White Soul

White Soul is my all weather anytime dumb reach and I love that it is so budget-friendly. It’s a sweet balsamic scent with just enough herbal tartness and spicy bitterness to keep it interesting. Something about the marigold citrus opening, saffron heliotrope heart, and tonka benzoin base just works wonders on my skin. Hate the name. My spouse jokingly refers to it as “that white supremacist perfume” but no doubt the name was meant to evoke some kind of new-agey spiritual achievement level. I wonder if the initial creation brief was music themed because I’m already rolling my eyes at the cutesy pairing with the Black Soul men’s version. But contrastiveness? I get that. It’s similar to Clinique’s Aromatics in Black with less floral spiciness, more balsamic and powder, and better projection and longevity than AiB. It is not really a sweet amber vanilla perfume, at least not on the opening. The opening is subtly tart-herbal. The sweetness comes through more as the fragrance develops. The saffron note is intriguing because it gives a slight bitterness that alternates with the sweet labdanum and benzoin. The tonka underlining the structure here is more the aromatic tobacco kind, not the vanilla kind, but the benzoin and heliotrope fluff it up. The drydown is powdery but maintains a faint acerbic tartness. The notes are all ones I tend to like in isolation but they are set against each other so well that none really stand out. I have the body lotion and it goes on as mostly powder with a bit of sweet and tart. I also have Francis Kurkdijan’s Gold & Diamonds version which amps up the sweetness, astringency, and bling but has little in common with Alexandra Carlin’s subtler take. This is one of those quietly confident warm perfumes that simmer nicely on skin. Solid appreciation for this one, especially given the affordability.

This is my ride or die number one love. White Soul is absolutely signature worthy and a spicy vanilla-amber done right. There’s a bit of everything I crave in this perfume. The marigolds and saffron give it a cozy warmth, while the apricot and plums gently dance in the background, lending a fruity touch that never overwhelms. There is a lotion accord in there too. White Soul feels clean and musky, warm and comfortable, slightly herbal. There’s a benzoin heavy dry down. Just.... Mmmmmmmmm. I’ve never been let down, or been bummed that I chose White Soul as my scent of the day. It’s often my morning picker upper before bath choice, or late night comfort me to sleep scent. This is what I put on when the day has been shit and I’m in need of some real aromatherapy. It lasts, projects, gets compliments, and changes while developing. White Soul stays beautiful the whole way through, and feels like a guardian angel’s’ invisible shield. There’s nothing I’d change about it— it’s that much of a stunner.

It's funny when you remember something wrong. I got this at least two months ago and only sprayed it once. I really liked it, but thought it would be better for the fall. But, decided to wear it today and I was shocked because it was so different than what I expected. I was thinking it had patchouli, uh no. The tonka is especially vanilla-ey, like vanilla that has turned that lovely pinky light brown color that real vanilla products get. I agree this is not white at all. I also don't find it fruity, not one bit. Ambery, balmy, powdery, marigold and heliotrope. Yup, yup, yup. The longevity was amazing even on me. I do love this, but I need to remember it for what it is. Oh, and the bottle, isn't it the best? I love the little "diamond"! Actually the whole design is just too wonderful. I agree that it doesn't necessarily fit the scent, but I don't care. It is so tactile, lovely to hold, to look at and to use. It reminds me of those wonderful rubber coated bottles of Tabu and Ambush.

Topnotes like Oiseau De Nuit and Calling All Angels- a sweet powdery incensy woody leather, very agreeable! There's so much more depth than one would expect just by reading about the top notes. Then it goes a little boozy indeed. must be the plum/apricot trail. Boozy with a heavy, somewhat dirty undertone, like tons of wilted roses trampled into a dirt track. After that, lovely vanilla and labdanum. Like incense. Very nice. Some days it's fresh-ish, soaplike, other days it turns out warm and cosy like vanilla latte. White soul brings to mind Biagiotti's Roma, but it's not the same thing. Its far more quirky and multi-faceted. It reacts to my skin in different ways between different days that I wear it, but I have never before had a perfume that makes me love literally all the different faces it shows me. I should add, I totally dislike the bottle (or should I say pitcher) and feel that the bottle with the strangely placed rhinestone jn the cap does not do the scent justice)

This is one of the best cheapies i have ever bought. I received a sample from a fragrantica friend (one who always give me samples that end up loves:)). And right away i bought a FB. Imo this smells very niche. Along with this sample i received a sample of Hermès l' ambre. I liked ted lapidus white soul more. These two are similar, something in the base smells like they are family. Ted lapidus lasts longer and has better sillage on my skin. I dont get any plum,orange, or tagetes. It is a perfectly well blended warm and cozy scent. It's sappy amber, benzoins, heliotrope and light on saffron. It will be perfect for autumn and winter months. I've been craving benzoins, ambers, resinous, balmy,sappy scents and this hits the spot. Im so happy that i have this treasure!