Tender Light

I just have a tiny bottle in a discovery set, and so far I have just sprayed one arm, but I'm not getting the iris note, the supposed heart, at all. I get more of a jasmine-neroli soap smell, with a bit of cinnamon or another clean-reading spice. Maybe I'm just not that familiar with this variety of iris, the Tuscan variety, but it smells a lot more like jasmine to me than it smells like the bearded irises that come up every spring in my front yard. I like Tender Light, but it reminds me a lot of Beauty, the Calvin Klein perfume, with its soapy jasmine and crisp, clean, white-oxford-buttondowned musks. The three notes listed don't really seem like the whole picture to me; maybe the Chinese tea contains lots of other accords or something. I'd be glad to receive this as a gift, but I wouldn't put it on my wish list unless I got an exceptional deal. Not because this isn't nice in its own right but because it doesn't really plug any holes in my existing collection. Update: This one is growing on me, so much so that I used up the rest of the sample vial. When I wear it now, sprayed more liberally, I get more of the iris--even a little incense, although I'm sure that must be the tea/bergamot combination, since incense isn't listed. It reminds me ever so slightly of Prada Infusion d'Iris, even though that one has a much more pronounced iris note than this one, unless I'm just completely ignorant of the smell of the Tuscan Iris. I love the soapy-floral quality of this perfume, and so far it's my favorite of the EL luxury line. If I use up a travel spray, I would consider buying a full bottle someday, but I still think this should not be more expensive than the classic EL fragrances. Although not nearly as expensive as the Aerin line, a bottle of Tender Light shouldn't cost so much more than, say, Private Collection. I believe it would be much more in the tradition of the founder, Estée, to keep the prices on the lower and more reasonable side and trust the loyal EL customer to recognize quality without these status differentials. Upgraded to long-lasting (from moderate) in the longevity field. For such a delicate fragrance, it really lingers, even though it doesn't project a lot after a few hours. But I'm still catching whiffs of it, several hours later, and I think it probably sticks around a lot longer than my current formulation of Prada Infusion d'Iris. Update: I love this more all the time; I even bought a full bottle, which I don't think I'll be doing with the other fragrances in the line, unless I come across a great deal. The performance is superb.

I absolutely love this fragrance. I bought the little 7.5mL bottle and once arrived and sprayed, delighted, I immediately went and purchased a 3.4oz bottle of this. It's just such a beautifully crafted and appealing feminine scent. It doesn't smell like "tea" in the way the Bulgari Au the Vert or Gris Charnel does, it's barely noticeable as a tea scent tbh. It also doesn't smell powdery, it's actually quite bright and refreshing. It's the perfect amount of sweetness, and while it is a lighter scent, it really does make an impact, projects and has great longevity. I'm not usually the biggest fan of earthy, green scents or freshies but this one really does it for me. It's so good! I highly recommend this gem. It's a safe blind buy IMO and perfect for everyday wear. I have way too many perfumes and I've wanted to wear it every day since I got it. I could easily see this becoming my signature scent-it's just a little too light to make the impact that a signature scent needs to make, though. I really love this perfume and want to try the rest of the Eight wonders line now. I never thought three notes could make such an impact and create such an amazing perfume. This is definitely my favorite tea scent to date and my favorite freshie scent. These three little notes create magic for me! It really exceeded my expectations, and I don't think it would be possible to make this scent smell any better than it already does. It's perfect in my eyes (or shall I say nose). It's not exactly citrus, it's not exactly a "freshie", it's not earthy, and not quite a floral either; while it has all of these facets, I find it hard to categorize but I guess I would call it a fresh citrus floral. Also, this HAS to be sprayed. Do not trust the scent by the aperture because it really smells geriatric when I smell it from the sprayer. Also, it does not do well in hot weather. Its a better spring, fall scent. Right off the bat, its just such a pretty iris fragrance. The bergomot is bright and citrusy, the iris is earthy and similar to the iris used in La Vie est Belle Iris Absolu or by Guerlain, and the tea has a soothing quality. I have to be in the mood for this, because if I'm feeling young and frisky it really can come across geriatric. This reminds of LVEB Iris Absolu just minus the LVEB sweetness.

