. Absolutely fabulous. 💃🏽

I have a 1986-era mini from a Bloomingdale's 7 scents kit. On my skin, Diva is a spicy chypre. My skin amps the coriander seed, cardamom, and carnation notes that lurk within a honeyed chypre. I find this friendlier than Paloma Picasso, Niki de Saint Phalle, and some of the other hard-core chypres of this era. Definitely worth seeking out if you are a fan of this type of fragrance.

I received this today. I bought it for just under $12.00. Batch #1721601 (2017).
This is GORGEOUS and I don't really feel a need to go over the notes. This is a warm, seductive, elegant, and animalic scent. I love Magie Noire; my fave, and Magie is getting jealous! I mean , this is bad, I want to ask myself on a date already xD! I think this perfume is going to have plenty of personality to pull me off.

i'm testing from a vintage vial. i get a lot of aldehydes and oakmoss along with a strong dose of coriander at first. later it gets quite woody and i get a ton of vetiver and some civet. there are florals but they are subtle, this might be because my vial is old, but i'm not sure. it's primarily woody and animalic, and unisex. it smells very vintage indeed. not really what i expected, but now i am curious to try a newer bottle and see if i get more florals coming through.

I was in the mood for diva today worn it to work today and even the boss thought I'm the boss, vintage bottle of this juice is a blessing.

Note: I'm a male but diva transcends genders

Beautiful chipre, old school, it not for everyone

I only wanted this because it was a favorite of Sophia Loren. Did not expect to love it, but I'm obsessed. It's sparkles and thunderstorms and soap suds. My husband really likes it, surprisingly. He called it "aggressively clean" which fits. If we assigned perfume to creative works, I think this one would fit Twin Peaks. I don't imagine Sophia being a big fan of David Lynch, but it fits both to me.

Gorgeous perfume, I love these vintage scents anyway..Honey, rose ,carnation, sandalwood, and civet is my first impression. Heady and heavy, very potent, but not over-the-top. There's oakmoss and aldehydes in the drydown along with ylang and musk. In a way it reminds me of Madame Rochas, it would be very similar on me, but this has more honey, more sweetness all along. Beautiful scent, recommended for evening use, on occasion, this would be too much nowadays for daytime.

Today I dabbed on a bit of D. parfum and thought: this is Paloma Picasso! Both are very animalic and rich. PP is one of my all-time favs because it's so animalic, but I'd never noticed this aspect of Diva.
PP does perform better than D, but that's fine. Next up: layering PP and D!

This smells expensive, and based on the notes in the scent I should love it. But I don't. It's a little bit old-fashioned and I associate it with an archetypal 1980s "high maintenance" kind of woman.

Trying it again about a year later, and my husband says it smells "fresh" and "soapy." It's OK. It does not hold a candle to my favorite, Dioressence, though.

Diva by Ungaro ... what to say !? Jacques Polge Docet . The triumph of opulence of the legendary 80s. Fragrance that reminds me of flashy jewels, sparkling evening dresses, stiletto heels, sumptuous furs, even a little straps, eye-catching make-up, fiery red lipstick. I cannot criticize it as I read in many comments, because Diva is a masterful aphrodisiac storm of intoxicating aldehydes, a thunderous, floral blend that does not bring peace to the nose, a slight jolt of citrus almost affected, and a riot: boisée, chypre, amber , honeyed all expertly framed by an animalic, aggressive and powerful civet. She embodies the powerful, fickle, spoiled, sensual, aggressive, hot and sexy woman. It is a very powerful ultra-feminine elixir that devastates the sensory, if you do not know how to love it as it deserves. She found it incredibly feminine, it contains all the thousands of shades of the female world, all these aldehydes the floral, woody, animalic succession turns over time into an inexorable and reassuring powdery, a bit like all apparently aggressive women but in private with whom they love loving and sweet as honey. Impetuous sillage, for women of character. Extraordinary almost infinite duration. I love

Of course, Jacques Polge the master and nose behind Chanel, no wonder!. Diva is truly a masterpiece. Layered, almost like a polyphony... It develops, gradually changes..has crescendos and decrescendo... wow.
top notes are the loudest and sharp. but than honey and rose make their appearance...
Its amazing...If you want Chanel class, this is it for much lower price for some reason..

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of Fragrantica, Thank you so much. I'll try to keep this brief!!

I have always adored perfume. I bought what I liked or loved the smell of and had a very simple system of categorisation: winter/summer/cheap but nice for day or work. Expensive for special events/sexy night out and my Signature scent of 30 years: Givenchy's Amarige.

But until I started reading your posts and reviews it never occurred to me to consider WHY I liked them or the reason I wore them when I did. I couldn't have identified which notes pleased or repulsed me or even which family of scent the perfume belonged to. Sillage, opening, dry down, longevity were all unknown terms and considerations. But now, thanks to all of you, I am experiencing and enjoying perfume in a completely new way and quite frankly it's amazing!

Perhaps one of THE most important things I have learnt is to let my perfume rest after transit and not to judge by the first couple of sprays.

Which brings me to Diva! I made the mistake of trying this as soon as it arrived a few days ago. All I could smell was a spicy, powdery, woody and very dated scent. I really didn't like it either on paper or my wrist. Today I decided to try again and applied as I usually would. My newfound knowledge isn't anywhere near the levels expressed here, but I fell in love with Diva. I was enveloped in the most beautiful scent. I could detect more florals, a touch of sweetness, powdery, woody and a definite vintage feeling to Diva. It smells expensive and very classy. It was a blind buy based on reviews and I'm very happy to have this in my collection.

This is my first ever review, perhaps not great in it's description of Diva but with your help I hope to improve!

this one takes some patience. right out the gate, the aldehydes seem to be having a disagreement with the civet and the oakmoss — and it’s not pretty: there’s an angry cat-pee/bug-spray vibe lurking. but if you give it a half-hour or so, this melee evaporates, leaving the pleasant sharpness of undergrowth and spiced soap. now that’s settled, you can appreciate the stars of the show — and what a show it is: bergamot, roses, and honey, wrapped in patchouli and white fur. she lasts and lasts, and she’s especially nice the next morning.

musical accompaniment : Maria Callas’s performance of “Casta Diva” from her debut at the Paris Opera, 1958

/current edp

Based on the notes and complexity, I should love this. And indeed if I could sample the original formula, that might well be the case. The present day version has two sides - the warm and inviting, cognaccy nutty base, which I like, but then the aldehydic sharpness of this chypre dominates the surface layer in a way that does not meld well with my body chemistry and taste. Chypre lovers will do better I suspect. Wish the floral notes were more prominent this might mitigate the situation a bit more but, alas, as it stands now I don’t hate it but it doesn’t quite get there on my skin. Love the 80s ethos of it though. Might pass my bottle to a better home.

Diva, there is so much I can say. You are so temperamental, yet so warm, and inviting. Sweet but assertive. You stay for hours among hours, and never shut up.
You're so dramatic, I love you to death!!

I had this in my collection around 1989-1992 or so. I liked certain aspects of this and loved the bottle design and name, but there were a few notes within this that didn't settle well with my chemistry.

I wound up wearing Quelques Fleurs l'Original Houbigant, Beautiful by Estee Lauder, and Basic Black by Bill Blass more often.

A little aldehyde and tangerine, the main note of Diva's white flowers should be led by tuberose, followed by the mixed floral fragrance of jasmine and rose.
Old-fashioned powdery, prominent ylang ylang, and sour bergamot shuttle through it, stringing together all the floral layers like a thread.
No indole. Vaguely, you can smell the unique milky smell of tuberose, along with more gorgeous and fragrant flowers, slowly spreading.
The mellow and silky honey-white flowers make me guess that this perfumer must be an "old man" with qualifications. His perfumery skills are so skilled and consummate.
Diva is the best proof of Jacques Polge's strength.
He is very good at creating oriental floral fragrances.
Diva doesn't have the allure of Coco. Coco is more oriental. As a continuation of Opium, its temperament is still very different from Diva, a conservative old white flower.
Diva is sweet but not greasy, with patchouli and a clean musk base that is an excellent base for tuberose.
Very tasty sweet fragrance.

Current iteration: too much Ambroxan. They ruined it.

A draped body conscious mini dress, black hosiery, stilettos pumps, a leather jacket with shoulder pads, full voluminous hair, heavy makeup with sharp cheeks, red long nails and lips - puffing some smoke from cigarettes - sashaying around to the sound of Depeche Mode’s Strangelove.
That’s how I feel when I wear Diva… And I am a man.
It is bold, vintage, sexy… it’s fabulous. It is not the same as Paloma Picasso or Animale but it has some resemblance. They are cousins. Roses, honey and moss quite prominent. Maybe not advisable to blind buy but if you like chypres and vintages it is a good option.
The bottle reminds the 80s drapes Ungaro made in his designs, very interesting and the heavy glass cap is lovely.

This is a gorgeous perfume. I blind bought a full size bottle based on the notes, accords and reviews. This has the same character as Passion by Elizabeth Taylor and Ysatis by Givenchy but while those are aldehydic spicy white florals w/ amazing honey notes and deep resinous dry downs, Diva centers herself on the Queen of Flowers the Rose. This opens w/ an aldehydic blast from the past, are the 1980's calling? Why yes, they are, and you should heed that call if you want to smell sensual and like you have it going on. You have to be very comfortable in your own skin and femininity to pull off this type of perfume. Not for the faint of heart. This is bold stuff. As the aldehydes fade off a bit a deep dark rose enters the room, she is spicy and rich, dripping w/ resins and honey. This also has a very red spicy carnation, powdery iris, woody rich sandalwood, patchouli and vetiver. This is a sensual fragrance, in my opinion more sensual than Passion and Ysatis, those are a bit colder, Diva is a warmer Aldehydic floral. All 3 of these perfumes are wonderful and I am happy to have Diva in my collection. Not a blind buy unless you love very bold perfumes.

That crystal fan, the glorious diadem that catches my eye long before the red shield, her heart, is truly tempting, a cunning illusionist.
It hides from my eyes the feline nature that evidently already shines through the color of the liquid, if I were more careful, if I looked better.
Diva roars as she glimpses the freedom from the compressing plissé bodice, her nails are sharp claws. And they really do hurt, an evil of love, my heart breaks in waiting to have her with me again, close to me forever, on the gods altar, next to the few that I own at her high level.

Chanel's Jacques Polge composed this ferocious chypre, so naturally it has panache and dimension, reeling the wearer through a aldehyde atmosphere of heady, opulent florals coated with coriander and mandarin zest, into a core of honey, civet, musk, moss, and woods.

Is it brash? Not necessarily. Is it brazen? Absolutely. This baby needed to cut through plumes of cigarette smoke and competing power chypres in its heyday; the miasma that resulted is from a bygone era, and it was survival of the fittest for statement fragrances. Today, when applied with a careful hand, it is as stirring and arresting as anything created by Bogue or Papillon (to their credit, they do make some impressive chypres of their own). Anyone of any gender who craves kaleidoscopic concoctions can wear Diva with aplomb. God, the dry down is deep and sexy.

Are we not Men? We are Diva!

I have waited awhile for Diva. I remember seeing ads for it in magazines in 1988. The bottles looked like cognac. I never had the chance to test it. Then about 10 years ago when I began writing on this site, I noticed the notes and the comparisons caught my interest. I thought maybe I should sample it but was afraid of getting a reformulation.

My quest began for the follow up to Coco from Polge. This comes from the era when Poison was everywhere. The powerhouse fragrance became like an invasive species in malls and restaurants by the end of the 1980s. I cant say this was a bad thing. That was the intention of their creators. When the time and place were right, they would shine. When the girl taking your order at McDonalds reeked of Giorgio, that was drawing a line.

The bold class of big rosey civet bombs was nothing new. Bal a Versailles was my first love. The 80s turned up the volume as loud as they could go-Kouros, La Nuit, Clandestine, Animale, Fendi, Parfum de Peau and Eqiutos . Tobacco use was still quite public and these baby's could compete in a smoky room. I think that Paloma Picasso was my gateway to this class.

Last February, I found a nice vintage bottle of Diva dated 1995. It even had a little tree on it describing it as a "semi-floral oriental". I gave a spray and was immediately caught off guard. Was it too strong? Was I just not in the mood? Probably the later. I stashed it away for a few months.

May arrives and my second try was worse. I got aldeydes, roses and white florals that seemed put together wrong. It was not my "wait until spring affair" I had planned. I felt like I had been in an argument with the best dressed guest at my party that I had not met before and lost. I came away insulted and had a black eye! (just kidding) It was my most awkward introduction with a new fragrance I blindly purchased. Did I waste my money? Was this a reformulation or counterfeit?

I am a seasoned fragrance veteran who hasn't gone a day without loud room filling clouds of vintage treasures on my body. How did I start off on the wrong foot with Diva? She is a ravishing beauty who lives up to her name. Her sister Coco is very fussy about the weather and demands a chill in the air. Diva is the same. Diva likes it cooler as well. I will do anything to please this Diva. Leaves are falling outside of my window today...Jackie Collins comes to mind-strong, confident, bold and sexy.

Those notes are stunning-tangerine/ROSE/ylang/jasmine/iris/honey/civet on sandalwood. Throw in lots of oakmoss and vetiver and you get one of the best from the 1980s. She plays no games, is very sexy and dominates all social circles. This majestic formula seemed to get lost in the shuffle as the 1990s and beyond turned down the volume, and restricted most of the ingredient. Diva was from a time when fur, cigarettes and strong drink were still in fashion in public. Diva is a dragonfly in amber and luckily still around. Just treat her with respect, wear heavy makeup and a leopard skin suit with shoulder pads. Or better yet, nothing at all...

Oh my, this is the perfume version of the stunning red dress Julia Roberts wears to the opera in Pretty Woman.

this fragrance is everything. literally makes me feel like a diva LMAO. sillage and longevity is great, lasts all day for me even though i live in a tropical country. very heady, which i love. i smell all the roses with an animalic note added to it. reminds me of opium, but less incense-y.

