Magpie & Puredistance WHITE | Illustration by The Perfume Magpie
White clouds are moving fast across the endless blue sky, the seasons are rapidly changing day by day. The fields are now dotted with crimson poppies, alkanets, and bee orchids surrounded by the abundance of white wildflowers. Now I can see the signs of fast approaching summer everywhere. As I watched the swallows crisscrossing the sky, I found myself reflecting on the ephemerality of life and everlasting memories we create along the way. Every single moment we lived through has been stored somewhere inside of us, even though we don’t recall them in our busy daily lives.
I got into this somewhat pensive state just after I tried the newly released fragrance WHITE by Puredistance.
Puredistance WHITE | Photo by The Perfume Magpie
A sample of Puredistance WHITE arrived in a beautiful white presentation box on one beautiful morning. Inside the box, I found a white satin sachet and a little white flower next to it. Enclosed card said “The main idea behind the creation of Puredistance WHITE Perfume has been to create a perfume so beautiful and positive that it gives the wearer an instant flow of happiness.” How beautiful is that? I like the idea of “happy perfume”. I gave a little sniff to the sample vial and sprayed it on my wrist.
The breath of spring. That was my first impression I got. Luminous rose and sparkling bergamot, completely in harmony with each other, rose up and enveloped me. The next were buttery orris and sweet tonka, I could smell them emerging from the background. It’s so smooth, soft, blight, and luxurious, like a piece of beautiful silk scarf. Then, something told me to stop analysing it and just experience the wholeness of this fragrance. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
The images of the flowering fields, the sunshine through the spring haze, and the dandelion parachutes dancing in the breeze filled my mind. A gentle, happy spring afternoon. Pure joy.
Flowering Field | Photo by The Perfume Magpie
And then, those images changed and shifted. I saw the flashes of our wedding on the red rock, two of us lazing around on the beach, visiting the ancient temples, hiking up the volcanoes, watching the sunset together… Memories from the past flooded through me, and with the memories came the intense feelings of happiness. I was seeing other places and times, and above all, smiles. I was happy, we were so happy, and my heart ached… I opened my eyes with tears rolling down on my cheeks. WHITE had opened a floodgate of emotions that have been waiting to be released.
I’ve never experienced or expected to have such multitude of emotional reactions from a fragrance. All the memories were joyful, beautiful and full of love; just like this exquisite Puredistance WHITE.
I went out for a walk to mull over what had happened. The sense of happiness and aches in my heart were still there. The sun was now going behind the blue shadows of the mountains. The breeze rose, the wildflowers swaying in the rosy evening light and I caught a whiff of warm musky scent of WHITE. Everything around me was breathtakingly beautiful. I allowed myself to surrender to the intense beauty of the moment. I wondered if this beautiful moment too would be stored somewhere inside me as a memory, and one day, it would spring up in an unexpected moment in the future.
Life is ephemeral; it literally comes and goes in the blink of an eye. I told myself to remember to live for the day and, most importantly, appreciate its subtle splendour every single day.
* I wrote this blog post several weeks ago but I couldn’t bring myself to publish it for unknown reasons. – Yukiko
Nose: Antoine Lie
Notes: Rose de Mai from France, Tonka bean absolute from Venezuela, Orris absolute from Italy, Sandalwood from Mysore, Bergamot from Italy, Musk, Vetyver from Haiti and Patchouli from Indonesia
It is available in 17.5ml Perfume Extrait, €155.00 from Puredistance.
Read what others are saying about Puredistance WHITE.
Bonkers about Perfume, Kafkaesque, Perfume Posse, Chemist in the Bottle, CaFleureBon, The Scented Hound, Colognoisseur, Eiderdown Press
Disclosure: Review is based on a sample I received from Puredistance.
The Perfume Magpie 
Yuki, this is simply beautiful! ❤
Lyubov, thank you!! After an unintended break, finally. ❤
No place for remorse. That’s life.
As much as I love perfume, I’ve never been moved to this degree. What an amazing experience. I hope you own a bottle at some point. A scent which can evoke such precious memories is a rarity. I’m glad you posted in the end. I can imagine your reluctance when the images and your reaction were so intense and personal, no matter how positive. Beautiful indeed.
