Clean Fragrance

I feel silly writing a review about a fragrance called Clean, as the name written on the perfume bottle is a nomenclature in and of itself. Over the years I’ve come across many maligning reviews on it which makes me shake my head, unable to understand the negative reactions to it, let alone the “industrial disinfectant” references used when describing it. However, after recently wearing it when grocery shopping and being pulled over in the store by a gentleman who couldn’t compliment me enough on how “so fresh and so sexy like I just walked out of a shower” I smelled (...yeah, I know... sweet but kinda creepy...) that I’ve decided it was time to offer a different perspective on this polarizing fragrance. I first tried Clean EDP right after it was released quite a few winters ago. One spray on the tester blotter and I’ve wrinkled my nose, wondering by whom and why on earth this perfume was created in the first place. It smelled like anemic, generic musk that you can usually find on supermarket or pharmacy shelves for a handful of dollars. The thing is, I tried this fragrance right after I’d tested “Dior Addict (2002)”, which at that time was also a new release and sported the old heavenly formula. Okay... Honestly, who could give Clean a fair shot on a cold winter day after trying the delicious, spicy soufflé that is Addict?? Obviously, I was smell-drunk from the vanillic goodness that just permeated my nose and so I chucked the bottle back on the shelf and returned to the Dior stand. Fast forward to a few summers ago, I’d dedicated a good block of time in my day to dork around at my local Ulta to find out if I can ever like the allegedly *Clean* line and whether the flankers were also full bottle worthy. And now the truth comes out: Clean is undoubtedly a warm weather fragrance. In the dead of winter, it turns into a mixture of chlorinated pool, tap water, and a facial astringent on me. In the heat of the summer, however, this cold composition turned into a pure and wholesome aroma that gives me the feeling of having just washed from head to toe with a luxurious perfumed soap. In the opening, I detect a light but sharp citrus blend that persistently continues throughout its lifespan. I don’t get any floral notes other than a faint whiff of lavender in the heart phase. At the end, which arrives about a good six hours later, I am left with a citric, cool, musky drydown that is still refreshing with no detectable hints of going off the rails. Suffice it to say that Clean agreed to love my skin, which I believe is a phenomenon that is a prerequisite before anyone says, “Oh yeah - I like this!” about any perfume. So to be fair to the numerous reviewers who pooped on this fragrance, I can see how, with the wrong chemistry, this fume can make you smell like someone just gave you a swirly. I’ve tried another very similar fragrance called “Les Senteurs Gourmandes - Musc Blanc” by Laurence Dumont. The only difference is that Clean utilizes a lavender accentuated heart instead of the faint rose note Laurence Dumont used in his composition. Both fragrances, however, are startlingly similar on my skin. As far as longevity and projection goes, Clean is the winner. It projects about at least 3 feet and stays on me for a good 6 hours. I don’t think Clean or its flankers (“Shower Fresh” is my favorite!) are meant to be a crowd-pleaser, as are most designer or celebrity fragrances. I see this collection more as a progressive, niche style creation that just happens to be mass produced. It isn’t for everyone, as the copious negative reviews all over the internet would suggest. Nonetheless, those who love sheer florals, light musks, or citric aromas could be in perfumista heaven as long as their skin loves this icy juice back.

