Estee Lauder White Linen

White Linen is one of the most universally recognized fragrances. It was and still is everywhere though its popularity has waned a bit in recent years, White Linen is still one of the perfumes I associate instantly with clean, soap and aldehydes. White Linen

In Bottle: Big, bright and loud. White Linen wastes no time building up suspense. It comes roaring out of the gates smelling of soapy aldehydes right away. Just so you know what’s in store.

Applied: The aldehydes in White Linen is probably one of the first things anyone will smell in this fragrance as they are incredibly predominant. Those aldehydes coupled with a drowning rose note make this fragrance extremely recognizable to me. I can understand why someone wouldn’t like this. On the one hand, you’ve got soapy sparkly aldehydes. On the other, you have a dewy, slightly sticky red rose that are coming together like two fragrance forces on the battlefield. The aldehydes in White Linen do not get any meeker as the fragrance progresses. They stay up front as the scent turns into a rose so scrubbed and soaked in soapy water that it sparkles as it wilts in a bed of powder. During the middle this fragrance does a very strange thing in that it introduces the civet on me in a bed of otherwise clean. So in between smelling like sparkly soap, I get a waft of something just a bit off. It’s a bit distracting but highly amusing. White Linen is a powerful fragrance that will project like crazy. A lot of people also find her overbearing so if you are going to use this stuff, ease up on the trigger finger. Fresh until the last moments, this fragrance dries down like freshly wetted perfumed soap.

Extra: White Linen is probably one of those recognizable classics that people either love or hate. I tend to see the hate for this more often and I can see why people are repelled by it. If you want to see what the fuss is about but can’t quite figure out White Linen, its flanker, Pure White Linen is a softer, easier to wear, and more muted version.

Design: White linen is bottled in a bent frosted glass bottle with a metal cap. It’s a pretty iconic looking bottle with a fine design though the frosted glass always makes me think of Avon.

Fragrance Family: Adehydelic Floral

Notes: Aldehydes, citrus, peach, rose, jasmine, lilac, iris, lily-of-the-valley, ylang-ylang, cedar, honey, amber, civet, sandalwood, tonka.

Probably the only time I’ll smell distinct civet in a fragrance and it was hilarious the first time I detected it in White Linen. Here I am, enjoying a bed of aldehydes and rose then all of a sudden something smells a wee bit off. Like a tiny fart, the civet makes this fragrance worth a test just to experience a bit of civet’s power.

Reviewed in This Post: White Linen, ~1980, Eau de Parfum.


Perfume FAQ, Part 1

You spend a certain amount of time in the perfume hobby and a few things start to dawn on you that you didn’t know before. Feeling like a dummy for a few moments is the least of it until you realize that perfume and perfumery is a vast and complicated subject with a rift between the people who enjoy it and the people who enjoy it enough to sift through the how, what, and why of it. That rift is where misconceptions and confusions are born.

This FAQ was written on a bit of a whim to answer questions that keep coming up regarding perfume.

Q. What perfumes do guys/girls like?
A. This is like asking what food everybody in the whole world will like. There is a lot of variety in tastes and what people consider to be “good”. People can have more than one favorite. People might love something that everybody else hates. There’s simply no catch-all fragrance as it is all a matter of personal taste and opinion.

Q. What’s the difference between an Eau de Toilette and an Eau de Parfum?
A. Eau de Parfum has a higher concentration of fragrance oils compared to Eau de Toilette. Therefore, Eau de Parfums tends to smell stronger and last longer when used. Fragrance oils being those lovely things that give the perfume its scent. The higher the fragrance oil concentration in relation to the dilution agents, the more powerful the scent. Some houses also change the formulations between Eau de Parfum and Eau de Toilette versions, making one smell different than the other. Guerlain is known to do this with their perfumes. More info >>

Q. Is it okay to wear cologne if you’re a girl? How about wearing perfume when you’re a guy?
A. Fragrances do not have genders or gender preferences. It is the people and the marketing that assign genders to perfumes and colognes. Something can smell feminine or masculine but I treat that as a “good to know” sort of thing rather than a hard and fast rule. If you like how something smells but it happens to be marketed to the other gender then wear it anyway. As long as it smells good to you, do what makes you happy.

