White Linen Legacy

There is no doubt that the original WL is to be the "end of history" for aliphatic aldehydes in the twentieth century. There are certainly many kinds of aldehydes in the perfumery industry; but in the case of aliphatic aldehydes alone, its stunning debut - Chanel No.5 contains three of them - could not have been possible without the practical development of the chemical industry. Prior to this, the biggest problem confronting Ernest Beaux might be that there were not so much availability of aliphatic aldehydes for production and use. Half a century later, Sophia Grojsman and Ernest Shiftan used aliphatic aldehydes to fill the bass, midrange, and treble registers with WL , as if three rows of cleaned clothes were hanging in the sunshine and dancing in the spring wind. Such combination, however, reminded me of something alien from outer space, at once mysterious and clean. This time around, Carlos Benaïm can hardly change the shape of the original (perhaps due to the unique personality), but simply amplified the focus of each parts in the structure. In other words: WL Legacy instantly recalls my memory, yet the colors feel more vibrant, brighter without a trace of dust. It's as if Rembrandt's light suddenly shoots out from behind, creating a haloed silhouette over the bouquet / fruit basket, leading you to lose sight of what's hidden in the shadow in the very center. In my opinion, WL Legacy might as well be called White Linen - Original Saturation.

I find the updated White Linen to be fresh and modern and extremely wearable. The aldehydes are there but they're not sharp and screechy. They're clean and lightly effervescent. The base scent is a bit floral but no specific flower for me, I get a clean musk and an elegant dry down. The nice thing about this for me is that it has some staying power too! Usually the fresh, clean summery scents are so ephemeral I barely get time to appreciate them before they're gone. I get a whole day from this and enjoy it the whole time. I really had fun sampling all the new legacy scents. This one is a clear winner for me, as well as Private Collection and, surprisingly, Azuree, which I love!

The original White Linen is one of Estée Lauder's most popular perfumes, a blockbuster on its 1970s release and an ensuring success to this day. However, thanks to my mom's signature Chanel No. 5, I prefer my aldehydes by way of Chanel - sparkling and slightly indolic - but WL is excellent in its own right - an aldehydic bomb that evokes its name to perfection. I am comparing my vintage miniature of the original to my White Linen Legacy sample. The original is lush and complex, with heavy, soapy aldehydes and a rich floral heart, imbued with fresh brightness. WLL is a more streamlined version that resembles the original but is arguably less dated. However, it lacks the unapologetic charm of WL. While I don't wear WL personally, I appreciate how good it is. WLL is, unsurprisingly, aldehydic throughout, soapy and clean, but more pared-back than the original. Clean, musky jasmine emerges early on, illustrating the fresh white linen to perfection alongside the soapy aldehydes. It becomes powdery as it develops, with rose coming to the fore and perhaps some orris, marrying nicely with the jasmine. Here, it is more Chanel-like than the original ever was. The soft woody notes creep in as it dries down, grounding the aldehydic florals nicely. Labdanum becomes surprisingly prominent alongside the clean musk, adding body and a leathery nuance to the base. It fades to a musky skin scent. Sillage and longevity are moderate. It is a transeasonal daytime scent, best worn in springtime. It is feminine-leaning in my opinion. WLL, while pleasant, lacks the lush floral heart and animalic chypre drydown of the original and feels less special as a result. It is also expensive, and as is the case with other Legacies I've tried, it is not worth buying this over the original WL that is still very much available. Thus, I feel that this Legacy version is somewhat redundant, but it is undeniably a more wearable version for a modern audience. 3/5.

White Linen Legacy may be the one that struggles the most to find an audience. If you like this type of classic/vintage scents profile, you probably already love the original and don't think it needs to be changed; If you don't like this sort of scent, you may find it still too dated. I may be part of the minority who enjoy vintage scents, but find some of them easier to wear in the remastered forms found in this coffret, which is especially true with White Linen. White Linen Legacy is still all about aldehydes. However, the aldehydes are not as heavy and do not turn sour on me like aldehyde of yore. Still, it isn't as sparkling on me as it might be on other people. The composition is modernized primarily through lightening the scent cloud and paring down the notes. It's still fairly full-bodied, and, for me, very wearable. I have enjoyed exploring this one, but I find that I wish there was something paired with the main aldehyde accord. I wish it had a counter accord to really play off of. So, while I have enjoyed this one far more than I expected to, and I think it is a good option for people who like classic profiles but may find the original too heavy, I'm not sure I'll keep it in my rotation. I'll have to revisit it in a while.

Fresh green aldehyde perfume with intense note of lemon peels. Old fashioned elegance that lasts all day after only one spray.