White Linen Parfum

I originally posted this review under the listing for the Eau de Parfum spray because this listing didn't exist then, but since it is actually for this version I thought I should repost it here! (: I briefly sniffed the above version in the store and it didn't smell the same to me as the bottles I have. I have two vintage mini bottles of this perfume and I'm somewhat surprised to say that I love it! Especially considering that I used to find aldehydes to be too much. They assault my nose and give me a headache I used to think. Not any more. I don't know what happened, but somewhere along the way I began to embrace aldehydes as cleansing, bracing and purifying to my nose, and yes sparkling. But hands down, my favorite part of this fragrance is the middle and dry down. On me it turns warm and ambery sweet with a spicy undercurrent, all the while feeling clean and bright, yet not sterile. Warm like a hug from an old dear friend. I think this scent is in my childhood subconcious and all memories attached to this scent are full warmth, security, and goodness. I wear this when I want to feel uncomplicated and free and leave the drama behind. Five stars. :)

I'd all but forgotten about this perfume, which I first received as a gift 20 years ago. Somehow it reappeared on my radar as I was looking for some different summer scents to wear. I ordered a couple of small bottles of the parfum and lost my mind--how could I have forgotten such a light, clean airy scent? It is perfect for desert summer wear and is a wonderful blend of sweet honey and flower scents. I admit to being a sucker for light florals. The scent lasts reasonably well Glad to have a "new" old favorite to wear again.

Vintage White Linen parfum is a beautiful, smooth, clean aldehydic floral. I agree with Persolaise that it is a North American take on Chanel no. 5, with any naughtiness removed. Comparing vintage White Linen parfum to current Chanel no 5 parfum, I prefer the White Linen. The performance and quality is better. A testament to how much even Chanel perfumes have gone down in quality.

White Linen smells so fresh and opulent. It opens with aldehydes, lilac, amber, iris, honey, and carnation then at the dry down, I smell vetiver, oakmoss, ylang-ylang, cedar, benzoin, and orchids. I love White Linen so much that I wore it before I go to sleep and when I woke up, I still smell it and I love it!

The smell of fresh fragrant bedsheets or laundry...the smell for a primrose garden in the evening...the smell is so pleasing and happy. I LOVE IT! Whish they hadn't discontinued it. Excellent blind buy

White Linen is a classic - and was seemingly a very popular perfume choice here in Ireland in the 1980s. A clean aldehydic floral, this is the American answer to Chanel No. 5, as Callista25 below points out. Aptly named, WL is as fresh and airy as bedlinen drying in the garden on a sunny, windy day. I have a vintage miniature of the parfum, which is very similar to the EDP (to my memory at least), but here the intensity is turned up; with sharper aldehydes and richer florals. Sophia Grojsman, one of my favourite perfumers, really succeeded in creating a modern classic - both a critical and commercial success. WL opens with radiant, soapy aldehydes, joined presently by powdery florals. Rose is most prevalent, bolstered by a squeaky-clean white floral accord led by jasmine and ylang ylang. Some green lily-of-the-valley emerges after a little while, adding a soapiness to the florals, with some waxy hyacinth and polleny lilac in the background. The iris-violet accord emerges after a little while, adding its typical powdery melancholy. There is a subtle hint of clove thanks to the carnation, adding a tiny hit of spiciness. The floral accord becomes quite woody as it begins to dry down, grounding the scent while soft mossy notes round it out. The powdery rose lasts until it fades. It is overall very soapy, like a high-quality vintage hotel soap. A soft, sweet amber accord emerges as it fades, becoming a soapy, musky skin scent after several hours. Sillage is fairly strong, and longevity is day-long, as to be expected from a parfum. A feminine classic that reeks of American optimism, WL is an excellent daytime scent. A fresher, less opulent version of Chanel No. 5. Squeaky-clean, soapy goodness. 4/5.

Testing today, a mini vintage perfume. I have tried lighter versions and was not so fond of them, but this one is really rich. I would describe it as a Carnation rich aldehyde mainly. If one is familiar with other Sophia Grojsman creations, I detect notes similar in Volupte and Suns, Stars Moon but White Linen is dry and lighter. Sweet, dry and cool. It is a very interesting perfume and I would encourage anyone interested in trying it to go for the perfume and to go vintage. So many years until I tried WL perfume in lieu of EDTs or EDPs. Better late than never. Seventies were great perfume years in my mind.

had is over 20 years ago reminds me of youth purity

Firstly, that rich, yet bright, note of floral honey comes in strong right from the start. So no, it is not truly a base note. Rather, the deep drydown is more reminiscent of oakmoss and amber, ...with some residual floral traces. ..and the midspan is, of course, primarily a complexly sweet floral bouquet. It does seem the strength of that honey note is a chief difference between this White Linen parfum and the more common EDP spray formulation. The classical splendour of these floral odyssey scents should be a pleasure that anyone, regardless of age or sex, would want to enjoy in their lives. Yes, it might not fit into all public, social settings, but that is true of all perfumes. To dismiss it out-of-hand as somehow dated or old-fashioned seems such an unnecessary waste. Edit: Continuing to revel in the drydown of the drop on the back of my hand. Yes, this scent was a runaway success in its day, but I still can't help feeling the Lauder marketing team erred by naming this 'White Linen'. That name is so suggestive of starched and respectable propriety, but this scent itself is quite langourous and sultry. It could have just as easily been called 'Daydream'. It is always a minor tragedy how marketing will herd its flock in one direction, while simultaneously squelching other alternative pathways, each filled with their own charms and fascinations.

I have small bottles of these estee lauder perfume concentrations from when I used to deal with fragrances. This vintage formulation is like peach champagne is a glass adorned with white flowers. Sparkling for sure, I can definitely detect the peach from the beginning. Not something I personally would wear, yet I don't have the heart to throw them out. Feels like pampering luxury. Like something a woman would wear after a bath at the end of a long day. Classic, bright and beautiful.

Have always loved White Linen. Will certainly look for the perfume here in SA. Agree with the previous review: not warm, not cold. It is sublime, simply elegant. So easy to wear.