It's Penelope's 12th birthday today! What would be an ideal gift to mark this important occasion? I thought about her interest in fragrance and how she sometimes tries to create her own perfumes with little cuttings of flowers. She loves to go round perfumery departments trying out the test sprays and one day she came back with a Dior sample card splashed with Miss Dior. "This is my favourite perfume", she said. It seemed to me that this would be the perfect present for a girl taking her first steps along the path of glamour and sophistication.
I bought Miss Dior Eau de Parfum in a 30ml spray and the lovely consultant at the Dior counter in Boots gift-wrapped it beautifully in a white and gold Dior box tied with white satin ribbon.
So what does the box hold?
The iconic Miss Dior is a Chypre* floral fragrance. The citrus top notes of Sicilian mandarin orange and wild strawberry combine with a floral heart of Grasse rose and jasmine and a base of oak moss, patchouli and amber.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PENELOPE
*"Chypre" describes perfumes with citrusy top notes and a woody, musky base, often combined with floral mid-notes, i.e. rose and jasmine.