I get so frustrated by people not really understanding what Clean fragrances are meant to be. They are not "perfume". They are not supposed to smell like perfume. They are anti-perfume. If you go into it expecting perfume, no wonder people are so disappointed. Clean is not for people who want perfume...it is for people who do not. I went for a couple of years not being able to wear ANY perfume. It all made me sick. I had some health issues that affected my sense of smell and I just could not tolerate anything that smelled "perfumey" and could not stand to be around anyone wearing perfume. It made me gag. During this time, I noticed that a client of mine always had this wonderful clean smell, like her clothes were always fresh from the dryer. I asked her how she kept that wonderful, clean smell in her clothes all the time and she said it was "Clean" perfume that she sprayed on her clothes. I had never heard of such a thing. So, I tried it and fell in love with the Clean line (give or take a few). It was the only thing I could wear for quite some time because of the anti-perfume issues that I was having. In the process, I noticed that I was getting complimented constantly on how good I smelled. It was never "what are you wearing"...people just told me that I smelled good. And I realized they thought of me like I thought of my client. Just a clean, fresh smelling person, completely unrelated to perfume. I only spray it on my clothes, not my skin. I think that makes a difference as well. My perfume issues went away (as you can clearly see by my profile) but I still go through periods where I have to cleanse and "reset" my nose and just need a break from perfume. Maybe it is hormonal, I don't know. This is one of the very things I reach for - Clean Original. It is clean, lemony and refreshing and allows me to smell good without smelling like perfume. I especially like it in the summer. I don't think I have ever had it on without receiving a compliment - EVER. I can assure you that if I smelled like a toilet bowl nobody would be telling me how wonderful I smelled. Clean is exactly what is claims to be...a clean smelling fragrance line that is NOT classic perfume, for those who just do not want to smell like perfume. It is for those who like to extend that shower fresh or fresh from the dryer scent all day long. It is also great for refreshing bedding, curtains and blankets. I just love it.

Whoa! I've been passing by this one at TJ Maxx for months because I hadn't read the reviews as I assumed it was probably boring and weak (the simple packaging...although nice...is what didn't do it for me) I have never smelled anything....ANYTHING....with such a lemon/lime sharpness at first blast....in an IN YOUR FACE with an ice-pick sort of way! It was like being maced with ice cold 7-UP. After yanking my face away from my wrist at a speed that should have induced injury, I told myself not to worry...it was a short ride home and it wasn't all that expensive either.After maybe 2 minutes I dared to take another sniff. What's this??!! How could something morph so quickly into something SO different? I have never worn a perfume that was capable of this....going from zero to one hundred in a blink of an eye at application then back down to around fifty ( and something entirely different) within two minutes.Ok......so what did I get after all those sharp citrus notes?? Well....you can probably guess......soap. What's that gold soap......oh yeah...DIAL. Yeah....like DIAL and DOVE got together and had a baby! Just push a little harder Mam....I see the head...here it comes.Oh look! It's CLEAN! All joking aside, I really enjoy this fragrance. It's simple...in a complicated way...and for me...unique. It's a way to smell nice but not necessarily perfumed. Sure, you could just take a shower as other's have stated but isn't finding a new perfume that you really like alot more fun?! I also have to admit that when I read that this is Demi Moore's signature scent it somehow made it more appealing. She always looks so polished and well....clean....and I can imagine her smelling like this. Definitely worth a try if you're in the mood for something different in a fragrance and want to smell like the bath all day! EDIT: The more I use this, the more I absolutely LOVE it.....it's becoming one of my favorites. The sharp lemon/lime note in the beginning is either becoming less pronounced or I'm just getting used to it. I guess that's one and the same. Anyway....it' just a spectacular lemony, creamy, luscious, soapy, happy, clean smell! I agree that it is related to Avon's vintage Odyssey.....I wouldn't have even thought of it if it hadn't been mentioned. It is, however,soapier, more lemony and fresher and more modern. I like Odyssey though....reminds me of my Mommy and of my childhood!

Apparently there are two versions, reformulated and old one. Reading the reviews past the maybe a couple of first ones the reviews are mixed on how this perfume smells. Few stating that it smells lemony , detergent like and others say it smells like a bar of soap. There is also a skin difference factor, but I wouldn't go that far as to say it would smell that different on us. But, anyway, it's not my imagination, my bottle does indeed smell like a bar of a good, buttery, white soap. Not citrusy. Not like flowers or cleaners. Tested it again after reading the last review, checked my bottle to see if I made a mistake, but no. So if you're looking for a soapy version I strongly suggest not blind buying and testing it first. Edit: Checking it on their page it indeed does say and I quote: Reimagined 15 years later, it's back with a bright modern twist. Inspired by the faint scent of your favorite bar soap. So it is changed. Also, mine has The original written under Clean. Notes from their site: Top Notes: Aldehydic, Peppercorn, Aromatic Accord Middle Notes: Jasmine, Geranium, Peony Base Notes: Orange Blossom, Musk, Sandalwood No citrus here. We need an updated Fragrantica page.