Hi Tara, thank you, that’s exactly how I felt. I wanted to share but somewhat reluctant about doing so. I have no doubt about buying this one sometime in the near future, probably the 17.5ml bottle. 😉 I’ve read so many articles about the strong connection between smell and memory and, yes, I have had some trigger experiences in lesser degree in the past. This one was so different. I don’t know if you have ever tried flower remedies but the effect of WHITE was just like that for me. Strange but great. 😉
Magpie, what a beautiful post which surely warrants a bottle 🙂 I think my *real* triggers tend to be more auditive, but who knows, we can all be caught unawares as it seems you were here. The Puredistace perfumes are so beautiful I am not surprised it happened with one of their fragrances.
Thank you, Asali. 🙂 I can understand the auditive triggers, they do happen to me too. You just never know when this kind of thing would happen. This time, it was an olfactory trigger for me. It might happen to you in an unexpected moment too! 😉
What a fantastic post! Just beautiful. That has to be the best review for this perfume that I’ve read. I really hope a bottle is in your future. Thanks for sharing all that. How wonderful that it triggered all those happy thoughts for you.
Poodle, thank you for your very kind words! I still have a little bit of sample left but I am determined to buy a bottle. I was swaying between publishing this post and not but I’m glad I did. Feels like something has shifted inside. 🙂
What a Beautiful review, wonderful how it brought all those happy emotions to you and those memories. Amazing how a fragrance can work and what it did for you. I am really touched by it. Thank you for sharing them. I can imagine you were reluctant at first or waited to post your review.
Thank you very much! Yes, I did have some unsure moments about this post. I’m glad I decided to post it though. I never thought olfactory triggers can be this strong. Quite a experience, I must say.:)
Dear Yuki, when someone is truly moved by a perfume (or by any form of art), and they choose to write about that experience, that poignancy radiates to the reader. That’s what you’ve done here – I’m so glad you decided to publish this, as it’s very moving and beautiful. I think Puredistance WHITE is exquisite and will be purchasing a bottle of it, too. (And I rarely purchase full bottles of perfume at this stage.) I know a number of reviewers have objected to the white musk in this one, but I think it’s well incorporated here and fits beautifully with the theme of the perfume. Thanks for sharing your review and thanks for the link-love.
Thank you, Suzanne, for your kind and encouraging words! I know the musk hasn’t been a popular aspect of this fragrance but, as you said, I thought it was beautifully entwined with the rest. I do enjoy it. Your review was very beautiful, and as you said on your blog, this is a perfume of enchantment.
Dear Yuki,
Thank you for sharing your beautiful memories in this touching review for perfume that I also liked a lot (though no memories were conjured). I’ll wear it today from my sample in your honor.
Undina, what an honour! Who knows, it might catch you out of the blue. 😉 Even without this trigger experience, I really think WHITE is a full bottle worthy fragrance. Are you going to go for a FB?
Yes, I’m thinking about that 17 ml bottle. Once my sample is gone I think I’ll want to get that bottle.
Today I got two compliments from my “civilian” friends on this perfume.
Hello Yuki, I read this post a few days ago and have thought about it a lot since, but am only now coming back to comment. I was so moved by your reaction to WHITE, and pleased that the scent unleashed a wave of happy memories. Maybe it was partly the scent itself and partly the positive vibes conveyed by the uplifting copy that brought on this joyful state? However it came about, I hope you will own a bottle of WHITE – I can’t think of anyone who needs / deserves one more.
Vanessa, thank you. I’ve been wondering what exactly triggered this reaction too. Have I smelled something similar in those happy occasions? As you said, it’s probably the combination of many things. The uplifting copy imprinted in my mind might have played a big part, and the shiny sachet, the colour white, the little flower, etc. I haven’t experienced any huge trigger event since but I still love this fragrance.
Thanks for sharing Thinking Magpie.
Beautiful.
Portia x
Thank you Portia. ❤ By the way, take care and get better soon!!
Thanks buddy,
It’s only a very minor recurrence of an OLD injury. Doctor says I should be back in heels within the fortnight.
Portia xx
What a beautiful, wonderful experience to share; really enjoyed reading this
Thank you, Neyon. I’m wearing WHITE again today. 🙂
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