Like many of the perfume-obsessed, I go through what I call “scent phases.” For a couple of months, everything I wear will be floral, or citrus, or full of patchouli, and then I move on to different bottles in my collection. Right now, I want to wear a fragrance that’s woody and elegant, but with a modern, light, twist for the summer. Luckily for me, Estée Lauder just released the newest in their Private Collection series, and Jo Malone reissued a favorite limited edition of mine from last year, so I’ve got some great choices to write about and wear every day!
Private Collection Jasmine White Moss, by Estée Lauder 
Private Collection Jasmine White Moss is the third in Estée Lauder’s Private Collection, following the wonderful Tuberose Gardenia in 2007 and last year’s Amber Ylang Ylang.
According to Aerin Lauder, she discovered an unfinished fragrance of Estée Lauder’s from the late 1980s and decided to complete the fragrance with a modern update to honor her grandmother’s memory.
Classified as a green floral chypre (which is French for cypress), Jasmine White Moss has listed notes of black currant, galabdanum (a gum resin with a bitter, green smell), bergamot, jasmin sambac, ylang ylang, jasmine absolute, violet, orange blossom, orris (iris root) patchouli, vetiver, and white moss mist (a Lauder exclusive). Chypre are perfumes that usually have citrus top notes and woody base notes, generally oakmoss. Chanel’s Cristalle is a good example of a classic chypre.
Jasmine White Moss opens with a big blast of sharp green citrus that soon mellows into a rich, creamy, jasmine-dominated floral. If you like the heavy, swampy chypre perfumes, Jasmine White Moss may not be for you. While there’s nothing shy about the scent, it’s a thoroughly modern take on oakmoss—smooth and understated with just a whisper of damp, salty earth.
Well made, elegant, and modern without being trendy, Jasmine White Moss is an excellent addition to the Private Collection series. Just as with Tuberose Gardenia (my favorite in the series), I felt somehow better dressed when I wore it and I got lots of compliments on how lovely I smelled, too. The lasting power is excellent, and what you smell after twenty minutes or so of wearing Jasmine White Moss will be the fragrance that stays with you all day.
The bottle is the usual heavy crystal oblong of the Private Collection series. The Eau de Parfum has a basket weave gold cap, and the Parfum has a lovely, blue jeweled cap.
The Eau de Parfum is available in 30 and 75 milliliter bottles, a body lotion, and a beautiful limited edition solid perfume pendant from $75–$195 at Neiman Marcus. The entire collection, including the Parfum for $325, is available at Saks Fifth Avenue.
