Etat Libre d’Orange Fragrances
February 8th, 2007
Etat Libre d’Orange (”The Free State of Orange”) is a new French perfume line, “a land of olfactory liberality, free from every taboo, where insubordination and olfactory eroticism reign supreme”. From the moment I heard about it I’ve had very mixed emotions - from the initial scoffing at such pretentiousness to being merely amused by such silliness. Whichever it might be, it’s an original concept, albeit annoying, but what matters in the end is the fragrance (even if it has to have a kinky name). Etat Libre d’Orange fragrances are free-spirited and self-sufficient, so to speak, not begging to be liked, yet possessing a certain power of both appeal and disgust. Out of the eleven scents I’ve tried (there’re two more added recently), I must say only a few are wearable, and only a couple are full-bottle-worthy.
Secretions Magnifiques (Magnificent Secretions) - iodine accord, iris, milk, cocoa, sandalwood, opoponax. A truly disturbing perfume. I wouldn’t even call it perfume, actually. The smell of blood, body fluids, raw flesh, and whatever’s left in your imagination.
Vraie Blonde (Real Blonde) - aldehydes, champagne, rose, peach, white pepper, myrrh, patchouli, suede. A fizzy salty drink. I’d like to say it smells like champagne but instead it’s more along the lines of pickle juice. Borderline wearable. It does indeed conjure up “excess of luxury, the flashiness of casinos, women in sheath dresses and Marilyn naked under a mink coat”.
Je Suis Un Homme (I Am A Man) - bergamot, bitter orange, lemon, laurel, cinammon, clove, cognac, leather, patchouli. This cognac-like scent “suits men who assert themselves… and women who assume their masculine side, ready to launch the offensive without being scared of reversing roles”. With such excellent notes, it doesn’t seem assertive enough and is a little jarring.
Encens et Bubblegum (Incense and Bubblegum) - peach, strawberry, vanilla, lily of the valley, orange blossom, musk, incense. Just as the name suggests, the fragrance is quite absurd. “For all the Madonnas in the world”, the scent is said to combine the sacred and the mischievous - she “chews bubble gum at a church”. Alas, there’s too much mischievous (i.e., peach and strawberry) and not enough of sacred to make it appealing (assuming it’s even possible!).
Putain des Palaces (Hotel Slut) - rose, violet, leather, lily of the valley, mandarin, ginger, rice powder, amber. My favorite of the line, it’s a voluptuous, dark, powdery rose and violet blend, accentuated by soft leather. It has presence, it has sillage, it’s one of a kind.
Jasmin et Cigarette (Jasmine and Cigarette) - jasmine, tobacco, hay, apricot, tonka beans, turmeric, cedar, amber, musk. Inspired by images of Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich “smoking a cigarette in a smoky black and white ambiance”, the scent is more about jasmine than cigarettes. The tobacco and hay add a hazy touch. A very wearable jasmine and my second favorite.
Eloge du Traite (Praise of a Traitor) - pine, bay leaf, mugwort, cumin, geranium, jasmine, patchouli, leather, musk. “A tribute to all the Judas of this world” - hmm, can this be appealing? It is not. Heavy on pine and patchouli, the scent seems harsh and unbalanced.
Rien (Nothing) - incense, rose, leather, iris, labdanum, oakmoss, styrax, patchouli, amber, cumin, black pepper, aldehydes. A “modern Dorian Gray”, it vacillates between the ugly and the appealing. It’s a rather dense but smooth mix of leather and resins. I’ve gone back and forth on this one and still not sure.
Nombril Immense (Belly Button) - patchouli, Peru balsam, vetiver, black pepper, opoponax, bergamot, carrot seeds, ambrette. “An invitation to introspection”, the scent is centered around precious patchouli. The crisp vetiver and arid black pepper add a masculine touch. Overall, an interesting take on patchouli, albeit not outstanding.
Antiheros (Anti Hero) - lavender, musk, woods. This lavender scent “fights very ordinary battles”. It’s pretty much all it is - fresh, invigorating lavender.
Divin’Enfant (Child Divine) - orange blossom, rose, amber, musk, leather, tobacco. The scent contrasts innocent top notes of sweet, vanillic orange blossom with temper tantrums of the bottom notes - coffee, leather, and tobacco. It’s an odd mix and doesn’t really work well together.
Etat Libre d’Orange scents are available at Henri Bendel’s in New York.
Image source: www.etatlibredorange.com
Entry Filed under: New Perfumes, Perfume Reviews
39 Comments Add your own
1. chaya ruchama | February 9th, 2007 at 6:16 am
How are you feeling, my blossom?
Better, I hope !
[I’m still working on these]
I like Putain, enjoy Jasmin , secretly tolerate/ maybe like SM [?], haven’t really spent enough time with these for a good conclusion-
BUT
I don’t think I need to but any…
Now, La Mome [which they won’t sell outside of France]-
WANT !
