White Diamonds (1991)
by Elizabeth Taylor

Yes, it's lovely. But I liked it the first time I smelled it - when it was called Cassini.

28th October, 2011.

I think if Chanel No. 5 was an 80's floriental this would be the result. This is equal parts stonkingly rich moss and amber powerhouse and classic super-femme aldehyde floral. Hard to pull off in today's youth market, but still surprisingly pleasant. Something borrowed, indeed.

30th April, 2011.

At first I thought aldehydes = I won't like this fragrance, but I managed to convince myself to try this. I sprayed a small amount onto my wrist and I was quite surprised. Sure, it was powdery but there was something about it that was slightly appealing. However, a few minutes later the perfume became stronger and the aldehydes started to make me feel nauseous. When I tried to scrub this off my wrist, the task seemed almost impossible because the sillage was so strong.

I can only say that for fans of Chanel No.5, Anais Anais or soft, powdery scent lovers, this may be for you. For haters of aldehydes, stay far away from this one.

26th April, 2011.

This fragrance is one of those that satisfy my passion about decadent concoctions. White Diamonds is indeed decadent in a tender and romantic way. The initial blast of vintage neroli, poutpourri citrus, dreaming rose, ethereal violet, sensual jasmine, silent lily, proud narcissus and delicate white flowers introduces the deliberately retro feel of this wonderful scent. The powerful floral soul is supported by a wind of ylang-ylang. The flowery soul arouses its effect till the smooth end. The note of narcissus  is prominent in the middle of the bouquet. The aldehydes introduce an airy feel that makes soaring high in the air the smell of flowers. They are not so pungent and strongly synthetical in my perception. The fragrance fades in to a mysterious woodsy ambery base supported by a strong note of patchouli. The musks are soft as a cloud in order to exalt the tenderness of the bouquet. Sometimes i suppouse a touch of honey being placed on the side of initial bergamot-neroli. The patchouli pushes up the vintage feel a bit understated by the modern previous touch of jasmine. The airy feel of aldehydes is balanced by the structure of sandalwood with its mild, woody touch. The dry down is powdery in an opulent way. A great, mature composition in my opinion.

31st March, 2011.

White Diamonds is like any other fragrance- personal preference. Like any other fragrance, how it smells on one person, is not how it will smell on the next person. It has been referred to as being an "old lady scent". Let us entertain this for a moment. Anything that has gardenia, tuberose, aldehydes, etc., will likely be labeled as an "old lady" scent, because back in time this was some of the most popular top notes in many fragrances.

Today, what is not considered an old lady scent, seems to smell like candy, which to me is a cheap-smelling and unsophisticated scent. Clearly you can see one end of the spectrum versus the other.

Bottom line, it's all about the complete package and it's about on how you dress, how you fix your hair, how you wear your makeup, and then your fragrance seals the deal.

28th March, 2011.

I hate this dang parfume. All I can remember is my aunt wearing too much of this, getting in her little car parked outside in the hot sun, and me suffocating and getting a headache from this. (With AC/DC turned up) I can't stand this stuff! To me it strikes me as a trampy biker wanna be classy scent. Gives you a headache like a dang hangover with no buzz. EWWW.

23rd February, 2011.