Chemise Blanche LM Parfums 2013

Oh wow! This is the first "clean scent" that I can really imagine as a bottle in my cabinet! My wife is currently exploring this fragrance world, and I occasionally try some out of curiosity rather than the desire to wear these scents myself. But here I am on the verge of giving in...

"Chemise Blanche" shows clear similarities to the similarly named "Blanche" by Byredo, which is not surprising when you take a look at the fragrance pyramid. Both feature aldehydes in the top note, roses in the heart note, and (white) musk in the base note.

But as is often the case with sisters, despite the unmistakable similarity, there are also clear differences in appearance and character: "Chemise Blanche" comes across as distinctly fresher and more vibrant (certainly the citrus notes), while the sensual weight of Byredo's "Blanche" is toned down here, and I also perceive a certain spicy herbal quality "on the edge" of the fragrance spectrum (perhaps among other things the tonka bean?!), maybe even a distant hint of "Eau Sauvage".

This creates a truly beautiful, harmonious, and quite exciting composition, which I actually don't find so chaste or sterile. The scent is varied due to its many fine nuances and possesses a certain depth despite all its freshness and delicacy: This alone excludes any kind of boredom. When I imagine "Chemise Blanche" on a woman (or on a woman), she is by no means an untouchable "white queen," but rather a younger lady who initially comes across as unobtrusively appealing. She wears light, possibly pastel, and rather practical clothing (perhaps in the style of "Esprit") and canvas shoes. Once you engage her in conversation and take a closer look, however, you quickly discover things that contrast with the initial "unobtrusive aesthetic" and create a - also erotic - tension: a melancholic gaze, perhaps a scar, an old and very striking piece of jewelry, a depth in her profession or family history....

One more word on the perfume gender question and the "clean head cinema":

I find "Chemise Blanche," fully in line with the M/F/Unisex logo classification here at Parfumo, really more "unisex," while Byredo's "Blanche" is truly more feminine. All the more interesting is that "Byredo" has 15% male fans in the "owner statistics," while "Chemise Blanche" has only 5%, which in absolute numbers corresponds to exactly one person. Joshi, great that you are waving the flag for the masculine gender here. This scent deserves more appreciation from the male world. Guys, give it a try!

As for the clean associations: Here too, like with so many "clean scents" that are said to resemble laundry detergent, I can neither recognize any similarity to soap powder (and I love soap powder), nor to fabric softeners, nor to Febreze (and I hate Febreze). "Nivea Deluxe," however, as DaveGahan101 writes, yes, that has something: When the citrus notes have receded (although they strangely almost never completely retreat), there is something reminiscent of Nivea cream, but really only from a distance (I would never be interested in a scent that smells "like Nivea cream," that would be more of an exclusion criterion for me, but I really like this scent!). All in all, it seems to me that with this balanced, fine, and fresh composition, it might be less productive to search for specific scent memories from the world of practical things, not even for the namesake white shirt. We should simply enjoy the multifaceted fragrance!