White Whale

A different take on an oceanic aquatic fragrance. I agree with those below that mention a melon like note front and centre to start, combined with salty facets and a clean, sharp almost chlorine like accord. As the fragrance settles, the melon note slowly dies back and it becomes drier and more woody. There are slight hints of florals in the background but these are subtle. I don’t see this as a particularly floral fragrance, even though the floral accords are rated quite highly above. My best description would be fresh, salty, woody and fruity. I like this. It’s different. Very unisex imho. Performance is okay. It goes on strong but I do find that it dies back quite quickly and stays close to the skin. Stunning presentation though, the bottle is a work of art. This and the new Sleight of Fern are two great fragrances that are very wearable but still have a unique quality that elevates them, I just wish performance was a little bit better but then I say that about most of my fragrances nowadays!

White Whale smells like coastal Northern California, just like the cool ocean breeze and the fragrant plants that grow along the rocky cliffs. I grew up right on the beach in San Francisco, and this fragrance makes me very nostalgic. I can also picture sunny days spent at Bodega Bay looking out over the sparkling ocean, hoping to catch a glimpse of a whale. Also reminds me of wet, gray days on the Golden Gate Bridge, when the fog is so intense you need a waterproof parka. It also smells intriguingly smoky in a way that I can’t pinpoint, it’s so vague, and it also smells like ocean water and driftwood. It makes me imagine discovering a shipwreck. In the drydown I detect frankincense and ambergris. This fragrance works great in the heat. It projects well, and it lasts all day. Personally I feel this is the very best from this house and also a masterpiece aquatic fragrance.

Exceptionally beautiful and wearable fragrance, with moist and salty facets and a central fruity-leathery osmanthus accord in the heart. The ambregris accord is mainly ambroxan, but is brought closer to the more complex aroma of natural ambergris with some additions. The story to the fragrance is nicely intended, but the fragrance doesn't really convey anything about the epic battle of the one-legged captain against the "beast". Instead, everything is very harmonious and neatly coordinated, no dirt or animalic exhalations far and wide, and all drenched in the long-lasting aroma of apricot-like osmanthus blossom. You have to like this aroma and get along well with ambroxan, then you'll be fine with "White Whale".

This smells like the pajama pants girl in high school. Specifically, the “emancipated” pj girl of the late 90’s/00’s. She has her own apartment she shares with her 23 year old boyfriend Dustin, and 2 other people. Permed, crunchy, over-gelled hair, she just washed with herbal essence or salon selectives. Doused in some fruity drugstore stinker knock off spray (Victoria’s secret Love Spell, if Dustin received his tax check). All of this muted by the intense stale scent of Marlboro Reds. She drives a red ford escort. Tribal butterfly steering wheel cover. Glade gel vent air fresheners. Of course she gets a discount on all this at her part time job at AutoZone. It’s so beautiful.

I find this incredibly complex, deep, multi-faceted and unique. It doesn't feel marine or aquatic to me. The pepper at the first spray is an attention getter with something slightly indolic lurking behind it, which may be the olibanum and osmanthus rising from the depths. It slowly evolves into a beautiful combination of ambergris (green with violets) and labdanum - smooth as a becalmed vessel in the immensity of the ocean. I love it, there is nothing close to it and for me it is imminently wearable year round. The ambergris stays on my skin for 24 hours, although after about 10 hours it has become a skin scent. Beautiful, evocative and rare. Yes, I had to buy a full bottle!