Etat Libre d'Orange- Like This (Tilda Swinton)

I showed my husband the bottle of Like This, Etat Libre d'Orange newest perfume, and told him it was created by collaboration with Tilda Swinton. Apparently he's seen and smelled enough, including from ELdO, so he didn't even blink. His only question was: How weird did they make it?

Maybe the oddest thing about Like This is that it is not weird at all. It's just very very good.

Tilda Swinton, she of the immense talent, intriguing personality, fascinating personal life (she lives openly with two men) and no eye lashes might be the last person you'd associate with the idea of a celebrity perfume. Then again,  the previous celeb scent fro Etat Libre d'Orange was created with the equally wonderful Rossy de Palma, so you know we're not in Lindsay Lohan's universe here.

Ms. Swinton's idea of an ideal scent was "Place and state of my mind...Certainly state of ease. ...The experience of the reliable recognizable after the exotic adventure: the regular, the natural, turn of the seasons, simplicity and softness". Her inspiration came from this poem by Rumi:

"how the perfect satisfaction
of all our sexual wanting
will look, lift your face
and say,
Like this.

...If anyone wants to know what “spirit” is,
or what “God’s fragrance” means,
lean your head toward him or her.
Keep your face there close.
..."

Isn't this beautiful?

Like This was officially launched in March but it's not exactly a traditional spring/summer scent. The "turn of the seasons" element is much more fall-like, especially considering the pumpkin accord and the rest of the pie-like elements. Like This is a pretty much a gourmand scent, and one of the most interesting perfumes in this overdone genre I've come across in a long long time. It opens up with ginger. Fresh, biting, grated right from the root ginger. It can be a very difficult note to get right (Bulgari Blu comes to mind. I thought it was a disaster), especially that bracing freshness. Here, though, the ginger smells real and natural.

What comes next is also straight out of the kitchen. From the round and satisfying pumpkin to the honeyed, maple-like richness of the immortelle, my skin smells warm and edible. This is the place to mention that on the husband there's much less sweetness. His skin brings out more of the other notes- a dirty, musky vetiver that he finds to be walking the line between fascinating and disturbing (I think it's incredibly sexy). He was sure there was tobacco somewhere in the mix, and I know what he means, but it was probably the very dry vetiver  playing tricks.

It might not be the very first thing you  think about in connection to Tilda Swinton. This is not as mysterious or enigmatic as she appears from the outside, but I loved how she didn't seem to care about her usual image and chose to go with elements that comfort and delight her. You get to see there's a real person there, a woman who has memories and desires. And, apparently, some of them are about pumpkin.

Several studies suggest that men find the smell of pumpkin pie has something to do with male arousal. I've witnessed a grown men reduced to a blubbering mess when I served him my homemade pumpkin pie. Well, it was a really good pie (gingerbread crust, real pumpkin that I roasted in the oven, caramelized pumpkin seeds on top and served with freshly made barely sweetened whipped cream). Does the new Etat Libre d'Orage perfume work the same way? Maybe. It definitely makes one get close to sniff and take it all in.

Like This is an EDP with an incredible staying power and quite a bit of sillage. It takes a long and hot shower to remove it even after 24 hours. I enjoy the way it opens up in the heat. Some might prefer it in cooler weather, though.

Like This by Etat Libre d'Orange ($99, 50ml) is available from Henri Bendel (they accept phone orders). Luckyscent will have it in stock later this month. I received a bottle from  Bendel.

Images: etatlibredorange.com, tildaswinton.net

Etat Libre d'Orange- Like This (Tilda Swinton)

I showed my husband the bottle of Like This, Etat Libre d'Orange newest perfume, and told him it was created by collaboration with Tilda Swinton. Apparently he's seen and smelled enough, including from ELdO, so he didn't even blink. His only question was: How weird did they make it?

Maybe the oddest thing about Like This is that it is not weird at all. It's just very very good.

Tilda Swinton, she of the immense talent, intriguing personality, fascinating personal life (she lives openly with two men) and no eye lashes might be the last person you'd associate with the idea of a celebrity perfume. Then again,  the previous celeb scent fro Etat Libre d'Orange was created with the equally wonderful Rossy de Palma, so you know we're not in Lindsay Lohan's universe here.

