Estee Lauder Pure White Linen Pink Coral

Estee Lauder has their latest flanker to White Linen, Pure White Linen Pink Coral, or is that a flanker to Pure White Linen?  I lose track of flankers   If it’s Pure White Linen, which is a flanker to White Linen, would that make this a flanker once removed?

Huh.

The fragrance has notes of apple blossoms, waterfruits, Chinese berry, pink peppercorns, aldehydes, jasmine, cherry blossom pink peony, sweet peas, camelias, honeysuckle, vanilla, heliotrope and sandalwood.  It opens as a fruity floral very unlike the loud, yet restrained notes of White Linen on its open.  I don’t have Pure White Linen here to compare it to as well. But these two?  Nothing alike except that Estee Lauder base.

It’s a very refreshing, light, slightly sweet floral summer fragrance.  I don’t find it overly sweet, but it is geared more towards the younger set or people who like the fruity floral genre.  I mean, I really don’t mind fruity floral if everything released these days weren’t a fruity floral.  It’s very inoffensive from any angle, but not incredibly memorable either.  You could certainly wear it to the office, a wedding, anywhere, which sometimes is a good recommendation for a perfume.

I like it well enough for something called Pink Coral, and I can definitely see wearing it during the summer as a light, effervescent scent.  At least it has a decent price point.  $39.50 for 1 ounce, 49.50 for 50 ml and $72 for 100 mls.

I’d love to give away some samples of this.  What’s your favorite flanker? Is there any flanker that has truly succeeded mightily on its own, more so than the original?  Just drop in a comment, and you’ll be entered in the drawing.

Winners of the PdN Vanille Intense samples: hollyb and RJ

Winners of the Tauer Un Rose Chypree samples: Kim and Tara

Just click on the Contact Us button on the left, remind me what you won, and I’ll get these in the mail.

  • Jennifer says:

    I would say Hypnotic is better than the original.

  • Stephanie says:

    Kenzo Amour Indian Holi, Dior Hypnotic Poison, YSL Paris flankers particularly Jardins Romantiques.

  • fleurdelys says:

    I like YSL Paris and its flankers.

  • LindaB says:

    I am a big fan of the Paris flanker, Roses Enchantees. To me, it smells just like the original Paris but just lighter–nothing more, nothing less. Perfect for spring/summer.

    Would appreciate being entered in the draw–thank you!

  • Fernando says:

    Oh, no doubt: Organza Indecence is the best flanker ever… Love that vanilla! It’s one of my wife’s favorites.

  • Tammy says:

    I’m still too new to this madness to have tried any flankers, or to be weary of fruity florals (although I have already discovered do not care for melon in my perfume!)

    Actually, I take the flanker thing back. I bought a cute little sample set of bottles several months ago… florals, which I adore; rose, violet, lily, and peony which are my favorite florals. Didn’t even bother sniffing them, cuz I figured, how bad can it be, and I loved the bottles.

    Well it was the Angel flankers, and forget scrubbing….I was ready for full-on amputation within 10 minutes. Seriously, horrifyingly awful on me. In an instant, I understood all the hate for Angel. What’s IN that stuff??? The notes don’t sound all that bad…and my apologies to those who like it!

    I wouldn’t mind a sample of this pink thing, although I have to agree the name seems like quite a mouthful and contradictory, too!

  • HollyGolightly says:

    I don’t know if I’d love it, but tastes change. I’d give it a shot. I’m wondering if Elixir des Merveilles would be considered a flanker to Eau as well? hmmm… I do enjoy Eau!

  • ScentRed says:

    I’m having a tough time coming up with a flanker I love…Cristalle eau Verte is sort of a love/like a little relationship. I don’t think L’eau Cartier is a flanker – but it sounds like it should be and I love it. Ditto Feu d’Issey – but this is more of a sister scent to L’eau than a flanker right?

    OIK, I give up. But I’d still love to be in the draw 🙂

  • Chris G says:

    The only flanker I’ve tried is one of the Opium summer editions – don’t know why I bought it (unsniffed, grrrr) because I hate Opium! For some reason, I thought it would be better, but alas, NO! Oh well, please enter me in the drawing. Thanks!!!