Q. Is this perfume better than that perfume?
A. Something being better than something else is a highly subjective topic that’s entirely personal opinion. Technically, nothing makes one perfume better than another if we’re talking about personal taste and asking someone else what makes one fragrance better is not necessarily the answer you want because they’ll be judging based upon their tastes when you should be judging based upon your own.

Q. How do I make my perfume last longer?
A. Layering. There is a reason why some perfumes come in sets with soaps, lotions and shampoos. The main goal here is to layer, layer, layer. If you wash yourself with the same scented soap and use the same scented lotion before spraying on the perfume then you gather a few more hours worth of enjoyment out of the fragrance. If a fragrance doesn’t come in a set then you can use unscented lotion on your skin to help your fragrance last longer. Also keep in mind that in hot climates, perfume will fade faster than normal no matter what you do.

Q. Are perfumes made from essential oils safer than the synthetic stuff?
A. Not necessarily because essential oil usage can be dangerous as well. Citrus essential oils can cause photosensitivity. Some essential oils are made from plants that are dangerous and harmful to humans. Certain essential oils need to be diluted or they can cause injury to whoever uses them. Synthetics have a murky reputation. But they are also tested and regulated quite stringently. Basically, you cannot assume that just because something is derived from nature, that it is automatically better than something manmade. In short, no, natural essential oils are not safer than synthetic oils. They are, however, beautiful and useful in their own ways.

Q. How do I correctly apply perfume?
A. Tons of schools of thoughts on this and there is no correct way, just preferred ways. But I’ll make it easy. Perfume will work wherever you want to spray it. Most people will spray it on their pulse points. The most popular locations are the wrists and neck. Some people also apply perfume to the back of the knees, back of the neck, the chest, and sometimes the insides of their elbows. So long as you keep it away from and out of any orifaces on your body, the perfume will work just fine.

Q. How should I store my perfumes?
A. Perfumes should be kept away from their three major enemies, light, air, and heat. Store them in a dark, cool place with a stable temperature. A dresser drawer would be okay. A closet would be okay. A fragrance fridge set to the right temperature would be ideal but expensive. Avoid sunlight especially as sunlight is powerful and can break down the components in your perfume very quickly. Avoid keeping your fragrances in your bathroom as well because most people’s bathrooms will experience frequent temperature fluctuations. More info >>

Got any questions not addressed in this FAQ? Please leave a comment. I plan on doing more of these in the future.


Chloe 1975

Not to be confused by Chloe 2008, the young remake of 1975. These two fragrances smell nothing alike. Though they share the same name and are both essentially florals, they are leagues apart. Chloe 1975

In Bottle: A heady, lush tuberose with jasmine and lily of the valley. It’s light, powdery and much more mature than Chloe 2008.

Applied: The initial fragrance is a light, lilting lily of the valley scent that’s quick to dissipate as a big lush tuberose and its friend jasmine head into the scene. Chloe 1975 is all about the white florals and no white floral is louder and more recognizable than the charismatic tuberose. Slightly sweet, and dusted in powder the tuberose is what dominates the heart of this fragrance but does let a nice classic rose and its jasmine friend in now and then. Chloe 1975 is a bit musky too, she’s a pretty floral but the tuberose and ambery treatment give her a little bit of sensuality. In the dry down, the tuberose is still very prominent as it mixes with smooth white woods and amber. Chloe 1975 was released in the powerhouse era and it’s strength is not to be undermined. Go light on this stuff if you have it or you will be smelled from quite a distance.

Extra: Chloe is a fashion house founded in 1952. Today, they still deal with fashion but have also added accessories such as handbags and sunglasses to their répertoire. Classic Chloe, as Chloe 1975 is often called, was replaced in 2008 by a new fragrance of the  same name. You can find Classic Chloe at discounters for the time being.

Design: Designed by Joe Messina, the bottle for Chloe 1975 is supposed to be reminiscent of a calla lily. A lot of people who see the bottle, however, associate it to looking more like a heart. Not Vera Wang Princess heart either. Think anatomical heart.

Fragrance Family: Floral

Notes: Lily of the valley, honeysuckle, orange flower, ylang-ylang, hyacinth, jasmine, rose, narcissus, carnation, tuberose, sandalwood, amber, oakmoss.

