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To The Test:
Emporio Armani White for Her…
As many people know – and will sadly attest to – I’m not exactly the world’s greatest girly-girl when it comes to primping. That’s not to say that I don’t primp at all, but when it comes down to it, I’d rather skip the pedicure in lieu of more sleep or more time to stare at things.
But there are some girly-girl things that I do love, and one of them is perfume. No matter how shabbily I’m dressed or what my latest hair disaster is, a spritz of something light and airy always makes me feel a little more confident and ready to tackle the world.
If there’s anyone that speaks confidence, it’s famed Italian designer Georgio Armani. With years of haute couture under his belt, it would only be a matter of time until he unleashed his expertise and ventured into the cologne and perfume market. Now, his name is not only synonymous with elegant fashion design, but also chic and cosmopolitan fragrances. One of my all-time favourite scents, in fact, is Aqua di Gio, one of Armani’s signature perfumes.
With this much clout, how does White for Her hold up with every day use? Will it be distinctive enough to stand out from the pack?
White for Her is part of a growing worldwide campaign to fight AIDS in Africa. Like other big-name companies, including Gap, Apple, and American Express, Armani has created a line of products that utilizes red as a branding tool for its charity. A significant amount of proceeds (some sources have put it close to 40%) will go towards the Global Fund, a non-profit organization that aims to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in Africa. In addition to perfume, Armani has designed a collector’s line of casual clothing, accessories, and jewelry.
White for Her features a clean and fresh scent with strong accents of mandarin and mint, reminiscent of summers spent on patios, sipping sangrias, or an afternoon date that leads well into the night. The first spray proves to be strong – it’s almost overwhelming. But the scent settles nicely into the skin after moments, and the overpowering aroma only serves to give the body spray lasting power that most lack. There’s no sticky residue, and no self-consciousness from smelling like a perfume counter.
The design, like the perfume, is sleek and polished. A minimalist name in red is the only distinctive marking on the bottle packaging, and the spray itself is a discreet white. By approaching design with a no-nonsense attitude, the company has effectively created an intriguing and refreshingly simple design.
White for Her proved to hold up well throughout the day, and is a great everyday perfume that doesn’t bore with time. Even with nominal amounts, the perfume still retains its fresh scent, which is a big plus when it comes to fragrance. But the most telling sign that White for Her is a perfume worth trying out is when it doesn’t go unnoticed: after switching perfumes and receiving two compliments in one week, I knew this one was a keeper. ¤ C.Ho.