It pains me that EL seems to be discontinuing Tender Light, along with the rest of the Luxury Line. This was my favorite of the bunch and my favorite recent EL release in general--so much better than anything from the dismal Legacy line of reboots, mauled by Malle et al. Anyway, I have an almost full 50 ml bottle of Tender Light but found a good deal on a 100-ml bottle and broke my no-buy to buy it, I'm sad to report. I felt like I needed a backup, especially because I love the bottles, which is not something I have said about any EL (or Aerin) bottle in a long time, and I didn't want to miss my window of opportunity. I couldn't find anything from the Luxury Line on the EL website, and they moved Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia to the Aerin line and stuck it in one of those ugly Tom Ford wannabe squatties that Aerin seems to think look so elegant, so who even knows what the executives are thinking these days. But I digress. I have other iris fragrances that I love, but Tender Light is the best tea-iris fragrance in my collection, and it's also up there at the tippy-top of my personal "clean-girl" pantheon. I tend to love everything I have sampled by Shyamala Maisondieu, and this is probably my favorite perfume by her. Occasionally iris-orris can be a bit earthy-greasy, but Tender Light is much more powdery and tealike, more like the fragrance of a bearded iris blossom combined with a good jasmine tea. I don't know why EL created such a beautiful fragrance only to discontinue it almost immediately, but it doesn't bode well for their business. I'm sure there are some people who don't think it's necessary to have both Prada Infusion d'Iris and this perfume, but I own them both and don't consider either redundant. I love them both and they're certainly similar, but Tender Light is more tea, whereas Infusion is more incense. Tender Light seems warmer and more approachable. I think it's unisex leaning feminine, but the name screams feminine, as does the bottle, so I'd probably have to decant it to get my husband to try it. He's not nuts about Dior Homme, so it probably wouldn't work. Oh, well. More iris for me!

For anyone that has followed my perfume reviews, they will know that I have been on an absolute mission to find a perfume that I love as much as my dearly beloved "Eau Du Ciel" by Annick Goutal - which means "Spring Rain". There is an earthy quality to this perfume that smells like you are in a country barn after a spring rain. It is a gorgeous perfume ON, particularly if you grew up around horses and hay. This is the closest that I have come to finding a perfume that is in the same general ball park as Eau Du Ciel, so I am delighted by that. This actually lasts a little bit longer on the skin - and projects a bit more than Eau Du Ciel. This is really a breakthrough to find this. I was recently at a perfume showing - and dropped by Macy's on my way through the mall. The girl in the Estee Lauder bay handed me a free sample marketing piece - and as I opened it, it had a small cotton soaked sample. I tried this on, and was in sheer heaven - smelling this beautiful perfume! This is lovely! I really love this perfume - it is fresh and youthful - with an earthy quality to it. A little bit of heaven on earth! Just Gorgeous! This won't be for everyone, there will be people who may not like this - But to me, this is really a fabulous perfume! --------- Verdict - After wearing this for over a month - This is a "just out of the shower" - fresh and clean type perfume. The longevity is ok, but doesn't last as long as my signature perfume does. This is good after a workout -- or while working out. It flies under the radar, it is not something that stands out so much during the first hour of wear. This is a very sweet, innocent perfume - could be worn to the office and school easily - this is missing any type of alluring factor to it. It is fresh and clean - but doesn't have the appeal that you would want for an evening perfume for dates. This is close to Eau du Ciel - but it has one particular note which stands out more, which is not in the formula of Eau du Ciel. I like this perfume, but it is not a signature perfume for me.

I have EL Tender Light on one arm and Sol De Janeiro Cheirosa 68 on the other. They have a similar vibe. EL TL is more clean and cool- calming. It’s giving luxurious spa, clean tea, great for hot weather but it feels like it can hold itself up in cold weather too. If you don’t like citrus, the sour bergamot calms down and harmonizes with the iris and tea really well within an hour. EL TL can easily be a moderate to heavy scent. You can build it up so to speak. I love smelling like a dryer sheet when it’s hot outside and humid, so this is right up my alley for humid, hot Georgia summers. This has depth and I totally understand the name. It puts you in a good mood... it is uplifting and boldly ethereal... yet super angelic and soft. 8/10 for this one. It’s an angel scent, if that makes sense. Personally the bergamot needs a lotus flower, narcissus or a waterlilly to cut through the sharpness. I’ll try mixing this with others in my collection. If you LOVE bergamot and iris- this is you. In 100 degree weather, this is great. It’s a nice quality blend. Cheirosa 68 is more sour fruity versus sweet fruity (think the fruit that makes your tongue go numb. That type of sour fruit), vodka like, tropical warm, it just rained type of clean. Great in hot weather... might even work in the office if you're into it. Not so great in colder weather for me. It can be kind of cloying for me because the dragonfruit is dragonfruiting. They both have the same vibe but they are slightly different in noticeable ways. I’m a sucker for tea and iris so... I really had to get ELNL. It was a blind buy. It does smell like the notes listed. But it’s Cheirosa 68’s really kind and caring aunt who always tells the truth and has sound advice. Both did not last a 1.5 hour leg training session though. EL NL is more of a skin scent after finishing the workout- skin smells clean up close, but no projection. C 68 is completely worn away lol EL NL lasted about 5 hours, give or take. Turned into a skin scent after the workout.

