White Shoulders

I have to write another review of White Shoulders. This is my third review, but please bear with me. This will be my most detailed review, and I'm going to try my best to sum up this iconic American classic. Just a warning, this will be a long read. White Shoulders is officially my first vintage! I got a circa 1975 Cologne spray by Evyan for a very decent price online. This is so exciting! White Shoulders has become my favorite fragrance, and I've stockpiled it in all forms: powder, cologne, eau de parfum, and I've owned 3 of the sets that have the parfum and body lotion. All forms of this are beautiful to me, and the cologne lasts a good 8 hours on me, which for me is longer than some EDPs! White Shoulders is a classic floral, and to me it is very unique for it's category, and it becomes more unique the more I understand it's composition. This opens with clean, soapy aldehydes, but they are not "clear a room" Chanel No. 5 aldehydes. They are soapy, clean, and light. This also smells a bit green in the opening, probably courtesy of the African orange flower, or perhaps this is the grassiness of the lilacs and lilies. This is topped off with a touch of sweet peach, which lasts throughout the fragrance. When this first dries, lilac dominates the fragrance. If someone asked me for a recommendation for a lilac scent, this would be it. The only other notes I could see being in the middle notes are Lily and Lily of the Valley. The airiness of this reminds me of Estee Lauder's Pleasures. This smells like a garden of blooming lilacs and lilies in springtime, like a fresh picked Easter bouquet. This never becomes a heady, big white floral. The drydown is probably the most lovely part of this fragrance. The dry down is sweet, with benzoin and peach. Perhaps there is a light touch of musk, but definitely not enough to make this animalic. The dry down to me almost smells like vanilla, but I think this is just the benzoin playing tricks. This fragrance stands out to me compared to other fragrances of it's time, and that may explain it's lasting success and popularity. I could be wrong, but popular perfumes I'm familiar with at the time of this fragrances release around the 1940s were much more intense, usually glamourous florals and orientals with sparkling aldehydes and intense woody-musk bases, or spice bombs like Estee Lauder's popular Youth Dew. I found a source dating this as far back as around 1936, and this was perhaps one of the first fragrances that broke this pattern, offering a sweet, light floral. The only fragrance this is slightly comparable to from it's own time in my experience is L'air du Temps. I could be wrong however, considering much of what was out in that time frame no longer exists. I've now smelled White Shoulders by each house it has been made by in it's life span: Evyan, Parfums International, and currently Elizabeth Arden. I'm most familiar with Elizabeth Arden's formula, however I now own an Evyan vintage and a Parfums International version. The Parfums International version is what I assume came out just after Evyan went out of business, as it is most similar to Evyan's formula. The only difference is that it is slightly more "chemical" smelling, but overall smells like a good impression of the Evyan formula I have. After smelling this vintage Evyan, I'm happy to say that though Elizabeth Arden's formula is different, it is very faithful to the original, and the only differences between the two seem to be due to the time they were made. Evyan's formula is a bit more waxy. The aldehydes are far more "perfumy." The lilac in Evyan's formula seems to be more concentrated. If Elizabeth Arden's formula is a lilac bush, Evyan's is a single lilac blossom. In fact, I've found two candles that perfectly embody these differences. If you know a store by you that sells Hallmark brand candles (oddly enough I couldn't find them on their own website), look for Lilac Blossom and Lilac Bouquet. Lilac Blossom smells to me almost exactly like Evyan's formula, while Lilac Bouquet smells more like it's current formula. The vintage formula smells less "green" than the current formula, and overall smells more mature. Elizabeth Arden's formula takes a more realistic approach on the lilac note, as it smells more like lilacs in a garden. I also think Elizabeth Arden's formula has more fixatives in it that are commonplace in modern perfumery, such as linalool, which may make it smell more "sweet". Side by side, both formulas lasted 8-12 hours and had the same silliage, which I am so thankful for. Recently smelling a vintage No. 5, I realized how it's been butchered over the years by poor reformulations, and have heard one too many tales on here about other iconic fragrances being subpar to their vintages. Thankfully, and thanks to Elizabeth Arden, White Shoulders has been spared, and it's current formula is faithful to the original and lasts just as long. I just hope now that Elizabeth Arden keeps this classic on the shelves for the long haul. If you are purchasing this, I would recommend the eau de parfum version. It is not as common as the cologne version, but it is closer to Evyan's version, and packs more of a punch. Updated May 2018

