White Cattleya

If you looked at a picture of a white cattleya orchid and tried to imagine what it would smell like, this fragrance is an exact match: soft, white, creamy florals. The opening does feature a citrus note, but that quickly eases into the gentle florals. I purchased a small bottle of this and see myself being able wear it in many circumstances. I first tried my sample on a humid summer day and found the fragrance stayed beautiful and light in the heat rather than turning sickeningly sweet as most vanillas do on me in the summer. I've also worn this scent to bed as its comforting and soft. Overall, really well done!

I've never tested before a so beautiful wet texture in a perfume, it's really blowing. The start seems maybe common but the evolution is like a coat of melting lemon meringue, palpable - fresh and mouth watering. Despite it is a gourmand, it's never cloying and even perfect for summer. The longevity and sillage are amazing. Just superb.

This is a very uplifting fragrance without being too bright and cheerful. It's like a slow grin spreading across your face.

This is really an intensely lemony perfume. I'm not sure I can identify the exact difference between lemon and citron in a scent, but this is a sour citrus, not sweet like an orange or bitter like a grapefruit. Unlike some other reviews I don't really think it smells like a cleaning product though, or if so, then it's an organic one. I don't find this "chemical" smelling, for the lack of a better word, it feels natural, it's just a bit harsh. The first thing that came to my mind when I smelled this were the citronella candles you use to repell mosquitoes. Maybe because the scent has a slightly waxy undercurrent. After it has dried down for maybe 20 minutes, White Cattleya becomes surprisingly nice. A fluffy, sweet and soft scent of vanilla, heliotrope and musk unfolds, innocent, warm and clean. The citrus clings through the base all the way through, which is rare and makes for a lovely contrast to the other, more delicate notes. I don't get much of the florals in this. Besides the lemon and citron, the notes are fitting for the color white. I actually think that all 3 Cattleya scents by Olympic Orchids convey their titular colors well. Even though the opening is not so pleasant, I appreciate this unique blend. If it was a more polished and balanced I would maybe even love it, but well, it isn't.

White Cattleya bursts open with a forceful lemon/flower combo (narcissus maybe...?) that's very thick until it starts drying. After a few minutes, it begins to sweeten noticeably. I feel like I'm stuffing my face into a bouquet of flowers I've never smelled before, and it's wonderful! It continues to evolve with the light, musky base tinged with amber finally peeking out, while retaining the top citrus notes in a very well-mannered fashion. An easy touch of vanilla shows for a bit, and there's a pleasant putty-ish something in there that I can't put my finger on. A high-quality, meticulous perfume with many facets. Good projection and even better longevity; I would say it's better for women, but I definitely had compliments. Another winner from Olympic Orchids, great perfume!

first impression: candied citrus rinds on a bed of white petals in a glowing bowl on a table, sitting in a shaft of sunshine while a spring breeze blows through the window. A totally buoyant citrus-floral scent that feels unbelievably cheerful and uplifting. Others are saying burnt linens, and I get the comparison to line-dried cotton but on me I don't smell anything burnt. This is unmistakably sunshine-y. It's not my usual thing, but I'll definitely use up this sample, especially during the winter months when I need a spiritual and emotional lift.

I think if I didn’t pick up the vanilla and heliotrope so much that I would find it too lemony like others, so I understand where they are coming from. But on me this is lovely stuff. It’s like a vanilla infused fizzy lemonade.

Of all the scents I've tested so far from Olympic Orchids, this is the least complex. I feel like any designer could add some florals to this and call it a summer fragrance. It is bright, sunny, and uplifting, so if you are okay with a pure lemon air freshener / cleaning product scent, this one is very bright and "yellow." Strangely, it dries down to a balsamic vanilla scent, in the same vein as Le Couvent de Minimes.

The opening is industrial lemon scented bathroom cleaner and that is unfortunate because after 20 minutes this take a more natural turn, and becomes everything the perfumer promises: moist petals, vanilla, and musky sexiness. But you have to walk through a public restroom to get there.

The notes indicate that I would find this fragrance lovely, or at least pleasant. I don't know what went wrong, because this is one of the very few fragrances I actively dislike. Maybe my nose was having an off day but damn all I smelled was something sickly and nasty. Wish I liked it, but I really, really can't.

AHeartLikeMine is absolutely correct in her assessment of this difficult fragrance. It truly does smell like cleaning solvent used in public restrooms...unforgivably so. I cannot bear it - it makes my nose twitch and lungs scream. This is skin chemistry of course and would likely smell lovely on someone else. I have a bottle I'd be willing to swap for just about anything.