Ms. Swinton's idea of an ideal scent was "Place and state of my mind...Certainly state of ease. ...The experience of the reliable recognizable after the exotic adventure: the regular, the natural, turn of the seasons, simplicity and softness". Her inspiration came from this poem by Rumi:

"how the perfect satisfaction
of all our sexual wanting
will look, lift your face
and say,
Like this.

...If anyone wants to know what “spirit” is,
or what “God’s fragrance” means,
lean your head toward him or her.
Keep your face there close.
..."

Isn't this beautiful?

Like This was officially launched in March but it's not exactly a traditional spring/summer scent. The "turn of the seasons" element is much more fall-like, especially considering the pumpkin accord and the rest of the pie-like elements. Like This is a pretty much a gourmand scent, and one of the most interesting perfumes in this overdone genre I've come across in a long long time. It opens up with ginger. Fresh, biting, grated right from the root ginger. It can be a very difficult note to get right (Bulgari Blu comes to mind. I thought it was a disaster), especially that bracing freshness. Here, though, the ginger smells real and natural.

What comes next is also straight out of the kitchen. From the round and satisfying pumpkin to the honeyed, maple-like richness of the immortelle, my skin smells warm and edible. This is the place to mention that on the husband there's much less sweetness. His skin brings out more of the other notes- a dirty, musky vetiver that he finds to be walking the line between fascinating and disturbing (I think it's incredibly sexy). He was sure there was tobacco somewhere in the mix, and I know what he means, but it was probably the very dry vetiver  playing tricks.

It might not be the very first thing you  think about in connection to Tilda Swinton. This is not as mysterious or enigmatic as she appears from the outside, but I loved how she didn't seem to care about her usual image and chose to go with elements that comfort and delight her. You get to see there's a real person there, a woman who has memories and desires. And, apparently, some of them are about pumpkin.

Several studies suggest that men find the smell of pumpkin pie has something to do with male arousal. I've witnessed a grown men reduced to a blubbering mess when I served him my homemade pumpkin pie. Well, it was a really good pie (gingerbread crust, real pumpkin that I roasted in the oven, caramelized pumpkin seeds on top and served with freshly made barely sweetened whipped cream). Does the new Etat Libre d'Orage perfume work the same way? Maybe. It definitely makes one get close to sniff and take it all in.

Like This is an EDP with an incredible staying power and quite a bit of sillage. It takes a long and hot shower to remove it even after 24 hours. I enjoy the way it opens up in the heat. Some might prefer it in cooler weather, though.

Like This by Etat Libre d'Orange ($99, 50ml) is available from Henri Bendel (they accept phone orders). Luckyscent will have it in stock later this month. I received a bottle from  Bendel.

Images: etatlibredorange.com, tildaswinton.net

Etat Libre d'Orange- Like This (Tilda Swinton)

I showed my husband the bottle of Like This, Etat Libre d'Orange newest perfume, and told him it was created by collaboration with Tilda Swinton. Apparently he's seen and smelled enough, including from ELdO, so he didn't even blink. His only question was: How weird did they make it?

Maybe the oddest thing about Like This is that it is not weird at all. It's just very very good.

Tilda Swinton, she of the immense talent, intriguing personality, fascinating personal life (she lives openly with two men) and no eye lashes might be the last person you'd associate with the idea of a celebrity perfume. Then again,  the previous celeb scent fro Etat Libre d'Orange was created with the equally wonderful Rossy de Palma, so you know we're not in Lindsay Lohan's universe here.

Ms. Swinton's idea of an ideal scent was "Place and state of my mind...Certainly state of ease. ...The experience of the reliable recognizable after the exotic adventure: the regular, the natural, turn of the seasons, simplicity and softness". Her inspiration came from this poem by Rumi:

"how the perfect satisfaction
of all our sexual wanting
will look, lift your face
and say,
Like this.

...If anyone wants to know what “spirit” is,
or what “God’s fragrance” means,
lean your head toward him or her.
Keep your face there close.
..."

Isn't this beautiful?

