PUREDISTANCE
WHITE (No. 06)

2015

PERFUMER
Antoine Lie

musk
rose de mai
patchouli
iris absolute
tonka bean absolute
vetiver
sandalwood
bergamot

Before smelling the 2023 Papilio, which is an absolute favorite of mine, White made the best first impression when I smelled the Puredistance line in store. After testing it properly, I can say this is another favorite of mine.

One of the Antoine Lie creations that I’ve considered adding to my collection is Maison Sybarite Bed Of Roses; a wonderful milky rose-iris-woody scent. With White, Antoine flips and elevates a similar scent-profile to a level of smoothness rarely encountered.

White is a fitting name, as it’s bright, musky… almost aldehydic in it’s opening. It’s a fragrance that’s intimate and perhaps easy to dismiss if you don’t pay close attention. When you give it a proper wear, it becomes evident how beautiful this soft and sweetened blend is.

Imagine fresh white linen sweetened by honey. The rose is rather subtle and soft and so is the iris. As time passes, more and more sweet sandalwood comes through.

This is even smoother than Lorenzo Villoresi’s Musk (an excellent musk-rose-sandalwood) or the older hidden gem Caron Nocturnes de Caron Cologne Fraiche. If there ever was a fragrance that I’d describe as silky, White would be it.

Longevity seemed good, but it very much wore as a skin scent from start to finish for me; with some fresh muskiness projecting, but most of its woody goodness demanding to be sought out. Not a statement maker, but a real beauty for those who behold it.