I had already done a partial review on the reformulation before. Not a real review. More of my first impressions. And my first impression, at that time, was that it was STRONG. I mean like room filling strong. I really liked this honey dipped rose chypre, but ultimately found it a little too loud and dated simply because I couldn't think of an appropriate place to wear it, especially in this perfume adverse culture we're living in today. I do wear it, and enjoy it, but it's either when alone or around people who don't give a damn what I am wearing. I was always curious about how the reformulation measured up to the OG formula, so I was delighted to receive a part used bottle of the OG as a surprise bonus in a swap. Honestly, after doing a side by side comparison, to my nose there's not much difference between the original and the reform. The floral profile is the same, but the honey note a little heavier in the reform, making it a tad sweeter, and the aldehydes and spice a little heavier in the OG. But the biggest difference is there is real civet in the original formula and not in the reform, and is especially prominent and comes forward in the base. Overall, the OG formula does seem a little richer, and a little sexier because of the civet, but the difference is so minor it's negligible. Whoever did the reformulation did a wonderful job in keeping this fragrance as true to the original formula as possible.

Honestly, after comparing both versions I wouldn't go out of my way, or pay the extra expense, for a vintage. Besides, buying the reform means you will most likely save money, and won't have to risk dealing with spoiled top notes. But if you want something more animalic, vintage is the way to go. No matter the version though, this is a beautiful fragrance and one worth having, especially when you feel the need to channel your inner diva. This certainly fits the bill for that.

A heady, multifaceted and complex mix of florals and spices, supplemented by the clever deployment of civet, honey, aldehydes (amongst others) that augment and boost the array of twists this stupendous concoction performs across an airing. The rose, ylang-ylang, iris and jasmine are fulsome and compelling. It really is something to behold. Gradually, there's a 'warm-earth' ambiance from the base notes that work seamlessly with the civet and gives real 'body' to Diva.

To be honest, few other scents have left such an instant and lasting impression. I only came to know this sublime potion last year and I feel like I've missed out on a world of pleasure. How did Diva escape my attention so long? Make no mistake, this creation by M Polge is one of genius. True love! 💙🤍❤️

Where to begin on this classic? I read about Diva for the first time a few days ago on Fragrantica. Then, by supreme luck, I was able to acquire a vintage Diva EDP sample from a Fragrantica swap partner.

All it took was one spray, one wearing before I knew I needed this beauty in my repertoire.

There is no mistake that this is a vintage Diva from a bygone era. The concentration of real (and synthetic?) oakmoss, honey and florals balance out the aldehydes for me, a note that I often struggle with. Diva feels like the 80s; strong, loud and proud. It’s a perfume that says I have entered the room. One spray being sufficient—anymore and you risk gassing out those around you.

One of the best parts; the next day. The scent has mellowed but she’s still present, softer, and more reflective.

It takes a lot for me to spring for a vintage perfume, it has to be a love. I’m so happy that I got a brand new, cellophane wrapped box with a 30ml bottle in perfect shape. I didn’t get the deal others got, paying about double what Mapache paid for less product, but I’m still thrilled. Buying older stock you’re never certain the condition of the scent, but my purchase is in perfect shape.

I started wearing perfume in the late 70s and early 80s. I am certain this passed under my radar because it’s the kind of scent only a woman could pull off. I was too young to feel I could wear Diva confidently.

A big, retro Grande Dame of a scent—she’s singing on my skin. And yes, most importantly, a wearable, vintage perfume with aldehydes no less. A real standout in my bulging 200 plus bottle collection.

I saw this online 1.7oz EDP for $25......Of course I expected to receive a "newer" formulation of this....right..???
Well...I got a perfect NIB sealed one.....vintage !!! From the batch code and also the little paper pamplet describing other products in the Diva line...When is the last time you saw one of those little pamphlets..??
Oh Diva...why have I ignored you all these years...???!!
LOVE at first sniff.....classic gem....chypre-ish....FAN-tas-TIC scent. Bravo !!

I absolutely love this. Used to wear this when I was young. Right now, I have the toilette and I think it is the perfect strength. Woody, airy, clean - unisex. Perfect for me.

When the top settles down, the kitchen sink of notes all boil down to a lovely honey + flower impact. The bottles one can buy now, new, for 20 bucks, can layer with masculine dry fragrances that need some flower nectar. But take note the aldehydes sticks through the mid and with the jasmine - it's not mellow - it really has that bite of good honey and beeswax. This isn't smokey (though I would mix it with a smokey scent) but it smells similar to the perfume of burning beeswax.

A robust and full-bodied woman; big hair, full lips, womanly curves, bold fashions, powerful voice, the whole nine yards. Rich roses, lots of civet, sweet ylang and honey, and very rich oakmoss. Diva is perfect, you cannot help but notice and admire her presence. An excellent offering by Ungaro.

Review of 2015 bottle - I'm sure this perfume is only a faint shadow of the bombshell it was in the 80s and has only suffered from restrictions and reformulations. BUT, it is still a very complex chypre and the oakmoss, while faint, is still somehow very present. Maybe back in the old days this was an Alexis Carrington rhinestone covered ball gown; now it is a far more wearable pant suit. Maybe a little old fashioned but you can pull it off. I don't feel bad that I blind bought it and am thinking about experimenting with layering it with sweeter / fruitier fragrances to bring out the honey and floral notes.

I've owned Palomo Picasso and Coco for years. To my nose this is VERY close to Picasso, for anyone blind buying. Maybe her lighter, slightly rosier sister. I see the comparison to Coco, b/c it's a Chypre, but personally do not think it smells like Coco. I also have Montana & LOVE it. Again, a Chypre comparison, but these 2 do not smell alike. This is a perfume I'd spray around my knees. B/C it smells good, but I don't want it in my face. Not b/c it's strong, but b/c I like it from a little further away better just like Picasso. Montana & Coco, I can handle in my face. I have over 500 in my insane collection, & I am downsizing. Decluttering is happnin' on YT if you are interested, this will be in there ;) Natalie N On Youtube

In Dynasty (the real stuff, not the Netflix'reboot), Alexis Carrigton was supposed to wear Bal à Versailles from Jean Desprez.

@Lixa nailed it! Wearing Diva is definitely the closest you can get to experiencing a Dynasty slap from Joan Collins. A great Chypre that screams 80's. I love it!!!

this is the princess version of Paloma Picasso...she was the witch and this one is the Snow White with a very expensive gown in a rose garden . I love Diva .

warm, sweet..but a bit aunty perfume, i guesss because the oakmoss and carnation wich are realy strong.

Oh good, a rose forward perfume I actually like! Smells good right from the start. Spicy, soft, the rose has a fresh quality for me.
Womanly.
I can see the rose bouquet being presented to the diva onstage. :)
I see comparisons to Coco - for me Coco is challenging, some note in it that doesn't quite sit right with me - Diva goes down easy.
---------------
Really appreciate the rich soft spiciness.

Current issue produced in Italy by Ferragamo (edp). It smells like Dynasty, it's drama in a bottle! Damn I'll get me some Fantasy Island episodes and bask in the zeitgeist of the 80's now;)
It has a slight resemblance to Coco and is in the same league with the Chanels and Jil Sander no 4. The opening reminds me of Knowing, a fragrance I don't like, but that moment is brief, and the rose comes through shortly after. It' rich, grand, luxurious a la 80's. Great longevity on the skin; great quality for the price. Let's hope it will continue to be in production forever;). Big Love!

Later edit: the only letdown is the presentation. The cap doesn't click, so it just falls off, it's so poorly designed; it's made of heavy plastic, not glass. The "diva" sticker peels off... why did they put a sticker in the first place??! This fragrance deserves better. Ungaro's marketing is zero.. too bad. However, the fragrance is top notch.

New EDP. I am shocked by the sillage, projection and pungency. Capable of filling several rooms, probably a hotel lobby. And it's pretty after the top fades. Reminds me of society balls in the 1980s. Tell us, what other designer fragrances in current formulation pull off this trick? For 20 USD, yet?

Picked up a gift set of 2002 Diva EdP 1.7 oz for sixteen dollars today, with an unused red lipstick in a gorgeous metallic tube. I remember when this came out in the early 80s, and how stunning the bottle was.

In 2020, it's for anyone who craves richness, boldness, and a sense of glamour. This will be perfect in deepest winter, sprayed on a scarf, giving a sense of wonderment to walking in the snow. And yet, I wore it today in 31 Celsius heat, and it bloomed like a rosebush drizzled with honey. I checked the pricing online and it is quite reasonable to purchase, so if you are up for some 80s glamour, order this, break out the shoulderpads and the aquanet, and prepare to be fabulous. Imagine a mistress in black lingerie wearing Diva and arriving by limo to visit her lover, and no one knows what she is wearing under that black mink coat. Powerful stuff!

I bought this perfume blind because classic or 'retro' chypres are my beloved fragrances and I truly think Diva is a classic that is worth to know and own. Of course, I understand that it's not for everyone, basically, all chypres can be challenging. I have to add that I have a currently available EDP which has oakmoss extract in it according to its box. Well, on my skin and for me this is everything that a bold, rich, fullbodied 80's chypre can and should be. So much more than currently available Montana PArfum de peau is! The latter (current, reformulated!) almost burns my nose with it's rather agressive sweet, fruity, calendula, dusty, fake-leathery notes, while Diva, that is undeniably reminiscent in many characteristics is more refined, rounded, elegant - yes, it can be loud and still quite elegant, too - and SOFT compared to Montana. Paloma PIcasso is drier, earthier and much darker in my opinion, Diva is bright and more feminine but still could be worn by the proper man, I think. What I like most in Diva is the balance of it's honeyed base, it's not too sweet, not too sour, not too cloying but gently powdered. While it could easily be a signature for a lady in its time, I don't think this fragrance is easy to wear casually or for work today, it requires an event, a night out, a special occassion.

I do agree this has nothing to do with Paloma Picasso. This is sour and I’ve got the vintage version which I blind bought and it’ll go straight to the charity. Not my thing. It’s super animalic and kind of balsamic. It is very late 70 early 80s, like Charlie blue although not similar to Charlie blue but they keep the same kind of root

@StellaKapranos Try a vintage one! And yes it has nothing to do with Paloma Picasso.

To be quite honest, I don`t like this one at all. Since I am a huge lover of vintage perfumes and after reading so many great reviews, I almost blind-bought Diva. I tried it today and I was so disappointed. On my skin it simply doesn`t work. It`s a blend of very strong citrus notes in the opening, then you can smell a lot of flowers, and at the end woody notes. I personally don`t like the way in which notes are blended. It smells a bit sour. I expected much more when I saw that people compare it to Paloma Picasso, which I adore, but to me, they are not similar at all. Definitely don`t buy this one based merely on reviews. Try before you buy.

What a masterful blend! I won't bother you with the notes' breakdown. I just wanted to tell you how I feel wearing this and I don't care, that Diva is a women's perfume. Wow! This is a heavenly scent! Animalic and carnal, but manages to be clean(gives the feeling of the so-called white musk accord used in the oriental attars) and elegant at the same time. From all frags that I have shares most similarities with Van Cleef's First, which is muskier, but also less animalic. Diva will make your head spin and not only because of its enormous projection!
I bow to your artisanship, Mr. Polge!

رائع حقا. هو عطر لجميع الأوقات. يصلح لان يكون امضاء.
عطر بجرعة كاملة من العسل بكمية جيدة من طحلب السنديان لا يجعله حلوا ولا حادا للغاية. إنه حالة من التوازن مع جرعة مكملة جيدة من الزهور التي تجعله عطرا للسعادة.
Amazing. It's a perfume of all times. It's a signature one.
Perfume of full dose of honey with good amount of oakmoss that make it neither too sweet nor too sharp. It's a case of equilibrium with a good complemented dose of flowers that make it a perfume of happiness.

Diva opens with the scent of propolis (the medicinal antiseptic bee product). It lingers for some time and then it starts transforming in the smell of strong chamomile tea with a spoonful of honey.

Perfume for queen bees!

Just never wear it while having a cold because it will augment the experience.

I have the vintage. This is okay. A typical, vintage, classic woody chypre.

Hmmm I’m not sure. To me this is a lighter version of Paloma Picasso edp (which smells like YSL Kouros to me) A watered down version. With these late 70’s and early 80’s chypres I personally don’t get a lot of the notes most mentioned on here. I just get an earthy oakmoss and galbanum, maybe rose. Dirty and earthy. Not pretty. Unisex. If your into this type of vintage than you’d like it. Beautiful bottle though!

Although I feel my collection encompasses the key vintage and modern perfumes that would interest me, I sometimes trawl through perfume reviews to see if I've missed anything, which is how I came upon Diva. Oh wow. How did I overlook this one? Instantly captivating! I see it's compare to Paloma and I see why, with the opening wave of rose / oakmoss and the chypre structure, but it soon evolves to something very akin to Lauder's Knowing. The oakmoss for me is front and centre throughout, but weaving through is a rose that is exceptional - true rose, not what we think rose might be in perfumery, but the dewy fresh rose smelt at dawn. Also interesting is a strong coriander seed note - not leafy coriander, but the aromatic seed. The whole thing evolves softly and warmly and becomes a gorgeously powdery, deep, mossy thing that feels familiar, as though you have known it forever. Love the bottle, love the name, love the smell. The whole package is gorgeous. And it's so CHEAP!!!!

Spice and honey in a bottle . I have always loved DIVA , nearly used up my aunts bottle as a young 20 year old. I never put 2 and 2 together referring to the name of the perfume and how it made me feel when I wore it. All I knew is that the fragrance was beautiful and no matter how much I sprayed I never got tired of the occasional whiff I’d get as the scent transformed. The current formulation still has the same effect it’s just missing the extra sharpness it used to have, but still lovely.

Today I just had to sniff something new which was Eau Capitale Diptyque and just to see what the hype is about 540....s. And Eau Capitale Diptyque was very very nice chypre and yes it is the new DIVA. but my vintage DIVA is missing... DIVA where are you when I need you?!

Ok, I have the current formulation and it is straight up Chypre. I get no florals,no transition, just a spicy, mossy deepness that I love! I put soliflores on top of it all the time.

It is winter and my diva as I have noticed went for a walkabout during last summer. My collection is big but not that big?! It is not my treasured one but even so.
It is missing in action.

Diva, the bright sun queen, moves graciously in her palace towards her garden. There´s oranges and lemons in a copper bowl and a delicate porcelain jar with exotically arranged coriander and tuberose near her throne. Her long wavy red hair, discreetely scented with ylang ylang and her long, flowing white dress are adorned with the most precious gems and amber. The fresh wind fills the air for a moment with narcissus but quickly,the fragrant cloves and the many rose bushes smell much more prominent. The gardener must have dug some orris root somewhere. A straight narrow pathway made of pebbles leads her to an old sandalwood garden bank. She gently reclines her head backwards and closes her eyes while the sun kisses her cheeks making her peachy healthy complexion even more beautiful. She takes her sandals off and relaxes. There´s patchouli and grasses, jasmine and a pale iris growing near the garden bank. The cat notices her present and jumps on her lap. She smiles and the cat starts purring. Both enjoy the sunlight.

