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California Snow 2017

7.4 / 10 100 Ratings
A perfume by What We Do Is Secret for women and men, released in 2017. The scent is floral-fresh. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Floral
Fresh
Green
Earthy
Woody

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
ChamomileChamomile Black sageBlack sage TeaTea SweetgrassSweetgrass
Heart Notes Heart Notes
HayHay RosebudRosebud JonquilJonquil CannabisCannabis
Base Notes Base Notes
CedarCedar MuskMusk SoilSoil VetiverVetiver

Perfumers

Ratings
Scent
7.4100 Ratings
Longevity
7.685 Ratings
Sillage
6.884 Ratings
Bottle
7.183 Ratings
Value for money
7.324 Ratings
Submitted by ExUser, last update on 09/15/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
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Besos
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Snowy Owl
Aoud Flowers by Montale
Aoud Flowers
White Jasmine (Eau de Toilette) by Zara
White Jasmine Eau de Toilette
Baie 19 (Eau de Parfum) by Le Labo
Baie 19 Eau de Parfum
Ensis by V Canto
Ensis

Reviews

6 in-depth fragrance descriptions
8
Pricing
7
Bottle
9
Sillage
8
Longevity
7.5
Scent
Pennantis

84 Reviews
Pennantis
Pennantis
1  
Godo morning, green!
This is the third perfume from this brand I've tried and I liked them all. Here we have a very green, bitter perfume giving good vibes, despite being very 'dry'.
Chamomile, tea, hay, rose and cannabis all easily recognizable.
The earthy smell that I love so much is noticeable and very pleasant. It vaguely reminds me of Memoir d'une odeur, but it is less melancholic than the Gucci's.
if you like (a lot) cannabis and rose notes, then you should try it
California Snow is vigorous and gives grit.
Perfect unisex. Very long-lasting and remarkable sillage!
0 Comments
8
Pricing
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
9
Longevity
9
Scent
popodot

13 Reviews
popodot
popodot
1  
California Snow
California Snow is a fairly accurate depiction of petrichor, surpassing Baie 19 in this regard. While Baie 19 leans more towards a wet wood aroma, California Snow excels at capturing the earthy elements and green ozonic facets of humidity. Fragrances like Figment Man delve deeper into the decomposing aspects found in soil.

California Snow takes a lighter approach to petrichor, capturing the scent of rain or snow right before it touches the ground. It successfully portrays the green, moist, ozonic aroma, resembling a milder version of the smell after mowing the lawn. In the mid notes, a hint of sweetness from the rose blends seamlessly with a wet hay/grass accord. During the drydown, the musk and soil tincture achieve a delicate balance. The musk cleverly contributes to the aromatic ozonic scent, while the soil tincture, although light, enhances the petrichor accord.

Compared to Figment Man, which immerses you in the depths of soil, California Snow allows you to experience the scent of the air. It features one of the best petrichor accords I've encountered. However, if you prefer a dirtier and more soil-like experience, I recommend exploring fragrances that utilize patchouli as a basenote.

In terms of performance, California Snow leans towards the lighter side, and I personally wish it had a bit more strength. Nevertheless, it is a must-try for those in search of an authentic representation of rain or petrichor.
0 Comments
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
8
Scent
FvSpee

249 Reviews
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FvSpee
FvSpee
Top Review 24  
What do we smell when the lab is burning?
The US-American brand with the highly original name "A Lab on Fire" was completely unknown to me until then; I first got to know it through the friendly gift package of a perfume in which this fragrance was contained. It (the brand, not the Parfuma) is, according to its very stylish, not unsympathetic and also somewhat informative Internet presence (linked here at Parfumo), connected with the other brands S-perfume and Monoscent. The pleasantly manageable range of fragrances, packed in very tasteful cartons, comes from a wide variety of perfumers, from such well-known ones as Thierry Wasser to young stars like Mackenzie Reilly, who is responsible for this fragrance here.

