Sometimes I just want a simple perfume that makes me feel pretty and clean. Estee Lauder launched White Linen in 1978, way ahead of the clean perfume craze. It contains nuclear levels of aldehydes, almost at the level of Chanel No22, which it reminds me of at certain levels of the drydown, and aldehydes have the magic power to create the impression of clean breezy laundry and soap minus the industrial cleaner note. Aldehydes also make me think of breezes, or even wind. The kind that come off the water, or while driving in a convertible. You know, that breeze that feels like it is cleaning out the cobwebs in your head and making you feel invigorated.

There are a ton of flowers and leafy notes in there too. White flowers are mentioned, and I suppose I get a bit of jasmine or lily of the valley, but I smell more roses and carnations, then I gradually detect the green mossy dry down that comes much later in the development. It’s a powerhouse, and needs to applied sparingly. In wonderful Estee Lauder fashion, the eau de parfum is pretty much parfum/extrait strength and lasts hours and hours on the skin.

To me it smells feminine and “pretty” and evokes clear sunny skies and warm sunshine, with perhaps some clean white linen sheets on the line drying in the soft breezes. Estee Lauder kindly offers White Linen eau de parfum in a wee purse 15ml spray size which is the one I buy. It’s as strong as parfum and the little bottle has lasted ages. I’ve never used the bath & shower gel, or the powder (which comes with a puff!) but I bet they are just gorgeous. The large bottles are sometimes on sale at the pharmacy, and I always buy one if I see.

My daughters love this one on me, and I never fail to get complimented on how good I smell when I wear it. A couple of spritzes of White Linen lasts all day – hours later I catch whiffs of its lovely clean tingly beauty.

White Linen perfume and ancillary products are available at Estee Lauder counters, online and wherever Estee Lauder is sold.