I have multiple bottles of Diva. Current EDT, vintage EDP, and vintage parfum.

Today I chose the current EDT formula.

In all formulas, I really only smell rose, honey, and chypre. The current EDT formula is a bit sweeter and lighter on the chypre than the vintage EDP and parfum. The chypre is still a dominating set of notes in it, but toned down just a bit.

They all project like mad, and last a long time on the skin. This is very obviously not a contemporary fragrance. It is an example of another point in fragrance history. But it is a very well blended fragrance, and wearable today as long as you use an appropriate amount and respect the larger than life nature of a floral chypre.

I just blind bought this after reading raving reviews of Diva recommending it as a deep, sensual, rose perfume. I was about to leave for the night and have myself completely surrounded by a deep and sensual rose perfume.

Right after receiving, I was so excited to open and tried on my wrist…. Immediately was repulsed. There is a very sharp.... urine like note to my nose. Surrounding the urine note is some incense rose like someone had tried to mask a male toilet with some rose scented incense sticks.

I had to scrub this immediately. I was about to leave my place for a gathering and wanted to smell like sensual and spicy roses today, but I was afraid I was going to give everyone a comatose with the intense urine smell.

Smell: 1/10 (to me, smell is subjective, so perhaps this probably smells amazing on others)
Sillage: Probably around 10/10. This one seemed pretty strong.
Longevity: I washed it off, so have no idea

Conclusion: Perhaps this works in a cold nation, but will not work where I live with our intense humidity and heat in June.

Oh my goodness. I scored a SEALED vintage EDP off good ol’ eBay and I am utterly in love. A spray to my wrists and the back of my neck and I am surrounded in the sexiest aroma. I worried that this would be too dated of a fragrance to bathe in, in such a way.. but it is quite luscious and sweet with a vintage oakmoss kick that renders this almost unisex. Oakmoss is sometimes too masculine on my skin but it is just right in this concoction, sweetened by honey and mellowed by rose and aldehydes.

Absolutely beautiful, a golden scent and a confidence booster. Give me those 80s shoulder pads and sky high hair and I’m ready to rule the world!

ديفا .. تحمل في طياتها من الحسن
و الاسرار ما يتضاعف .. فكلما مر الزمن
بانت ملامحها .. كسدال يصعد ليكشف
عن جمال يفوق القمر حسناً
..
فتارة اجد فيها من الجمال
ما تبلغ به لقب الاميرات .. و تارة
من الحنان ما توصف به الأمهات
و هي كأجمل رواية حبٍ .. كل مافيها يشوّق
..
و لو كنت مخيراً بينها و بين قريناتها
لنكمل هذه الرحلة وحدنا .. لأخترتها ..!!
و لم اتردد ثانية
..
الروز المدخن كرائحة خديها الأحمرين
حين اقبلها
و مسك الزباد .. كدفئ حضنها حين
احتضنها ..!!

Hi, just blind bought Diva because I wanted to try a Chypre fragrance. To me, Diva smells exactly like Ambre Solaire sun oil (the kind that was popular in the 1980's). I didn't like it then and sadly I haven't mellowed with age! Totally subjective, but this one is really not for me.

I wore this back in the late 80's - and this was certainly HOT back then. It had some great ads and I remember that this was a splurge from a store like Neiman Marcus. I paid a fortune for it back then - and it is so good to see that the price is now much more reasonable.

I may have to revisit this --
Loved it back in the day - but wound up wearing Estee Lauder's Beautiful for over 20 years as a signature scent.

Now that I'm in the mood to find another signature -
This is definitely one to revisit!

Thanks to all the raving reviews here, I got a vintage bottle from Ebay. Glad you led me to this gorgeous scent. I have the full strength perfume in a tiny bottle, but, a drop or two will do it. It is gorgeous, classic, timeless and very feminine. There is a brightness of citrus and aldehydes on the opening, that dries down quickly to a woody, spice and floral blend that develops with a powdery softness. I smell hints of rose, ylang ylang and carnation with the coriander and cardamon. A softer citrus continues to linger too, which is lovely. I also smell hints of pepper, although that is not mentioned above, and oakmoss develops slowly. I can't pick out animalistic scents at all, but they provide an underlying sultriness that is perfect. What a glorious discovery!

I'm going to write a better review as soon as I put my hands on my own bottle but for now I only know that I want it.lucky me,it's not much woody or chypre-ish on me (is that even a word?!:D I detect a jammy rose, ylangylang and some other flower soaked in rich,very slightly spicy honey.and there's the type of musk I love,like the one in Joop Femme and Joy.it's mesmerising me with it's deep beauty.it has a vintage luxurious quality,some sort of breathtaking beauty that can tell you it belongs to another era;but at the same time it's so charming,inviting and velvety, that I can happily wear it as a below thirty woman.glorious yet naughty-sexy.indeed a diva.if scents had colors this definitely would be red and golden
Ungaro is becoming one of my favourites when it's about vintage perfumes.Ungaro Ungaro,Senso and Diva are all must haves for me.it's a shame that there's nothing impressive among it's new offerings

Wow, this is a strong, long lasting fragrance. I only just got around to trying it the other day so forgive me for not having a better review of this other than that it is really strong and long lasting. I really need to wear this again, preferably not while with people, because I have to figure out where a fragrance like this would be appropriate in public. It is that strong to me. And it stayed that strong from the first spray to the end of the day. At this point it is hard for me to distinguish the notes probably because it is so well composed. Everything seems to work seamlessly together with no bare or distinguishable transitions. I sprayed the inside of my elbow with just one spray and it filled the whole house with this scent, which wasn't a negative because it is beautiful. Regarding strength and silage I would definitely put this right up there with ET's Passion. But Passion almost seems one dimensional to me compared to this. This is sweet but not cloying. It's rosey but not overly so. It's spicy but barely. It's in the clouds yet down to earth. It is really, really hard to describe. Someone said they smelled urine but I didn't smell that at all, which could be because I have a recent edition. I have a problem with natural civet turning to urine on my skin. If this has civet it must be a synthetic because I am getting none of that urine smell here. This is a wonderful fragrance that I think is perfect for the winter but might be too much for the summer. I'll have to come back and add my impressions once I've worn this some more but as of now I think the only place I'll test this out is when I am home or walking the dogs.

It's 28 degrees out and sort of sleeting here, and I'm just home after slogging through all manner of half-frozen stuff on my morning walk. In spite of my boots and two pairs of socks, my feet are numb. I've got on so many layers that I can barely bend my extremities. The sky is gray and my nose is running. My glasses are fogged up and I have stumbled along the last few yards. But I'm wearing enough Diva to stop a train. I WILL SURVIVE.

What a beauty!

In the day when we dread every new bottle of our favorite juices, this one still shines. I was shocked how good it was when I received it. Can not tell if it's different, never wore it before. For years I hesitated ordering it online, it disappeared from conventional perfumeries and was replaced mostly with sugar.

Well, the opening is grand, some find it old fashioned, I think it's classic. Timeless. It sparkles and tingles like champagne, flower bouquet is baroque. Spices are like percussions in the orchestra, accentuating the rhythm and the natural flow. The backbone is classic chypre, woody and mossy. What makes it different and easier to love and wear is overall brightness, the floral creaminess and honey. It's so well done and blended with amber. Round. The civet brings expected and well accepted oomph!
Nothing is hidden, nothing stands out, except it's awsomnes. Everything is perfectly balanced.

The bottle is imposing and heavy, even the stopper is glass. It screams quality. I highly recommend it to every vintage lover.
Some masterpieces are very much alive and kicking.
But you do need to have a little bit of inner Diva to pull this one right, it's really grand.
Wallflowers, beware!

Ok so I just purchased the eau de parfum. It was a blind buy due to a recommendation in the forum. This is a fantastic rose chypre, very sexy, spicy/amber, very long lasting on my skin. Does not really disintegrate into powder notes. This is a very womanly perfume (like others have stated). I can see Sophia Loren wearing this. And the bottle is beautiful too.

I am so glad this is in my perfume drawer. Where has this perfume been all my life? A winner for sure. I can see this being an attention getter, there is nothing shy about this perfume.

Edit: I just noticed the nose on this one is jacques polge (chanel). No wonder this is such a modern classic.

This is a beautiful rose chypre that I have been wearing constantly this autumn and winter. This one is warm, unlike Paloma and other chypres that can come off as a bit cold and aloof. I have been into chypres for many years. I was drawn to them for their complexity and mystery, and also their drama. You could never be neutral about them, as they elicit such a strong reaction in people. Not everyone can understand or appreciate how complicated they are, and I loved that!

However, lately I've been wondering if chypres suit me anymore. They still work well with my chemistry, but they just don't feel like ME. Maybe it's my age, or the fact that my life has changed so much in the past 2 years (divorce, new career), but I can now slow down and appreciate the beauty of simplicity. I am no longer the femme fatale with the sky high heels and shimmery cheekbones. I still put effort into my appearance, but I have become more understated and I feel like my perfume should reflect that. Even the name Diva seems quite disconnected from who I am now.

My search for a signature scent continues. In the meantime, I will wear Diva while appreciating her beauty and sex appeal. And I highly recommend it to all of you lovely femme fatales out there, with your sky high heels and shimmery cheekbones. Diva was made for you, and I gladly pass the torch ;-)

I hadn’t worn this for a while but, with a cold fall day today, it seemed appropriate. I spritzed it on and forgot about it. While riding the elevator at work this morning, I thought, “Damn! Someone smells REALLY good!” Imagine my pleasure when, everyone else having exited, I realized it was ME who smelled so fantastic!

I had forgotten how deep and beautifully nuanced this one was. It doesn't dry down; it unfolds. Dramatic, romantic, ornate, operatic. Just delivered of a bottle of the current iteration EDP. Opulent skank. (Also a great name for a band.) Adore it.

A great find thanks to Fragrantica! I love chypres, but wasn't aware of this fragrance until I saw it on the Fragrantica website. Oh my, it is fabulous! Warm honey-infused rose with oakmoss and musk. Gorgeous. I'm so glad to have this in my collection. Love it!

Sweet and spicy, intense and lasting, that's Diva. I just received a micro mini of this scent yesterday and today I'm already looking for a larger bottle.
It's a lovely scent, very feminine but not girly. One reviewer said it perfectly: Diva unfolds!
This fragrance classy but not old fashioned, mature in the best way. Diva is self confident and dare I say it, fun to wear.

During this hot sticky humid summer of 2018 I'm discovering that some of my perfumes wear SO differently in the heat! Or else they are "aging/settling" after I first buy them online and try them.

Take Diva. I bought a current EDP and my first impression was "meh" because it was a dated thick yellow floral with a hint of honey. Typical 80s, kinda like White Diamonds. I put it on my swap list, and decanted some samples for trades.

Now-- maybe it's because the bottle has sat for 6 months/year, or it's this heat but DIVA EDP is now THE PERFECT ANIMALIC CHYPRE! Just like I enjoy!! HOT DAMN! Sour-animalic, mossy, green, just PERFECT! Pretty much along the lines of La Perla and Paloma.

I even bought a vintage splash/dabber of the Diva EDP for a great price on ebay.

I simply love this. It just makes me feel good.
Old fashioned? maybe, but I don't care because I hate most of the new trends in perfume.
Who wants to smell like a walking cupcake? I prefer the honeyed rose of Diva.
It's classy, it makes me want to be as polished as I can and dress smartly, but if I want to wear it with jeans and sneakers, I love that contrast too.
It's a proper perfume, in the best sense of what a perfume should be.
So feminine by the way.
I have a 2006 EDT bottle, I don't know if more recent formulations may be weaker or flatter, but I love mine.

For all that its baroque bottle and grandiose name implies, Diva is actually one of the most wearable and least dated fragrances from the ‘80s. I just revisited my EDP spray for the first time in several months and I had completely forgotten how fabulous this stuff is!

I’m surprised few reviewers have commented on the LEATHER note in the drydowm. That’s what makes this so wonderfully sexy. Yes, there are roses and honey laced throughout the Diva experience, but at its heart this is a dry leather Chypre perfume. It is much softer than Paloma Picasso or Clinique Aromatics— you won’t get any poopy civet notes, nor are there any sharp edges of pine, camphor or patchouli— but the dry down is extremely sophisticated in its suggestion of roses & amber nestled inside a brand-new leather motorcycle jacket.

This is the sort of fragrance you would happily smell on sheets after a very passionate encounter and think, “I MUST do that again!”

Great for men and women.

Seeing this compared to both Coco & Passion for Women is both odd and completely apt. It's a perfectly lovely scent and as I enjoy both quite a bit, I totally see the comparison. The new version, having never tried the vintage, is a better fragrance than many released today and I'm glad to see that many think it has stood the test of time. I still detect an oakmoss accord, however. The original probably had the real deal, and this might still have a small percentage of it as that is still legal. Sparkly at the start, actually sparkly ... like champagne. Honey & roses... it actually feels like a Chanel scent, which I enjoy.

Ugh, I seriously can’t win today. 2 blind buys, both failures. Thank goodness for good return policies. Diva has consistently come up on the sidebar of likes for perfumes I really enjoy, so I didn’t think I was risking too much when I found a decent price. It isn’t bad but it definitely seems like a prototype for Chanel Coco, and Coco is definitely a superior fragrance. As I already have Coco and actually love to wear it, this slightly disjointed Diva will go back on the shelf where I found her.

A beguiling, commanding fragrance.

Diva is a skanky courtesan rose; she is unapologetic, foul-mouthed and embraces her sexuality shamelessly.

Animalic honey and civet wrapped in a veil of bright aldehydes that prevent Diva from veering into the realm of absolute filth. I get an undeniably dated (not pejorative) and exuberant 80s vibe that is reminiscent of Passion by Liz Taylor with intensified florals and honeyed sweetness. Incredible sillage (3 sprays was TOO MUCH) and great longevity (7+ hours).

Not my usual type of fragrance and not something I'd wear often, but I see myself reaching for Diva when I'm in a boss b*tch mood and need that boost of confidence to assert myself.

This review is for the original formula (with oakmoss)

I'm on the fence about Diva. I like it enough to own two bottles, but, well, this is how it wears for me: I spray it on and immediately am hit with that rosy-aldehyde top and upper heart... but then, that part of the scent evaporates off pretty quickly from my body (within minutes), and i am left with just hint of the rose-ylang-ylang over the lovely chypre base. It's like the top half of the perfume gets left in the room in which you've sprayed it!

