Elizabeth Taylor • White Diamonds • Fragrances

Where To Buy?

perfumenut on 8/12/2010 7:45:00 AM more reviews by perfumenut

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This fragrance came out when I was in college, and let me tell you - every young female that I knew (including me) snapped it up. It was/is a delightful, elegant sparkling scent - a lovely floral chypre on the line of Ysatis - but brighter. Unfortunatley we all grow older and when certain scents grow old with us - they get termed the dreaded "old lady scent". I absolutely abhor that phrase and mind set. My 7 year old daughter smells and tests everything I own without prejudice and some of her favorites are Sublime, Shalimar Eau Legere, Delices and White Diamonds!

Now, on the other hand, this has been reformulated - I know it!! There is a more powdery - in your nose - drydown then there used to be. Is it a deal breaker for me?? Yes - because I have so many others that I now prefer....but had that change not occured, I would probably still grab it weekly. And of course, since it's a celebrity fragrance and mature people will gravitate toward Liz Taylor while the younger set may prefer Britney....but putting celebrity and marketing aside...do give this one an honest try if you love floral aldehydes/chypres!

UPDATE: 3/28/2011...RIP Ms. Taylor. Due to the fact that I used to love this fragrance and I've been thinking about Ms. Taylor lately, I went to ULTA and sprayed a good spritz of their newly opened tester bottle White Diamonds....I almost cried....it was abominable!!! It was a mere shadow of the good sparkling stuff I used to wear. I knew it had been reformulated, but this was beyond ridiculous so I began investigating. My good stuff from years ago was distributed by Parfums International. This horrible stuff (really musty and cheap smelling) was distributed by House of Taylor (and is what you currently get if you buy from ULTA or TJMaxx, etc.) I also think somewhere in between was a distribution by Arden. Honestly, I hate to admit that the new stuff (House of Taylor) does smell really cheap and I almost would agree with some of the poorly worded bashings here on MUA...however if you get some of the original prereformulation Parfums International version (eBay!!), you will be able to smell why this fragrance became so popular - it is fantastic in comparison!! WHY oh WHY did they ruin this so badly???

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

GrayRain on 7/25/2010 2:11:00 PM more reviews by GrayRain

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Grey    

I only own the body wash and it's very strong just like the perfume testers.

Has great lasting power, but also is very floral and powdery... VERY FLORAL.

I'm no big fan of florals so this isn't my thing.

Preferred for older women.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Guttercat on 7/25/2010 1:21:00 PM more reviews by Guttercat

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

At first I didn't really wanna try this perfume because I was afraid it would smell like an old ladies perfume like chanel n. 5. I was totally blown away by when I tried it, NOT an old womans scent but not supersweet, it's like an orgasm through the nose!

5 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

worstnightmare on 5/14/2010 9:47:00 PM more reviews by worstnightmare

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Green    

It's a strong scent, but not sickly sweet like many other perfumes I have tried. You only need a bit. Probably better suited for middle-age and above, but I wear it anyway because it makes me feel kind of classy. I get many compliments from it.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

AnneElise on 5/9/2010 10:50:00 PM more reviews by AnneElise

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

First time sniffing this last week, fell in love. On me, gorgeous, warm, sexy, feminine, classl, not cloying... hands down, one of my all-time favorites.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

gemstoneruby on 5/7/2010 1:04:00 PM more reviews by gemstoneruby

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Dry, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Alot of older women like this, mothers, grandmothers, etc. Mainly because Elizabeth Taylor is someone they grew up with, she was a major star at the time.
To me its a strong scent but it doesn't smell like an old lady, if you want to smell an old lady try Beckham's Signature story.
This just is a strong smell not awful, but not yet youthful..
Comes with free watched, bags, etc. Older women like it.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* crickett85 on 4/23/2010 10:14:00 PM more reviews by crickett85

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

White Diamonds is the signature scent of a very dear friend of mine. She's no old lady. She's a middle aged woman of great class and style and a world class traveller. And White Diamonds smells amazing on her.
Unfortunately I lack her body chemistry and WD turns into a cloying floral musky mess on me.
However; unlike the reviewer below, I love and respect my grandmothers and would never call anything vile "old grandma". I would especially not be tacky and disrepectful enough to then intimate that "old grandma" also equates to something which an old stripper would wear. But then again, it is clear that this tacky young lady neither loves nor respects her grandmothers. Probably poor upbringing.