I vastly prefer Chloe 1975’s fragrance to Chloe 2008. But I prefer Chloe 2008’s packaging.

Reviewed in This Post: Chloe, ~1980, Eau de Parfum.


Guerlain L’Ame d’un Heros

L’Ame d’un Héros, the Soul of a Hero. A part of Guerlain’s Les Parisiennes line, L’Ame d’un Héros is a bee bottle exclusive of a previously discontinued scent. It is billed as a men’s fragrance but smells versatile enough for both genders to pull off. LAme dun Heros

In Bottle: Fresh and crisp citrus and aromatic scent with a touch of woodsiness in the bottle.

Applied: Opens with lemon and sage and that dry, citrus sophistication of bergamot. L’Ame d’un Héros crashes into the mid-stage with a smooth and excellently blended heart of green aromatics with a juniper dominance. The dry down is a fantastic, subdued dry resinous fragrance. This isn’t like the many different mainstream fragrances that are billed as masculine or sporty. L’Ame d’un Héros is similar in concept but the execution takes it a few steps up. As with most Guerlains, it is a well-blended and complex mixture that just makes it smell better.

Extra: L’ame d’un Heros is a remake of Guerlain’s 1998 men’s fragrance, Coriolan. Coriolan is discontinued and it smells very similar to L’ame d’un Heros except for its strength. If you are looking for a lighter, more refined and subdued scent, L’ame d’un Heros is your fragrance. If you want power, projection and confidence, go get yourself a bottle of Coriolan. It should also be noted that Coriolan is much cheaper and is becoming more and more scarce on the second hand market.

Design: L’Ame d’un Héros like the rest of Les Parisiennes is bottled in a beautiful iconic bee bottle.

Fragrance Family: Woodsy Aromatic

Notes: Sage, neroli, bergamot, lemon, wormwood, cypress, juniper, basil, ylang-ylang, amber, patchouli, woods, vetiver.

I personally prefer the scent of L’Ame d’un Héros over Coriolan–but only because L’Ame d’un Héros is a quieter fragrance.

Reviewed in This Post: L’ame d’un Heros, 2008, Eau de Parfum.


Soivohle Pink Praline

Soivohle does one of the best and most true gourmands I’ve ever smelled. The very lovely, very rich and very beautiful, Pink Praline. It’s a lush and sweetly nutty fragrance that takes the best from the gourmand genre.

In Bottle: Sweet and lush nutty fragrance with a a big hit of maple syrup and cocoa. Smells good enough to eat.

Applied: A small flare of grapefruit hits my nose upon application but the moment is fleeting. It’s priming the canvas for the fantastic remainder of the fragrance when the rest of the notes roll in. These pralines are rolled lovingly in a sweet and sticky mixture of coffee and maple syrup, then lightly dusted with cocoa. The fenugreek does a fantastic job at conjuring the concept of praline while the rest of the notes push your brain even further into that category as you sit contented in your bubble of maple-coated goodness. The scent starts to wind down with a slight muskiness while the nuttiness fades first followed by the last lingering traces of maple. Pink Praline is a fantastically blended sweet gourmand that should serve as an example of how a sweet and candy-like perfume should be done. It is sweet, but it is not cloying or annoyingly sweet. It’s foody but it doesn’t rely on vanilla, sugar or chocolate notes to accomplish its foodiness. And best of all, it doesn’t use that accursed caramel note that always turns to burnt sugar on my skin.

Extra: With mainstream fragrances gone to the tried, tested and true formulations that seem to be recycled again and again, independent perfumers like Soivohle are a welcome change of pace. I can enjoy my mainstream stuff for its safe bets and pleasantness but when it comes down to artistry, you really should try niche or independent.

Design: Bottled beautifully from what I can see as I have yet to purchase a Soivohle scent, I cannot directly comment on the packaging or bottling.

Fragrance Family: Gourmand

Notes: Pink grapefruit, coffee, cocoa, maple, fenugreek.

Pink Praline is an Eau de Parfum natural that’s definitely on my “to buy” list. For now the cute little sampler jar sits happily with its other Soivohle sample brothers and sisters.