Are we all smelling the same fragrance? I LOVE this fragrance for exactly what it's intended to be...CLEAN! I think if you're expecting a burst of florals, or anything other than a clean, "just out of the shower" smell...then you should move on because that's exactly what it's NOT intended to be. This was my signature summer fragrance until I graduated to niche fragrances but this will definitely make a reappearance this summer as a layering scent. I love this on my clothing rather than skin nowadays, as I think it enhances the smell of cleanliness (if that at all makes sense). This is also a good one on days when you don't want to wear any fragrance. It's just a clean hair-out of the shower-no/minimum makeup-relaxed maxi dress-flip flop-no fuss hairstyle fragrance. (If THAT at all makes sense???) I could never make out the exact notes of this scent until seeing the pyramid here and it makes complete sense! Definitely opens with a blast of clean citrus that is immediately and I mean IMMEDIATELY followed by a musky-lavender-and other astringent (but in a good way) floral notes. Longevity is moderate at (3ft) as is silage at 4-5hrs.

No citrus to be seen, from the very beginning this is a lovely bar of soap. A very strong soap, but soap nonetheless. For me there is no fizzy drink or cleaner vibe, at all, and I didn't even get the slightest, faintest wiff of those, nor a liquid soap or linen. It doesn't smell like bubble bath either. I was very confused as to why this wasn't mentioned in the soapy perfumes article. Instead of aldehydic freshness there is a very prominent buttery density of a thick bar of soap. I can almost scratch the surface and feel it collecting under my nails. I also noticed that people don't like wearing it on themselves but rather smell it on others as it gives of very calming aura. The smell of soap is so old and recognisable and yet people are so delighted and surprised when they smell it on someone as if they are used to complex perfumed pyramids of chypre, oriental or floral. So simple and effective.

Clean is an incredible fragrance. I love feeling shower fresh when I wear it, especially during the hot summer months. It evokes fresh towels, laundry, and bedding. I love its lemony purity. It will always remind me of how wonderful it feels to be clean right out of the shower. I also think its perfect to wear around children because it is not too perfumey, heavy, or intense. The whole clean line is a brilliant concept because it is so different from everything else on the market. I love to keep collecting all the fragrances in the line. I hope they will always be available!!!

To me this is pure, clean, white soap all the way. initially you get a blast of lemon grass, which dries down to pure alkaline soap. It's at the top of it's game for clean soapiness, so if this is the smell you're aiming for then this is your bottle. I have a few of the CLEAN range, but all smell very different in a clean way. However, nothing says "I've just scrubbed up with a soap bar" than this beauty. I love it and wear it most days for work for meeting clients, colleagues, managers and other service professionals. Perfect.

I like a number of the other Clean fragrances including Clean Warm Cotton and Clean Skin, but this one just doesn't do it for me. The citrus in this verges just slightly into toilet bowel cleaner territory. Sillage and longevity are both moderate, and the smallest bottle is about $44.00 dollars. This company is also vegan and cruelty free. It's not terrible by any means, and I don't mean to offend anyone who loves it. However, I personally feel the company offers better fragrances within its line.

I just recently got a new bottle of this (a tiny roller-ball as part of a set) and it smells different than my last bottle. There is less citrus, and it has more of a baby powder and laundry detergent fragrance to it now. I really dig this new formulation. It reminds me of a freshly washed baby. Whereas I was fairly ho hum about it before, now I'm sort of crazy about it. It's very relaxing and comforting. Definitely one of my favorite low key scents.