But then... I do enjoy what remains. It has a moderate sillage, and lasts for a good while (~12 hours on my skin). Paloma Picasso performs the same way for me. Animale Animale holds together much better than these two, to be honest, but it has a slightly more "synthetic" vibe. Honestly, the best of these types of perfumes that I've found so far is 'Le Maroc', but it's so expensive that I rely on these other three for my rose-chypre fixes. And Diva's slight, civet-y edge keeps me intrigued and coming back to it.

I give it a 'B'.

I have several bottles of Diva. I wouldn't want to run out of this perfume. I have both the EDT and EDP versions. I prefer the EDP almost every time with any perfume. But the EDT of Diva is quite different and just as interesting as the EDP. I like strong scents that last. Diva, to me, is both light and strong at the same time. First burst is floral and sweet. Then the dry down is more musky and the rose and other florals relax. That is when the honey, civet and amber start to come up. The rose never goes away and a quite beautiful rose it is. The vetiver, oakmoss, and musk definitely beef this perfume up. Diva may have been hugely popular in the 80's but I just discovered it in 2016. To me it's timeless and very well rounded (affordable too). The bottle design and packaging are worth mentioning too. Either sex can wear this perfume.

That's an amazing scent. I wanted to test a vintage type of classic scent and it was what I needed. I love rose and sweet kind of scents. Diva is phenomenal. From the first blast I catch the rose and aldheydes/musk. Very clean and floral feminine. After that I recognize something a bit sweet, the honey I guess. And the most amazing part is the drydown which has an animalic quality and the smell reminds me of the natural body smell of a very clean,sexy,beautiful lady. That should definitely be the scent of a Diva!!

عطر جميل وأنيق يرجعك إلى الماضي العريق

الشقيقة الكبرى الهادئة و المتزنة
المليئة بمسك الزباد
الرائع المغوي الفاتن
للاخت الصغرى المضيئة
والمشعة كوكو شانيل
..
ولدتا على يد نفس العطار
فارق العمر سنة فقط
..
العطران بغاية الجمال
لكن كل الوفاء لديفا ..!!

I received this sample in a trade. I opened the bottle and put the tiniest bit on my wrist. Oh how lovely! It immediately took me back to the 80's! That strong mature scent that every high school girl wanted to wear. As the scent settles the honey and rose lingered for hours. I forgot how strong and bold and beautiful these 80's scents are and I am so happy I was reminded. My uncle had a girlfriend who worked for Estee Lauder back in the early 80's. Her name was Lee. She was my first introduction into fashion and fragrance when I was 8 or 9. She always looked impeccable, and she ALWAYS smelled divine. This perfume immediately invoked these memories. Sometimes I feel like the vintages and almost vintages get lost, but if your'e looking for a little bit of retro nostalgia Diva is your woman!

Every year, I buy a birthday perfume - it's a ritual for over 20 years. Diva is not real familiar to me, but a friend wore it years ago and I liked then. Fast forward 10 years, and because chypres are my thing in September, Diva seemed like the perfect birthday perfume.

Except I haven't been able to love it...or even like it passionately. But apparently, last weekend I got some Diva on the leather strap of my favorite black watch...because the smell of it has haunted me all week. 'Dirty hair?' I ask myself.

And why do I like it?

Diva and I have a happy hour/dinner date coming up soon. Best to meet on the deck, at dusk, when the world is glowing from the sunset.

It is hard for me to pick out individual notes. This is a very linear fragrance on me. It does have echoes of Paloma Picasso, Magie Noir just as a reference, just slightly more floral than either of those.
While I like this scent, I can't say I love it. It is clean elegant, but comes across as somewhat "expensive soap". Thats not bad per se, just not something I am in raptures over. The drydown has a sweetness to it thst reminds me of Estee.

Try before you buy...

ليسَ للجمالِ وصفٌ أحياناً
سوى أنّه مقنِع !!

Another 80s powerhouse animalic blend.

Magie noir, La nuit Paco Rabanne, etc.. got the idea

I can't deny that i love these kind of fragrances specially the powerhouse animalic 80s, and La Nuit is one of my favorites, "Diva" is very similar with that roses, honey, aldehydes, civit, oakmoss, & ylang.

Interesting, and captivating.

Edit (7th May 2018) I realized why i didn't purchased this, it was to dominant top note of dirty vetiver. That dirty vetiver is really disturbing, it disturbed my senses.

Diva original parfum bottle with the glass fan at the top is so beautiful! This was a parfum my mother's French girlfriend wore in the 80s years. She was very sexy and this parfum smell good on her. I like this parfum in 2017. When I first wear her I was in love is a glamorous and fresh floral parfum. I smell mandarin orange and then the flowers of rose carnation ylang iris and jasmine. Is warm also powdery with vanilla honey amber musk, sandalwood and patchouli. This is strong perfume and lasts all day. Is good for day or night but smell better in spring or summer. For mature women who are 30 and up. This is so beautiful.

When I first sprayed this on I didn't really understand what I was smelling. The notes in this are very well blended, and in the opening that kind of makes it a bit hard to find out what kind of personality this scent has. It feels warm, a littlebit spicy maybe, and sligtly ambery and incensy - without smelling a 100% like any of those things. Because I had a hard time understanding this perfume I thought I didn't like it. But thankfully I tried it again, and the Diva opened up to me and let me in - and oh my gosh, she is gorgeous!

This fragrance does open like an enigma of notes on the skin. But the deep red intensely arabian smelling rose emerges not too long after application and makes the scent a lot more understandable. It's a very deep and sensual rose, it's blended beautifully with other floral notes to create a diverse and interesting rose scent with so many facets and layers.

The deep, slightly animalic honey follows right behind the rose and lends a lovely ambery sweetness and depth to the scent. When the honey mixes with the oakmoss in the base I'm reminded of another classic fragrance: Lancome Magie Noire. Diva and Magie Noire is in no way twins, but they have the same deep green, mossy sweetness - but where Magie Noire is a fierce and frightening sorceress, Diva is a soft and alluring enchantress. Two very different personalities indeed, but they still have an interesting undertone in common. These two are both powerful ladies, but they exhibit their power in two very different ways.

After about one and a half or two hours on my skin, most of the rose is gone and I'm left with honey, a gentle oakmoss and the civet. Civet has always worked amazing on my skin, it smells like a combination of smoldering incense and dirty honey - and this scent is no exception. The drydown on Diva smells like I've bathed in milk and honey and then walked through a room filled with mysterious, fragrant incense smoke. This Diva has a bit of that Cleopatra DNA. And I love it!

Sillage is pretty strong, and dries down to a solid medium. Longevity is superb on me. It lasts all day.

Diva is DIVine...a sumptuous blend of florals, I have difficulty identifying specific individual notes. The result is a beautifully crafted homogeneous bouquet with good sillage and excellent longevity.

Diva

Emanuel Ungaro

Nose

Jacques Polge

Year

1983

Donna Donna The Prima Donna

She wants to be just like Zsa Zsa Gabor!

Though Diva has a reputation as an 1980's go big or go home fragrance and from Jacques Polge who has been the number one nose for Chanel (i.e. Coco) this fragrance to me is more at home in the late 50's and early 60's. This doesn't scream shoulder pads flashy jewelry or big hair. She is elegant but simple, like a backless evening dress in a champagne color, a sweet blonde in a French twist up do hairstyle. I don't think of Diva as being extravagant or glamorous. This is a rose and iris perfume, powdery, sweet, alcoholic and vanillic. Perfect for either day time or night time but it's summery and fresh. Today's formula has taken out some of the fire and instead you have a very demure lady like scent.

Opens with aldehydes fresh and saturated with citruses like mandarin orange. There's ginger and coriander but it's not spiced up too much. I do pick up on a ginger which with the mandarin sort of smells like some kind of fruit cake. The florals are also edible with narcissus, sweet roses, tuberoses, carnations and iris. So yeah it's floral, as in capital F floral. I prefer less flowers in my perfume but I've come 360 degrees full circle in life and now I gravitate toward mature florals. This is one of them. This fragrance with the classic glass bottle and fan shaped stopper makes a fine vanity dresser table decoration. I love to put it on right before I head out the door to a formal event in evening wear. But only in the summer. The fruity top smells of mandarin and a banana without being tropical or tutti-frutti. In the dry down I pick up on sandalwood and vanilla. This is a creamy and also musky but soft clean dry down, made possible through amber.

After the florals settles down, I pick up on a honey note. This was not as big as some other honey notes like in Vivienne Westwood Boudoir or Red Door Elizabeth Arden, but it's like that anyways. It has a honeyed floral heart out of which the rose is prominent. But for me the iris or the orris root is strongest and comes off as powdery and pleasant, feminine. I read the gender bender article on Fragrantica and was surprised that guys wore this perfume. It's a free country and they may do as they please but come on, don't kid yourself. This is for women and smells like women's perfume. When I close my eyes and inhale the aroma, I have visions of the early 60's and women with bouffant hairdos, Jackie Kennedy wannabes in high fashion evening gowns and pearl necklaces, at like a fancy dinner, ball, cotillion or other big formal gathering. Diva is definitely a vintage perfume but I don't associate it with the 80's. It's a polite rose floral powdery perfume.

Finally I want to say that I'm glad that this perfume was never discontinued. There is a huge difference in the original from 1983 and the fragrances selling on Amazon.com. You might be able to find a vintage original splash miniature parfum on eBay. The original was muskier and louder, heftier, a big floral musk with civet. The color was burgundy or red. The new formula's color is honey-gold. Diva is a very wearable woman's perfume if you're used to florals and like iris based powdery 'boudoir' scents. A classy and fashionable fragrance for the lady that takes herself seriously and loves to look good smell good, wants to achieve the high society look even if you shop at the 99 cent store. This perfume reminds me of Dion's 1963 song "Donna The Prima Donna". It's about a middle-class girl who only dates men who are her social superiors to attain wealth. The song makes a reference to actress Zsa Zsa Gabor who most likely wore Diva perfume!

Absolutely fabulous in every diva (or divo) sense of it.
What a fragrance should be like... especially apropos in this age of insipid room sprays that pass for perfume.
Rich. Strong. Lyric. Unapologetic. Intoxicating.
Satisfyingly long lasting, the EDP... in colder weather I get 24hrs even. However, it's surprisingly versatile and delightful in summer, albeit at night to be sure. I've only made Diva my own for a few seasons now but the more I wear it the more I appreciate its smoothness. Not so much honey +... as an oriental feeling potpourri chypre steeped in honey... like an exotically infused mead almost... a lavish indulgence.
The opening is, as some have mentioned, one that needs time to calm down... 25 mins... but it's a divine journey from there on out with a dry down that just lasts & lasts, envelopes, seduces, and delights. I get compliments from ladies & gentlemen alike. "Delicious" is the refrain. Brava from me to this Diva. All things considered, she's a superstar indeed.
Fab bottle. Fab price!
★★★★☆

I think this scent works in hot weather.
I've just sprayed some on the back of my hand after banishing it to the cupboard for some Months. I hated it at first spray back then, it was so sharp and felt like a punch in the nose.

We've got warm weather right now and I thought I'd retry on the off-chance I might change my mind, and my reaction to it was completely different, it smells warm, rosy, rounded, a bit of powder, and a bit of sharpness at the end of the inhale.

I am male age 47 and have worn Diva Ungaro for 27 years! I cannot wear traditional male fragrances particularly very citrus ones they go very sour on me so I tried Diva!! I put it on well before I leave the house so that floral sweetness disappears and I'm left with the soapy woody dry down that I get. It just smells fantastic not sweet or floral on me at all I get so may compliments every day wearing it and it's been my secret for years and years both men and women ask what I'm wearing and I just say it is Emanuel Ungaro before Diva I always wore the original Fendi, when there was the scare in the late 90s that Diva was being discontinued ( I had a friend who worked for Chanel) I went out and bought about 20 bottles! The original incarnation is still the best the new version seems to have lost something but it is still fabulous! Incidentally I have recently been also wearing Terre D Hermes and that smells ok on me too. I love Emanuel Ungaro clothes and some of the limited homewares too

I've been ignoring this perfume for years. As a kid, I assumed it was a mature scent. I was so wrong. Diva is fan-freaking-tastic.

The aldehydes are gone in a flash, and then you are left with a perfectly balanced fragrance that's woody, animalic, powder and rose. Officially, Diva is classed as a chypre, but with its warmth, amber, and sandalwood it hints at oriental to my nose.

I can't believe how long I resisted trying this. So many years for diva-ness lost!

Oh my Divalicious! Diva what beautiful memories we have together!
Diva is a Blast of Citrus Roses and Oakmoss Sensual animalic Civet and juicy intoxicating Honey layered with sandalwood Iris and vanilla Omg! Diva will leave you wanting more...
Jacques Polge's masterpiece Diva will be remembered in my Hall of Fame and in many peoples Body and Soul!
Diva eau de toilette is citrusy roses ylang
Diva eau de Parfum is more Roses Honey and Oakmoss they're both equally great one lighter then the other in all depends on how Diva you want to feel... And mind you I'm a guy! This is gender bender indeed! You won't regret!

I decided to buy this after I read one of the reviews from one of the editors of this website, I don't remember his name but what it caught my eye was that it was a man telling the story of him wearing this fragrance and I got so interested to try it myself. Finally I decided to wear it today in a cold day, and I am pleased, so far I haven't received any comments good or bad nor compliments, but well lets see how it goes during the day. I decided to disguise it a little with a Armani diamonds which it got totally killed by Diva, lol I can't smell Armani diamonds at all... so there's no disguise whatsoever, and its been barely 2 hrs since I sprayed it on, so I may update the final outcome at the end of the day.
-Well I got at the end of the day, and Diva stood strong and omnipresent, I had to wipe it off, sort of, because I had a last minute date and I knew that person was not much into colognes, but well at the end I didn't get any comments or compliments about it which is kinda weird, normally I do get at least some acknowledgement, but not today. :-|

This review is for the eau de parfum. I have both pre-2005 bottle and a modern version. I'd say taking into account ageing, that they are identical. The older one might be a touch sweeter if anything. Technically, this is a chypre blend with dominant notes of velvety roses, honey and musk. The aldehydic top notes including fresh coriander are bracing and loud. The base is quite animalic, long lasting and smouldering. This also represents one of the best values on the market today in terms of price and performance in addition to quality. This is an absolutely gorgeous perfume. One final comment, I don't see the similarity to Paloma Picasso, which is often cited as similar. PP is considerably drier.