  • lisa says:

    I love Pure white linen. Reading this reminded me to pick up the bottle and wear it this month. I’d like to give it whirl- “pink white coral”. Someone gave it a pretty name anyway! I do like Happy Heart for a flanker. I didn’t even know what flanker meant till I read your post.

  • BBJ says:

    Well, I love Clinique’s Happy (really, I actually do, I’m wearing it right now), and I sometimes like Happy To Be, if it’s worn in the absolute hot heart of summer. If the weather’s not at least eighty-six, with little breeze, it’s too melony and aquatic. In hot weather it’s perfect.

    I’d like to try this pink white coral linen thing! Put me in the hat.

  • Tara C says:

    My favorite flankers are Prada Tendre, YSL In Love Again Fleur de la Passion, and the YSL Paris flankers (can’t remember which one was my favorite, but I like pretty much all of them). I also prefer Angel Violet to the regular Angel.

  • Gretchen says:

    I’d be happy to try a bit of Pink Coral, so please put me in your drawing. The concept of a flanker annoys me (make something new, people! Don’t just pull a new Coke/old Coke/diet decaf cherry vanilla Coke marketing ploy!) so I usually ignore them on principle, but one should sniff before one judges, I know. . . the Kenzo winter sounds nice, for one.
    PS those who dislike the Lauder line might try its older scents: Azuree, Aliage, even Miss Va-va-voom Youth Dew. All created before EL adopted its esthetic of beautifully-made insipidity.

    • Gretchen says:

      After that slap at current EL, you’ll wonder why I’d want to try Pink Coral– but a “light, effervescent scent for summer” is always worth a try.

      • mals86 says:

        Hey, I’d BUY diet decaf cherry vanilla Coke!

        I haven’t smelled Azuree or Alliage. Private Collection was not terrible – I liked the galbanum opening, but then it never opened up to the narcissus I was expecting; it stayed crushed dandelion stems on me. And I confess that Youth Dew makes me run for the exit, gagging (sorry to fans of the ‘Dew). I just have bad luck with most of the Lauders. Wonder if there’s a distinctly Lauder base that I hate?

  • ula says:

    my favorite is hermes – caleche eau delicat, nicely done and also the opium flankers were nice too, fleurs de chine, for example

  • Dleep says:

    Like a lot of the other posters, I love the Opium flankers and was just complemented on Fleur de Shanghai last week. I like the original White Linen (the bath power is awesome), but I did not care for Pure White Linen and gave away several large samples.

  • Teri says:

    Another vote for the summer Opiums. They make a nice change up every year and are always nicely done. I also have to agree with Cautaumi above regarding Secret Obsesson. I never cared for the original Obsession, but Secret I quite like. It isn’t something I’d wear every day, but on some days it’s exactly what I want.

    And please do enter me in the drawing. Thanks!

  • carter says:

    I’m a flanker wanker! I don’t really know what that means (Lee, what did I just say?) but I wanted very much to get it out of my system. What I should have said is that I don’t know from flankers so much. The only thing I have that might fall into that category is Costes Room Spray, which is dryer and more linear than Costes Person Spray and is quite wonderful spritzed on one’s personal space. I wear both scents often; Costes is great in the cooler fall and winter months, whereas the room spray can pretty much work all year round. It’s a wallpaper frag for me.

    On a completely different, uh, note, I just received (only 5 minutes ago from my postman extraordinaire, Calvin, who has been walking this beat for close to 40 years and who will force me to shoot myself in despair if he retires) a snappy little black bottle of L’Arte di Gucci and it’s just super so far. Super-DUPER, I’m thinking, but we shall see what we shall see…

  • Karen G says:

    I think I need to try Winter Flowers. All the Kenzos have been off my radar for some reason.
    My favourite flankers are Organza Indecense and most of the summer Opiums. Is there a 2009 version out yet?

  • Gautami says:

    Just as Louise and Sharon I like Opium flankers too.
    EL line has I think a few good flankers: Pleasures Intense and Exotic, Pure White Linen, Youth Dew Amber Nude (I know not anymore with EL), Bronze Goddess as a flanker of Azuree.
    I also liked Secret Obssession as flanker from CK.
    I am with Bryan and Mellisa on Winter flowers being the best too.
    I don’t know why, but I do not even like to look at any of the Poison flankers or DKNY delicious flankers.
    Thanks for entering me in the drawing.

