Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds Perfume for Women

The numbers behind White Diamonds are extraordinary enough to state simply before describing the fragrance itself. Launched in fall 1991 by Elizabeth Arden in partnership with Elizabeth Taylor, it achieved US$1.5 billion in lifetime sales as of 2018. Elizabeth Taylor reportedly earned more from White Diamonds than from any of her Hollywood films. The Fragrance Foundation named it Fragrance of the Year in 1992 and inducted it into its Hall of Fame in 2009. Beginning in 2011, Taylor stipulated that 20% of all US sales in perpetuity be directed to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. These are not the numbers of a celebrity novelty; these are the numbers of a genuine and enduring commercial and cultural phenomenon. White Diamonds is widely credited with popularizing the trend of celebrity-branded perfumes that accelerated through the 1990s and 2000s — every subsequent celebrity fragrance owes part of its existence to the template Elizabeth Taylor and Elizabeth Arden established in 1991. Created by perfumer Carlos Benaïm — who also created Carolina Herrera, Flowerbomb, and Red Door — with a higher-than-normal oil concentration of 25% rather than the standard 12%, White Diamonds was designed to perform and to be noticed. It does and it is.

The opening of White Diamonds is immediate, loud, and specifically vintage in a way that divides opinion as sharply as any designer fragrance of its era. Aldehydes are the most immediately defining element — the sparkly, slightly soapy, and specifically luminous quality that characterizes all great vintage aldehyde florals from Chanel No. 5 to Arpège. Lily is the most specifically present floral note of the opening and the one most consistently described by reviewers as "immediately evident as a central player." Neroli adds a warm, slightly orange-blossom-like white floral quality. Orange and bergamot provide citrus brightness. The aldehyde opening of White Diamonds is clean, sparkling, and specifically Old Hollywood in character — reviewers compare it directly to Chanel No. 5, both positively and as the most immediately useful point of reference for those unfamiliar with the vintage aldehyde floral genre.

The heart of White Diamonds is its most specifically ambitious and most specifically dense phase — eight notes of richly complex and richly layered floralcy. Egyptian tuberose provides the creamy, heady, and specifically Elizabeth Taylor-appropriate white floral that is the composition's most voluptuous and most opulent element. Jasmine adds warm, feminine, and honeyed depth. Ylang-ylang contributes a spiced, tropical, and specifically honking floral quality that EDP reviewers describe as one of the fragrance's most electrifying elements. Narcissus adds a slightly narcotic, slightly earthy floral quality. Carnation provides a specifically spiced and slightly soapy warmth. Italian orris root contributes a cool, powdery, and specifically sophisticated depth. Turkish rose adds classical warmth. Cinnamon provides a warm, spiced quality. Taken together, the heart is described as "an avalanche of aldehyde and powder, lily and flowers" — dense, rich, and specifically theatrical.

The base of White Diamonds provides the warm, powdery, and enduringly lasting foundation that the 25% oil concentration makes possible. Amber provides a warm, golden resinousness. Musk — specifically clean white musk rather than animalic — provides skin-close warmth. Sandalwood adds creamy woody depth. Oakmoss contributes the most specifically vintage-chypre and most specifically distinguished element of the base — the green, mossy, slightly earthy quality that gives the dry-down its most genuinely interesting complexity. Patchouli deepens the base with earthy, aromatic richness. The base is warm, powdery, and specifically long-lasting — reviewers report 8 to 12 or more hours on skin, with the EDP delivering "massive sillage and lasting days on clothing."

White Diamonds belongs to the Floral Aldehyde fragrance family and is one of the most honest and most specifically correct examples of what that family means: bold, sparkling, powdery, and unapologetically loud. The community describes it as "a diva perfume" — "this is worn by a woman with confidence, she owns the room and knows it." It is honest about who it is, always has been, and always will be. An important practical note: apply very conservatively. One spray is frequently sufficient in most settings; a half-spray in professional environments. The projection is described as room-filling and "deafeningly confident." This is not a fragrance for those who prefer subtlety; it is the fragrance for those who do not.

Fall and winter formal occasions are most natural for White Diamonds — the dense, powdery, aldehyde-heavy character is most appreciated in cool temperatures. The $20 million advertising campaign included a cinematic black-and-white short film screened in department stores while popcorn was served. That is the spirit of White Diamonds. Every bottle at GuiltyFragrance.com is 100% authentic, brand-new, and sealed in original Elizabeth Arden manufacturer packaging — the crystal bottle decorated with imitation white diamond gemstones — sourced from authorized distributors, never a tester or imitation — and backed by our free US shipping and 30-day return policy.

Fragrance Family

Floral, Aldehyde — Floral Aldehyde, Old Hollywood Glamour

Scent Notes

About White Diamonds

• 100% authentic Elizabeth Taylor fragrance — brand-new and factory-sealed in the crystal bottle decorated with imitation white diamond gemstones, sourced from authorized distributors, never a tester or imitation.
• Created by Carlos Benaïm, launched 1991. $1.5 billion in lifetime sales as of 2018. 1992 Fragrance Foundation Fragrance of the Year. Inducted into the Hall of Fame 2009. 25% oil concentration rather than the standard 12%. 20% of all US sales benefit the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. The fragrance that popularized celebrity perfumes.
• Elizabeth Taylor earned more from White Diamonds than from any of her Hollywood films. She is the most beloved and most enduring celebrity perfume in fragrance history — and with good reason. Fifteen notes of genuine complexity in a composition that "flies defiantly in the winds of change on its own terms." Not for the subtle; perfect for the bold.
• Described as "a diva perfume" and "worn by a woman with confidence who owns the room." Compared directly to Chanel No. 5 — if you love vintage aldehyde florals, this is where you belong. If you do not love aldehydes, this is emphatically not for you: the aldehydes are "vintage and pretty strong," per reviewers.
• Apply very conservatively — one spray fills a room. Half a spray in professional settings. Longevity: 8 to 12 or more hours on skin; the EDP lasts days on clothing. The 25% oil concentration means White Diamonds performs significantly more powerfully than standard designer fragrances at any comparable price point.
• Fall, winter, and formal evening occasions — the dense, powdery, aldehyde-heavy character is most appreciated in cool temperatures. The crystal bottle decorated with imitation diamond gemstones is as visually spectacular as the fragrance is olfactorily commanding.
• Free US shipping and 30-day hassle-free returns on every order at GuiltyFragrance.com.

Frequently Asked Questions