Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.
Among Emporio Armani fragrances, White She (2001) stands out not only for its innovative composition, but also for its perfect synergy with the elegant, tailored look of Giorgio Armani couture and prêt-a-porter lines. A fashion house famous for its immaculate fit and expensive fabric made a great choice in selecting the fragrance that eventually became Emporio Armani White She (or White Elle). I prefer White She to all other Emporio Armani fragrances, including its masculine counterpart. In fact, although labeled She, the composition has an almost androgynous feel. The perfume conjures cool silks and hot ironed linens with its transparent freshness, which slips off slowly revealing a silvery woody accord.
Annie Buzantian makes a departure from her signature crystalline flowers in creating the polished wood accord of White She. Reminiscent of fine white bark covering birch trees, it is gently cradled in the radiance of white musk. It would be fair to say that Emporio Armani White She became the trendsetter for the white musk compositions having introduced an accord created by Alberto Morillas who also worked on the fragrance.
White is an adjective applied to synthetic musks marked by metallic nuance and radiant freshness. The cocktail of white musks in Emporio Armani White She created by Morillas (the nose behind Flower by Kenzo, Bulgari Omnia, Rochas Byzance, CK One, among numerous others) explores the full spectrum of these interesting aroma-materials. Their coolness, transparency and ironed fabric effect make for a perfect backdrop against which the delicate notes of Emporio White She sparkle—the spicy overture of ginger, the tart citrus and the tangy verdancy of fig leaves. As the composition unfolds in a panoramic style characteristic of modern fragrances–from icy freshness to fragile woods and radiant musks, the fragrance does not fail to maintain an effortlessly elegant aura.
I should mention that Emporio Armani White She should not be confused with Emporio Armani She, which came out in 1998. White She/Elle includes notes of bergamot, mandarin, ginger, blackcurrant leaf, fig leaf, mint, white woods, white musk. .
Photo: Pantsuit from Spring 2006 Armani Prive collection. Style.com
28 Comments
Robin: Have never smelled it V, but now I will have to… June 7, 2006 at 10:26am
k-amber: Dear Victoria,
Beautiful review as always. I did not know Flower by Kenzo and Rochas Byzance that I used to wear,were created by the same nose. You always fill me in 🙂 I will try this Armani scent definitely.
Kaori June 7, 2006 at 9:25am
Marina: I had no idea! I’ve always dismissed it as “yet another one of those Emporio scents”. But now I will definitely give it a good try. Thank you very much for the review! June 7, 2006 at 10:08am
Ina: Something happened to my comment I posted earlier. I tried this several years ago at the Gatwick duty free and rememeber liking it qutie a bit. Have you seen it at any stores recently? June 7, 2006 at 10:20am
Tania: I remember trying this when it came out and liking it, but at this point I have no sensory recollection. Your review has inspired me to seek it out for another sniff. Nice work, V. June 7, 2006 at 10:32am
Katie: Okay, I don’t know how you did it, but you’ve made me want to try a white musk scent. You are dangerous to read, V. 😛 June 7, 2006 at 7:44pm
Nick: I owned the Emporio Armarni White for men, which I loved. As far as I am aware, there
were the original Emporio Armani, then “White”, then “Night” and then “Disco Glam”, all in the same canister. I may be wrong, but I remember a man at the Armani counter telling me that White and Night have been discontinued. Maybe that is just here in Australia though. June 7, 2006 at 11:44pm
BoisdeJasmin: Kaori, Flower by Kenzo and Byzance are two of my own favourites. Emporio White She is quite different from these two, but it is very interesting. Definitely worth sampling. June 9, 2006 at 12:07pm
BoisdeJasmin: M, I hope that you can still locate it easily in stores. In US, it is quite difficult to find, although in Paris, it is still widely sold. June 9, 2006 at 12:08pm
BoisdeJasmin: Ina, I have not seen it in stores. I ended up ordering it online, after I ran out of sample. It is a fascinating composition. June 9, 2006 at 12:09pm
BoisdeJasmin: R, I definitely recommend trying it. It is head and shoulders above other Emporio fragrances. June 9, 2006 at 12:09pm