PLEASE NOTE, BEFORE USING MY REVIEW AS A REFERENCE WHEN DECIDING TO PURCHASE OR NOT TO PURCHASE THIS PARTICULAR FRAGRANCE: This review is for THE ORIGINAL 1943, beeswaxed sealed, bottle of White Shoulders, with the Hartnell label! I have never actually had the distinct pleasure (or displeasure, according to some) to have the modern formulation of White Shoulders, that is currently being bottled by Elizabeth Arden under my nose, so I cannot guarantee whatsoever, that the modern formulation of the fragrance smells anything like THE ORIGINAL 1943, beeswaxed sealed, bottle of White Shoulders, that was bottled by Hartnell (The fragrance house was called Hartnell before it changed it's name to "Lady Evyan" and then again soon after to just "Evyan"), that is described below! This is a super nostalgic fragrance for me, simply because it was my Great-Grandmother’s, my Grandmother's and mother's signature scents, thus, per tradition, it's now mine, even though I am mainly into gourmands and shun all most all other florals like they're the plague. It's sort of turned into a family affair, so I am hoping to get my three young daughters into fragrance at some point and I am really hoping that they'll eventually grow to love this particular fragrance just as much as my Great-Grandmother, my Grandmother and my mother did when they wore it and just as much as I do when I wear it. It’s also one of my all time favorites because, while for some, both the Benzyl Acetate and Isoamyl Acetate smell like jasmine, these two chemicals are also found in very high concentrations in bananas, and THAT is THANKFULLY, what I smell in place of the jasmine. In fact, jasmine (depending on the level of concentration) almost always smells (again, thankfully) like banana to me AND I ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY AND COMPLETELY ADORE ANY, EVERY AND ALL FRAGRANCES THAT CONTAIN ANY FORM OF PREDOMINANT BANANA NOTES! So, for me at least, this fragrance is a very lovely, very romantic, slightly green, soapy, clean, warm, very fruity, floral. THE TOP NOTES (ACCORDING TO MY NOSE): It starts off with a very prominent banana (from the jasmine) and some really nice peach. THE MIDDLE NOTES (ACCORDING TO MY NOSE): It continues with a slight hint of greenery (from the lily of the valley) to it, a bit of honey (from the orange blossom), some purple lilac (which happens to be my ultimate favorite floral note), and some sugary sweetness (from the gardenia). THE BASE NOTES (ACCORDING TO MY NOSE): It finishes with smooth sandalwood, soapy musk, warm amber and a very, very slight hint of naturally derived civet. Overall, despite the fact that all of my bottles are eighty-three-years-old (thankfully, I have been blessed, in that I have been lucky enough to have found and purchased four backup bottles and will continue to buy any and every Beeswaxed Hartnell Bottle I find), I wholeheartedly believe that the ORIGINAL White Shoulders, that was bottled in 1943, is still a very beautifully complex fragrance. Also, if you love banana fragrances, and jasmine smells like banana whenever it's under your nose, you're going to LOVE Hartnell's (Lady Evyan or Evyan's versions of White Shoulders were bottled in 1945 and contain the same exact formulation as Hartnell's) ORIGINAL 1943 formulation of White Shoulders fragrance.

I just picked this up in a set and wanted to write an initial review. I've been eyeing this for a while and finally bought it. It's said that the perfume and bath powder were favorites of Lucille Ball and Judy Garland, two of my favorite entertainers, so I thought if they liked it, it must be nice. The set included a edc, mini parfum and body lotion. Today I just sprayed the edc. Because it's an edc, it's not very potent. The scent itself is very nice. It opens up with aldehydes, and dries down to soapy white flowers. When I smell this, I think of soap. It's a very clean scent. I still need to try the parfum and the body lotion, and I still need to acquire the bath powder, and there's also an edp formula I would like to try. So far, this is very nice. You will like this if you like clean, soapy scents. Update #1: So I've been wearing this for the past couple of days, and I honestly don't know how I feel about it yet. I really, really want to love this, because it's a very unique scent. I haven't smelled anything quite like it. So far, I am not liking the EDC. I had really high hopes for this and really wanted to like it, because a 4 oz bottle is so affordable. It barely has any staying power. It was gone from my skin in about an hour. I tried to spray some on my wrists too, and it literally smelled like straight alcohol. The fragrance was there, but barely. The silliage isn't very impressive either. And note, I used the edc in combination with the body lotion. Later in the day, I decided to test the parfum on my wrists. It is far more fragrant than the edc and adhered better to my skin, however for a parfum I wasn't blown away. I couldn't help but notice when I looked at the ingredients how many fillers were in the edc and even the parfum. Basically, I really love this scent. So far however I haven't been impressed with its staying power. I do want to pick up the edp as soon as I can and see if it is any better than the edc. I will keep working with this to see how to make it last. Update #2: Okay, so now I have been wearing this for the past few weeks. In my last review, I was a tad harsh. However, I haven't owned an eau de cologne forumla before purchasing this. Personally, I think the edc is just not worth the money. Just a tiny bottle of this can run you nearly $20, and it's the weakest forumla you can buy. The scent itself I still like - anyone who likes classic florals and clean, soapy scents will love this. I don't get any spiciness with this, just soapy florals. If you're thinking of buying this, definitely buy the 1.5 oz eau de parfum bottle from Amazon. It's dirt cheap and I'm sure it lasts WAY longer and applies stronger than the edc. So, definitely save your money. I only have the edc because it was in a set with a parfum bottle. Also, the edc lasts much longer on your clothes. So, if you get the edc, or buy it in a set, definitely spray a good amount on your clothes. Aside from that, don't waste your money buying it alone.