This is the first citrus perfume i truly adore. It's so light and pure scent and so... innocent. I love those sticky sweet perfumes and Clean is truly opposite for those but brings a ballance. There are those days that i just want smell fresh and like i have just came from a bath. And when i want to feel cute and confidence in a innocent way. I'm truly not a watery-citrus type of girl but this one is just my type.

I didn't know they changed this scent. This one smells like a milder version of Warm Cotton on me. The citrus is gone. I was looking for the original version with the citrus. Well, at least I didn't pay alot for this, but I wasn't looking for another Warm Cotton. I'll keep it.

This perfume starts off smelling very lemony and at first I' did not care for it at all. However, after giving it a few minutes to settle it smelled very fresh and soapy like I had just stepped out of the shower. Great for summer.

This one is probably in my top 10, I love it, it smells very different then any other fragrance out there and it's long lasting, love love love!!!:)

This is my favorite of the Clean fragrances that I have currently. It really is clean with a bit of sweetness to it. I like it alot!

perfect fragrance the most clean ever if i vant to smell nothing just clean here its voala``the best (specialy for somer)

i love sooo much!!!!!big summer frag for meeee

My very first clean scent this was... and then followed by an enormous amount of the other ones from the line. I SO adored it and it made me feel squeaky clean and fresh. I still like it, but doesnt wear it very often. My taste in perfumes has changed thoughout the years. But its still a fresh, young, and clean scent. It is innocense and playfulness in a bottle. Shower, spring and femininity. Violets, lavender, citrus and musk in a perfect blend. I still get a smile on my face whenever I wear it. Longevity and silage is moderate and perfect for this one. Nostalgia which I will never grow out of. Love !

This was a blind buy, and I'm happy enough. I was a bit concerned at first because the opening is a citrus bomb (I know the note is lime, but smells more like lemon to me). But the drydown is a bar of soap, which is a smell I personally love. It smells more like a fancy soap marketed toward women in the 90s, not necessarily like Irish Spring or Dial. I think this is just a nice, soft, inoffensive scent. Pretty unique in that drydown but I could see this being polarizing. I'll be curious to try more Clean fragrances. I'm glad they're cruelty free!

Not sure about this one yet, it immediately smells like a new Fisher Price toy or a Barbie Doll, very strange. Children may chase you down the street if you put too much on as you will smell like christmas to them. It's sweeter that I would have expected from a perfume called Clean but I would say it's an ok summer fragrance if you like mild fruity fragrances that smell like toys.

It's not exactly what I imagine being clean would smell like, I thought Clean would be more soapy type of scent. This is described as citrus but while there is citrus, it is not the main note that I smell. I like it but it's no longer what I would pick to spray for my day because of poor longevity. It's just not going to be there by the time I get out of the house.

Smells EXACTLY like lemon lysol to me. I actually really like it lol. After the dry down the chemical/lysol smell kind of fades out and it smells more like lemon candy or a lemon bar. Doesn't last but a couple hours and stays very close to the skin.

One of the greatest clean, soap powdery fragrances. This one last a loooooot longer than its sisters.

I really liked the idea behind the Clean perfume brand when I first read about it. Pleasant, clean, fresh fragrances - brilliant! So I tried this, the very first Clean and was SO disappointed. Wham! So fresh and harsh it almost knocks you out. A very synthetic and intense lemon/lime/verbena mix, way too sharp and strong. It lasted very long too. I kept it on, hoping it would turn into something less intense and more pleasant, but it never happened. We are all different, and obviously there are many women who love Clean original. But on me it smells like I've just cleaned my bathroom, not like I've just taken a nice shower. I still like the idea of a classy "fresh-from-the-shower"- fragrance though. A perfume that doesn't smell like perfume. Luckily I've found Clean Fresh Laundry (for very hot summer days) and Clean Cool Cotton (always). Exactly what I want. All's well that ends well.