Reviewed in This Post: Pink Praline, ~2009, Eau de Parfum.


Peace, Love and Juicy Couture

Peace, Love and Juicy Couture is the brand new Juicy perfume released this year. It’s got a hippie flare to it that makes it as cute as original Juicy Couture and Viva la Juicy. But that could just be the bottles talking. Did I mention I’m coming around to loving those bottles? Peace, Love and Juicy Couture

In Bottle: Green with a capital G. Peace, Love and Juicy Couture smells like the rind of a lemon mixed with various green notes and what I swear is a beautifully done iris.

Applied: Initial greenness leads the way with that nice lemon lime scent. This isn’t juice, it’s rind we’re talking about here. Sharp, green, fresh, crisp rind that envelops the opening and slowly fades into the mid-stage where Peace, Love and Juicy Couture turns to a bright, happy green floral with more emphasis on the hyacinth with a little punctuation on the iris. The lindem blossoms give this fragrance a nice, feathery softness to it. The green floral quality of this fragrance reminds me of Chanel Cristalle. That crisp, spring-like scent that lifts spirits. After having spring in autumn, Peace, Love and Juicy Couture splashes up the soft linden blossoms and dries into a very slightly earthy and woodsy patchouli.

Extra: I don’t think I give Juicy Couture enough of a chance when it comes to some of their fragrances. I’m not a fan of their apparel but Juicy Couture, Peace, Love and Juicy Couture, as well as Viva la Juicy are very well done scents.

Design: Bottled in a similar fashion as Juicy Couture and Viva la Juicy. Peace, Love and Juicy Couture features different decorative elements while keeping the same basic bottle concept. Dangling from the neck of this perfume bottle are two cute and colorful tassels.

Fragrance Family: Fresh Earthy

Notes: Lemon tree blossom, hyacinth, apple accord, black currant , sambac jasmine absolute, star magnolia, Malibu poppy, honeysuckle, linden blossom, orris extract, patchouli flower, musk.

This fragrance is clearly inspired by the 60s but I don’t  smell the 60s in this scent aside from that slightly earthy patchouli. The lasting power in this fragrance is unremarkable as it is quite a quick fader.

Reviewed in This Post: Peace, Love and Juicy Couture, 2010, Eau de Parfum.


Popular Young Fragrances

The following is a list of popular recommendations for young women interested in popular perfumes and wondering what everyone else is smelling like. In no particular order:

Harajuku Lovers Ad

Harajuku Lovers Ad

  • Britney Spears Fantasy
  • Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy
  • Britney Spears Curious
  • Juicy Couture, Viva la Juicy
  • Juicy Couture, Juicy Couture
  • Harajuku Lovers Collection
  • Aquolina, Pink Sugar
  • Jennifer Lopez, Glow
  • Jennifer Lopez, Live
  • Jennifer Lopez, Live Luxe
  • Dolce and Gabbana, Light Blue
  • Miss Dior Cherie
  • Dior J’Adore
  • Vera Wang, Princess
  • DKNY, Be Delicious
  • Paris Hilton, Heiress
  • Paris Hilton, Paris Hilton
  • Paris Hilton, Can Can
  • Calvin Klein, ck One
  • Calvin Klein, Euphoria
  • Marc Jacobs, Daisy
  • Marc Jacobs, Lola
  • Ed Hardy, Woman
  • Ed Hardy, Love & Luck
  • Ralph Lauren, Hot
  • Ralph Lauren, Ralph Rocks
  • Burberry, The Beat
  • Burberry, Brit
  • Gucci, Envy Me
  • Gucci, Flora
  • Chloe, Chloe
  • Escada, Marine Groove
  • Escada, Ocean Lounge
  • Escada, Sunset Heat
  • Thierry Mugler, Angel
  • Clinique, Happy
  • Hollister, August
  • Victoria’s Secret PINK Collection
  • Victoria’s Secret, Love Spell
  • Victoria’s Secret, Appletini
  • Victoria’s Secret, Juiced Berry
  • Victoria’s Secret, Sexy Little Things
  • Victoria’s Secret, Sexy Little Things Noir
  • Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Collection
  • Bath and Body Works, Warm Vanilla Sugar
  • Bath and Body Works, Japanese Cherry Blossom
  • Bath and Body Works, Moonlight Path
  • Bath and Body Works, Coconut Lime Verbena
  • Tommy Hilfiger, Tommy Girl
  • Marc Jacobs, Daisy
  • Marc Jacobs, Lola
  • Viktor and Rolf, Flowerbomb
  • Anna Sui Dolly Girl
  • Anna Sui Secret Wish
  • Michael Kors, Hollywood

Notice any trends? First of all, fruity florals are quite well represented in the above list. So is sweetness and candy, and benign fresh and citrus scents. Which explains practically 80% of the things the perfume industry has put out in recent years.