Whenever I reach for White Shoulders, I'm hit with compounding thoughts. 1) This old white floral is lush and expensive smelling 2) Evyan and its legacy are a bizarre mystery 3) when the internet is your primary working resource, it's difficult, perhaps even impossible to discern smear campaigns, inaccuracies, and marketing myths from actual, factual reality. ...Regardless, I have returned for a followup report. I did my best, but please take this information with a grain of salt: "Evyan Perfumes Inc." (originally registered as "Hartnell") was founded by a Czech chemist and immigrant named Walter Langer. Langer claimed to be an Austrian baron "von Langendorff". Some records indicate he worked in Austria prior to attaining US citizenship, but there is no evidence that he came from nobility. He moved to New York with the goal of applying his chemistry doctorate to a trade. There he met his first wife, Evelyn Diane Westall, who encouraged him to use his chemistry skills to develop perfume. Together, they would prove that fine fragrance could be produced outside of France. The "Evyan" brand is a contraction of her name (Evelyn + Diane). Under their oversight, the business was successful. He managed the workers and developed new fragrances while she worked out the finances. "White Shoulders" (launched between 1935-1945, sources are unreliable) was their most popular scent, and evidently WWII patriotism helped sell it. The bottle presentation has shifted over the decades, but the peachy pink packaging, golden accents, and the silhouette of a woman are consistent motifs that borrow inspiration from French cameo jewelry. The early ads depict Evyan as an old-world luxury fragrance company, but company reports indicate it was cut from a different cloth. All production was done in New York under Westall & Langer's oversight, during a time when most other New York businesses were outsourcing labor. Unfortunately Westall passed of illness in '63. At the time of Langer's death (1983 per his obituary), he had ~250 people employed. Langer's $125 million-dollar fortune was distributed between his second wife (reportedly a narcissist) and Evyan's executive vice president (started from the bottom, now she's here). It was a 6-year legal battle; evidently the lawyers and the gossip tabloids won. The Evyan brand was initially bought by Chesebrough-Pond's Inc. This conglomerate has since been subsumed by Unilever. All post-Evyan White Shoulders products have been produced under "Parfums International LTD". A shit subsidiary of Revlon. Regardless of who technically owns the rights to this perfume, the formula budget has been gradually sapped over the past few decades. ...One of our most iconic luxury perfumes: a story of romance, fortuitous timing, and a successful business; thinned out and relegated to rack stores like Burlington. C'est la vie. I wish this report ended on a better note.

I always hated this perfume and Giorgio because years ago women used to bathe in them. Any perfume that is used in excess becomes sharp and cloying. I suspect that after the initial dry down women couldn't smell it on themselves, (and many here have even said it becomes a skin scent shortly after applying) and would overcompensate by spraying too much to begin with or reapplying when they really didn't need to. The result when you got several people together wearing it was nauseating. It seemed when I was growing up that I couldn't get away from this scent and a few others, like the synthetic mess Evening in Paris. They were EVERYWHERE. Finally, by my early twenties it seemed women started expanding their repertoire. Then Giorgio came on the scene and suddenly that scent was over worn everywhere for almost a decade too. Fortunately, that time and perfume passed too. Fast forward several decades later and I'm suddenly having a love affair with white florals, in particular, tuberose and to a lesser degree, orange blossom. Still not a fan of gardenia unless it's well blended in a scent, but tuberose I find intoxicating. With my new found love I decided to explore scents of the past I once blew off. I purchased a vintage Evyan Cologne and a Parfums International version of the same scent in edp. The top notes are gone on both, but to my nose the heart and base notes are the same. Both are still an overwhelmingly white floral with a strong tuberose mixed well with gardenia and a little spice. The scent, in moderation, is calming, charming, and Über feminine. I did a side by side of both versions and seriously found little difference between the two, though the Parfums International version is a little soapier and has considerably better silage and longevity than the Evyan cologne version, which is to be expected with an edp. That’s not much of a consolation though, because silage and longevity is pretty poor for this scent in either concentration. Seeing how poorly this performs gives me a better understanding of why some women got carried away with overuse. Still, I found it to be a beautiful scent in moderation. While not entirely giving me the tuberose fix I am seeking, it did satisfy me to a degree. I’ve since tried the Elizabeth Arden version and it is a chemical mess on my skin. Very synthetic and bearing no resemblance to either the original Evyan or the Parfums International versions. Don't waste your time and money on that. There are plenty of vintage bottles on eBay still at a very affordable price. The top notes will be shot (which is okay because many modern perfumes have lousy openings too) but the dry down will be beautiful. Next on my list of heavy white florals to try is Giorgio. I have a pure parfum mini on the way right now. Review to come later.