CLEAN ORIGINAL is a *very* citrusy citrus fragrance which seems to have been erroneously placed in the floral category on the basis of a list of flowers that barely make their presence known, awash as they are in a liquid empirically indistinguishable from Cointreau. Needless to say, CLEAN caught me off guard. I was expecting some variation on the aquatic theme, or perhaps something with a soapy drydown. Instead, from the very first whiff down to the light, still citrus finish, what I found was Cointreau. CLEAN began very big and juicy and ended, like an empty glass of that delectable liqueur, with a faint waft of the same. I do so love the smell of Cointreau. But I'd much rather smell it in a snifter than on my wrist!

WOW i don't think i've ever disliked a scent so much until i've tried this. I got a sample of this, put some on my wrist to try and had to wash it off ASAP and left the rest to be used as a bathroom spray. I liked it much better for that lol.....anyway from what i remembered the name said it all about this fragrance. It's clean, purely clean smelling, almost too clean? It's very sharp and soapy kind of, all in all, i don't like it and would never purchase. Oh almost forgot to mention, it is not a soft and gentle clean smell but a punch in your face clean, does that make sense? Well i guess that said a lot about this scent :p

Whooosh, this one was like biting into a not-quite-ripe citrus lime or lemon and having my mouth react by going into a semi-permanent pucker. A real eye squinter, this one, and Pucker Power galore without even tasting it. Makes me think of a vodka gimlet. A double gimlet, no less. It's overhyped and overpriced, so methinks I'll pass it on to the Tidy Bowl man rowing away in my bathroom bowl in his little boat and hopefully he can put it to good use. In all fairness, though, our bodies do react differently to different scents at any given time. What works for some simply doesn't for others.

Do people, in truth, actually want to smell like this? I know it's a tempting proposition, the packaging bringing to mind warm, ironed flannel sheets, perhaps a hint of soap and that kind of aquatic-y crispness that many perfumers have been capitalizing on since Issey Miyake debuted L'eau, but come on. To add insult to injury, this thing doesn't even smell clean; it smells like flat 7up when you can only taste the plastic bottle the damn thing came in. If you were expecting soap, then expect the harshest, cheapest hotel room soap that leaves more residue than it removes. Clean indeed!

I bought this when it first came out way back in 2002 expecting it to smell like it did on the tester. Nope, again, I have trouble with “clean” scents and this wasn't any better. Smelled generic, sour, and cheap; not to mention the staying power of this is very weak. This is not worth the price, body sprays have more wear than this did. Top notes are orange, lemons, limes, and wild berries. Middle notes are lily, lavender, violet, rose, jasmine, and passion flower. Base notes are heliotrope, musk, and geranium.

I really wanted to like Clean,I bought it blind, I was looking a soft summer scent, this was on sale so I thought I'd give it a try. There isn't another fragrance this reminds me of. It does start off strong like lemon pledge but it does die down and reminds me of old floral soap that's been sitting in a wooden drawer for a very long time. I wore it and kept checking it, it never smelt better and it lasted longer than I wanted it to. I'm going to give it to my mother, I doubt she'll like it either.

i got a giftpack with 4 clean scents - original, warm cotton, shower fresh and outdoor shower fresh. I wanted to test them badly, and they are unavailable in my whereabouts, so I bought them online. And - guess what - curiosity killed the cat again! While other clean scents can be utilised as a bed linen spray, the original one just stinks. I don't know - like a hamper? Like a drawer with old ladies' pants? Like a musty attic? It is just dis-gus-ting, by no means clean! Cats - BEWARE!

I blind bought this fragrance within a year or two of its release, hoping for a clean, "just out of the shower but better", type of scent. Unfortunately, on my skin it smelled like a citronella based mosquito repellant spray and it never dried down to anything that even remotely smelled "clean". I'm typically attracted to citrus and citrusy floral scents, but I could never get past the pungent citrusy-citronella scent of this one. Ended up tossing the entire bottle.

