Rien by ELDO - difficult, challenging or an acquired taste?

[baklavaRuzh]

I'm surprised to learn that rien by ELDO is considered 'challenging ' by many online!

Would you agree? Is rien not office appropriate?

I've been testing some samples by ELDO recently and I really enjoy rien.

I was surprised to see people reviewing it online saying it's not for 'beginners' challenging and not for people not used to 'niche'.

I'm usually into easy to like fragrances whether they are niche or not. I haven't enjoyed any animalic aspects of fragrances, I don't even like vetiver that much. I also don't like those fragrances that are similar to chanel nr 5 or the barbershop genre.

I'm now however considering full bottle of rien. Should I be worried about wearing it in public?

Rien just reminds me of some of the older fragrances my grandmothers never used from the 50s and 60s, and I mean the way they smell today, it just comes off as cozy to me. I feel like rien is what moulin rouge by hdp SHOULD have smelled like..

 

[Paddington]

you have to remember the general public or the normies have a low bar to challenging

if uve only worn clean and fresh and sweet anything that goes over that line even in minor amounts would appear like alot

 

[lfc1892]

Weird, but certainly not challenging for me.

 

[StylinLA]

I have only experienced the Rien Incense Intense variation which is probably a bit stronger.

I would not wear it to an office.

It's not weirdo level odd- but it's not very conventional. Difficult not a bad word for it. It doesn't smell offensively bad, but some people will be a bit put off by it.

For me, wearing it socially is fine. But wearing it around people who are trapped in a space with me would not be good.

 

[slpfrsly]

difficult, challenging or an acquired taste?

And, not or. It's all three.

This is what comes to mind when I smell it:

 

[baklavaRuzh]

you have to remember the general public or the normies have a low bar to challenging

if uve only worn clean and fresh and sweet anything that goes over that line even in minor amounts would appear like alot

I never really wore fresh and clean scents I guess, I used to wear bel Ami in high-school.

 

[baklavaRuzh]

And, not or. It's all three.

This is what comes to mind when I smell it:

Yes! 😅 Exactly what I had in mind! 🤪🤪

 

[Salumbre]

Rien Intense Incense is also my only ELDO so far.

I don't know how close it is to the original, as some people claim it's exactly the same, and others say it's very different. It is a glorious incense and leather fest.

Mind you, the projection is eye-watering, and apparently so is the original's.

 

[hednic]

Would you agree? Is rien not office appropriate?

No, before I retired, I wore it to the office with no problems.

 

[Dorje123]

I recently got a bottle... it's one of the best fragrances ever, imo. If I had to have a signature fragrance I wore most days, Rien might be the one. I do not think the projection is overdone either, it's not weak, but it's not a heavy, overbearing fragrance that will choke people out or make them uncomfortable. I also don't think it's going to be recognizable as a vintage feminine chypre by a vast majority of people either.

 

[donna255]

Okay, here is my story, and I have told it before.

I bought Rien some years back when the perfume shop was discontinuing selling that house, actually bought a number of ELDO and got great deals.

I like Rien a lot hence my buying, but something rather weird happens to it after I have been wearing for say 8 hours, yes that long. I start to get this weird cat pee smell! Really not joking. When I first applied all fine, and it was around tea time that day, I suddenly started to smell cat pee. Now, I do own cats and clean the litter tray and do know the smell. Actually thought one of the cats at the time had an accident. This has happened a number of times when wearing it. Spray in the morning all wonderful until say tea time 5pm plus, and it is still going strong on me and then the weird cat pee smell. Now it could be my skin chemistry, but why after so many hours? A case for the X Files for sure.

 

[baklavaRuzh]

Okay, here is my story, and I have told it before.

I bought Rien some years back when the perfume shop was discontinuing selling that house, actually bought a number of ELDO and got great deals.

I like Rien a lot hence my buying, but something rather weird happens to it after I have been wearing for say 8 hours, yes that long. I start to get this weird cat pee smell! Really not joking. When I first applied all fine, and it was around tea time that day, I suddenly started to smell cat pee. Now, I do own cats and clean the litter tray and do know the smell. Actually thought one of the cats at the time had an accident. This has happened a number of times when wearing it. Spray in the morning all wonderful until say tea time 5pm plus, and it is still going strong on me and then the weird cat pee smell. Now it could be my skin chemistry, but why after so many hours? A case for the X Files for sure.

Oh no, this would definitely make it inappropriate for office wear, or at least a reapplication would be necessary!

 

[Franco65]

the perception of a smell may vary in different individuals, so this goes to explain several experiences..I believe ELdO did some nice and weird scents at the same time, Rien is one of those!

Do you smell what I smell? From genes to receptors to perception: Olfaction unraveled

A new study sheds light on understanding the extensive individual differences in how we sense odors. By showing that small changes in a single olfactory receptor gene can affect how strong and pleasant a person finds an odor, the findings expand understanding of how olfactory receptors in the...

www.sciencedaily.com

 

[enframing]

I like this scent a lot. I think a little goes a long way, and it changes a ton over time, and has great length. If I worked in an office I'd definitely wear it.