2. Judith | February 9th, 2007 at 7:02 am
Thanks so much for these reviews! My favorites are Jasmin et cigarette and Rien. Putain doesn’t seem to work as well on me as on others–but I will try some more. I also enjoy Nombril and Eloge, and I think Antiheros and Je suis un homme are, well, OK. I lost Vraie Blonde in my horror over SM, but I don’t think it was really “me” anyway.
3. Leopoldo | February 9th, 2007 at 7:33 am
I’m sniffing two right now and attempting to take my time (guess I’m feeling my post on Wednesday). Putain isn’t whorish at all; in fact, on me, the only thing she’s giving a workout in that suite is playdoh. Nice playdoh, bien sur, but playdoh nonetheless. And JetC morphs between a delicate jasmine and the smell of an empty ashtray that wasn’t cleaned properly - that’s the cigarette for me.
I didn’t plan on attacking your two favourites, honest…
Love you!
4. Elle | February 9th, 2007 at 7:56 am
I’m still trying to decide on these scents. JeC is definitely my fave. Putain is the olfactory definition of the 80s for me and it’s winning me over. Eloge was very Mazzolariesque to my nose. Rien was also appealing, but too much like something else…something I have yet to identify definitively. Je Suis un Homme amused me the most since it all I could think of was a teenage boy making that statement, but, like a teenage boy, having a problem w/ lasting power. It really had potential and for a brief moment seems divine on my skin, but then fades out to a sort of nondescript base. Still, I like the lack of political correctness of this line (even if a bit adolescent) and I think some of the scents are quite well done.
5. March | February 9th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Part of the problem of sampling these was, they last *forever.* Did you get that? I could only do a couple a day, they would not go away.
I thought Bubblegum was wretched.
Hope you are feeling better!
6. newproducts | February 9th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Glad to see you are well enough for a review. My interest is not piqued by this line, for some reason (my apathy towards new scents in general these days being the biggest reason), but Putain des Palaces sounds good. Be well.
7. sara | February 9th, 2007 at 9:20 am
Glad you are feeling better–thanks for the great reviews–I concur w/you–for me Putain was FBW at first sniff–I’ve gotten more compliments when I wear this than any other scent. EVER! Of course this could be karma because each time I *do* have to tell its name
The other one I like is Rien. Might be SFBW (small FBW) for me.
Cheers, Sara
8. Marina | February 9th, 2007 at 9:26 am
I am feeling kind of queasy this morning, reading about Secretions was …challenging.
So, which one of this, if any, do you think I might like?
9. Robin | February 9th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Interesting idea, that they are “not begging to be liked”…I would have said quite the opposite. They are just using different methods.
I have only tried 2, Jasmin et Cigarette and Vierges et Toreros. Both are nice (especially like the latter), neither is *quite* as wonderful (or massively unusual) as I hoped it would be, and that is the problem with all this hype, IMHO. You can’t live up to it. Sure, you can make one or two scents so appallingly disgusting that you stir up discussion, but you need to balance that with one or two that are so beautiful or compelling that they stop you in your tracks. So many of these new niche lines fail on that point.
A line like Frederic Malle, where they take the time to polish one perfume to perfection before releasing it — that is what strikes me as truly “revolutionary” these days. Does anyone here believe that any single one of these ELdOscents received that kind of care? “Olfactory liberality” my foot, show me something lovely that I *need* to own. Spend a few years perfecting a scent instead of releasing 15-odd scents over the space of a few months.
*steps off soapbox and apologizes for long rant*
10. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 11:52 am
Chaya, I’m better, thank you! I had to try Putain a few times to really fall for it, and the Jasmine is more decant-worthy, I guess. What’s La Mome?
11. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 11:53 am
Judith, most of these scents aren’t really refined and polished, so they need to be tested thoroughly before making conclusions. Kind of a bummer but oh well.
12. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Leo, I’m actually glad Putain doesn’t smell whore-ish. ;D As for Jasmin, an empty ashtray is a perfect word for it! I still get lots of hay, though. Can’t wait for your reviews!
13. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Elle, I agree, some of the scents are well done. I don’t get the 80s from Putain. Hmmm. But I had to laugh at your other sentiments.
14. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 11:57 am
March, you’re right! They do last forever!! I couldn’t scrub SM off my finger (yep, that was the only spot I used to test this one).
15. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Minsun, I go through such stages of apathy once in a while, too. Be warned: it’ll all come back.
16. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Sara, compliments are always good! Rien is SFBW here as well.
17. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Marina, I think you might like Putain but it’s so hard to predict with you! You’re a tough cookie.
18. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Robin, first of all, I agree with you. They definitely want to be noticed, desperately so. They most likely didn’t receive as much care as FMs. But it seems to me that’s not their aspiration - to rival FMs and the like. Perhaps it’s just my perception but I see the line as sort of a joke in the sense it doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you like it - great! If you hate it - nice knowing you! That seems to be their stance. I might be wrong, though! Loved your input.
19. winterwheat | February 9th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Can’t wait to try these based on your reviews.