Back to White Diamonds....I love this scent on my friend. I hate it on me. Just a case of body chemistry being different. Thus; I give it 3 lippies.

17 out of 18 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Cheriseeee on 2/12/2010 11:43:00 PM more reviews by Cheriseeee

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Medium   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This stuff is gross and smells like old grandma. Is like the signature smell for strippers in the 80's. I dont know why anyone would have this stuff anymore. Its foul and reeks. GROSSSSSS PERFUME

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Mary8 on 2/12/2010 7:47:00 PM more reviews by Mary8

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I know people hate this fragrance but it's one of the few that I get constant compliments on when I wear it. I haven't worn it in a while, but I spritzed some recently and it smelled as good as I remember. It has a great musky base to it. I find it to be a complex fragrance (on me at least) with all the notes blending beautifully. I also recently started wearing Youth Dew which I love and which also gets me compliments. I've seen people describe these scents as difficult to wear, but they seem to work on me. I also am a sucker for incense and white diamonds has that going for it too. So I had to defend poor Liz Taylor, it may not work on everyone but White Diamonds can be great with the right chemistry and it's very sexy, not "old lady" in the least.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* mary66 on 1/21/2010 5:51:00 AM more reviews by mary66

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Green    

After asking a stranger what hauntingly lovely fragrance she was wearing and being told it was White Diamonds (eye roll) I headed to the nearest fragrance store anyway and sprayed it liberally all over my chest and neck. Goodness, gracious I thought, what have I done? I'm going to have to go home and shower immediately. Waves of Giorgio, Ysatis, D & G for Women. Argh, jasmine, orris, tuberose - I'm choking on toilet spray. What in the world was I thinking? I tried to ignore it for an hour or two and then, thank goodness, the lovely haunting, musky darkness started to appear.The next day the shirt I had been wearing smelled like Avon Skin-So-Soft Bath Oil - clean, rich but somehow managing to be dirty & sexy. The best part of WD is the big hit of civet - it's as dirty as MKK's and Kiehl's - but here it kicks in for the long drawn-out ending. It's a fabulous dirty musk and it's why I'm not surprised by the reviews that comment that men love it. That's because it's very suggestive. It's not old ladyish - it's womanly. It's Elizabeth Taylor as Katharine in The Taming of the Shrew. I know a lot of grandmas wear it but I think it's because they relate to Liz Taylor the woman rather than the fragrance itself (or maybe they're getting lucky when they wear it). Personally I had to take 1 lippie off for the relentless tuberose making the drydown sweeter than I would like.

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* youdroppedabalmonme2 on 12/7/2009 1:36:00 PM more reviews by youdroppedabalmonme2

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Oily, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

White Diamonds is in my top 5 "Hall of Shame" fragrances--and I'm brave enough to wear Youth Dew and Chanel No 5, so you know WD has to be over-the-top heavy. It just doesn't work on me, although I'm willing to allow it might be magic on someone else. On me, there is a piercing, eye-watering sharpness to this that reminds me of CK Eternity (which is instant migraine to me), along with a general impression of a ladies' room in which lots of people have urinated and then covered it up with Renuzit. Sharp, cloying, synthetic uber-floral that just makes me want to retch.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

britb33 on 11/26/2009 11:36:00 PM more reviews by britb33

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I tried this at walmart, it was on display, and it is DISGUSTING! Literally smelled like sweaty, dirty gym socks. I even tried it on a friend, thinking maybe it was just my body chemistry. But it really is absolutely disgusting. Anyone who wears this must be old, because a loss of ability to smell would be the only preventative of gagging.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* AntFarm on 10/29/2009 2:39:00 PM more reviews by AntFarm