I was fascinated by this perfume from the first spray, it is captivating because it is so unusual; I don't know any other perfume of this kind. I briefly considered buying a bottle of it. My wife was immediately completely enthusiastic about it and still is after several tests (on me). I don't find it after a certain acclimatization now nevertheless so my thing and will leave it with the highly interesting test experience.

Unfortunately this comment is not very descriptive, please forgive me, because I don't know what I actually smell even after several tests, except that it is unusual and fascinating. I can smell a single scent for sure, and that's the rose. The fine rose fragrance is embedded in a creamy, softly drawn texture, perhaps there is something like a white bloomer in it, so that the Californian snow goes a bit in the direction of the Clean Bear, but it is not quite a classic "Clean". And that although it (this is the third and last thing I can say in terms of description) is eminently synthetic. If the fragrance pyramid or individual comments give the impression that these are organic smells, then I have to disagree, this is beautiful and impressive, but in a rather chemical way (why not).

By the way, a strong share of chemistry is also supported by fragrance notes such as "moist earth", which cannot be reproduced conventionally. On the company's website there are also other fragrances that sound conventional here at Parfumo ("cedar") so poetically indicated ("cedar forests like in Big Sur") that it cannot be assumed that this refers to "real" cedar, these are more likely to be sensations from the (burning?) laboratory
Two more remarks: It's the most unisex scent imaginable (despite my perhaps rather feminine-sounding description as Rose-Creamy-Saubär..., so forget that for now). Why can't I say. But when I tested him, without looking at this page here, "blind", a kind of neon sign "UNISEX" stood in the sky. Blinking bright. And: I cannot perceive the "cannabis" smell (on the side of the company it is called "marijuana"). I know how marijuana herb smells (or the air after smoking a sachet), there's nothing to be felt here, at least not for me, which I also don't smell sage, chamomile (although... could be...), vetiver or mineral notes. Snow also not (sorry, Yatagan, sorry, manufacturing company, sorry, all of you out there in California and the rest of the world).

My conclusion: This fragrance is optimally suitable (at least for testing) for all:

a) love the rose and don't hate chemistry;
b) looking for the kick of a completely new fragrance;
c) who have fallen in love with the woman on the box;
d) couples who are so strict minimalists that they want to get by with just one fragrance for both.

P.S.: In addition to the fragrance pyramid and the "woody-flowery" fragrance family, the company's website also names a "style" for this fragrance, namely "wicked rose", which can be translated as "nasty rose" and "horny rose". That's not bad.

P.P.S.: For those who had no melody in their head at the headline:
<font color=#38B0DE>-=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=- Proudly Presents
12 Comments
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
9
Longevity
9
Scent
Papiermond

1 Review
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Papiermond
Papiermond
Top Review 15  
In the Hall of the Mountain King
This is my first fragrance review and I have long thought about which perfume to dedicate it to. My choice fell on "California Snow" because this is by far the most interesting and extraordinary fragrance I know. I have never experienced a fragrance composition of this kind before and I was not aware of how much a fragrance can change in its course. California Snow is probably a prime example of versatility.

But from the beginning: without great expectations and unsuspecting I spray it on (a sample). My first reaction: uähähhhhh, who wants to smell like that?!?! After tomb, after damp earth, after vampires, dark, musty, musty, a nightmare. It would have been unpleasant for me to go among people with this very musty smell. I have already seen the question marks in the minds of my fellow men: Did she just raise a degree in the woods?!

Strangely enough, I didn't notice the opening notes at all at first. There was just this damp soil, a little hay/grass, maybe a little cannabis. I waited in shame and then it happened: After about 30-40 minutes the sky opened and the sun bathed the dark forest clearing in a glistening bright light. California Snow changed 180 degrees and suddenly became rosy, creamy, light, powdery and beautiful. This powdery, soft fragrance remained until the end (very long shelf life, certainly 6-8 hours well perceptible) it was never intrusive, a very beautiful and interesting everyday fragrance.