BTW, speaking of new sensory experiences, I have to say that I enjoyed the combination of parsnip chips, blue-cheese-stuffed olives, and chocolate-covered peanut-butter-stuffed pretzels last night. Quite a compelling “composition!”
20. Victorias Own | February 9th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Well I actually had no interest in this line, but somehow you have managed to now make me want to. Putain des Palaces sounds very nice. I still have no interest in sniffing Secretions Magnifiques whattsoever. Yuk!
21. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Kris, I’m drooling here as I read this.
It was so fun to meet you!
22. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Victoria, I think they’re worth trying just for the fun of it.
23. Teri | February 9th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Deligthed to see you’re feeling better - even without the Zicam lol
24. Marina | February 9th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
I 2nd everything Robin said. Hear! Hear!
25. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Teri, thank you!
26. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Marina, wait till you try them at least.
(although you’ll probably go on a rampage).
27. carmencanada | February 9th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
I’m entirely with Robin on this one. I wish I could’ve been bowled over by at least one of these, which I tried at their Paris boutique (great and charming service, though). But as I said on Victoria F.’s review of PdP, to me these feel like rough drafts, with a somewhat unpleasant, synthetic drydown in most. I was desperately seeking the cigarettes in the jasmine and really wanted to work myself up to loving PdP, if only to be able to say its name when asked what I wore, but, as we say in Paris, “bof”… Gallic shrug of shoulders.
28. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Carmencanada, I see what you mean by “rough drafts”, my impression was similar.
29. Patty | February 9th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Vraie Blond really behaved nicely on me, just melted into my skin, like a leathery gin fizz. That one is definitely one I’ll keep around. I just retried Divin’enfant because Helene liked it so, and once I got past that treacly sweet beginning, it’s growing on me as something wearable, and that surprises me.
One of the new ones, the Torreros is pretty terrific too, I’m anxious to try that one more.
30. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Patty, I think VB would behave nicely if I test it further. It was oddly appealing but probably not FBW. Can’t wait to smell the new ones!
31. Solander | February 9th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
I agree that SM is disturbing - I get a visceral reaction to it, physical illness, rather than the more common “ew what’s that smell?”-reaction.
I also agree that PdP and JeC are the best of the line. I get quite a lot of cigarettes from the latter.
Actually, I was disappointed they were not more out of the ordinary (with the exception of SM and maybe JeC). Funnily, they were also not very strong or lasting on my skin. But then my dry, fair skin just eats scent, I hardly ever get sillage or scents lingering until the day after. Today I’m wearing DKs Wenge and I’m pleasantly surprised that it actually does envelop me in a cloud of scent so I don’t have to sit with my nose glued to my wrist. A very nice cloud too, might be my official comfort/second skin scent.
I think Eloge du traitre smells just like Yatagan, only not quite so good, a paler copy. But I guess a lot of people scorn Yatagan too.
32. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Solander, I certainly expected them to be very weird, judging by the images on their site and scent names. I can’t say I’m disappointed, though.
DK Wenge is SO amazing!
33. Elle | February 9th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Just want to pull up a soap box next to Robin’s and say I completely agree w/ her about it being revolutionary these days to take time w/ a scent and really develop it. I find it scary when too many scents are released simultaneously.
34. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Elle, I agree with you! The quality matters more than the quantity.
35. chaya ruchama | February 9th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Inushka-
La Mome s the new Balmain ‘fume created in honor of Edith Piaf… only on sale at Marionnaud,NOT for export.
36. Ina | February 9th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Chaya, ah, duh! Completely forgot.
37. Victoria | February 11th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Hope that you are feeling better! It was great to read more impressions on ELDO and to see that I was not wrong in saying that many of them feel like sketches, although some are very well-done (JetC, PdP, SM.) I do not think that they are making revolution (whatever they might claim) with these scents, but hey, there is some humour in the line, and it is something that I find lacking desperately in perfumery right now.
SM is the most intriguing of the line from the technical standpoint, although it is the least wearable fragrance I own.
38. Ina | February 11th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Vika, I completely agree with you! SM is not only the least wearable on me, it’s the most disgusting scent alive.
39. Aromascope » Lady V&hellip | March 20th, 2007 at 9:13 am
[…] Lady Vengeance is hardly an appropriate epithet for Shakespeare’s Juliet, yet that’s exactly the name of a perfume by the new French line Juliette Has A Gun, a creative project of Romano Ricci, the great-grandson of Nina Ricci. It seems to be trendy these days to deviate from the conventional and come up with new visions of perfumery. The examples range from the regal Parfums MDCI to the downright scandalous Etat Libre d’Orange. Juliette Has A Gun falls somewhere in between, I suppose. It makes no hefty claims, has a decent dose of originality, and some Gothic mischief. There’re currently two scents in the line, and I’ve only had a chance to smell Lady Vengeance (a sensual rose) which instantly fascinated me. Miss Charming (a playful rose) sounds quite promising as well. How can they not, ladies and gentlemen, when both are created by none other than Monsieur Francis Kurkdjian! […]
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