See Prices

More

We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.

California Snow What We Do Is Secret 2017

7.4 / 10 101 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.
Pronunciation Compare

More

We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.

Main accords

Floral

Fresh

Green

Earthy

Woody

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Chamomile

Black sage Tea

Tea

Sweetgrass

Heart Notes

Hay

Rosebud

Jonquil

Cannabis

Base Notes

Cedar

Musk

Soil

Vetiver

Perfumers

Mackenzie Reilly, IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances)

Ratings

Scent

7.4101 Ratings

Longevity

7.686 Ratings

Sillage

6.885 Ratings

Bottle

7.184 Ratings

Value for money

7.225 Ratings

Submitted by ExUser, last update on 09/15/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Besos

Snowy Owl

Aoud Flowers

White Jasmine Eau de Toilette

Baie 19 Eau de Parfum

Ensis

Reviews

9 in-depth fragrance descriptions

01/28/2025

7.5Scent 8Longevity 9Sillage

Pennantis
120 Reviews

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!

09/15/2025

9Scent 9Longevity 7Sillage

popodot
13 Reviews

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.

04/07/2019

9Scent 8Longevity 5Sillage

FrauLohse
3 Reviews

Translated · Show original

FrauLohse

Top Review 28

Cocaine!

Not cannabis, kerr. Cocaine!
California Snow only brought this association to mind, and what can I say: I was right.

Full synthetic and so dusty dry that I want to apply lotion immediately. Each of us has ripped off wallpaper at some point, and if you remember the dull, dried-out feeling of your hands, you get an idea of how this scent presents itself. Look at cocaine; that's how this smells. That it's even sprayable.

Yes, for me, California Snow is mineral, rocky, stony. If there were also leaves and fir greenery, I would almost believe I was in a sea of rocks. But the earthy note is particularly strong. And as synthetic as everything is here, as sterile and clean, it is still nature. Out of the test tube.
Chalky earth, sparse flower landscape, grasses, herbs, chamomile tea, if you will. Gently brought forth. Becoming sweeter, without ever being sweet. Everything is tidy. The word clean was invented just for this scent.
Cave scent with a subsequent detergent tendency. Yes, that describes it best for me. Cave scent.

After the strong top note, the scent remains quite linear, becomes very skin-like, distinctly musky, lasts quite long, and clings to textiles noticeably. I might allow mustiness for some, but I actually smell more earth. Real.

I've never smelled anything like this in a perfume and find it oddly fascinating and addictive, one way or another, a brilliant trip.

01/11/2019

8Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

FvSpee
323 Reviews

Translated · Show original

FvSpee

Top Review 24

What do we smell when the lab is burning?

The American brand with the highly original name "A Lab on Fire" was completely unknown to me until then; I got to know it only through a friendly fragrance gift package from a fellow perfumer, which contained this scent. The brand (not the perfumer) is, according to its very stylish, not unsympathetic, and also somewhat informative online presence (linked here at Parfumo), commercially connected with the other brands S-perfume and Monoscent. The pleasantly manageable range of fragrances, which are packaged in very tasteful boxes, comes from a variety of perfumers, from well-known names like Thierry Wasser to young stars like Mackenzie Reilly, who is responsible for this scent here.

I was fascinated by this perfume from the very first spray; it is captivating because it is so unusual; I know no other scent of this kind. I briefly considered getting a bottle for myself. My wife was immediately completely thrilled and still is, after several tests (on me). After some acclimatization, I find it is not really my thing and will leave it at this highly interesting testing experience.

Unfortunately, this comment will not be very descriptive; I ask for forgiveness, as even after several tests, I still do not know what I am actually smelling here, except that it is unusual and fascinating. I can definitely pick out one single note, and that is the rose. The fine rose scent is softly creamy embedded, perhaps there are some white flowers involved, which makes the California snow lean a bit towards clean, but it is not a classic "Clean." And this is despite the fact that it comes across as eminently synthetic. If the impression arises through the fragrance pyramid or individual comments that this is about primal organic scents, I must disagree; it is beautiful and impressive, but in a rather chemical way (why not).

By the way, the presence of conventionally unrepresentable scent notes like "damp earth" also speaks for a strong share of chemistry. On the company's website, other scent notes that sound conventional here at Parfumo ("cedar") are poetically described ("Cedar forests like in Big Sur"), so it cannot be assumed that "real" cedar is meant; these are rather impressions from the (burning?) lab.

Two more notes: This is the most unisex scent imaginable (despite my perhaps quite feminine-sounding description as rose-creamy-clean..., so forget that for now). I cannot say why. But when I tested it "blind," without looking at this page, a neon sign saying "UNISEX" was equally in the sky. Blinking brightly. And: I cannot perceive the "cannabis" scent (on the company's site, it says "marijuana"). I know quite well how marijuana herb (or the air after a joint has been smoked) smells; I do not sense anything of that here, at least not for me, although I also do not pick out sage, chamomile (although... could be...), vetiver, or any mineral notes. Not snow either, by the way (sorry, Yatagan, sorry, manufacturer, sorry, all of you out there in California and the rest of the world).

My conclusion: This scent is optimally suited (at least for testing) for everyone:

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

P.S.: In addition to the fragrance pyramid and the "woody-floral" fragrance family, the company's website also names a "style" for this scent, namely "wicked rose," which can be translated as "nasty rose" or "hot rose." That fits quite well.

P.P.S.: For those who did not have a melody in their head with the title:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2I9QNU_u_k

12/04/2019

9Scent 9Longevity 7Sillage

Papiermond
1 Review

Translated · Show original

Papiermond

Top Review 15

In the Hall of the Mountain King

This is my first fragrance review and I have thought long and hard about which perfume to dedicate it to. I chose "California Snow" because it is by far the most interesting and extraordinary scent I know. I have never experienced a fragrance composition like this before, and I was not aware of how much a scent can change over time. California Snow is truly a prime example of adaptability.

But let's start from the beginning: without any expectations and completely unaware, I sprayed it on (a sample). My first reaction: uaaaaahhhh, who wants to smell like THAT?!?! Like a crypt, like damp earth, like vampires, dark, musty, moldy, a nightmare. It would have been uncomfortable for me to go out in public with this very musty smell. I could already see the question marks in the minds of those around me: Did she just dig up a grave in the woods?!

Strangely enough, I initially did not perceive the top notes at all. There was only this damp earth, a bit of hay/grass, maybe a little cannabis. I waited shyly, and then it happened: After about 30-40 minutes, the sky opened up and the sun bathed the dark forest clearing in a blinding bright light. California Snow transformed 180 degrees and suddenly became rosy, creamy, light, powdery, and beautiful. This powdery, soft scent remained until the end (very long-lasting, definitely 6-8 hours easily perceptible); it was never intrusive, a very nice and interesting everyday fragrance.

When I tested it a few more times later on, the forest floor opening didn’t bother me anymore, and it has since become one of my favorite scents that I just can’t get out of my head. By the way, I find the name completely inappropriate; for me, this scent has nothing to do with California, snow, or drugs/parties, which is supposed to be the actual meaning of the name. The connection between forest floor and "forbidden snow" doesn’t quite make sense to me.

For me, "California Snow" is more of a feminine scent, very soft and powdery-cuddly. Perfect for autumn/winter. Definitely worth testing if you’re into unusual fragrances!

More reviews