 

[Martialisaragon]

I have a decant of this. As one mostly interested in vintage fragrances, I honestly cannot say I thought very much of it. It felt rather abrasive, headache-inducing even, as I can remember. But of course I will try to find my old sample, challenge my biases and give it another chance.

 

[chypre]

I never really wore fresh and clean scents I guess, I used to wear bel Ami in high-school.

I wore Poison and Youth Dew to class in high school.

I need to give Rien a proper skin test (in case I ran into donna's issue), but I liked it on the card. I find it a little more synthetic compared with other comparable leather fragrances like Bandit, but it's good. I guess it might be a little challenging to those who are used to Light Blue and Sauvage, but you could just spray less if you were wearing it to the office.

 

[grayspoole]

I tested Rien and Rien Intense a few years ago, and I really liked them. I did not find them weird or challenging at all, but I wear a lot of “weird“ vintages. At the time, I thought I should get a bottle, but I never did. I felt Rien seemed to be a very successful modern musk, one that managed to convey a feeling of naturalness.

I dug up these old thread so that I could remember what I thought of Rien, and thought it might be of interest.

https://basenotes.com/threads/comparing-vintage-niche-artisanal-musks.460576/#post-4511252

 

[grayspoole]

Okay, here is my story, and I have told it before.

I bought Rien some years back when the perfume shop was discontinuing selling that house, actually bought a number of ELDO and got great deals.

I like Rien a lot hence my buying, but something rather weird happens to it after I have been wearing for say 8 hours, yes that long. I start to get this weird cat pee smell! Really not joking. When I first applied all fine, and it was around tea time that day, I suddenly started to smell cat pee. Now, I do own cats and clean the litter tray and do know the smell. Actually thought one of the cats at the time had an accident. This has happened a number of times when wearing it. Spray in the morning all wonderful until say tea time 5pm plus, and it is still going strong on me and then the weird cat pee smell. Now it could be my skin chemistry, but why after so many hours? A case for the X Files for sure.

Ugh. This would definitely put me off a scent. Given that this happened in the very late drydown, it sounds as though you were perceiving one of the aromachemicals with nearly radioactive longevity. I don’t get cat pee, thankfully, but I have noticed that some modern perfumes can start off warmly musky and then turn very sharp and almost sour in the late drydown. And sometimes I can pick up this taint into the next day, and even after showering.

The weirdest, skankiest vintage musks never do this. I leave it to the chemists to explain why…

 

[Salumbre]

Okay, here is my story, and I have told it before.

I bought Rien some years back when the perfume shop was discontinuing selling that house, actually bought a number of ELDO and got great deals.

I like Rien a lot hence my buying, but something rather weird happens to it after I have been wearing for say 8 hours, yes that long. I start to get this weird cat pee smell! Really not joking. When I first applied all fine, and it was around tea time that day, I suddenly started to smell cat pee. Now, I do own cats and clean the litter tray and do know the smell. Actually thought one of the cats at the time had an accident. This has happened a number of times when wearing it. Spray in the morning all wonderful until say tea time 5pm plus, and it is still going strong on me and then the weird cat pee smell. Now it could be my skin chemistry, but why after so many hours? A case for the X Files for sure.

the perception of a smell may vary in different individuals, so this goes to explain several experiences..I believe ELdO did some nice and weird scents at the same time, Rien is one of those!

Do you smell what I smell? From genes to receptors to perception: Olfaction unraveled

A new study sheds light on understanding the extensive individual differences in how we sense odors. By showing that small changes in a single olfactory receptor gene can affect how strong and pleasant a person finds an odor, the findings expand understanding of how olfactory receptors in the...

www.sciencedaily.com

What @Franco65 said.

I don't wear Cartier Declaration --a BIG favorite here-- because all I can smell on my skin is dried sweat. On paper it does smell different to me, much better.

Try spraying it only on your clothes and see what happens.

 

[GoldWineMemories]

I think the cat pee element is coming from the aldehydes. I've noticed they stick them in cat box deodorizer, and you probably end up associating the smell of cat urine and certain aldehydes. That's the same thing going on with Kouros and why people associate it with bathrooms, because often those urinal pucks have a scent of mostly aldehydes.

 

[cacio]

I don't get cat pee either, luckily. But we all have different perceptions of musks, so it's possible that that one particular musk takes over for some.

In any case, it's definitely strong and unusual, but I don't think it will raise eyebrows if used in moderation. A former BNer told a story of what happened when he sprayed 10+ times, Arabian style, then went around the office. this is definitely not a perfume that benefits from such liberal spraying.

cacio

 

[mikeperez23]

I have only experienced the Rien Incense Intense variation which is probably a bit stronger.

I would not wear it to an office.

It's not weirdo level odd- but it's not very conventional. Difficult not a bad word for it. It doesn't smell offensively bad, but some people will be a bit put off by it.

For me, wearing it socially is fine. But wearing it around people who are trapped in a space with me would not be good.

What he said ^

 

[donna255]

Okay, actually Rien yesterday and it was 2018 since I last wore. And applied just after 8 am and late afternoon and later in the day, no cat pee. So, not sure if my bottle has finally settled down or my skin chemistry has?

