I want to make it very clear that the size of my perfume collection in no way reflects my financial status. Yes, I own well over 100 perfumes, but most of them have come into my possession as a part of my job. I test, trial and review all of the best perfumes out there every single day, and have done for many years. From floral perfumes and skin scents to woody perfumes and fresh spritzes, I've tried them all. As a result of this, I like to think I know a thing or two about what makes a really great fragrance—and Elizabeth Arden White Tea is a really great fragrance.
Let me explain. Over the years I have become somewhat of a snob when it comes to my scent choices. While I'm not fussy about how popular a perfume is (after all, the most popular perfumes are often the best), often opting for classic perfumes that have fans the world over, I have developed a taste for expensive fragrances. I like scents that are unique and luxurious-smelling, and such fragrances typically come with a hefty price tag. But Elizabeth Arden White Tea? Well, that's my affordable little secret.
Key notes: Italian mandarin, sea breeze accord, white tea extract, Turkish rose absolute, ambrette seed, trio of musks
In fact, White Tea is probably one of my most used and most loved fragrances ever—despite only being £36 (and currently only £24 in the Amazon Prime Day sale). So what makes it so special? I'll be honest, the bottle is nothing special, and it's not the sort of perfume I want to show off on display. But what's inside the bottle? Well, that's special.
White Tea has a sort of skin-like, musk-perfume, fresh comfort to it that grounds you in an instant. It's like walking through a dried flower meadow in the sunshine on the first day of spring, when there is still a crispness in the air. It is fresh, sense-clearing and beaming with a bright freshness, but there is a creamy woodiness to it that feels beautifully familiar.
And I'm not the only one who seems to think so. On Amazon, the scent has thousands of five-star reviews, with lots of people saying it wins them heaps of compliments and have a really impressive longevity—and I wholeheartedly agree. The best bit? Despite the fact it's not expensive, it's relatively lesser-known, meaning it's unique enough to pique interest from virtually everyone you encounter.
Unlike so many other musk perfumes of our time, White Tea doesn't have a sweet milkiness to it, instead the sweetness comes via crisp, nose-tickling tea. Just a few sprays in the morning is all it takes to calm my mind and bring me down to earth. White Tea, to me, is a sense of feeling at home.