Know something that should be on this list? Please leave a comment. I’m positive I’ve missed something!


Estee Lauder Youth Dew

Youth Dew by Estée Lauder was released in 1953 as a bath fragrance and for years, it was the fragrance that women reached for much like Light Blue by Dolce & Gabanna is reached for today. Youth Dew’s popularity might be waning with the ages, but it remains a relevant piece of fragrance history. Youth Dew

In Bottle: A citrus scent with a kick of something heady and dark underneath. Youth Dew has this shadowy undercurrent that’s very endearing to it for me but it’s also this shadowy undercurrent that a lot of people would say this smells like grandma or some other silliness like that.

Applied: Initial blast of citrus and aldehydes receding into a spicy, mature floral scent that echoes that darkness in the juice. Like with most aldehyde-based scents for me, they never really go away and end up lingering throughout the fragrance. The florals hover around the animalic and dirty. A lot of modern fragrance wearers find this offensive because perfumistas refer to this “animalic and dirty” note as “indolic”. Indole being found in either jasmine or clove and in Youth Dew’s case, probably the clove. Maybe even both! The gloves are off on this one. The spice and florals do little to temper the indole in Youth Dew but if you let it stay on long enough and focus, a strange thing happens–it becomes easier to understand. Youth Dew isn’t “smelly grandma”, it’s a complex, daring fragrance that you aren’t going to get with your Light Blues or your Circus Fantasies. If you really wanted sexy, this is probably the stuff. It smells like what it is and you can accept it or get out as far as Youth Dew is concerned. Anyway, after the mid-stage that indole note hangs around for a bit into the dry down that, to me, smells mostly of patchouli trying desperately to clean up the mid-act.

Extra: Youth Dew is a strong fragrance. It comes on strong and leaves a strong impression and it’s gotten something of a bad rap over the years. People call it, “granny juice”, “hell juice”, “smells like corpse” and a multitude of other things. But Youth Dew is a piece of history, whether these people like it or not. But please, Youth Dew lovers, go easy on the trigger.

Design: Youth Dew is bottled in a ribbed glass affair with a bow tying it in the middle where the bottle gets a little thinner. It’s topped with a golden metal cap that has some detailing near the top. I can see its concept borrows from the figure of a woman and appreciate its subtle homage more than Gaultier’s bottles which are often more literal. In general, a simple design but an effective and memorable one.

Fragrance Family: Oriental

Notes: Aldehydes, orange, peach, bergamot, cinnamon, cassia, orchid, jasmine, clove, ylang-ylang, rose, tolu balsam, peru balsam, amber, patchouli, musk, vanilla, oakmoss, vetiver, incense.

I’ll come clean, I don’t like the smell of Youth Dew. But I don’t hate it either. It’s not a fragrance I can really see myself wearing because I can’t get past the indole in this stuff but it is a classic through and through and if nothing else, you gotta give credit to this classic.

Reviewed in This Post: Youth Dew, 2000, Eau de Parfum.


Hugo Boss Boss Femme

Boss Femme is like the amalgamation of fresh floral women’s scents. It’s like Love Etc. in that it pretty much smells like a category of scents without too much to discern it from the rest. But in a way, that could also be where its success lies. Boss Femme

In Bottle: Floral with a hint of fruit. I’m smelling a bit of rose but there’s a stronger jasmine note in this that’s vying for attention. This smells flowery, clean and feminine. Very generic but entirely enjoyable.