I have been wearing the EDT for years and years. I almost can't smell it properly anymore as it's my signature scent for sure. I am not a fan of the EDP as it smells completely different to the EDT. I am wading through a bottle of EDP now and it smells dirty to me and I dislike it very much.

I adore floral chypres scents and this one is a classic and one of the best. I love the rose/woody/honey mix of this one. It feels luxurious and always makes me happy, satisfied, beautiful, and complete, as if I have finally 'come home'. Weird description I know, but I react to perfumes on an emotional level mostly.

I don't smell anything dirty or 'off' in this scent (but I do with the Frederic Malle 'Portrait of a Lady', which I adore on other people, but not myself). Diva is a little reminiscent of La Perla La Perla and Paloma Picasso but Diva is much more complex and chypre-like to my nose.

As it's been my go-to scent for years, in order to really smell it properly I suspect I overpower everyone with my heavy handed spritzes. I don't care! I always, always, always get compliments on this one, from men and women, more than anything else I wear. My husband loves it and I can't see me ever growing tired of the EDT. It's bliss in a bottle.

super strong, i have to spray this on a cotton ball then dab a TEENIE weenie little dot on my pinkie toe. LOL

ok so not on my toe. wrist or ankle. not both!

the hubster says it smells like his gram. but he didn't say it in a negative way. he loves his gram <3 AWE <3

and we have nicknamed it "THE ROSE EXPLOSION!" you have to say it with a thundering voice otherwise it doesn't count.

i couldn't imagine what Diva Rose is like! how could they make it MORE rosy?

oh well. it does smell nice. and the civet didn't bother me. i was afraid.

EDIT and she was his gram that passed away, if you could see the look on his face whe he said it. we will be keeping it for sure. i wasn't sure when i smelled it (it's powerful) but when he smelled it on me, you could tell it was very sentimental <3

thank you em1986!! she sent it to me in a swap :D

Jacques Polge is the master nose behind many of the CHANEL's most memorable line creations. Diva by Emanuel Ungaro and Senso by Emanuel Ungaro are Jacques Polge's babies as well. Sad to say, I don't own Senso, but lucky am I, my BFF gifted me Diva this Christmas <3 In a bland post late 70's - early 90's perfume world, OMG this unique scent is pure class! One of the most elegant (not loud) aromas, I have ever tried. This honey laced juice is warmed with exotic spice, captured by a romantic floral bouquet, finished with a sexy animalic sting. The beautiful juice blooms close on my skin in perfection and lingers for hours. OMG I absolutely adore it! To conclude, this chic perfume created by an absolute master, is a certain MUST try for all sophisticated old school perfume loyalists. Happy Holidays to all :D

the dry down of this is the EXACT and im not kidding dry down of Dior addict 2. The dior one is slightly more fruity though but YES!! the same

I have a vintage mini of this, and it's an interesting concoction indeed. The honey note in this one is the purest, most genuine that I've ever smelled in a perfume. This honey is a luxurious, golden, royal jelly which oddly sits right next to a smelly tanned animal hide in a little shop surrounded by an overgrown yard full of weeds posing as flowers. A few sharp, peppery spices line a shelf in the back.

I'll admit to an overactive imagination, but here is the image conjured in my mind when I inhale this on my wrist:

It's the days of the old west, and an ordinary man strikes it rich in the gold rush. His newfound wealth wins him a lovely bride, who arrives from the city back east all swirling skirts, prim bustle, and plumed hat, to set up housekeeping among the newly-minted landowners and cattle ranchers of the wild and dusty West.

Eager to please, her sweet yet simple husband lavishes her with the finest goods his new money can buy: golden honey, rich fabrics for dresses, and exotic spices shipped from the Orient and sold from trade wagons.

She hates the dust, the heat, and the incessant bellowing of cattle, but she loves the view from the veranda at sunset, the cool stone and warm wood of her sprawling ranch home, and the honest hardworking man who built it all from nothing and crowned her its queen.

One day she's working in her kitchen, carefully turning out her latest masterpiece from the wood-fire oven. The aromas from her new spices hang thick in the air, as she opens a window against the wilting heat.

She closes her eyes and breathes deep, inhaling a familiar scent carried on the breeze. Rich, heady, sweet... yet somehow...wrong.

She opens her eyes to see a couple ranch hands out in the corral, bathing the rankest bull in the pen with her prized golden honey. A third stands by with armloads of flowers (aka wild weeds picked from the back field) to adorn the beast, while another hitches a horse team to the wagon. The Fair is today, and this animal is destined for blue-ribbon greatness.

A bit less prim, mildly amused, and fully resigned, she plops into one of the hand-carved kitchen chairs, pushes a stray tendril of hair from her face, and shakes her head with half a sigh, half a smile. She sits for a bit, breathing in her destiny, contemplating the wonders and woes of her new life as a frontier Diva.

I seriously get all that from one whiff of the vintage formulation on the wrist. I still can't decide if I like it, but it's certainly an imaginative, time-travelling experience simply not inspired by most modern perfumes. I've read that the new version is different, less dirty, and I'll have to try it just to see where that scent takes me.

Whenever I put on this perfume it instantly makes me feel like I'm surrounded by luxury. I'm smelling freshly changed silk sheets, feeling soft lace underwear on my skin, putting on the creamiest, most expensive lipstick, wearing the most comfortable and luxurious velvet gown, drinking the most exquisite liquor from a beautiful crystal glass. I'm still trying to figure out what is that magic that makes mee feel this way while I'm in the middle of a shitty day on a crowded subway, having a milion reasons not to feel that great.
Diva's one of Jacques Polge's children, as well as Coco and I do get a similar vibe here, although Diva is much more floral and romantic while Coco spicy and assertive. When you're down Coco's going to cheer you up by reminding you how strong you are while Diva's going to cheer you up by reminding you that life is beautiful. And it actually is when you smell like roses dipped in honey :)

Diva Eau De Parfum Spray Glass Bottle

On me this fragrance is a beautiful floral perfume. Nothing about it speaks of big hair, bracelets, gaudy jewelry & 1980's "go big or go home" perfume. I do realize that perfume has the power to change itself & morph into something new for each individual. A lot of the reviewers seem to have mixed feelings about this perfume. Some love it, calling it a gorgeous glamorous fashion statement perfume, opera singer perfume, while others think of it as being an ugly 1980's flower power perfume. For me this is a sweet day wear perfume in the spring & summer months. It matches with pretty sundresses & cocktail dresses. It's a fruity-floral with sparkling champagne like tones. I was floored, enchanted & captivated by the beauty of this perfume.

The opening is a sweet alcohol & fruit. Aldehydes are detectable right from the start but they're not too harsh. They're fresh & invigorating, like a good old fashioned perfume "fume" from atomizers. The sweetness of the perfume is coming from notes such as mandarin & bergamot orange; in addition to a banana. It's very fruity but I kept wondering where is this banana note deriving from? I did my homework and discovered it comes from the floral note of ylang ylang which is a yellow flower that has a banana scent. This is a delicious mandarin & banana!

The florals are rich, heady & honeyed. A delicious honey note acts like a kind of glue holding the flowers together. These floral notes are of rose, carnation, jasmine, tuberose narcissus & iris. To me each flower is noticeable but the ylang & the rose are the big players. The florals are balanced and one might argue that this is a rose perfume but to me the rose is not very typical. She has a lot of honey on her petals and has white florals next to her namely the carnation (a white carnation) & tuberose. The ylang is also absolutely wonderful with it's banana flavor. These are not nocturnal flowers and this perfume is perfectly suited to be worn & taken out in sunlight in the day time. She is both formal & casual.

When dry, this perfume reveals a warm deep amber. I get a golden yellow color to this perfume. It smells like liquid gold, or amber gold. The honey is always present, even in the dry down. There's vetiver and sandalwood, musk & orris (iris). The dry down can be described as powdery, musky (but not too musky) and mossy, definitely moss. By today's standards the first part of the performance of this perfume: fresh, fruity & floral, is wearable, and smells like other perfumes that I've experienced that women are still wearing such as Van Cleef & Arpels FIRST or MISS DIOR. To my nose this is most like Miss Dior. This is very glamorous to me. It smells like something that Joan Collins' character Alexis Colby would have worn on Dynasty. I also get the feeling it was indeed worn by First Ladies, fashion models & celebrities of the 80's. It has a sort of This can indeed exude a sort of 1980's glamour but only if you spray too much. Even when I did spray too much it is so sweet & amazing that I don't care who smells it on me. It is feminine and mature, bold & yet soft and pretty. I've never experienced a perfume that can be both powdery & yet brazen with honey flowers, a big old rose, banana ylang ylang & amber-sandalwood. What a perfume. Every note in this perfume is perfection.

I highly recommend the new formula which sells online today on Amazon.com or other sites. It is very pretty & though not delicate or subtle, it's so beautiful. The old vintage formula can be found in the MINIATURE DAB ON BOTTLES of this perfume, which is a higher concentration and it's juicier, louder, and muskier. The spray bottle is really more attractive than the pure parfum. It's a perfume that can be worn only in spring and summer and though not terribly somber formal or dignified, it has a classy youthful and saucy air. It seems to want you to wear her to country clubs, polo games, golf tournaments, or the Kentucky Derby horse races. In fact I have worn this perfume to the Kentucky Derby with large brimmed white hat. This is a wealthy socialite type of scent. So indeed as others have noted not everyone can pull it off. But I'm telling you that even if you are just a humble Kindergarten teacher, this is still such a beautiful perfume that will bring you pleasure just feeling like you're wearing a million bucks. This is one luxurious shiny liquid gold in a bottle.

I KNOW I love this........however, today when I spritzed a small amount, it came off as shreeky rose. That is all I could detect.....even after 2 hours. I cannot remember if I ever tried it in summer, but if that is the case and you're on the fence about this fragrance, give it a chance in a cooler temp!

Honeyed oakmossy rose somewhere inbetween a smirk and a snarl.

The woman in the advert looks very elegant and the bottle embodies just that. But when you really get to smell this perfume it is a different story. One word -LOUD. I don't mean loud in terms of sillage because I love perfume with great sillage and this has a great sillage too. Loud here means like a woman who has a big personality and to go with that personality she has a loud voice in the room and strong opinions. Like a boisterous woman but not fun boisterous, more like aplha bossy CEO woman. Three notes are quite dominant here- in-your-face rose, slight cat-pee smelling civet(cat pee part is obvious only at the very beginning) and dusty oak moss. Even these three notes are loud. So is this my taste? Not really. But I think I'm getting an idea of how 1980's smelt like and will keep it in my collection just to admire the perfumes made in that period.

Diva is a perfume that I found a bit too youthful for me. I don't understand why everyone today thinks of this as a mature older woman's fragrance. This is a sweet floral with honey, ginger, cinnamon and vanilla. I see this as a gourmand scent. Always have. It smells luxurious and beautiful. The opening has a top note of mandarin orange citrus I love, along with aldehydes. Before long the rose in 2 notes blooms and it becomes apparent that this is a rose perfume. There's also an iris and it becomes powder clouds of rose powder. Smells like a pink boudoir, with a pink dresser table, and a pretty blonde in pink morning robe lined in pink faux fur sits on the stool to apply make up body lotion and powder and perfume that smells like this. It's a diva opera singer's boudoir scent. I always felt like I was driving my students mad with desire wearing this perfume but I guess it was all in my head.

The only word for this fragrance is --- sexy!

A True Floral Chypre

This is the real change in perfumery--the focus. The focus used to be on the basenotes. That's what you lived with, when you decided to wear a certain perfume. Now the focus is the topnotes. The fleeting, short lived topnotes, that rope you right in. The luminous, uplifting topnotes, that have such promise. Sometimes the heart can be okay, too, but unless you're wearing a pretty linear perfume, the basenotes can really be a letdown. Boring, dryersheet/synthetic musks--or if you're lucky you're left with something nice like vanilla. But mostly it's those catchy topnotes.

I have the new, reformulated Diva in the seashell bottle, and vintage Diva in the tall, oval bottle (both in EDP.) The current Diva is very nice, especially for the price. It's a slightly waxy, honeyed red rose, the rose getting muskier the longer you have it on. The other floral notes are only compliments to the rose accord (ylang ylang and geranium, very subtle.) The perfume is not loud, and simply fades out on the skin, with musky basenotes. It's a perfectly nice honey rose musk that you can buy for $20.

Now for the vintage Diva. The Filthy Dirty Rose Diva.

This is a damn dirty rose. Super sexy. Seriously--no wonder they reformulated this, this kind of perfume is so out of style it's not even funny. During the first hour this perfume is so loud you shouldn't even leave the house. A full red rose, dripping with honey and soil, that becomes spicy-coriander-peppery as it wears down. The iris/orris/narcissus act as the transitional floral accord as it heads to the base. At this point the perfume is not musky at all, like the new version. I would say the deep rose/floral portion lasts maybe 2 to 3 hours.

Then comes the base.

The base is amazing, like wistful yearning amazing, because perfumes today simply lack a decent base. This base is filthy by today's standards. Woody vetiver, gorgeous sandalwood, warm smoothing civet notes, earthy patchouli and oakmoss...this is a true base, and the base smells awesome, it just smells like me, this is what people are talking about when you want your perfume to be sexy, it smells like a person, it smells like you, like the perfume actually working with your chemistry and becoming 'your signature' to those who get close. It's a little unnerving, it's not scrubbed clean fields of fantastical flowers and soap, it is alive and human, it's personal, it's perfume.

So for me, while I love rose perfumes, the base in Diva is what makes it worth wearing.

EDP
What a pleasure to revive the 90 s. I remember the Ungaro Maison, avenue Montaigne in Paris, with these fantastic draped dresses, i walked along each day to go to work.... Each three days there were new dresses on display with so classy colored fabrics.
Between la Nuit of Pacco Rabanne (with less civet and more roses)and Knowing Estée Lauder (with less moss).

Great glass bottle and glass cap, so rare today.

So classy, this jus is out of fashion, out of gender, out of age group. It makes your day in every occasions.