Like This was officially launched in March but it's not exactly a traditional spring/summer scent. The "turn of the seasons" element is much more fall-like, especially considering the pumpkin accord and the rest of the pie-like elements. Like This is a pretty much a gourmand scent, and one of the most interesting perfumes in this overdone genre I've come across in a long long time. It opens up with ginger. Fresh, biting, grated right from the root ginger. It can be a very difficult note to get right (Bulgari Blu comes to mind. I thought it was a disaster), especially that bracing freshness. Here, though, the ginger smells real and natural.

What comes next is also straight out of the kitchen. From the round and satisfying pumpkin to the honeyed, maple-like richness of the immortelle, my skin smells warm and edible. This is the place to mention that on the husband there's much less sweetness. His skin brings out more of the other notes- a dirty, musky vetiver that he finds to be walking the line between fascinating and disturbing (I think it's incredibly sexy). He was sure there was tobacco somewhere in the mix, and I know what he means, but it was probably the very dry vetiver  playing tricks.

It might not be the very first thing you  think about in connection to Tilda Swinton. This is not as mysterious or enigmatic as she appears from the outside, but I loved how she didn't seem to care about her usual image and chose to go with elements that comfort and delight her. You get to see there's a real person there, a woman who has memories and desires. And, apparently, some of them are about pumpkin.

Several studies suggest that men find the smell of pumpkin pie has something to do with male arousal. I've witnessed a grown men reduced to a blubbering mess when I served him my homemade pumpkin pie. Well, it was a really good pie (gingerbread crust, real pumpkin that I roasted in the oven, caramelized pumpkin seeds on top and served with freshly made barely sweetened whipped cream). Does the new Etat Libre d'Orage perfume work the same way? Maybe. It definitely makes one get close to sniff and take it all in.

Like This is an EDP with an incredible staying power and quite a bit of sillage. It takes a long and hot shower to remove it even after 24 hours. I enjoy the way it opens up in the heat. Some might prefer it in cooler weather, though.

Like This by Etat Libre d'Orange ($99, 50ml) is available from Henri Bendel (they accept phone orders). Luckyscent will have it in stock later this month. I received a bottle from  Bendel.

Images: etatlibredorange.com, tildaswinton.net

An American Blogger In Paris: Etat Libre d'Orange

Our last full day in Paris (or actually, our supposed last one. We ended up staying another day because of a cancelled flight and airline delays, not that it did us any good, being stuck in an sub-par airport hotel that had no wireless connection) was spent at the Marais. I already wrote a little about it here and The Blond gave a culinary tour in his own blog. But the afternoon was about perfume.

I had the pleasure of meeting Denyse of Grain de Musc (a brilliant bi-lingual blogger who is as fascinating as her vintage perfume collection). We arranged to explore the Etat Libre d'Orange boutique, a line that I only knew by reputation and have previously avoided, mostly because of the marketing hype around it.

Launched in 2006, the house has made a conscious decision to build a reputation of questionable aesthetics (drawings of erupting penises, names like Don't Get Me Wrong, Baby, I Do Not Swallow) instead of promoting the actual quality of the scents (which is high) or the talent of their noses (ditto). The marketing was just a bit too junior high for my taste, so as curious as I've always been about any new releases, sniffing them never became a priority.

Thanks to Denyse who translated and explained, I got to hear about the notes and ideas behind the scents I smelled and tried. And it's always a lot of fun to sniff with another perfume lover. These are the people who would never give you weird looks as you inhale deeply and do a stream-of-conscious blabbing.

First I asked to try Rossy de Palma because I've always been fascinated by the actress/model with the amazingly unusual look. The perfume, however, didn't live up to the legend. It's a rose and not an interesting one. I wasn't moved enough to give it skin space, but then again, I'm not that big on roses to begin with.

Next came Vraie Blonde (a name that alludes to the age-old question of drapes and carpet matching) which earned my curiosity just because. It's a cute little aldehydic bellini, but I'm just not the type.