I applied this perfume after reading many celebrities love it and I couldn't tell if I loved it or not. It is definitely clean but the clean you smell in a cheap hotel. My husband smelled it and said he expected the smell of urine behind it. It's the scent of a cheap public bathroom. After it wears off,it just smells like you stepped out of a shower. Just soapy, so it would be hard to detect you are wearing perfume.

I tested this on my wrist in a store. It smelled just like lemon which I enjoyed, so I bought it. But a little while later, my wrist smelled like synthetic cleaning product. Oh no... not good! Unbearable actually! 2 hours later it smells less horrible. Like mild cleaning product. I kinda wish I didn't but it. I guess I can use it as an air freshener, because as bad as it is, it doesn't give me a headache.

On me smelled like I have been cleaning the bathroom all day... Really bad. Strong lemon, like those detergents which are not modern anymore... I was attracted from the good reviews saying that it smells really clean and fresh. Yes, it is, smells just like freshly cleaned toilet desk. I returned it to the site I bought it from. And I am never going to buy again something only because of my curiosity!

Sorry, this is just awful. I gave this one several chances and hated it as much everytime. It smells just like a fresh cleaned toilet, exactly like WC duck. So yes it's a fresh scent but it's not like I want to walk around smelling like I just cleaned the bathroom, I felt sick everytime I tried this on. So now I only use it as a air freshener..for our bathroom haha :)!

I really don't like this, and I generally like 'clean' smells (although not necessarily to wear as a perfume). I sprayed some on when I was shopping, and immediately regretted it. It smells of strong bitter lemon and chemicals. I left the mall with a serious headache brewing and couldn't get rid of the smell with any amount of scrubbing.

I have read about this and it all sounded sooooo good. so when i saw a sample on ebay i thought i had to have it. it arrived on saturday. i tried it and was more than disappointed. smells like ciff or any sort of citrusy surface cleaner. really do not think i will be buying any more of this perfume.

This was a blind buy, and I have to admit, and this is definitely not for me. I bought it in a gift set with 4 other of the clean scents, and this one is the one I like the least. To me it smells like toilet cleaner. I guess I can at least use it to scare off mosquitos.

This was a blind buy. I wish it was a soapy scent, but it's not. It's citrusy, yet sweet, right-from-the-washing-machine scent. It 's not even surprising and didn't make me excited... Just a casual everyday scent. I would't repurchase it as IMO it's overprized.

A friend recommended that I try Clean. She thought it suited my personality. As it turns out, every perfume in the Clean line smells like detergent, and while that might smell great on your sheets, it's definitely not something you want to apply to your skin.

being a huge huge fan of that "clean" smell seemed only right that this perfume was the way to go.....i loathe this scent smells like some sort of kitchen cleaner spray, nauseating & nothing i would want to spray in my kitchen let alone on my skin......

YUCK! I really don't care for this. This smells exactly like soap but not good soap, like the cheap soap at a public restroom that you try and rinse off as much as possible because it makes you reek of cheap public restroom. Will never use this again!

Omg this was a total scrubber for me. Smells like Laundry detergent or fabric softener. I understand some ppl dig that sort of thing but I hate that. My apartment used to be over the laundromat and I got that smell for free!

An extremely harsh, synthetic and sharp soapy scent. Laudry detergent to the nth power. I like soapy scents, but this is too much, even for me. Also ridiculously overpriced. Seriously, why?

This parfume makes me fysically sick! It must be the strong chemicals, it ́s like inhaling toiletcleaner. To bad, if only it was not so strong, I ́d like it!

A lot to spend to smell like Dove soap. This is a more expensive parfum and it didn't last 1/2 hour. I have very inexpensive parfums that last all day.

Too much citrus to wear with any seriousness in public, but my cat hates it, so if I wear to sleep, I won't wake up with the cat on my head.

I had such high expectations for this fragrance; Unfortunately I didnt like it on me at all. It did nothing for me.

I can only smell soap, ordinary strong boring soap... I wanted to like it, I love Clean but this one I cant stand.