I bought this for myself after a Fragrantica member suggested it as a layering to go with my Giorgio Beverly Hills for men. It was so-so in that regard but didn't quite do it for me. It smelled acrid, sharp and metallic on me so I gave up with it.
I still liked the smell of it though so I let my girlfriend try it out and it's AMAZING on her.
Softens on the dry down beautifully into a floral, powdery, slightly peppery masterpiece with huge but not overbearing sillage and incredible longevity. She put several sprays on her arms in the morning and it was still going strong well over 12 hours later. Not as a skin scent by this time mind you, still radiating. Truly stunning and very sexy.
I have since given it to her.
And the perfume.

Update: My girlfriend put a couple of sprays of this on her arms last night and she's just now held one of them out to me. It's still on there! Pretty much a skin scent now but completely and obviously detectable.
That's over 24 hours folks. No re-application.
Mind boggling.
And so ends this experiment. I will now allow her to take a bath.

Diva edp = La Nuit edp

As an aldehyde, floral and powdery fan, this fragrance should have rocked my world. But Diva by Ungaro left me a little shell-shocked in the same way a revolting and forceful aunt makes you feel after she insists on kissing you right in the lips.
The initial sniff of the spray cap was enough to scare me away from even spraying it for over a day, as I could already smell the entire cast of Dynasty whom were bombarding me from the 80's with cutting insults and high maintenance fashion faux pas. I was expecting the worst of 80's power house fragrance and that's exactly what I got for the first 10 minutes. I felt car sick and knew I'd done wrong, but persevered. Luckily it calmed during the second stage, which very much reminded me of Theo Fennell's signature (and only) fragrance. The dry down has aromatic elements of Cliniques Aromatics what was nice. But overall Diva was completely overbearing.

Diva is a beautiful luxurious floral aldehyde chypre. I tested this on myself almost a year ago and wasn't impressed but I kept remembering the smell and smelling this fragrance on an older girl friend of mine in Palm Beach. I finally bought it and I'm so enchanted by this perfume. Gorgeous! This starts with aldehydes not like No. 5 not too strong just soapy and sweet. The coriander is present from the start as is the citrus note of mandarin orange. Delicious. I would say that every note is detectable if you really study the fragrance and smell deep enough. I found the major scents to be: rose, tuberose, carnation jasmine, honey, iris, amber, sandalwood vanilla and oak moss. This turns into an Oriental balsamic type of fragrance. It does smell of powdery pink rose. It becomes a little too powdery but there is a freshness to it and oiliness balsamic quality. It's also got plenty of amber at the end just a hot radiant amber that smells like gold if gold had a smell. It's like a gold that was melted down and made into a rose. It's glamorous and makes me feel like I spent a million bucks on this fragrance and not the cheap price it has. There is honey warm honey. I don't pick up on the scents of musk or civet. The reformulation is what I'm wearing and it's probably not like the original which people are saying was muskier. So it probably feels like a watered down version of the original but that's not always bad. I do like the vanilla in this perfume. It becomes a vanillic scent at the end. So if you like aldehydes, flowers, honey, and vanilla, you should check this out. This is not quite a gourmand but it does have something like gourmand scents of ginger/cardamom and vanilla for days. This is softer and less heavy hitting than the original. No one could smell it on me today. I was in the ladies bathroom at the Coconut Grove Four Seasons Hotel in Miami and she hugged me. "I'm so happy you wear my old perfume from the 80's. It was a Valentines Day gift from my first husband". This smells romantic, sexy, feminine, elegant and classy. It can even pass for a Chanel. And a bit of pop info for you Fragranticans, this perfume bottle appears in a scene in the 80's movie MANNEQUIN with Kim Cattral and Andrew McCarthy. I love that movie. It's the part of the movie when the mannequin first becomes real and appears to Andrew McCarthy's character. The mall where he worked was selling Diva by Ungaro! It was also standing next to a bottle of Chanel Coco. lol Love this perfume!

Incredible scent. The profusion of honey makes it unique. Great longevity. Just strong enough to be "there" without being overwhelming. A perfume for an elegant and classy lady. A true keeper.

I love Fendi di Fendi, but am rarely in the mood to wear it. Too much of a monster. Somehow Diva is it's softer sister, isn't it, like a rosy Coco? Vintage Eau de Parfum. I love it.

Very much a daytime spring or summer scent. Opens very green, and then immediately gives way to a rose musk.

I don't own his fragrance but I love Ferminadaza's review!

I first fell in love with the work of designer Emanuel Ungaro at the age of 9 years. It was during an Ebony Fashion Fair presentation to which my mother had taken me in the late 1980s.

Short history lesson:

Ebony Fashion Fair was a popular traveling fashion runway show within the African American community that featured the haute couture and Ready To Wear of elite fashion designers from around the world. It was the brainchild of the late Eunice Johnson who was married to the late John Johnson. Together the Johnsons established the iconic African American news and society magazine, Ebony.

The Ebony Fashion Fair runway show began during the late 1950s initially as a means of showcasing both black models who were often barred from participating in the mainstream fashion world as well as to present the fashion collections of black designers. This was back in the day when the world of high fashion was very insulated in terms of class and race. The money raised from such presentations was to be used for community charities. Eventually the shows became so successful that Ms. Johnson began to seek participation from mainstream design houses as well. This proved to be quite difficult due to the stereotypes that surrounded African Americans at that time. Many of the mainstream designers did not believe that there was an audience to be had among blacks, especially black women. Often, black clients could not even book buying appointments with the mainstream design ateliers. The design houses did not believe that there were black people who could afford the clothing nor did they want to risk losing their majority audience by having blacks wearing the same clothing.

There were certain designers who were always supportive and inclusive, such as Pucci, Valentino, Mackie. The House of Ungaro was one of the favored houses of the Ebony Fashion Fair and partly because Emanuel Ungaro was also one of the initial designers who readily participated.

Okay...so enough history.

Now...picture it...Sicily... (kidding but points if you got the reference) It's the late 80s, I'm nine years old in a central Valley California auditorium waiting to see a couture spectacle. I'm wearing my finest sitting next to my mother who is dressed up as well. The entire audience is decked out to the nines. The people are looking almost as good as the models! Where the fashion world got the idea that black people don't like to dress, I don't know. They need only attend a black church service to have that stereotype laid to rest.

The hall lights dim and out walk...no STRUT...the first models. I have been in love with high fashion ever since. Out of all of the garments that I saw that evening, the clothing that most caught my eye, were those by Ungaro. They were opulent and sophisticated. They were baroque with beading, heavy embroidery, and vibrant colors.

They were exactly what would be worn by...a diva.

Years later, I unwrap the cellophane from the white box. Open it's cardboard inner layer, and remove the heavy glass bottle reminiscent of fine baccarat crystal. Even the stopper/cap has heft to it as it's also made of glass-- how rare these days. The juice is a deep amber color, my bottle is from the early 2000s. I spritz a small bit on my arm and I am pleasantly overwhelmed by a beautiful bouquet of crimson red bulgarian roses in all of their sumptuous amber chocolate animalic glory. The roses sit in a fine crystal vase with touches of gold filigree around the base. The vase sits on a dark mahogany table in a room drenched in sunlight with heavy tapestry curtains and brilliant gold antique rococo influences.

This fragrance belongs to the type of woman whom you will never see partially clad or wearing the latest trendy ill fitting thing. You will never catch this woman without her lipstick which is always the most well applied deep dark red. You will never catch her without her high heels. You will never catch her in any way that does not bespeak elegance, sophistication, and quiet confidence. She's not dry or staid however...but the very essence of womanly sensuality


The little girl inside of me is swooning---this is what grown ladies smell like. The dry down is soft and spicy fading from an opulent oil painting to a impressionist water color. Longevity is good and sillage is appropriate to the name of the fragrance. In other words, spray lightly. I am in love with diva...but of course!

Well I've just been on quite the journey. First it took me right back the 1980s as the opening note was the same as the perfume my mother used to wear, then I could not stop sneezing every time I sniffed it, and here I am now with a not unpleasant rose smell which was very powdery at first but is becoming more rose like by the second and I'm looking forward to seeing where it will take us next.

I really like this one, especially the way it develops, if you are just getting in to perfume then it's an education on how a perfume can change over time instead of being one flat jumbled note after the top note has gone like a lot of modern perfumes.

Growing up in the 80s I've come to see this genre of powerhouses as my 'normal'. I picked up a vintage EDP version. Its worth every drop to me.

Diva is the best executed, red rose scent blended against a honeyed oriental backdrop. I naturally prefer vintage opium , vintage cinnabar, vintage bijan.

Diva is much more beautiful and feminine with the romantic rose, yet remains full and complex like a tradtional 80s fragrence. The rose doesn't come off synthetic or overdone ("tea rose" I'm looking at you) but it does assert herself as the star of the show. The rose smells exactly like fresh red roses.

The rest of the blend supports the rose beautifully. Its a mature (in the best way) fragrance appropriate at any time. She is never bombastic like Bijan, or spicy like Opium. She is the Goddess feminine. She has gravitas but never overly rude, or in your face in bad taste.

If you find today's fragrances lacking soul and body...vintage Diva is a great feminine rose choice. Diva is haute couture in a bottle.

****
a grand dame of perfumery that's hugely underrated for some unknown reason. diva should be up there with coco, opium, and shalimar. it's an unforgettable presence that you cannot ignore, once you enter the room wearing this all looks will be on you. it's truly grand and smells expensive and dramatic, like old hollywood. yes it's an 80s fragrance, it used to be my mum's sig, but now i can easily wear it on special occasions and it's just as relevant and complimented as it was back then. it has no age, just beauty and class - just like old hollywood.

honey, rose and carnation, drenched in animalic notes gives it that old school floral-oriental-skanky vibe. you need to be elegant when wearing it - you can dress casually sure but you will feel under dressed in this femme fatale of a perfume.

i think it may have been reformulated in the last years not sure about this, i have a couple of older bottles and the scent is super complex and symphonic and lasts ages.

Diva is the name of my cat which is why I was attracted to this one. It is a lovely woody fragrance. I can also smell white flowers but I wouldn't say it smells predominantly like honey as the votes for notes suggest.

This perfume reminds me of Oh La La by Azzaro, a fragrance I've been wanting for a while.

I imagine a very sophisticated 80s Dynasty lady to smell like this, big hair and shoulder pads but super glamorous.

To Kentigton, it is neither. I would say Poeme would be closer due to sweetness and to honey. Magie Noire is much heavier and serious perfume. Knowing disappear on me fast enough. No match for sweetness with these two.

Has this been reformulated? bought a new bottle yesterday and I though this smelled stronger...

I have two bottles of Diva EDP : one produced in 2010 (which now belongs to my mom), and the other one in 2014.
And there's a world between these two.

The oldest one is still a glorious honeyed and animalic rose chypre, with incredible projection, sillage and longevity (with only two sprays). The 2014 reformulation is all oakmoss, coriander, aldehydes and bergamot. No rose, no honey, nothing. It becomes a skin scent on me after 30 minutes.

I'm so disappointed. I should have known better. And now, I don't know if I should secretly trade my bottle with the one I gave my mom (she'll probably notice, and that's not really ethical), sell mine off ebay, or decant it in a small sprayer to tweak it myself by adding some synthetic civet and honey absolute.
First world problems sure, but I'm still incredibly disappointed.

So, to those of you who've never smelled Diva, try to find a seriously vintage bottle like other fragranticans have described below (glass stopper, not made by ferragamo, square bottle etc.), or at least one of those cheap testers you can easily find at online discounters (pick your favourite, doesn't matter).

@Kentington, I own both Diva and Knowing (and love both) but am not familiar with Magie Noire. Diva is similar to Knowing in regards to the strong aldehydes and floral aspect, but where Knowing is dry and bitter, Diva is warm and sweet. Diva's honey, which is fairly prominent, is the key difference to my nose.

I've never smelled this one, but from the descriptions it sounds like it sits somewhere in the Big Animalic Rose Chypre Contest between Knowing by Estee Lauder and Magie Noire by Lancome (both favorites of mine)...anyone have any comments?

Diva opens with a rather sharp burst of adelhydes, which was somewhat off-putting. However, this is soon replaced by a very rich, deep, sweet rose mixed with a dark honey, a hint of oakmoss and a fairly strong civet (hopefully, a good synthetic). The effect is of a candied rose in the forest.

Around mid-day a sophisticated spicy/floral accord takes over for a short time, dominated by ylang-ylang but with that deep rose still in the background.

The drydown (which lasts well into the wee hours of the morning) is quite sweet but not in the modern, "cotton candy" way. Again, that delicious, dark, honeyed rose is dominant, with bergamot, a somewhat boozy vanilla, and civet lingering for an exotic effect.

Diva is a fantastic fragrance from the 1980's, almost as powerful as Giorgio but not as supposedly "obnoxious" when overapplied! Longevity is remarkable, and sillage is amazing--use with caution, but, again, it is not as likely as Giorgio to cause nosebleeds amongst one's coworkers.

It is more earthy and sensual than Giorgio but not as animalic as Obsession.

Brava! The Opera Diva's Perfume

It was the 1983. Italian Haute couture was at it's peak. Glamourous dark haired models strutted their stuff on the runway in Milan, which is also the home of the Teatro Alla Scala the Mecca of all opera houses. Italian fashion designer Emanuel Ungaro worked with his nose Jacques Polge to create a fragrance worthy of his increasingly popular fashion line. But I think he might have had opera in mind as well. Why call it diva? The image that comes to mind is that of a beautiful, but large operatic soprano on the stage singing the highest note human possible and receiving standing ovation, and roses, so many red roses thrown at her. This is exactly what Ungaro's Diva perfume is all about. It's a fragrance for an opera singer who has a voracious appetite for luxury and for fame. She cannot stand to be neglected, forgotten or overlooked. She is the prima donna, the belle of the ball, the center of attention. She wears a designer backless evening gown of scarlet red, maybe some sequins, and her dark hair is fragrant and luxuriant. She is a woman meant to be put under the bright lights of the theater, at the stages of the world's finest opera houses. As such perhaps this power perfume is not for every woman, as most women cannot pull of that exact same diva image. With main accords of floral, powder and animalic, all I got was mostly floral aldehyde powder and amber. If I had to put a label to this genre of perfume it would definitely be floral aldehyde.