Tender Light is a very thick and creamy iris with some sweetness, almost (but just almost) to the point that it falls into the gourmand category. Most iris fragrances turn soapy and powdery on my skin, but that's not the case here. The tea note is quite photorealistic and gives me a very cozy feeling, like a Sunday afternoon in early spring or fall. The bergamot balances the other notes perfectly, it makes the fragrance a bit more fresh and light. Without bergamot the iris would have been a bit too thick and creamy for me. My husband loves Tender Light, and that's saying a lot since he's very picky and usually only loves gourmand vanilla fragrances. I have synesthesia and I can smell textures and colors (among other things), so my description of Tender Light is a chilly spring morning, a pale sunrise and the colors I smell are pale yellow and light green. The promotional photos for Tender Light are so spot on! The longevity on me is pretty good, I get 8 hours before it's a skin scent and it projects really well too. 9.5/10.

I love Tender Light for it purpose for me. It is a mature, sophisticated, light scent suitable for work when I don't want to overwhelm a client in a small space in a meeting room. I don't get green tea from it at all, but instead I really get the powdery iris that is almost vanilla-ish. I bought this as a sample and it wasn't my favorite but then I somehow bought a full bottle on sale. Then I fell in love. Sometime after that I bought two more full size bottles at The Cosmetic Company store which is an Estee Lauder outlet for all of their brands and I got them for something like $35. Score! Now I spray it liberally when not in client meetings. I love this for spring and summer. I would also agree that "people who life this also like.....Hypnotic Poison, Black Orchid, By the Fireplace, Alien, Portrait of a Lady, Wood Safe and Sea Salt" Love them all. It does not remind me of anything else.

Sniffed this - Tender Light - from the bottle today, in a department store. I immediately thought 'hmm, 4711', but I'm sure the juice is not quite that in reality, I'd like to give it a proper wearing but I was already doused in another of the range - Dream Dusk, and every pocket had a test card with something else on. 😂 I found the sniff surprisingly pleasant and intriguing - as I have previously sniffed this whole range and had previously put this one down as a 'meh, not interested'. I was a bit concerned to see the previously prominently displayed tester bottles for this EL 'luxury range', now reduced to half their number and moved to a more lowly side of the EL counter. The boxed frags were also 'marked down' in price. The usual discontinuation coming up? 🙄 (I love at least Radiant Mirage, please don't discontinue it!!!).

The Estee Lauder corporation appears to be running itself into the ground, and discontinuing Tender Light so soon after its inception is just one of many brain-dead decisions that the corporation has made in recent years. Nothing else smells quite like it; the bottle is elegant and functional; the iris and tea notes sing beautifully on the skin, in all kinds of weather, smelling clean and pure but never devolving to laundry or soap residue, not too sweet, not remotely gourmand. I enjoy the creations of Shyamala Maisondieu, and I hope she recreates this DNA for another, worthier house. If I believed people could roll in their graves or express any kind of discontentment whatever from the afterlife, I would bet that Estée regrets the devolution of the brand that she created and feels ashamed of her son.

Gourmand Iris that has a thick start, for me - for a large part of the life on my skin it’s smells like the opening of YSL’s Atlas Garden. Having an almost chewy and datey-sweet taste and texture like a really good authentic Turkish delight. I get no citrus or obvious tea, the Iris is creamy, sweet and thick. Almost ambered. There feels like there are thick white orange blossom notes. I get the occasional green touch but nothing that says “tea”. I’m wearing in on a cold and stormy autumn night it is very strong and I can only imagine how loud it would be in heat. Along with Iris Malikhan, are the rare irises that I’d say are gourmand to my nose. This one along with Radiant Mirage are loves for me. I’d also enjoy adding Desert Eden in the future to my collection