 

[baklavaRuzh]

Ugh. This would definitely put me off a scent. Given that this happened in the very late drydown, it sounds as though you were perceiving one of the aromachemicals with nearly radioactive longevity. I don’t get cat pee, thankfully, but I have noticed that some modern perfumes can start off warmly musky and then turn very sharp and almost sour in the late drydown. And sometimes I can pick up this taint into the next day, and even after showering.

The weirdest, skankiest vintage musks never do this. I leave it to the chemists to explain why…

This happens to me too! I would love to know what might cause this reaction so I could avoid it. There are some musks I don't like in the far dry down and they seem to show up in random places. Perhaps a case for the DIY forum?

 

[Salumbre]

Okay, actually Rien yesterday and it was 2018 since I last wore. And applied just after 8 am and late afternoon and later in the day, no cat pee. So, not sure if my bottle has finally settled down or my skin chemistry has?

That, or your perception of it.

 

[slpfrsly]

Yes! 😅 Exactly what I had in mind! 🤪🤪

If the leopard print coat fits...! 😂

 

[enframing]

It felt rather abrasive, headache-inducing even, as I can remember.

I recently heard the descriptor "nose-sucking" to describe a particular aroma. I think that fits the bill, in the best possible way, with Rien

 

[enframing]

Okay, actually Rien yesterday and it was 2018 since I last wore. And applied just after 8 am and late afternoon and later in the day, no cat pee. So, not sure if my bottle has finally settled down or my skin chemistry has?

Having been in the wine business for many years now, I think that we have days during which our palates are off. Same wine, same vintage, different day just a couple of days apart, screw cap or other non-raw cork closure, very different perception of the wine. Some days fruit comes out more, other days secondary and tertiary notes take over. Strange, but happens all the time. Many wine people follow the biodynamic calendar which defines "good" days (fruit or leaf day) and "bad" days (root day) to explain why. I'm not sure I believe that, but I do *believe* that subtle changes in our bodies (pH levels, maybe, or what we ate the night before, or drank too much the night before, &c) can have an effect on our present perceptions.

Since appx 85% of taste is actually smell, I don't see why this would not carry over into our perceptions of fragrance.

 

[milkbaby]

Okay, actually Rien yesterday and it was 2018 since I last wore. And applied just after 8 am and late afternoon and later in the day, no cat pee. So, not sure if my bottle has finally settled down or my skin chemistry has?

It's possible that your cats stopped peeing in your bottle after they noticed you stopped wearing it for so long... 😹

 

[PrinceRF]

It's not my thing, but if you like it, rock it!

 

[enframing]

I put some on this morning at 10am. It's now midnight and it's still going. The dry down after many many hours is powdery, a little spicy, a little musky, almost a very soft/quiet oriental, perhaps? Very faint trace of the huge leather found in the opening. Love this stuff.

Edit: next morning at 9am and it's still going. The leather is back, though more on my left arm than right.

 

[Toxicon]

I blind bought this one for fun, fully aware of what I was in for, and this thing still knocked me on my ass. I don't find the scent profile particularly off-putting, but it is just murderously strong and lasts forever. I get lots of aldehydes up front and more than anything, an industrial-solvent type "black leather jacket" note; way deep in the drydown it softens and resembles incense, but it smells like a dark leather scent more than anything else. I think there's a whiff of a civet note in here, but it never rises above the screaming leather.

I do like Rien; it's just not something I have frequent occasion to wear. I've worn some weird stuff to work, but I wouldn't dream of wearing something like this into an office. It's practically radioactive.

Interestingly, Antoine Lie has mentioned that this is ELDO's most expensive formula by far, due to the high concentration of naturals and otherwise pricy ingredients. My bottle, which was purchased sealed from a discounter, actually has some solid / cloudy particulates swirling around in there. Almost looks like ashes.

 

[StylinLA]

I blind bought this one for fun, fully aware of what I was in for, and this thing still knocked me on my ass. I don't find the scent profile particularly off-putting, but it is just murderously strong and lasts forever. I get lots of aldehydes up front and more than anything, an industrial-solvent type "black leather jacket" note; way deep in the drydown it softens and resembles incense, but it smells like a dark leather scent more than anything else. I think there's a whiff of a civet note in here, but it never rises above the screaming leather.

I do like Rien; it's just not something I have frequent occasion to wear. I've worn some weird stuff to work, but I wouldn't dream of wearing something like this into an office. It's practically radioactive.

Interestingly, Antoine Lie has mentioned that this is ELDO's most expensive formula by far, due to the high concentration of naturals and otherwise pricy ingredients. My bottle, which was purchased sealed from a discounter, actually has some solid / cloudy particulates swirling around in there. Almost looks like ashes.

Fun write up Toxicon. Almost makes me want to dive in.. But I have the Rien Intense Incense version and thats scary enough. As you indicate, "where to wear?" I don't dislike it per se, but it makes such a strong statement and I don't know what it's saying.

I have an appointment near Scent Bar tomorrow but they don't carry Rien anymore.