Encens et Bubblegum was different enough to earn precious skin real estate. There was something about the game of bold sugar and soft incense that captured me. I expected it to be much more crass, like a middle school Lolita who giggles too much and hikes up her skirt to show a bit too much not yet fully formed thigh. Instead, I got something twisted but pretty, girly but not all the way Barbie. It makes me happy every time I wear it, and the only thing preventing me from calling Bendel and ordering a bottle (other than my dislike of such a hassle. I've already whined about Bendel's miserable e-commerce) is the husband's deep disapproval of the bubblegum note. He picks it up in blind testing, so it's not just an aversion to the idea.

Then came Rien. That's one big oxymoron if there ever was one, named "Nothing" but haunting and distracting like very few scents can do. It reminded me of Bandit and has a lot in common with it, except that it's much more butch. It's like Bandit stripped from its floral heart and having everything else about it amplified to an almost cartoon version of a smoky, tarry, black leather scent.

It's fascinating from the very first beautiful/ugly notes. This is the scent I would have expected to see named after Rossy de Palma, her avant-garde face and twisted characters. The first couple of hours are all burnt leather that fascinates, repulses and makes me question my taste. I don't know where or how I could wear it in public, as to a "normal" person who stumbles into my personal space it would smell downright scary and not at all like a perfume.

The drydown is all dark and subtle incense. The smoke and tar are toned downed and it's different enough from Bandit to deserve a place in my wardrobe. I still don't know where I could wear it, and I would advise anyone to sample thoroughly before purchasing (and not to wear it on a first date, unless applied at least two hours prior to your rendez-vous).

If you're somewhat familliar with the ELdO line you know what comes next.

Yes, that one.

I wasn't willing to leave the store without trying the infamous Sécrétions Magnifiques. A perfume that's supposed to have accords of blood, sweat and sperm with a side of milk and is so reviled that sales assistants are rumoured to avoid spraying it. I didn't want to stink up the place so I dabbed it on instead. The metallic opening was certainly unpleasant. I suppose that's the bloody part. Then it became watery and most of all reminded me of a stale load of handwash water that was left in the sink for too long after the dirty clothes were removed from it. There's an unwashed aspect there and a floral laundry detergent but that was about it. Not something I'd like to wear, but not really puke-inducing. And unlike any other ELdO I tried then or since, Sécrétions Magnifiques had the least staying power.

To read Denyse's account of our sniffage, go here.

Images: photos of the boutique (that has a large part dedicated to artistic erotic photography): http://www.parismarais.com. The colorful illustrations that adorn the tester bottles but not the ones that are actually for sale are from the ELdO website.

Etat Libre d'Orange perfumes are available from Henri Bendel in NYC and Harvey Nichols in London, as well as online from the French site (that will ship to the US and charge an arm and a leg for that. It's better to deal with the concierge service at Bendel). If you're in the UK you can also order through amazon.co.uk. Imagine that.

An American Blogger In Paris: Etat Libre d'Orange

Our last full day in Paris (or actually, our supposed last one. We ended up staying another day because of a cancelled flight and airline delays, not that it did us any good, being stuck in an sub-par airport hotel that had no wireless connection) was spent at the Marais. I already wrote a little about it here and The Blond gave a culinary tour in his own blog. But the afternoon was about perfume.

I had the pleasure of meeting Denyse of Grain de Musc (a brilliant bi-lingual blogger who is as fascinating as her vintage perfume collection). We arranged to explore the Etat Libre d'Orange boutique, a line that I only knew by reputation and have previously avoided, mostly because of the marketing hype around it.

Launched in 2006, the house has made a conscious decision to build a reputation of questionable aesthetics (drawings of erupting penises, names like Don't Get Me Wrong, Baby, I Do Not Swallow) instead of promoting the actual quality of the scents (which is high) or the talent of their noses (ditto). The marketing was just a bit too junior high for my taste, so as curious as I've always been about any new releases, sniffing them never became a priority.

Thanks to Denyse who translated and explained, I got to hear about the notes and ideas behind the scents I smelled and tried. And it's always a lot of fun to sniff with another perfume lover. These are the people who would never give you weird looks as you inhale deeply and do a stream-of-conscious blabbing.

First I asked to try Rossy de Palma because I've always been fascinated by the actress/model with the amazingly unusual look. The perfume, however, didn't live up to the legend. It's a rose and not an interesting one. I wasn't moved enough to give it skin space, but then again, I'm not that big on roses to begin with.

