Bvlgari followed up on the success of Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert with Eau Parfumée au Thé Blanc, or White Tea. It was created by perfumer Jacques Cavallier and released in 2003. The fragrance notes are artemisia leaves, white tea, ambrette seeds, white pepper, woody amber and musk.
Thé Blanc starts out mild, with soft citrus and a hint of aromatic bitterness from the artemisia. As that calms, we get the white tea and pepper as promised, but the overall effect is more that of a musky skin scent with woody undertones. It is clean, more warm than bright, and very smooth, with nothing like the refreshing crispness of Thé Vert.
Thé Blanc is a subtle fragrance, maybe even more so even than Thé Vert. Despite the fact that I tend to lean towards lighter, more transparent fragrances, I've never really been able to decide if I like it or not. It might be too mild even for me. All the same, I find that it works better in cooler weather. In the heat, the musk can seem overpowering, and it takes on a sweetness that I hardly notice on cold days.
Thé Blanc is a unisex fragrance, and the lasting power is excellent. Like Thé Vert, it can be found most anywhere. Scentiments has a 75 ml tester for less than $25.
Sadly, this one really did not work on me. To the point where I actually had to wash it off. I've noticed a strange pattern, if a scent has “white”, “blanc”, etc., in its name, it is guaranteed not to work with my skin chemistry. Unless it is Cologne Blanche. That one works like a charm 🙂
I was really fond of this when I first smelled it, but when I finally got a bottle, the gentle musky cleanness of it was no longer what I noticed. Instead, I found that the pepper, which I'd thought of before as gentle, became cloying and almost plasticky sweet. I had to swap it away. Maybe you're right. Maybe it was just wrong for the heat. At any rate, I much prefer the green tea.
M, Too much musk? Cologne Blanche is lovely, but in another price category all together 😉
It might have been the heat, but I prefer the green tea too. Have you tried the red tea yet?
I've smelled the green and red but not this one. You have me entranced with the artemesia, though. I think it's an absolutely gorgeous smell in the garden; very astringent and herbal, there is nothing else quite like it I can think of. However, I am wondering if it is a smell I would like ON me. The more I think about it, the more I think I'd like one that smelled like artemisia all the time.
R, I tried this one when it came several years ago and was so disappointed. As I recall, it just sort of fizzled on my skin and was no where near as amazing as the original green tea.
Hugs!
Nope, haven't even seen the red tea yet. I think I'm due for a Saks romp.
T, guessing you won't like it, but what do I know.
M, I don't find that the artemisia lasts. However, I can still smell the The Blanc on me now, over 8 hours and a shower later. That musk is tenacious.
R, It is very different from the original — guess that could be good or bad depending on your tastes. I'm with you, the original is more to my liking 😉
I just discovered this one and like it a lot. I even consider buying a bottle 😉
It is a clean, musky skin scent, and almost reminds me of iris. It has a good lasting power without being cloying. I haven't tried it in the heat of summer, so I can't comment on that. I am more attracted to The Blanc than the The Vert one.
A, I figured a fan would show up eventually!
My favorite of the Tea scents!
Would love to know how these sell…guessing that all 3 of the tea scents do well, and that Black sells far less, but who knows.
To me White Tea is the best of all the teas. I have the whole line except for the red which I'm not to fond of. This scent to me has a very clean fresh aroma to it with just a touch of spice. My favorites rank like this 1.white tea 2. black tea 3. green tea. Also if you are a guy try out Aqua it's great as well.
It is a great clean scent, although my faves would be 1) Black 2) Green 3) White. We agree on red though 🙂
My wife and I first came upon “White tea” in a hotel room in San Francisco. The toiletries were Bulgari including lotion and bath gel. Later, she purchased a small bottle of the Eau Parfumee. It is more masculine than feminine to me and I didn't like it on her. Unisex? Maybe, but I don't care for it on women. It's not that it isn't a pleasant scent it's just not what I associate with a feminine scent. But,then,I'm old fashioned when it comes to perfumes.
The Bulgari Pour Femme (sometimes known as Jasmine tea) is much more to my liking. A distinctive, complex evolving scent. How about a review?
Bvlgari Pour Femme is a great scent, and I'm sure we'll get to it eventually!
This one I love almost as much as the red. I find it extremely warm and soothing. Like sunbathing on a warm summer day. Or staying in bed all day, cuddled up to your loved one.
Sunbathing on a warm day sounds perfect at the moment, perhaps I need to spray some White Tea…
I must add that it unfortunately doesn't last very long, barely an hour or two…does someone know why that is the case with some scents? Is there any way to make it last longer (I tried sparying it on clothes, but that didn't really help much)
Chances are that you just get olfactory fatigue from the musk — it's still there, you just can't smell it.
I have to admit that when I first smelled Bulgari White Tea, I wasn't immediately taken with it. Though I spritzed some on my wrist anyway to find out how the fragrance would wear, and, much to my surprise, I ended up really liking; however the appreciation didn't come immediately — I went back to the department store about three times to test it out before I committed. Strange, given that I'm usually very decisive when it comes to fragrance.
The fragrance dries down to a soothingly warm, subtle and uncomplicated scent, which to me is only somewhat masculine in the middle. It also has good staying power — as someone else pointed out, the scent does indeed linger on the skin even after a shower.
It's a “sleeper” sort of scent, agree! But lovely to have on hand, I think.
Hi,
it's funny… I was just looking for the Thé Rouge review and came across this one. I gave Thé Blanc to my mum years ago. Now every time I go to see her, I try on Thé Blanc and this article reminded me that the last time I liked it so much that I decided to get it for myself! But somehow I had forgotten about it.
I like comfort scents which are not foody, and this one isn't. I've grown a bit weary of gourmands, but unfortunately there is a gourmand aspect to almost every new scent these days, even the last Aqua Allegoria or Hermès jardin (“yawn…”). I like unisex scents. Somehow I get the impression they smell more natural, which is know isn't the case…
My mum's bottle is almost empty and it seems to have concentrated by evaporating to a more resinous scent. I noticed the same about another scent I have, of which only a little rest remains. It seems the EdT is more concentrated as when i got it. Maybe the alcohol escapes a little bit by bit over a long time?
By the way, i also experienced the overpowering muskiness in hot weather.
Best, L
Yes, most perfumes will get more concentrated as they age — or they'll “go off” entirely, which is not so much fun! You might check Sephora — they've got some cute little travel bottles of some of the Bvlgaris, although I don't know if they have this one. I'd like to have a travel spray of this one myself.
I see. I was almost disappointed when I smelled my Dolce & Gabbana pour Homme recently in a shop and found it so different from my concentrated, resinous little rest sticking to the base of my bottle. It kind of turned from fougère to oriental, if that makes sense. The Thé Blanc now has quite strong “curry” aspect to it, almost “salty”… maybe it's gone off (?), but I find it intriguing…; )
I know the little bottles. It's actually the size I got for my mum… I didn't have much money then ; ) I think it's 15ml, and it's true they are cute.
A few of my perfumes, particularly the Ormonde Jaynes, have improved dramatically with age. Most, though, go in the opposite direction!
My local Sephora today did not have White Tea in a 15 ml…I was ready to buy it after your comment!
After my comment? What an honour! 😉
I went to a local John Lewis myself and they have completely removed it from their range… will get it online or in Berlin later this month. It's great when you suddenly remember an affordable and easy to wear scent that you've forgotten you really liked (not that I'd buy scents every day).
Well that's just it — I'd sort of forgotten about it too! We'll see if I run into a small bottle; it's too hot here now to have anything shipped unless it's an emergency.