  • Sharon says:

    Also agree with Louise on the Opium flankers. Don’t buy flankers as a rule–so many wonderful originals out there, and life is just too short to try all of them, dammit! But I did weaken and buy EL’s Pleasures Intense and Pleasures Exotic for this summer. Like them both far better than the original, and better than most of the Lauder fragrance line. But I am curious about PWL Pink Coral, so please enter me in the drawing, if you would be so kind!

  • Musette says:

    I don’t think I’ve smelled a flanker in ages – except the Mitsouko FdL (and that was nice – nothing compelling but I could see wearing it in the blistering heat, if I were jonesing for Lady M). Lauder lost me, alas, at Private Collection which I loved for awhile, until it began to make me queasy (this was a bazillion years ago – haven’t sniffed it since). Howevah! I was at an antique mall a few days ago and sniffed a bottle of vintage Youth Dew – it was empty, dangit, but the residue was heavenly!

    IMHO the original White Linen could take the paint off a Ferrari – every. single. coat. I’ll have to go sniff the flankers, see what they’re up to…

    xo>-)

  • Kim says:

    Can’t wait to try the Mitsouko flanker – I really like Shalimar Light. I find that layering Shalimar with the flanker amps up the flanker and tones down the original while still maintaining it as the predominant note – a nice way to be able to wear what might otherwise be too heavy a perfume for ‘public use’ 🙂
    Plus I like the Light on it’s own. I also haven’t found an EL that I would wear – they always seem almost like knock-offs to me (now running and hiding!)

  • maitreyi1978 says:

    I like some of the Paris flankers, and Red Door Velvet was good too.

  • Junebug says:

    Loved the flanker White Linen Breeze! Was FBW for me. Would love to try a sample of the Pink Coral. Please enter me in the drawing. Thanks.

  • I think Mitsy Fleur de Lotus is the best flanker I’ve ever tried. I love it.

  • mals86 says:

    I’ve never found a Lauder I like – except another PWL flanker: Pure White Linen Light Breeze, which is nice in a forgettable, inoffensive sort of way (citrus, freesia and osmanthus). Ah, I see London above just mentioned that one. A great improvement on the original White Linen, IMHO, since I think that one should have been dubbed Mildewed Laundry instead.

    I’m new enough to sniffage that I’m still working my way through classics and not-too-niche-y scents, so I don’t have much input on the flanker issue. I might see if I can hunt up a sample of Mitsouko FdL since the original Grande Dame hates my guts. I liked Kenzo Flower and would like to smell Winter Flowers, but I can’t FIND it anywhere… sigh. Sometimes living in the country sucks.

    (But only sometimes.)

    • mals86 says:

      OOOH! Forgot Shalimar Light, which I luvvvv. Original is nice in higher concentrations, but still a little too much like I spent the day behind a construction crew pouring new blacktop. SLight is quite dirty enough on me, thank you…

    • Susan says:

      I LOVE your comment on EL’s “Mildewed Linen”! Thought I was the only one who smelled it. This was my gateway fragrance to weird back in the day (20+ years ago & pre-internet shopping). I had to have a bottle!

      As for flankers – giving my love to Kenzo Amour Indian Holi. Actually kind of liked Pure Poison once when I sprayed myself in a dept store. Surprised me that it wasn’t a scrubber, but would never purchase.

  • London says:

    I think Amour le Parfum and Amour Indian Holi are both better than Amour Regular and Flower Oriental is better than Flower Regular though they are perhaps less iconic. I also prefer Pure White Linen Light Breeze (more citrusy) to Pure White Linen or White Linen (but that’s probably because I’m not keen on either the original or Flanker No. 1 – I guess that makes Pure White Linen Coral whatever Flanker No. 1.2?). Would you call Elixir des Merveilles a flanker to the Eau? I don’t like it personally but it isn’t a bad fragrance and I can see why some would prefer it.

  • Melissa says:

    I’m with Bryan on Kenzo Winter Flowers. The original Flowers is nice, but Winter Flowers is the winner. And having finally overcome my initial (rather lengthy) resistance, I will be getting a decant of the Mitsy flanker this weekend. People in the know seem to like it, so I am sure that I will too.

