Etat Libre d'Orange Sample Set Smelling Notes

[cheapimitation]

You said a mouthful. JSUH was my favorite ELDO.



That sums up how I feel about most ELDOs. I'm so often let down by their scent names, which promise something edgy and outlandish but then just deliver a pedestrian scent -- I Am Trash and Tom of Finland being the most prominent examples.

I'll be eager to hear what you think of Experimentum Crucis and La Fin du Monde, two I haven't heard of before.

I went through the set and had a similar feeling. They all felt a bit thin to me, not that they weren't strong enough but that they lacked depth and dimensionality. Some of them were interesting smells but none of them felt like I would derive a lot of pleasure from wearing them. Maybe my expectations are too high given their price point is quite reasonable, so I shouldn't expect them to hold up next to Chanel or Frederic Malle. I'm always surprised that some reviews who's taste I respect rate these highly and I wonder what they are getting that I'm missing.

I did think Attaquer was the best of the mainline, but it got a bit "one note" for me, and Experimentum Crucis from the higher price tier was quite nice but nothing special for a rose/patch, it just felt more deep and "expensive" than the others.

For decently priced largely synthetic/experimental perfumes I'd prefer Comme des Garcons by a mile.

 

[CookBot]

Like how thesis papers go "Fantastic yeasts and where to find them: the hidden diversity of dimorphic fungal pathogens".

I hope somebody actually titled their thesis paper as that, because it's brilliant.

 

[Bavard]

I’m trying sample 5 of 20, Experimentum Crucis. The opening is promising. An interesting rose fragrance. The sample set has good variety at this point with Attaquer le Soleil and this one being quite a bit different from the first three, and from each other. I’ll update with how this one goes. A few minutes in, I’m liking it.

Attaquer le Soleil was fine yesterday. The description of it being a bit one note sounds right, but I think that could also be described as good longevity.

Up to now, I’m more into this line than Comme des Garçons. It’s an interesting comparison I’ll give more thought.

In her review, @ClockworkAlice mentioned a similarity between Experimentum Crucis and Agent Provocateur, and I agree. This one has a touch of cumin, which I like. @gimmegreen says it has nods to oud-y Middle Eastern roses, and I think that’s the kind of feeling it gives me that I find promising.

 

[cacio]

I remember experimentum crucis as more complex, woody-incensy, with a hint to oud. But I need to try again. But I agree that it didn't feel as novel as others. In the end, from that collection, I bought 500 years (and I think my second one will be spices must flow). But I may end up buying experimentum crucis as well.

cacio

 

[emtee]

Tried a couple from this house, whilst pleasant and interesting they were also very synthetic smelling which really does not do it for my nose so a hard pass from me.

 

[chypre]

I too found many of their scents a bit too much on the synthetic side. Some of their older scents were better: Antiheros, Divin Enfant and Vierges et Toreros were my favourites. I also liked Rien, but found it a synthetic take on Bandit. Though now that Bandit is discontinued, I might revisit Rien.

 

[Bavard]

I'm trying sample 6 of 20, Soul of My Soul, which is a great name. This is a big perfume. I'm sort of glad to be here alone during this opening. I think I might like it. Or at least I find it interesting. It is crazy strong. It has a sweaty / earthy Hermes type note. It's reminding me of Guerlain Songe d'Un Bois d'Ete. It's not the kind of thing I would wear, but I bet it can make a big impression in public. Another thing I've tried not long ago that was loud and stinky like this was Dior Sauvage Elixir. It's an interesting smell, but if you're like me, you vaguely wonder whether it's safe to be wearing something this intense. It has an oud-type feel. For the right person, I can imagine this being a signature scent - someone who wants attention. I have a vision of a man or woman in formal business attire and sunglasses. It's too challenging / edgy for me, probably. I'm not sure this is safe to wear to a theater. I'm pretty sure it's not.

The people in the vision are wearing sunglasses because they're outside. This could work for someone outside. I'm having more trouble imagining someone pulling it off while being indoors. I'm not sure that's a good combination. Maybe it just needs time to settle. I'll update about the development.

It slowly softens. It's not one of the worst things I've ever tried, but it has similar scratchy synthetic woods to some of those. Maybe I'm getting to used to them, or maybe this formula has them dialed back enough to be less harsh.

 

[Bavard]

I'm trying sample 7 of 20, Une Amourette. This is a world away from yesterday's sample. I can not stop thinking that Une Amourette is a companion perfume to Fahrenheit. I've worn Fahrenheit a lot. I think the base of Fahrenheit can be how Une Amourette is from the beginning. There's too much missing from Une Amourette to be considered a Fahrenheit clone, I would say, but they're similar.

One thing they have in common is causing olfactory fatigue. I can smell them sometimes, and then not. And then they come back.

This is like the deep base of Fahrenheit when there's barely anything left, or when something happens (exertion, weather) that causes certain aspects of Fahrenheit to be amplified during the middle phase.

Une Amourette is fine. It's barely there at all compared to most (all?) of the first six samples. Like "The Ghost in the Shell," this is also giving me a memory of hand washing. It's the kind of hand soap note I only remember from public bathrooms. It's not the kind of soap I remember from someone's house.

 

[IsoESuperman]

@Bavard I’ve been waiting for you to get to Un Amourette, it’s one of the few from the house I have on hand. I ended up with a sample right when it came out and had the longer title of “_de Roland” or something.

I remember it being a mildly interesting, mildly mentholated patchouli scent. I’ll have to dig out the sample and see if I can suss out a Fahrenheit connection.

Was the sample set a prize from France?

I hope somebody actually titled their thesis paper as that, because it's brilliant.

It’s real and it’s spectacular.

