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.

I have a very well-preserved bottle of White Linen that's about 10 or 15 years old; I keep it in my refrigerator, and it smells to me exactly like the White Linen I remember from the 1980s, when my great-aunt gave me a bottle, and then a few years later, when I worked in a record store with a woman who wore it as her signature scent, even though she was much more likely to wear a black motorcycle jacket than a white linen anything. But such is the power of Sophia Grojsman, whose creation has been completely re-imagined by the ironically titled "Legacy" version. I will say "re-imagined" and not the less charitable "defamed" because this isn't bad; it's just a completely different fragrance) and is mostly unrecognizable to me as White Linen. It no longer smells like the perfect representation of its name. Not to put too fine a point on what was once a truly genteel scent, but White Linen has something fucking weird in it. Something unclean. It doesn't smell like crisp, clean white linen. It smells more like a previously clean bedsheet that someone sweated into for a night or two.The "Legacy" version gets closer to White Linen as it dries down, but it still contains that weird, slightly animalic BO note, a kind of salty sweat smell. I prefer the righteous aldehydic rigor of the original. As my friend who helped me sniff the test strips lamented, "What's wrong with soap?" Like me, she prefers the original WL, which she knows well because her mom used to wear it. It has lost its Grojsman verve.

Definite aldehydes. And I weirdly get slight olive note when smelling it very closely. I was never a fan of white linen. The OG and the Legacy seem to smell different. I am not a fan of either—just not my preferred scent profile.

I was given a free sample of this - the one that says legacy - and after a first impression of soap and daffodils, it turns warmer and smells of cloves, I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned cloves! Not really my style.

This is a luxurious fresh clean laundry scent. Can’t go wrong with this one unless you hate to smell like clean laundry.

Being a fan of the original WL since 1983, I was a very young teenager then, it was my signature scent at the time and bought dozens of bottles, I find this new version hard to stomach. I still wear WL as it’s easy enough to find good vintage versions online. I am a huge fan of Estée Lauder, even though their heydays are over, I am still a loyal customer of their products. The problem with Legacy is the new versions seem more dated than the originals. Besides, they are crazy expensive. $280 for 100 ml. Really ? Legacy, is that what’s to remain of such masterpieces ? Legacy WL is not as bright or aldehydic as vintage WL. It smells a bit harsh. There’s this weird woody note in the background, probably ambroxan that is really bothering me. In the original, the vetyveril acetate brought a delicate woody sillage. Vintage WL was a masterpiece, an American tribute to Chanel Number 22, with the cleanliness of American perfumes of that time. The Legacy version seems dated, banal, harsher, not crisp. A big disappointment for me. I bought the sample kit so I had all the time to experiment the new Legacy versions.

I was never a fan of the original White Linen, but I appreciate how it took the concept of "fresh and crisp" without going in a citrus or typical white flower direction. White Linen is a powdery aldehydic bomb, and while it may smell dated to some, it certainly fits the bill as a crisp and fresh fragrance. This update is something else. Yes, it is powdery but I would not call it fresh or crisp at all. The Legacy version is a bit heavy and I feel the labdanum takes over and drowns everything else out. There is an oily, bitterness to this that is a bit off putting. Like most of the Legacy offerings, this is not an easy to wear fragrance. I doubt White Linen fans will switch to this new (and very expensive) version of their favorite and I doubt even more this will garner new fans. Final grade: C-

Got this one as a sample. First impression was nice, like fresh laundry, but then it dried down into aggressive alcohol and soap. Not my cup of tea

I really hate this one. Sour and sharp opening that continues throughout. I suspect a heavy dose of ambroxan. The cedar base is also overdone. Pencil shavings, soap and ambroxan.

This is beautiful. Sharp opening, definitely has the oomph that a lot of musk and clean scents miss. It is definitely there in it's entirety and not just a soft fluffy cloud (although I can love that too, on casual days.) This one to me is spicy, whist being clean and fresh. Definitely on the stronger side of laundry scent, and as much as I always say I miss the oomph of clean musks, I think their softness is their appeal - I'm finding myself a tad overwhelmed for a scent that I'd like to wear on days I'm in strictly white linen and cotton. I think this scent would go for a day out where you still have to dress up, not a dress down wander around town or at home kinda day. Still beautiful, and now I'm even more curious about the original. If anyone has it, please hit me up let's swap samples! (UK only...) I think I feel som moss in this one...something sharp and earthy even spicy. Vintage vibe but only just. I tend to like my musks more tame and fluffy as I just learned through this one! If this is the tamer version of the original, then I can only assume that one is even more oomphy and vintage.

The OG White Linen is a reference aldehydic scent, bright and soapy, but also heavy and thick. I enjoy its smell, but don’t particularly find it all that easy or comfortable to wear. This “Legacy” version isn’t a reformulation or “restoration” of White Linen to its ‘70s glory. Rather, it’s a paring away and stripping down of White Linen to make something more palatable to modern noses. Still very aldehydic, still bright and soapy, but light and airy, no waxiness in sight. And because I love those analogy problems on standardized tests, I place this here: White Linen Legacy : White Linen :: N°5 L’Eau : N°5 And, really, this Legacy version doesn’t smell all that far off from Chanel N°5 L’Eau, either. It’s a much more wearable take on White Linen, but in giving up the more difficult elements that made the OG so monumental, it ultimately feels less special.

Clean, soapy aldehydes. Fresh, like anything called White Linen should. It is simple and very well behaved. There is also this fruitiness in the beginning that makes it more...playful? I’d call this White Linen L’eau. Does it build upon the OG and make this it’s legacy? I doubt. This is White Linen’s little sister, young and still discovering herself. (Side note, please bring back Pure White Linen.)

As a long-time fan of Estée Lauder fragrances, I approached the Legacy Collection coffret with curiosity. White Linen resembles the previous formula with the square cap; however, with an odd not that I can't really describe. Almost like cigarette ashes. I much prefer the original vintage formula and even the square top version. Recommend sampling prior to spending the money on Legacy collection.

NOTHING like original Beautiful however, very much Chanel style, a powdery clean aldehydic rose, the type I love.