    Oh and doesn’t PdN have a Vetyver Legere that is very similar to Vetyver? Does that count?

  • sara says:

    I’m with Louise. My favorite flankers are the summer Opium LEs. I would like to enter the drawing please!

  • Fiordiligi says:

    Do they really need five names for this new creation? Pure, White, Linen, Pink, Coral? Why not Coral Linen? Anyway I’m sure I would loathe it as I loathe all EL perfumes – sorry.

    The only experience I have of “flankers” would be Eau de Shalimar/Shalimar Legere/whatever variation they’re calling it today and the latest Mitsouko Fleurs de Lotus and to my shock and possibly horror, I like them all (though they are by no means the originals, and the originals are still the best).

    I can’t tell you how much I hope that the perfume industry is moving away from the Frooty Floral.

    • Disteza says:

      I’m totally with you there–I’ll also add that the Pure White Linen part is completely oxymoronic (I hope that’s a word) when juxtaposed with Pink Coral. You can’t be both, EL. I wonder, if they decide to continue the trend maybe the next one will be named Pure White Linen Veridian Passionfruit Satin. Or perhaps Pure White Linen eau du Celadon Puce Intense Challis Lychee-Peony Prive?

  • Tiara says:

    Being fairly new to the perfume world, I’m still working my way through originals so can’t say I’ve tried any flankers! I always find it fascinating that a fragrance can have so many different notes mixed together and still smell fabulous. Having walked into floral shops and retreating due to the overwhelming mixture of scents, I’m amazed at what can be accomplished. Sometimes, though, I wonder what scents are off-limits for mixing together.

  • Olfacta says:

    How about Declaration Essence? A little woodier, smokier than the original Declaration, but the cardamom (and originality) is still there.

  • Joe says:

    I don’t really have much knowledge of flankers. I think I like Concentré as much as the original Orange Verte. I’m also with Bryan in loving Winter Flowers, though I may have only sniffed the original once; the Spring version is very ‘meh’.

    Speaking of things called “Coral”, anyone have an opinion about that LLempicka Fleur de Corail/Coral Flower? I’ve been curious about it since it came to my attention a couple months ago. Anyone lurve it or think it’s a scrubber?

    • bryan says:

      Joe,
      We seem to have a few scents in common, I believe.
      I tried the L flanker and well, meh. I mean, I’m not that enamored with the original, so I was actually hoping this would lighten it up a bit. Not so much. Yawn

    • March says:

      Joe, I was in Sephora a few days ago (weird how that happens, eh?) and retried the Fleur. I found it fairly meh. I love the bottle, but the fragrance was pretty indistinct, and I like L quite a bit (immortelle loves me.)

      • Joe says:

        Thanks, Bryan & March. I haven’t actually tried the original LL, but I do like immortelle. I’ve tried the au Masculin, and that was not the licorice confection I needed at that moment.

        I think I like the Coral Flower bottle, and someone mentioned it’s a very soothing sheet spray. I’ll see if my local Sephora has a tester.

  • Louise says:

    I just tried Pure White Linen today, and found it very pleasant, but am not sure I’m ready for it’s new sidekick.

    The best flankers I know are the Opium summer editions-some are better than others (loved Shanghai), but none are bad at all.

    An oddball flanker is Obsession Sheer-it is very different from the original, but is a lemony musk on me, very summer-appropriate for a lighter amber-ish oriental.

    And (cover your ears, March) I like a couple of the Angel flankers, especially the Rose, though Violet is nice as well.

  • bryan says:

    I suppose Kenzo Flower Winter Flowers is a great flanker…I prefer it to the original, but then, I love florals. The Organza Indecence is preferred by many, I believe, though I like the original….again more floral, less vanilla.
    Personally, I love the original Prada fragrance, Intense. I don’t know why, but this is my comfort scent. I really don’t like the Tendre version and the original is great, but not thrilling. I also have a special place in my heart for the Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleurs…lots o tuberose. Yum
    I’m noticing a patter here…the more florals the better. I never thought I’d be “pegged” that way, but I guess I have to just admit it.
    In my defense, I love skank too.
    : )