Christian Dior La Collection Privée

I was ecstatic when I learned that Bergdorf Goodman was offering Christian Dior's La Collection Privée. Until recently, the fragrances were only available at the Las Vegas Dior boutique or at Dior.com. I wanted someone to help me select, so I called Madelyn, the fragrance manager, who was fabulous help (I sure hope I spelled her name correctly).

I shopped and, using the descriptions of notes at Dior.com, selected three of them. It was a splurge, but I was in a make-me-happy mood. Now, Bergdorf has a gift card event, and, depending on how much you spend in beauty, you can get as much as $200 taken off your tab. It's a great deal - way better then a handful of packet samples. That's why I'm telling you about these elegant fragrances today. I love encouraging my readers to spend money, and the timing is perfect.

What were my must-have's? Let's start with Milly-La-Forêt ($230). Described as a pastoral fragrance with a powdery floral accord, it offers notes of orange blossom, jasmine, iris - and soft, cottony and musky notes with a touch of sandalwood in its base. It's categorized as a musky citrus, with mandarin, neroli, and white musk as its most dominant notes. It's extremely fresh and, unexpectedly, long-lasting on the skin.

Dior describes all of these fragrances as having a top note is the first olfactory impression and the most intense. The heart note is the fragrance's core and lasts for several hours. The base note lasts the longest and can be perceived in clothing for several months. That's why I don't spray my clothing with fragrance. I don't want what I wore last week to clash with what I wear today.

I moved on to New Look 1947 ($230). I had read rave reviews on Facebook. Because it's categorized as a spicy floral, and because am repelled by some spices, I proceeded with caution. Here's how Dior presents it.

A profusion of flowers - Indian tuberose, Turkish rose, sambac jasmine, Tuscan iris – over a sensual woody bottom note, enveloped in vanilla from Madagascar. I talked to Madelyn and described my fragrance tastes, and she assured me I'd love it. She was spot on. New Look 1947 isn't spicy at all to my nose. It's a supremely elegant French floral. I am thrilled to have it.

Grand Bal ($230) was my third selection. "Grand Bal elegantly embodies the intoxication of a summer's night at the first light of dawn. Like the most beautiful of gowns, its radiant composition, dominated by Grasse jasmine, conceals noble raw materials. Literally fascinated by the excess of the imposing balls that he would not miss for anything, Christian Dior used his fashion to celebrate a certain luxurious and timeless celebratory spirit."

A new chapter in the "Christian Dior Collection Privée, Grand Bal elegantly embodies the intoxication of a summer's night at the first light of dawn. Like the most beautiful of gowns, its radiant composition, dominated by Grasse jasmine, conceals noble raw materials. Grand Bal is an echo of Christian Dior's great ball gowns, with full skirts and beauty that evoked the petals of a flower in full bloom," said François Demachy, Dior perfumer. Is it as lush as it sounds? Yes!

Did I want Vétiver? Yes, but I couldn't continue to spend. I'll get it later. A mix of Sicilian grapefruit, South American Robusta Coffee, and Haitian Vetiver, it's calling my name. The mix of fruits and a gourmand note has my attention. Cologne Royale also has my attention.

The bottles are huge (8.5 ounces) and elegantly packed in a circular white box. They would make extraordinary holiday gifts - if you could bear to part with one.

My purchases were a splurge. If you are in need of a fragrance fix, now is a great time to buy. Spend $1,000, and your bill will be $800. Unless you live in New York, you won't pay sales tax, and you can probably talk Bergorfs into free shipping. That fragrance you wanted? It's time! Need a discount on luxury makeup? It's time! How good does it get? I just wish the discount exceeded $200 for those who spend mega-bucks.

Photo courtesy of Christian Dior