When I tested it a couple of times later, I didn't mind the forest floor opening any more and now it is one of my favourite fragrances, which simply can't get out of my head anymore. By the way, I don't think the name fits at all, for me this fragrance has nothing to do with California, snow or drugs/party, which is the actual meaning of the name. The connection between forest soil and "forbidden snow" is not really open to me.

For me "California Snow" is rather a feminine fragrance, very soft and powdery-cuddly. Perfect for autumn/winter. You should definitely test it if you like fancy scents!
4 Comments
8
Bottle
8
Sillage
8
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Smellie13

21 Reviews
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Smellie13
Smellie13
Top Review 15  
The salonable fetish
We all have more or less our own scent preferences. One likes it oriental, the other flowery etc. and this is also nothing that has to be carved in stone forever and sometimes even fluctuates by the day. So I liked rose scents a few years ago, meanwhile I "eroded" myself from them and don't want to wear them anymore.
My scent interests today are quite broadly diversified, superficially my baggage scheme now includes for quite a long time above all iris scents of all kinds.
So far so good, "superficial" was the cue.
In the forum there has always been the question which fragrances one likes to smell besides perfume.
You like to sniff paint or gasoline, love the smell of wet streets and dusty libraries etc. and on the other hand you can't really imagine wanting to smell it yourself. In my case it is mainly the smell of limy dusty stone, as you can see on some building sites, and earthy vaulting (but still on the edge of the typical musty cellar patchouli scent). Although I use liquid natural detergent, I like to sniff the almost pungently pure powder detergent and I love the smell of the cold winter air that tickles my nose *outing ending*.
I now call these fragrances 'fetish fragrances', because it is rather unusual in a perfume shop to answer the consultant's interested question about the fragrance preferences with cellar stink or building site fragrance Interestingly enough I might have "inherited" this to my daughter, too, quasi in step we stop abruptly at the way, if e.g. from a building site this mentioned smell blows towards us and stretches the nose trancegleich towards the smell source.
I had never dared to hope that I would ever encounter these fragrances in the form of a perfume, and yet this is exactly what happened to California Snow. The comments were very promising and I was really overwhelmed to find all my secret scent preferences in a perfume at the first application.
The fragrance is extremely mineral-dusty, dry, after a short time this wonderfully musty smell is also perceptible, but only if you sniff directly at the skin or sprayed fabric. Then "the detergent" and "the winter air" are added and result in a tailor-made mixture of my "fetish scents".
And who now thinks that I can only carry and enjoy this sweetheart in secret is mistaken. The best thing is that California Snow is quite presentable and well wearable!
From the projection point of view I would describe it as a clean scent, powdery to thick-creamy, minimally rosy, never sweet, everything is very harmoniously interwoven. And yet no clean scent known to me comes close to him. The direction could possibly be Love, Chloé, as already mentioned in a statement, but in a less sweet-flowery way. But by that I really only mean the DNA, the scent is absolutely unisex. Actually, in my opinion it would also pass as a powdery "iris scent".
Apart from the damp earth and with a lot of fantasy camomile I can't smell any of the fragrances mentioned above.
The Sillage is mediocre to good and the shelf life with a few hours for an edP satisfactory.
So the fantastic thing about California Snow is that I have a good portable and interesting scent, but I can still sniff out these "fetishnotes" all the time. It's an absolute addictive substance for me, and I hope now that it's not just due to the cannabis it contains... ;-)
A bottle is on its way to me and now I'm curious to see if it's actually as if it can be guessed from the pictures, even pearly. Then my happiness would be complete.
6 Comments
More reviews

Statements

2 short views on the fragrance
BoBoChampBoBoChamp 4 years ago
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
8.5
Scent
After an uplifting herbal spicy-green opening, this herbal and juicy earthy-floral Spring fragrance, settles to a musky earthy-woody base.
0 Comments
ItchynoseItchynose 5 years ago
4.5
Scent
Soil and sage, an unappealing combo that smells worse than it sounds. Throw in some musk, hay and hemp for complete WTF-effect.
0 Comments

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