Elizabeth Arden

 White Tea Eau de Toilette

Most Helpful Critical Review

Fairly flat dry down

I was expecting to feel more warm base notes, yet on my skin the perfume sits pretty flat with the constant citrus/tea dominance that doesn't allow the heart to come up and provide some roundness to the scent. If I was to alter the composition, I would make those top notes smoother and implied, rath...er than screaming, allowing the full pyramid to evolve on skin. In the current state, the composition feels two-phased, segregated onto the main accord and underlying, hard-to-capture background, which, despite the expectations, never plays its theme as the perfume opens up. I expected more nuance work, more enveloping sensations (the description calls for a blissful experience, but it is not quite there in my opinion) and not a blatant piercing tea and citrus emitting from your skin outwards. Enhancing the wood and musk would be interesting. I experimented with layering this perfume with pure musk and it was already a much more enticing composition. Amping up amber and some subtle sweetness would be interesting too I think. . . You know, some components which would emulate the sensation of touching warm porcelain with your lips, sensation of white cotton in a fragrance form would be interesting. Anyway, the perfume is fine, but plain, doesn't really stimulate fantasy or impress with new sensations over time, so if you are going for something fresh, but stereotypically fresh, it is good. You will literally feel the same aura as you felt during spraying the fragrance all day. If you want to be impressed, you can still get it and challenge yourself trying to capture the base of the perfume through the constantly ringing top notes. I would suggest to think towards luxe segment though if you are looking for something refreshing. Or check out tea compositions from some niche colognes. One of the designer brand perfumes, featuring citrus and wood theme, I own gives me much more fulfillment in terms of depth and quality featuring similar notes. It is more bitter and teasing, a bit more conflicted, yet providing you a similar kick and freshness that you get from White Tea. But, again, if you are new to perfumes and do not want to be challenged White Tea is a good choice, especially given the price.