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Sweet memories--I used to wear this all the time in middle school. My friend and I used to go through her mom's room and spray on White Diamonds. Way too grown up for a 28-year old like myself though. Maybe because it has that "somebody's classy mom" vibe to it.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* VictrixObsequens on 9/23/2009 11:40:00 PM more reviews by VictrixObsequens

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

I like the smell of this perfume. I received it as a gift for Christmas and I occasionally wear it for special events. I agree with other reviewers that the scent is STRONG. It has really good staying power though. It will last on me most of the day. It's better for winter than for summer for sure as it will come off even stronger with the heat (or if you still want to wear it during warmer weather, go LIGHTLY with it).

I would say that it's a more mature scent. I wouldn't call it an "old lady" perfume because compared to other perfumes I've smelled that I would classify as "old lady" this one is younger than that. I would say suitable for someone in their 30s/40s. I'll still wear it and will likely re-buy but I tend to prefer younger scents.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

lkvy on 9/7/2009 12:31:00 AM more reviews by lkvy

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Fair   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Other    

I don't even own this product but it's just so vile. It's pretty much what you imagine modern-day Elizabeth Taylor to reek of: heavy, stale baby powder. This is a perfume from hell.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

avalon9am on 8/29/2009 11:40:00 AM more reviews by avalon9am

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I honestly don't know what to think of this fragrance... I don't dislike the fresh powdery-soapy scent I get at first, unfortunatelly it doesn't last very long on my skin and turns bitter . Staying power is surprisingly poor, even for a tester. I was anxious to try this after reading so many reviews about it - WD seems to be one of the most popular fragrances out there and also one of the most controversial. To me it would be ok to wear if only the first notes lasted longer.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Gabriel679 on 3/23/2009 9:37:00 AM more reviews by Gabriel679

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

This is so old-school -
NOT old lady -

Very strong, and very recognizable, but still, I really like it. I remember thinking that Elizabeth Taylor was the most glamourous, beautiful woman ever (remember those White Diamonds "these always bring me luck" commercials? LOVE them!) and I wanted to be like her at age 10, so I always borrowed this from my grandma. Yes, lots of grandmas wear this scent, but I still love it - I will say I don't wear it in summer or early fall - too heavy and cloying for the humidity, but it's still great -

I love the bottle, too - but the one I have hardly has 1/2 gone after owning it for over 4 years - so it really does last a long time.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

SugaCookie26 on 3/22/2009 9:38:00 PM more reviews by SugaCookie26

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black, Relaxed, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I used to like this fragrance in high school but man is it HEAVY. It's a mature scent so I don't know why in the world I was wearing it in high school, no one younger than about 30 should wear this. It's an ok scent but a little goes a LOOONG way and it actually smells rather cheap and generic.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* arikabh on 3/7/2009 3:23:00 AM more reviews by arikabh

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

In high school after my junior high crush on Ck one, I fell in love with this. It smells beautiful but I think it smells so old now. Not my style at all anymore.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* annaharris_227 on 3/4/2009 12:44:00 AM more reviews by annaharris_227

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Oh, GOD!! I don't just hate this scent, I wish it would vanish into obscurity--it's that repulsive! I've smelled a good number of perfumes that I've disliked, but this one is the icing on the cake. It's one of those scents where I smell it and instantly turn away. In fact, I turn my head and gag so quickly I couldn't describe it to you if I tried. One time my mother had a hand fan that she insisted on spraying with this stuff...worst idea ever! Before the fans of this start jumping down my throat, I'm not quick to label any scent as 'old lady' and yes, I am well over the age of 12. Even in heavier perfumes, I try to find the notes and label it as a a more 'mature' smell. But White Diamonds is truly an 'old lady' perfume!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No