Ah, this one is toying with me like a lover... When I first sprayed it on my wrist in the store, it was an instant dirty NO! The tea came out too harsh and too earthy and I had an instant urge to wash it off in the closest lady room. Thank goodness I didn't! Took me a while to leave, I was looking there and there and when I finally left and sniffed my wrist... I almost ran back to buy the biggest bottle! The Iris and Bergamot sticked to my skin like a luxurious weil and I fell in love hard. Like hate to love forever kind of hard. I think I will let myself figure out my feelings first (because of the tea opening), but I will have a lot of sleepless nights, dreaming about what could be...

i think this is a perfect office fragrance! it is soft while also being energizing. i definitely get the tea and the iris is a nice dry sweet without turning to powder. i can see how someone might find this scent underwhelming, but to me it is a triumph in the tea genre. lightly caffeinated and citrusy without being overbrewed bitter (i drink a lot of tea lately :'D). it is sexy, in a tailored as opposed to bodycon kind of way. although i would wear it with a bodycon dress as i often like to dress cheap and smell expensive :) update: dries down waaay sweeter than i expected but i still like it! would also be nice for warm nights, first date kind of vibe if applied sparingly :)

I must admit it wasn't the love from the first sniff for me. At the beginning all I can smell is a bergamot, which is not my favourite note. After around 15 minutes, the calming scent of a green tea (or I guess the Chinese tea) comes more to the surface. Probably after an hour I could smell more irys, which is beautifully buttery and smooth. That fragrance makes me feel very sophisticated and elegant in a surprisingly effortless way. The way it develops on the skin is amazing and it's not a kind of a perfume you'll get bored about quickly. However, it is rather green, so I can imagine it's not everyone's cup of tea.

I wish Tender Light hadn't been discontinued. For me it was the most beautiful scent in a beautiful, imaginative line. I love this one so much, with its luminous and transparent layers of tea, iris, and bergamot. It does smell a bit more complex (or less minimalist anyway) than the list of notes might suggest, but its cleanness and greenness save it from muddiness. I have lots of iris perfumes, and this is one of the best. Bring it back, Lauder Corporation! This is so much better than anything from the overpriced Aerin line, not to mention the ridiculous "Legacy" line.

This was LOVE at first sniff for me! I'm obsessed with iris perfumes but I've been let down with a few iris-citrus combo already in the past. So I came into this perfume with very low expectations. But WOW I was blown away by this one. It definitely smells tender, light, and delicate. But that's not to say this is faint. Yes, this may not be a massively projecting perfume or a room-filler, but it's got a hefty weight to it, substantial but has a smaller scent bubble. It's kinda soapy and powdery, like a baby's skin or something, cooling, and very comforting.

This is gorgeous. Really, that bergamot opening and the metallic freshness of the tea on a musky, woody iris base is just lovely. I mean is it setting the world alight with creativity? perhaps not but it's taking complimentary elements and presenting them in such a chic and wearable manner. Tender light really is a fantastic name for this perfume, the bergamot and tea reminds me of Bvlgari for a second, and then the warmer, more sensual base is a perfect way to round out and lend more substance to what is effectively quite a fresh and airy perfume.

From the 8th WONDERS: No wonder why this perfume is called "Tender Light", because it is very tender, and calming and kinda meditativ, as "stop the world and listen... make peace - not war..." Such a lovely perfume, l love iris and tea, and somehow this perfume reminds me of my two most beloved, late, golden retrievers, Nala and Astrix, they smelled like this between their eyes, couldn't stop sniffing them... , the drydown on my skin is also very comforting, if a bottle that fits my slim wallet comes around, l will defently buy it!

I bought 3 bottles at the outlet for an amazing price. Wish I had bought them all. This is a beautiful light spring or early summer fragrance that doesn't come on too strong so I can wear it to work. The bottle is heavy and beautiful and I love the magnetic top. I think it is probably less suitable for younger women as it plays sophisticated and mature as opposed to less serious. That said, I've always worn mature fragrances, even as a teenager. If you can find it, I recommend a tester.

This is classy with clean floral and tea notes. Very well executed. Pretty good sillage and longevity. Elegant and refined. Update: 7/27/2023 I have sprayed this again a few times since my initial test. And I love more and more and got the biggest bottle. Incredibly well blended. It is not girly sweet, which is not a bad thing. But more of aloof elegance. Also kind of Je ne sais quoi that is intriguing, Love it. Bravo, Estée Lauder

Can't remember if I have written a review for this. But it is a lovely tea fragrance - read in the comments it has now been discontinued! What a shame I only have a 40ml bottle to last me. I also wanted to get senseous stars the plum fragrance but that has been discontinued too! I don't want to buy it off ebay. So I will have to accept I can't get that one in time. Out of their collection these 2 were the best fragrances.