DIVA NOTES

HEAD: Aldehydes, Coriander Mandarin Orange Bergamot Cardamom

Heart: Carnation, Orris Root, Turkish Rose, Ylangylang, Moroccan Rose, Narcissus, Egyptian Jasmine

Base: Honey, Iris, Amber, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Musk, Civet, Vanilla, Oakmoss and Vetiver

So many notes! Too many notes! But it is a musical lady's perfume and she is singing so many arias, in fact a full opera. The complex arrangement of notes is what makes this perfume a first class fragrance. At one time it must have truly served Ungaro well. It definitely matches the sophistication and million dollar glamour of the world of high fashion in the 80's. Think Dynasty, Joan Collins in glittering diamonds and puffed sleeves. This fragrance was made with love, and although it resembles the loud and proud perfumes of the 80's, it has a charming sweetness that sets it apart. She is still a refined and demure lady. The honey notes and the vanilla is what I was able to pick up on at first whiff. Honey? Vanilla? So sweet. It's warm and casual, nothing like the idea we have of snobbish, elitist prima donnas who speak in a foreign language or English with a heavy European accent that makes them come off as even more haughty and arrogant. No. This is a sweet young thing masquerading as a diva. She can put on the expensive diamond necklace and earrings and that elegant amazing gown, but she is just playing dress up. I was so pleased to find that on me at least the fragrance was not strong. It was sweet. It could almost pass for Chanel Mademoiselle. It was even casual. It's a day time fragrance to wear to lunch or to go shopping. Why people say this is shockingly pungent perfume is beyond me. The aldehydes do give it a powerful punch but it's gone before it takes over. The top notes contain cardamom which is ginger, and just as sweet as ginger, which subdue the aldehydes. Then you get roses. While the notes listed here are two red roses: Turkish and Morrocan, I could feel pink roses on my skin. It was like pink rose bouquets being thrown at me. I could see them tossed high in the air and then falling gently on my body. This is a ROSE PERFUME. It's heart is the rose. But I see it as a pink, youthful rose. These can also be the roses the diva's admirers, fans and lovers present her as gifts and which adorn her dressing room. These ar feminine roses that only a very beloved young woman receives in private. She is not yet full of herself and has not let it go to her head but it will happen soon. There are just too many lovers, too many people that love her, that want her, that adore her. This is Christine from Phantom of the Opera in her dressing room just after her successful glorious debut. As for the base notes, I couldn not get the iris or patchouli. There is no way patchouli is in this! It was a aweet foundation of honey, vanilla, amber and woods. This has sandalwood and oakmoss as well as vetiver which give it a heady but soft effect. So maybe what people mistake for "strong" is actually heady, intoxicating scents of the woods. This is a chypre, not a civet. I could not find any civet in this and that was a great relief as I hate civet or animalic notes in perfumes, unless, like in this case, they are very subdued.

In a world of common fragrances women wear all the time with their boring predictable sugary sweet fruity notes, or flowers that can barely smell like real flowers, or a world of celebrity fragrances promoted by such trashy personas as Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga and God knows who else, here is DIVA to stand tall and beautiful above all the rest. She is out of another more fashionable elegant era of ladies that wore perfume when it really was perfume. Today's perfumes are meant to be worn so that no one knows you're even wearing perfume. But how can someone know that you're wearing it unless it projects and it makes an entrance, like this richly bejeweled, glamorously costumed soprano DIVA who makes that entrance on the stage that is the fragrance market, and is still singing, singing great arias and receiving unending applause. Brava! Encore! Brava!

love this i got a vintage bottle , after reading the gender bender article its so lovely

When I first tried it I sprayed it on both wrist and was overwhelmed by the stench, I have now learned that this perfume needs to be sprayed inthe air and walk through the mist for it to work for me, with my body chemistry . Now it's beautiful. Full of powdery florals, classic expensive smelling beauty

i have a bottle of 100ml 2014 EDT. i blind brought it becuase it is a legend and the price is more than reasonable ( easily 1/3 of the price of a usual 'modern' frangrance in the current market). The bottle made me hesitated for a while. Yes it was beautiful and glamorous(big bulky piece but not as plan as say the Miracle's) but it looked old fashioned. I worried that the frangrance itself would be 'old' and out dated.

It is certainly not a modern creation. It doesn't have fruity opening or any tendency to go sweet ever so slightly.

It is an all-floral fragrance. Bergamot and marndarin orange are here to contibute to some brightness. This floral frangrance maintains its dry and bitter and slightly green edge throughtout its life on my skin and that is what i like about it. it reminds me of fragrance like beautiful and anis anis. A dry and warm blanket of floral scent surrounding the wearer.

I think it can be wear any time, any weather. i love it becuase it is a unique fragrance in my collection. Most likley i will expand the collection to include EDP version and the limited Pepite version.

This fragrance is for those who scream " Go Big or Go Home!" It smells classy and rich and I just don't think I have the chueffer needed to pull this one off. I gave it to my glamorous Grandmother and it was divine on her. The fragrance has a personality that requires presence from the wearer. In about 30 years I would love to be the type woman who can wear this but right now it was just wearing me!

along with Anais Anais, this is the best classic perfume for me. Both Aais Anais and Diva are floral and bold, both are extreemly womanish and both can be adopted as signature scents. the problem is that many people don't like them.
Diva smells like roses; not the pink delicate dewy ones we encounter in real life and on some modern perfumes as well, but rather like the red plump thorny roses we find in romantic literature and fairy tales. the rest of the composition is what you generally smell on good classic perfumes.
Diva is strong and long lasting, sillage is huge in winter( and it is an exclusively winter scent tbh).and it suits a composed person with a "clean" style, otherwise it might smell vulgar.

Whoooh, this reminds me of the 1980's where everything was big perfume, big hair and big shoulder pads! Yup... I had those. At the drydown, this perfume reminds me of spicy carnations, and is really lovely. It took around 2 hours on me to get to this stage. I can see me wearing this in tiny little droplets because it did hit me in the face a bit when first applied. It is much too nice to leave in my perfume cabinet, and now that I know how to wear this, I can totally flip out at choir practice tonight and be my Diva self!

@ perfumecritic Diva Pepite is a new limited edition. Same bottle (different label and box) bit different glass on the bottle and totaly different smell. Also a good one but not as DIVA like the first one.

Wow...I did not expect to like this but I LOVE it. I am into vintage Chypres but what impresses me is how it is so translatable to 2015. It is so rich. I really don't think I have ever smelled such a civet blend done with quite this perfection. EVER! It is a true womanly perfume. It's not sweet or girly...probably appreciated more for a thirties or above crowd. A perfume collectors must have. One caveat..it SNAPS!!!! at the beginning just briefly. Don't let it scare you...it's just unleashing its Diva power! It takes only maybe two minutes to put its spell on you...

I totally agree with gypsy perfumista D-I-V-A!!!. This is a lovely, beautiful, wonderous, class act in a whiskey bottle. Even the color of the juice says it all. Rich warm, pulls you in close. Spraying on my hand I thought I got a clunkette, but oh my goodness, it starts off just a soft little bite, intriguing the sniffer and then, wait for it this sumptuous rose billows up but not an old rose but a dreamy kinda rose, like someone says that this rose makes a beautiful grand entrance, then it develops into this wonderful floral bouquet and stays and stays, i do detect some oakmoss at the last unveiling but that makes me want to spray my hand again, which I did! I really thought it would be an old fragrance but it is amazingly wonderful. I do love the 80's and 90's frags, big white florals,and floral cyphres. Amarige, ysatis, jessica mcclintock, gucci rush even angel, so I do love bold, sexy and romantic fragrances, I carry 'em pretty well and I do remember trying this one but wasn't developed enough (nose) for this treasure, oh but now, rounded out a little bit, with some experience and loving my life, this was just what I needed! Lol Ha, let's see what next week brings!
These new fragrances that come out every week need to take a tip from the tried and true divas of the day for sillage and longevity. They are tricking the consumer causing us to spend more in a shorter amount of time, pushing us toward the niche frags and not all of those are worth the money they ask for! OK I'm off my box now. Thank you!

Stunning perfume and very aptly named. Glorious rose, honey and civet.... Jacques Polge at his very best.

They certainly don't make them like this anymore.... more's the pity.

Vintage EDP: The initial spray is of syrupy honey. Within minutes Rose cuts through making her grand entry, strutting down the aisle, carrying her pet civet whose been out rolling around in the oakmoss. She is fierce and commanding, telling you exactly who she is. Loud and bossy, eh? Yes, but just as her name says, she is the "Diva" and she is exquisite!

Help!? Okay, so I just got a brand-new EDP that has to be recent. The label on the bottom lists Ferragamo as the producer and on the gold label at the front of the bottle underneath the name Diva is PEPITE. I have to admit that although the opening is just a little too much on the chypre side, the scent immediately settles revealing a honeyed rose that is really quite stunning. I don't have memories of this from when I was younger and so I can't say anything about the reformulation.

So does anyone else have a bottle that is apparently created by Ferragamo? When did they take over this fragrance? What is this current formulation like compared to others? And what is this subtitle PEPITE under the name Diva?

UPDATE: So it seems this Pepite was a limited edition (how/why?)...but that's all I could surmise. I have another bottle of the regular scent coming to compare and I'll report back!

Simply beautiful...

The coeur, the essence, the spirit of a perfume.
I believe this is maybe THE PARFUM.
A perfect combination of the classic elements of a woman and of a scent.
Sugary Aldehydes, animal notes hidden between stereo fat flowers.
A prominent classic femminility full of imposition desire but not deprived of innocence, light and "sunlight".
Elegant as well.
Masterpiece indeed.

Maybe I should have known better. I bought the reformulated version, even though I have worn this scent in the nineties - which were still the good days if it comes to certain ingredients. I believe you will truly appreciate this reformulation only if you have not known a better version of it in the past. To me, it has lost most of its previous beauty. It may be better than the reformulated Knowing or Paloma Picasso, it is still not worth buying if you are trying to be reunited with the well-beloved scent you once knew. Better look forward and try something new.

A QUESTION SO THAT I MAY MAKE AN INFORMED PURCHASE :) So many of you have written such boss, eloquent reviews of this fragrance that your words alone have convinced me to try it - correct, I have never smelled it - so I am trying to make the most informed decision: it sounds like purchasing it with a stopper top, EDP version, Splash, preferably vintage, would be most wise; but I've also read in these reviews that the rectangular, NOT the liquer i.e. currently-shaped bottle is the way to go, as well. -- I'm concerned, however, that purchasing a bottled described as "vintage", in either shape, could be so old as to ...have lost it's vigor? Or does that not happen with a well-made fragrance? I'm new to this forum so I appreciate any advice in this matter :) Thank you and btw, those of you who are fans of Diva are legit epic writers - I felt like I was reading about a sensational fictional character whom I wanted to BE. Ungaro could hire you to write copy for this perfume. Amen.

Very classical and somewhat aggressive scent of spice and rose. Strong and solid. I wore this in the 80's and loved it. I would probably still love it but haven't worn it in years and am not going backwards. Lots of more youthful fragrances out there.

Diva ia a pure sophisticated classic fragrance. I’m surprised I didn’t wear it back in the day. Maybe I just steered clear of the 80’s huge perfumes. I even stopped buying magazines because of the “Giorgio of Beverly Hills” samples infecting everything. I love Chypres in general, but Diva is a softer more feminine one, much more so than the bold Paloma Piccaso I wore.

Today I love everything about this fragrance, from beginning to end. The notes don’t seem to separate into tiers during dry down, on me the composition just gets gentler with time. Diva is such a warm feminine scent in a womanly way, grown up, sophisticated. I absolutely love this, it’s suits my Eastern European genetic makeup. I feel so comfortable in this scent that I suspect if I was to commission a bespoke scent, it just may turn out to be very much like Diva.

Huge personality, seems bitter, unlikable at first, but as it settles on the skin, you realize how sweet it is. How floral, powdery... charming.

This is an old fashioned real perfume, one that opens scary and settles down into a wonderful warm sweet spicy soap and animalistic. It's clean and dirty, hard and soft, a woman with a tough exterior and a sweet, loving, romantic heart, but still a woman not a little girl. She knows herself and her own mind. She is strong but truly kind and warm.

Diva is one of the perfumes I fell in love with as a young woman. It is opulent and very 80's and I still love it's feline racy character. A keeper in my collection.

This is a review of the vintage ('80s) eau de parfum.
For me, Diva is all about civet, rose and honey. It is very 80s and very Italian: big, bold, loud and seductive. She is a curvy, big boned lady with masses of red locks, red lipstick, fur and stiletto heels, who is as easy-going and adorable as beautiful and intelligent. You know: the type of woman who could easily be intimidating and aloof, but manages to be thoroughly lovable, simply because she is good natured and happy with herself. To me Diva is a happy and confident scent. She knows how to enjoy life to the full and embraces the world and people around her.

On my skin the above mentioned notes dominate (i.e. civet, rose and honey), together with the aroma of well matured wine, made sparkling and bubbly by citrusses and aldehydes. Sillage is worthy of an 80s perfume, and so is longevity: two sprays last all day long, surrounding you at arm's length. More suitable for the cooler months, due to the warmth of the honey, and the vanilla-sandalwood combo in the drydown.

I completely agree with Hermesfan. Every word.

I have had my bottle of Diva since the nineties. I didn't like it when I smelled it from the splash bottle then but it grew on me when I decided to wear it ten years later. I loved the bottle which is mainly the reason I kept it. I don't wear this often but when I do it definitely makes me feel like a lady with an edge. It is strong of Civet and Rose. It is a complex fragrance but after the initial bold start wears off a bit it moves into a very feminine cloud of loveliness. My bottle is half gone and I fear from these reviews that it is not going to be the same Diva I have come to love. I guess I will cross that bridge eventually.
10/10

Very classical. Not for everybody. I think it suits for a women with a strong personality.

perfect "la dame" scent, so far, so distant from contemporary "lemonade" and "raspberry" craps that can be smelled everywhere around.

Firstly, this review is for the vintage parfum was applied via splash method rather than spray.second, This perfume was originally geared toward more older women, so please bare with my younger perspective.

At first sniff I must admit, I went "Oh god that is pretty strong" before dashing off to eat dinner. However, while eating I would get the loveliest whiff of something heavenly floral; and I was swooning when I realized it was this.

A beautiful and gorgeous scent that, while I can't pick out the individual notes I can't give anything other that adoration to this perfume. Sweet and floral but definitely tampered down with civet. On me, the perfume lasts for a good five to six hours and wears very close to the skin. Although, please remember my version is applied differently rather than sprayed.

If I were to explain it to someone who has never smelled this before, I say Diva is the type of perfume that is so much more personal that those available today. It's the type of scent you would smell on a girl who is hugging you to her chest, giggling as you both roll around in bed.

