Red Door
Red Door by Elizabeth Arden is a feminine-leaning eau de toilette from 1989 in the budget price tier. It opens with orange blossom, plum and ylang-ylang, moves into rose, jasmine, lily of the valley and freesia and dries down to sandalwood, honey and white musk. Expect around 8 hours of wear, and it projects strongly.
Notes, explained
Opening
- Orange Blossom Sweet, soapy and sunny. Neroli's warmer sibling.
- Plum Dark, wine-like and slightly stewed. Autumnal.
- Ylang-Ylang Banana-custard floral. Rich, tropical and slightly rubbery.
Heart
- Rose Can be jammy, green, peppery or soapy depending on the type. Not one smell.
- Jasmine Heady, sweet and slightly animal underneath. Rarely subtle.
- Lily of the Valley Clean, green, dewy floral. Reads as 'fresh laundry' to most people.
- Freesia Crisp, slightly peppery floral. Clean and a bit synthetic in a good way.
Dry-down
- Sandalwood Creamy, milky wood. Soft and almost edible.
- Honey Sweet, waxy and slightly animalic. Can smell dirty in large doses.
- White Musk Clean, soft, laundry-like. The 'smells like nothing but better' note.
Smells like this
- Gap Heaven
- Victoria's Secret Love Spell
- Estée Lauder Beautiful
- Hugo Boss Boss Alive
- Tiziana Terenzi Borea
- Chanel Gabrielle
More Elizabeth Arden fragrances · Discover · Cheaper alternatives