Applied: Goes on with a light citrus and slightly tart opening as it spreads into the mid-stage with that pleasant, breezy rose and jasmine combination. There’s a faint hint of sweetness in this too to make it more feminine  than it already is. I like this, it’s nice. It’s not great. It’s not groundbreaking. It’s just plain old nice. As Boss Femme heads into the dry down, you get a little bit of smoothness wandering in as it mixes with the lemon and for a brief moment, I thought I smelled plastic but the dry down is a predominantly sharp lemon, layered with a bit of smoothness and soft wood. Boss Femme is just good, clean, nice, and no nonsense. Kind of like soap–except better.

Extra: I think I’ve said it before, that Hugo Boss seems to be really good at keeping their fragrances on the lowdown and less offensive side of things. And it works out okay for them. It’d be quite the day when this house puts out something so awesome it eclipses the sun. But for now we have nice things like Boss Femme and Deep Red.

Design: Boss femme is an interesting little glass bottle that’s slanted at the top part with a cap that slants down to cover that portion up. It’s an interesting little design decision that makes my need for everything to be straight twitch just a little bit. The name of the fragrance is written in cursive font on the glass. The bottle I used had “femme” running along the dip of the curve and the house name etched into the metal sprayer. The bottle is easy to hold though, has a good weightiness to it and the color of the juice is just adorable.

Fragrance Family: Floral

Notes: Tangerine, blackcurrant, freesia, jasmine, fleur de lys, Bulgarian rose, apricot, lemon, wood.

There was a woman who worked briefly for a doctor I used to go to who wore this scent. I remember her rather well–not so much for her perfume–but for how the smallest things could make her laugh.

Reviewed in This Post: Boss Femme, 2008, Eau de Parfum.


The Popular Classics You Have to Smell

Anybody interested in perfume and perfume history would know about most of the popular classic fragrances. Many perfumistas probably own some. But for the rest of us who are fledgling perfumistas and curious bystanders here is a list of popular and accessible classics that I believe everyone should have a sniff of. The older the better! But smelling some of the new stuff will still lend you a pretty good idea–most of the time.

In no particular order:

Chanel No. 5 – Anyone with a nose has probably caught a whiff of this timeless aldehyde. Released in 1921, Chanel No. 5 continues to top the charts as one of the most successful and popular fragrances of the 20th and 21st century. If you want to know what a classic aldehyde smells like, look no further.

Robert Piguet Fracas – A bed of potent tuberose strong enough to clear the sinuses of everyone within a hundred yard radius. Fracas is the quintessential tuberose scent unleashed on the world in 1948.

Guerlain Mitsouko – Mitsouko is as relevant today as she was in 1919 when she was released. Built off of Coty’s Chypre, Mitsouko has stood the test of time and is now the scent to smell if you are interested in a fruity chypre.

Guerlain Shalimar – No list is complete without Shalimar, the elegant sensual oriental whose popularity hasn’t waned since its release in 1925.

Estée Lauder Youth Dew – The fragrance that people most often refer to as, “Smells Like Grandma”. Youth Dew is actually a beautifully done, extremely potent spicy oriental that rocketed to fame in the 1950s and was one of the first perfumes to be endorsed by Hollywood Starlets.

Estée Lauder White Linen – The classic clean rose aldehyde with a touch of civet. Released in 1978.

Ralph Lauren Polo – One of the most iconic and recognizable men’s fragrances. Polo was released in 1978, a true 70s Powerhouse.

Joy by Jean Patou – Released in 1930, Joy smelled like a little ray of floral sunshine during one of the United States’ most trying eras. Funny enough, it was once billed as the most expensive fragrance in the world.

Yves Saint Laurent Opium – Opium is the poster child oriental fragrance released in 1977.

Thierry Mugler Angel – The youngest classic that I’m willing to put on this list, Angel was everywhere following its 1992 release and it is still everywhere as a testament to its achievement as the first gourmand.

To  round things out, please remember that the fragrances featured on this list are accessible and popular. There are many, many classics that I wanted to add from Coty, Caron, Hubigant, many more Guerlains, and Chanels but this list had to remain accessible so anything that I couldn’t readily find at a department store had to be cut.

Start your classics sniffing with this list but don’t stop here. This is just a stepping stone as there are hundreds of classics out here that need to be sniffed too. If you feel that I’ve missed something on this list please leave a comment.