BoisdeJasmin: R, I definitely recommend trying it. It is head and shoulders above other Emporio fragrances. June 9, 2006 at 12:10pm
BoisdeJasmin: T, thank you. Of course, the only Emporio fragrance I like has to be limited to the European market! June 9, 2006 at 12:11pm
BoisdeJasmin: Katie, glad I inspired you! It is definitely worth seeking out, if only to know where all of these white musk fragrances came from. June 9, 2006 at 12:12pm
BoisdeJasmin: Nick, I do not think I have ever seen Night in the States. I have tried them, but it was during my stay in Paris. Same with White, although it was definitely available in the States at one point. Now, only the original Emporio fragrances remain. June 9, 2006 at 12:13pm
Nick: I now wish that I had tried the female white! I remember that I absolutely had to have the mens white: It had notes of lemon, rosemary and thyme with the elegance of white musk. Definately a white musk composition that elevated it beyond some of its usual associations… June 10, 2006 at 1:59am
BoisdeJasmin: Nick, the masculine one was also nice, although I must say that I prefer the feminine version. It seems to render the white musk accord with more clarity. In general, it is a very interesting composition. June 11, 2006 at 6:00pm
Katherine: As always, a review that makes me want to check out a fragrance even though it might not be quite ‘me’. (I think I maxed out on white musk at school when every girl had the soap, the bath foam, the deoderant spray and the scent itself from the Body Shop’s white musk range.) I was interested to read of the ‘ironed fabric’ note in this fragrance, as I understand that white musks are found in a lot of detergents and fabric softeners: I wonder whether what we would call an ‘ironed fabric’ is, in fact, just another fragrance rather than the smell of the fabric itself?
(FWIW, the snippet of info on white musks in detergents came from Luca Turin’s book ‘The Secret of Scent’, which I’m sure needs no recommendation from me!) June 12, 2006 at 5:46am
BoisdeJasmin: Katherine, this is quite different from the conventional white musks, because the effect is transparent and vivid, rather than dense and creamy. The case of musks being used in detergents and laundry softeners and having an ironed fabric quality is interesting. Perhaps, it is a virtual circle, in a sense. For instance, Estee Lauder White Linen relied on a large quantity of Galaxolide (one of the so-called white musks), which has been more commonly used in detergents prior to that. June 12, 2006 at 4:04pm
josie: Ive been wearing armani white for over 5 years now, its my signature scent i even wear it around the house. anyway apparently it is dicontinued here on australia, Do you know if they’ve stopped it altogether or is it still sold overseas? I feel naked without my perfume!!! July 14, 2006 at 1:18pm
Maura: Armani White She has been my signature scent since its launching. It’s a wonderful scent and I cannot imagine my life without it. August 24, 2007 at 3:15pm
Iryna: Dear Victoria,
My long-time favourite perfume is Armani Sensi, which is now discontinued. Do you know of any perfume that’s very similar to it? I would greatly appreciate your help! October 18, 2012 at 4:06pm
suzanne: Can you please clarify, the photo above is of White Elle/She or the original Elle/She?
Thanks! February 27, 2013 at 6:28pm
Pia: Oh, dear, oh, dear, how can you NOT have Armani Femme Original in your reviews? THE best Armani AND perfume in general of all times! March 19, 2013 at 6:19pm
Angie Moores: I’m still after all these years trying to find a replacement for Giorgio Armani’s White She! Obviously it’s still very popular so WHY did they have to discontinue it?!?!??? And WHY would they not bring it back??? December 10, 2013 at 2:17pm
Victoria: I also don’t understand it, Angie. It’s a fantastic perfume, and it was easily one of the best from the range. December 10, 2013 at 3:43pm
jarry: hello, i am french so my English is not so good!!
about this perfume, is it white she or lei because obsiously the photo is not the same that what i found on the web; the photo you show seems not to match with the name of the perfume…
thank you for your reponse ! January 31, 2019 at 11:26am
Victoria: The perfume I’ve reviewed is the one that comes in the bottle in my photo, but it has since been discontinued. It doesn’t exist anymore. February 1, 2019 at 4:37am