 

[Bavard]

@Bavard I’ve been waiting for you to get to Un Amourette, it’s one of the few from the house I have on hand. I ended up with a sample right when it came out and had the longer title of “_de Roland” or something.

I remember it being a mildly interesting, mildly mentholated patchouli scent. I’ll have to dig out the sample and see if I can suss out a Fahrenheit connection.

Was the sample set a prize from France?

It’s real and it’s spectacular.

I had it from before I went to France, ordering online. I got it because Je Suis Un Homme was getting such good feedback.

 

[cheapimitation]

I'm trying sample 7 of 20, Une Amourette. This is a world away from yesterday's sample. I can not stop thinking that Une Amourette is a companion perfume to Fahrenheit. I've worn Fahrenheit a lot. I think the base of Fahrenheit can be how Une Amourette is from the beginning. There's too much missing from Une Amourette to be considered a Fahrenheit clone, I would say, but they're similar.

One thing they have in common is causing olfactory fatigue. I can smell them sometimes, and then not. And then they come back.

This is like the deep base of Fahrenheit when there's barely anything left, or when something happens (exertion, weather) that causes certain aspects of Fahrenheit to be amplified during the middle phase.

Une Amourette is fine. It's barely there at all compared to most (all?) of the first six samples. Like "The Ghost in the Shell," this is also giving me a memory of hand washing. It's the kind of hand soap note I only remember from public bathrooms. It's not the kind of soap I remember from someone's house.

This one reminded me a bit of vinyl, or like that somewhat sickly sweet smell you get from fake leather or new car interior smell. Interesting, but there's something I find a bit piercing about akigalawood that turns me off a lot of fragrances that use it in high doses.

 

[Bavard]

This one reminded me a bit of vinyl, or like that somewhat sickly sweet smell you get from fake leather or new car interior smell. Interesting, but there's something I find a bit piercing about akigalawood that turns me off a lot of fragrances that use it in high doses.

I'm not familiar with akigalawood. Gala wood by itself sounds nice, but the "aki" part does sound a bit piercing.

I kind of get the pleather association, but then I think Une Amourette smells too good, and must be real leather.

 

[cheapimitation]

I'm not familiar with akigalawood. Gala wood by itself sounds nice, but the "aki" part does sound a bit piercing.

I kind of get the pleather association, but then I think Une Amourette smells too good, and must be real leather.

I'm no materials expert but from what I've read it is a fraction of patchouli. It is a little bit scratchy and quite persistent to me, there's also a lot of it in Ganymede.

 

[CookBot]

It’s real and it’s spectacular.

😂 For the link and for the Seinfeld reference.

 

[Bavard]

I'm trying sample 8 of 20, Eau de Protection, and I've been liking it fairly well. It's similar to the previous sample, Une Amourette. It's coming across to me as a synthetic floral, but nice and rounded.

 

[Bavard]

I wore Sample 9 of 20 today, Tom of Finland. My notes from today are something like: strong, modern leather fragrance, but good in an older leather style, with iris. Back in April 2018, I left a review for it. I said it was a smoky leather. I didn't think of smoke today.

It reminded me a bit of the leather note in Le Lion de Chanel, which hadn't been released in 2018. That kind of intense leather is more mainstream now.

A reference perfume note/accord for me is the heart of Frederic Malle Iris Poudre, and that is the second note I was getting from Tom of Finland today.

 

[Bavard]

I'm trying Sample 10 of 20 today, Exit the King.

My wife recently wore Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet. I mostly like that perfume. Exit the King reminds me of Blooming Bouquet. One of the other samples in this set that I tried recently gave me a similar impression, but this time it's strong enough to mention.

They list soap foam as a note. I've been getting commercial hand soap notes in a few of these samples. Another listed note that makes sense: Lily of the Valley. Lily of the Valley (aka Muguet) is the stuff in Diorissimo that I think can smell like fragrant hanging flower baskets, but stronger, and Exit the King has some of that.

It is highly unlikely that this will develop into something I would want to wear. I find it interesting and probably wouldn't mind if someone around me wore it, but stylistically, it's the kind of thing I'm not drawn to wearing myself.

It has developed quite a bit, an hour later. The hanging flower basket is pretty much gone. It smells more like stems, now.

A couple hours later, this has gotten much softer. I could see someone liking the base.

Into the base, this becomes a lot like Platinum Egoiste and A&F Fierce.

 

[cacio]

I have not smelled exit the king, so good to know (and it doesn't seem that interesting from the description). Tom of Finland is definitely not as Tom-of-Finlandy as Rien. The leather is strong, but there's suede and there are flowers. I need to resmell iris poudre to see the connection.

 

[Bavard]

I'm trying sample 11 of 20, You or Someone Like You. I liked the opening few seconds. Then I was worried for a few minutes. Then it settled into something relatively benign.

During the worrying part, it was like a floral falling apart with a harsh synthetic(s) spilling out. When the worst of that recedes, it's a relief. The harshness goes soft. It's still far from a favorite, but it's not a scrubber, for me. It reminds me of something from the International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) speed smelling collections (i.e., sample sets). At the same time, there is something old-school buried under the sharp stuff that wants to come out - I've smelled it in brief moments.

Deep into the base it gets nice and reminds me of something from L’Artisan Parfumer.

 

[Bavard]

I'm trying sample 12 of 20, La Fin Du Monde. This is more typical of mainstream / designer perfume, and I like it. This could be one of the pink Miss Dior perfumes - there is a tobacco-type note in those (e.g., edp and Le Parfum) that I'm also getting from this. But this is a niche version with its own twist, which makes it interesting.

Into the drydown, it's reminding me a Celine perfume. The perfumes in that line tend to smell like each other.