Alas, I have the reformulated version, but it's still a great scent. My first impresion was moderate: some plastic or rubber note spoils the opening. But after a while Diva turns into a sparkling, joyful chypre, suprisingly easy to wear.
Much milder than "Paloma"' "Eau de Sisley" or "La Perla", but with a similar vibe, enjoyable from the very morning.

I also happened to buy the Ferragamo, made in Italy, reformulation.
There is, indeed, no civet. Which makes this a heavy and spicy vanilla one with big chunks of roses. Not bad smelling but very different from the notes description and the reviews on this site.

Beware!

Slightly disappointing, at least for me personally. I bought this perfume in the long-time search for a 'Fendi Fendi' replacement. However, the results were slightly disappointing. The initial application was a very strong and nose-piercing scent, similar to 'Poison', however this thankfully subsided fairly quickly. I was left with a very powdery scent, with a hint of wood grain. This particular perfume has a very masculine undertone with a hint of 'Gloria Vanderbilt' to it. It is, at best, a borderline unisex classical perfume, sadly lacking in any of the glorious characteristics portrayed so wonderfully by Fendi in the past.

This review is for what I think might be a pre-reformulated version I have

Dear God what a heavy hitter. I was brought up in the 70-80's when real perfume was made. These heavy hitters were common and priced well. One spray would stick with you the entire day, night and even through the next morning. One of the biggest tragedies is the loss of the heavy hitting fragrances. Yes it was the old time ingredients which made it last and reformulation has unfortunately changed it all. Granted I am an animal lover so I support removing these ingredients but the Oak Moss and other natural ingredients are all but gone now leaving just a shadow of the former glorious scents.

Diva is a mean girl who will bitch slap you back in your place. She is loud, no she screams... but she is like that bad ass friend of yours who you know deep down is more gentle and kind. After Diva has time to settle... which let's face it that is many hours, you are left with the most damn amazing aroma there is. If you can muscle through the Sally bad ass for a few hours you will be in love. Remember I am talking the vintage here as I have no clue what the new formulation smells like.

With that being said I don't think I am bad enough for Diva or patient enough for the dry down however I am in love with the longevity and quality of our old timers.

Wow, what a temper! And she's been drinking? :)
Real, loud diva, like Maria Callas! Very strong in the beginning, wich is quite long...reminded me on Salvador Dali, and than dried down is slightly similar to Chanel N°5. Mature and gorgeous. I would love to wear it but im just to petit...
I presume civet in this perfume is synthetic? I could never enjoy my perfume knowing that some animal has suffered...Chanel No 5 and Shalimar consist synthetic civet for sure..., i asked :)

My lord - what a beautifully crafted perfume! This is a strong rosy, woody, civet perfume that pretty much sums of the smell of the 80's! I bought the vintage formulation, and let me tell you, the elixir within this bottle is potent and godlike. The most prominent notes that jump out on my skin are the woody rose - a dusty patchouli mixes with the floral perfectly. THEN comes the civet; I am OBSESSED with civet - a note that is poorly underated in todays perfumes. The civet then mingles with what smells to me like a clove-honey mixture.The cardamon, of course, is hard to miss.

For men/males who are too ignorant to venture out and look beyond manmade fragrance marketing, this would be a good starter, as it is very much like a mans opulent cologne. The aldehydes are to DIE for in this perfume. This is most definitely a staple in your perfume collection if you're a lover of 80's powerhouses.

great scent for a great price. not an oldie though not for young teen agers. it is a perfume for women over 35. it is a perfect womenly scent. sweet but in a special- gentle way. can be worn during the day in winter. got compliments while wearing it. sillage and staying power are very good.

I bought an EDP today and I'm satisfied. Very complex, elegant fragrance. At the beginning smells sweet and heavy, but later it evolves into pleasant and very elegant smell. I believe this is rather evening perfume, I can imagine wearing it to opera, perfect. That's why the name Diva?

My beloved Fendi lives!!!!! OMG this smells almost identical to Fendi!!! I wore Fendi for years and when they discontinued it, I WAS HORRIFIED. Now I can re-live my wonderful years and memories with scent again. Thanks Diva for making my life wonderful ONCE AGAIN!!!! IM A HAPPY GIRL NOW!!!

This is NOT outdated, it is NOT old lady smell rather it is timeless, powerful, it is worthy of red lipstick and high heels. It defines a woman with class and it smells like million dollars. Very feminine and bold but chic also , a woman in her 30s being successful. For me is love at first smell. It reminds of old time prosperity and opulence.I have smelled outdated perfumes like dana-tabu but this is sooo much different.It is retro because of the luxury that it emits.A gem.
I understand that people that have smelled the first edition will never like anything else,but for us smelling it the first time, we can appreciate it differently.

There are no scents I adore more than the rich, succulent, all out big frags of all scents 90's and before, but.. I have such mixed feelings about Diva because the head and heart notes are sharp and harsh on me. I smell much more bergamot, cardamom and coriander than rose; this blend carries a dry, masculine aura which does not jibe with the name "Diva". If this is a diva, I imagine her to be menacingly overweight with coal black hair pulled back in a severe bun wearing garish makeup, and though her voice is magical, even divine, she is hard to like as she comes across as ruthless and mean. This frag reminds me of an unforgiving, pushy, demanding, austere personality, no traits I am fond of or fitting to me. It is a cold scent; rude and crass. Perhaps "Dom", "Shove", or "Austere" may have been a more fitting name. The EDP is hard, so I tried the EDT which is unfortunately no better, only a tad less of a mean punch in the nose; a sharp, masculine deodorant. This "Diva" is aggressive, and not in a good, admirable or sexy way.

There is something I do like about this fragrance but cannot figure out what. A decent hint of a fabulous rose does make an attempt to bud occasionally but not enough to matter. Sold to Ferragamo who apparently ripped that perfect rose right out of the ground, though I barely detected rose or any other lovely note in my vintage EDP. Overall, it still has a sharp and ominously serious feel to me. It does smell very much like Fendi (Fendi) which I have no care for at all, though there is something I almost like about Diva if I could only figure out what! Maybe simply knowing this is one of "those" vintage frags nothing will ever be like again? Even so, that is not enough to make me want to wear this scent. *perplexed*

It is a rough fragrance and I do not imagine a beautiful, confident, composed, goddess-like woman when I smell it. This is the awful, stern, aloof, controlling headmistress at a girl's school. I am so sorry I smell no "Diva" as per my interpretation of what a diva is. Ungaro's Diva smells mean and bully-ish on me and to me. A few more tries with no success and mine will be up for sale. I hope I do not have to remove this mean person from my house. She/he/it better settle down and become even a tiny bit sweeter, more likeable fast, or.... Diva dismissed.

Diva Emanuel Ungaro for women is a gorgeous Italian fragrance. The notes are different on paper, but it does remind me of Luciano Soprani Strass for women and Luciano Soprani for women (discontinued).

Diva was supposedly a favorite or the signature fragrance of Sophia Loren.

I can totally understand that match. Diva and Sophia are both rich, decadent, feminine, and timeless.

The prominent rose in Diva is vivid and red, very different from a white floral. But the rose is tamed by citrus and wood, which gives this fragrance a dry, shimmering depth.

The EDP is potent and dries down to a scarlet bouquet sweetened with vanilla and sandalwood.

I have heard that this has been reformulated. But I think the current Diva (which I have and am reviewing here) has retained its classic, sophisticated beauty.

I love Paloma Picasso. Many reviewers say it is similar to Diva. I can sense a slight resemblance, but I find Paloma Picasso to be much darker and more animalic. It also lacks the hint of vanilla that sets off the powdery softness of Diva.

Diva also reminds me of Roberto Cavalli Oro for women.

I smell gorgeous roses,

siren civet,

coy coriander,

deep patchouli,

warm honey,

and elegant sandalwood.

Not to mention an earthy background of oakmoss.......

SUBLIME!!!!!!!!!!

This smells about 90% like Fendi but with the civet a little stronger and to me, perhaps of higher quality.

Mum is going to love me this Christmas, it's under the tree for her after about 2 years of looking for an alternative!

TO DIE FOR! Must have been my lucky day as I stumbled upon a 50 ml bottle of vintage Ungaro Diva. At Ross. Filene'sBasement of the '' NameBrands For Less'' in the West-formula chains.

Diva has far surpassed all expectations; this perfume has that elusive combination and balance of ingredients I have been searching for some time now.Unwittingly, I am fleshing out that something along the lines Rose/oakmoss/civet/honey could possibly be the reoccuring vintage melody that keeps playing around my head.

Somewhere deep in my core,Ungaro Diva tricks my memory back to the glamorous world of the early 1960s, and my earliest scented memories. I remember my mother donning those elegant shifts with matching jackets and stiletto heels for special occasions.It was always one of those damp, grey leavless days that looked like late afternoon all day long. I remember sitting in the back seat of the car going to a holiday party. My parents smoking, making me carsick again and suddenly catching a whiff of the basenotes of oakmoss, civet in the fragrances of my mother, or my elegantly dressed European aunts.

In my opinion, Diva could be the most perfectly executed Chyrpe in a balance of ingredients I have yet encountered. It gets it's sweetness from honey, it is sparkling and intoxicates as does champagne. The rose is sublime-and I have a difficult time finding a rose that fits my chemistry and doesn't go bitter. I just can't get over the perfect balance of notes. The civet, oakmoss honey and rose are achingly beautiful, so in perfect harmony.

Ross, known lately for fragrances which have broke the record for the shortest amount of time from release date at Macy's to bargain basement. Multiple boxes of Bieber's K.Kardashian and Jordan Sparks, whoever. The last place I typically would find an example of the old fashioned Chypre school. Partially for comparison's sake, I purchased a 50 ml vintage. I wonder why this fragrance is relatively inexpensive to so many other comparable perfumes.

I never tried the vintage, but just got a new bottle, smells great. Rich floral chypre, opulent and classy.

Just received an old version of Diva EdP mini : gorgeous ! I am not particularly drown by roses but as I always say , there are exceptions when it comes to masterpieces . This is red and bright gold , oh ! I have just realized that those are the colors of the juice and label :-) and really makes you think of elegant long dresses . It is an intense,feminine ,rich , longlasting perfume and very smooth ,delicious honeyed light sweetness ... it is easy to wear for me as it is a real Beauty !

I have an older version of EdT and really like it. Just yesterday I received a full old version EDP in the box. Let me tell you.... it rock n rolls!! Beautifully ornate. Opens with sparkly rose/floral, fantastic amount of oakmoss... moves to honey and dense civet... mmmmmmmm Not for everyone, but wow, if you've got a hot date, wear this.

Un hermosa fragancia, cítrica y con enorme sillage,, incluso después del baño puedes percibirla, la compre por los reviews de su similitud con Fendi, tengo este perfume y no se parece en nada, pero es hermosa por derecho propio.

A very beautiful fragance, is not like Fendi, enormous sillage, very loud , a truly masterpiece. I love Fendi but Diva is special :)

Aaah... This is s what I look for in a fragrance. Rich, sparkling, opulent! Slightly sweet & fizzy in the opening, like fresh cut fruit, aldehydes, green nuances, and then the florals come into play! Jasmine, ylang-ylang, narcissus, rose, carnation... There is where I stop trying to pick out the floral players, at this point the fragrance is very well balanced, at that perfect point of umami. Not too sweet, not too green, rich civet & woods, not TOO much of anything! Quite complex, a very "high perfume" in the classic sense. An opulent, sparkling balance that's very glamorous! It would feel out of place worn with a t-shirt & jeans, although I'd probably do it anyway. In my plain house clothes today, I suddenly feel as if I'm in a ball gown! Very sensuously aware, I can't stop sniffing my wrist. My sample, I have no idea if its vintage, or current, or if there's been a reformulation or its discontinued! One or the other seems likely, as its too mossy & bold for a current fragrance. They don't make them like this anymore! As of this moment, I know very little about this fragrance, other than Diva is very aptly named! Not a temperamental diva, she is all class, and complex layers that you're dying to get to get to know. A trilling laugh that lures you in, & hooks you! The base here I'm madly in love with. Civet, moss, sandalwood, and all of the delicious things that please me in quality. This will be a full bottle purchase for sure! I'm very thankful for the sample I was given, it has spawned a new fragrance love for me! If you love the "high perfume" classics, Diva is a must sniff! Speaking of, I must sniff again.. Delicious.. I can't wait to leave a beautiful trail of Diva in my wake! Look out, she's a bombshell!

The reformulated version is not exactly well done.
I love Diva for the strong natural smelling roses with strong woody oakmoss, for the bunch of velvety civet, sandalwood and a drop of honey.
I just bought new bottle of EDP, according to the manufacture code its from 2010. The bottom label doesn´t say UNGARO anymore, but Ferragamo Parfums.
There is barely any oakmoss, no civet and the sour rose smells like rosewater cosmetics.
If i´m correct, Ifra banned oakmoss in 2001. Some reviw here said all up to 2004 is the original formula. Another source here on fragrantica mentioned the country where its made in. France should be the good old one.

What an idea to sell Jacques Polge creation to some Ferragamo, the king of perfume losers

I so wanted to like this fragrance: great reviews, beautiful bottle, found a great deal on a vintage perfume, love Ungaro as a designer, and, it's Sophia Loren's favorite! But, no..it just doesn't resonate with me. Too bad, it makes a statement and the sillage is enormous.
Update: I had my good friend try it, she loved it! It smells wonderful on her. It is now her signature scent.

Stunning fragrance, makes a statement long lasting and not to sweet . I am a perfume snob and have a really good nose, this is a definite. Lots of compliments wearing this one.

My large EDP has just arrived in the mail, and given the fact that it now feels like my birthday ~ I can't wait any longer to share my joy!

Those who state that Diva is a tamed cat are correct. Without ever having smelled the original, I'm aware that a civet - heavy fragrance would be more intense than this. And yet....... there is a quelque chose here that is intoxicating and chic, both primitive and refined! Diva can still hold her own with the BEST. Especially now that they've all been reformulated - *sigh*.

What do I smell? Coriander, patchouli, rose, honey, oakmoss, and more coriander. For me a lovely surprise, as I adore coriander! It has a green freshness that surprises me, keeping the blend from becoming cloying or heavy. I can't believe how appropriate this feels.

Comfortably compelling.....


So rather than lament her undoubted former glory, I'd rather celebrate the present ~ while she is still with us. I suggest Diva lovers buy another bottle soon, as I recently saw this perfume for sale in the discontinued section of a perfume shop!


FIVE stars