Next came Vraie Blonde (a name that alludes to the age-old question of drapes and carpet matching) which earned my curiosity just because. It's a cute little aldehydic bellini, but I'm just not the type.

Encens et Bubblegum was different enough to earn precious skin real estate. There was something about the game of bold sugar and soft incense that captured me. I expected it to be much more crass, like a middle school Lolita who giggles too much and hikes up her skirt to show a bit too much not yet fully formed thigh. Instead, I got something twisted but pretty, girly but not all the way Barbie. It makes me happy every time I wear it, and the only thing preventing me from calling Bendel and ordering a bottle (other than my dislike of such a hassle. I've already whined about Bendel's miserable e-commerce) is the husband's deep disapproval of the bubblegum note. He picks it up in blind testing, so it's not just an aversion to the idea.

Then came Rien. That's one big oxymoron if there ever was one, named "Nothing" but haunting and distracting like very few scents can do. It reminded me of Bandit and has a lot in common with it, except that it's much more butch. It's like Bandit stripped from its floral heart and having everything else about it amplified to an almost cartoon version of a smoky, tarry, black leather scent.

It's fascinating from the very first beautiful/ugly notes. This is the scent I would have expected to see named after Rossy de Palma, her avant-garde face and twisted characters. The first couple of hours are all burnt leather that fascinates, repulses and makes me question my taste. I don't know where or how I could wear it in public, as to a "normal" person who stumbles into my personal space it would smell downright scary and not at all like a perfume.

The drydown is all dark and subtle incense. The smoke and tar are toned downed and it's different enough from Bandit to deserve a place in my wardrobe. I still don't know where I could wear it, and I would advise anyone to sample thoroughly before purchasing (and not to wear it on a first date, unless applied at least two hours prior to your rendez-vous).

If you're somewhat familliar with the ELdO line you know what comes next.

Yes, that one.

I wasn't willing to leave the store without trying the infamous Sécrétions Magnifiques. A perfume that's supposed to have accords of blood, sweat and sperm with a side of milk and is so reviled that sales assistants are rumoured to avoid spraying it. I didn't want to stink up the place so I dabbed it on instead. The metallic opening was certainly unpleasant. I suppose that's the bloody part. Then it became watery and most of all reminded me of a stale load of handwash water that was left in the sink for too long after the dirty clothes were removed from it. There's an unwashed aspect there and a floral laundry detergent but that was about it. Not something I'd like to wear, but not really puke-inducing. And unlike any other ELdO I tried then or since, Sécrétions Magnifiques had the least staying power.

To read Denyse's account of our sniffage, go here.

Images: photos of the boutique (that has a large part dedicated to artistic erotic photography): http://www.parismarais.com. The colorful illustrations that adorn the tester bottles but not the ones that are actually for sale are from the ELdO website.

Etat Libre d'Orange perfumes are available from Henri Bendel in NYC and Harvey Nichols in London, as well as online from the French site (that will ship to the US and charge an arm and a leg for that. It's better to deal with the concierge service at Bendel). If you're in the UK you can also order through amazon.co.uk. Imagine that.

An American Blogger In Paris: Etat Libre d'Orange

Our last full day in Paris (or actually, our supposed last one. We ended up staying another day because of a cancelled flight and airline delays, not that it did us any good, being stuck in an sub-par airport hotel that had no wireless connection) was spent at the Marais. I already wrote a little about it here and The Blond gave a culinary tour in his own blog. But the afternoon was about perfume.

I had the pleasure of meeting Denyse of Grain de Musc (a brilliant bi-lingual blogger who is as fascinating as her vintage perfume collection). We arranged to explore the Etat Libre d'Orange boutique, a line that I only knew by reputation and have previously avoided, mostly because of the marketing hype around it.

Launched in 2006, the house has made a conscious decision to build a reputation of questionable aesthetics (drawings of erupting penises, names like Don't Get Me Wrong, Baby, I Do Not Swallow) instead of promoting the actual quality of the scents (which is high) or the talent of their noses (ditto). The marketing was just a bit too junior high for my taste, so as curious as I've always been about any new releases, sniffing them never became a priority.

Thanks to Denyse who translated and explained, I got to hear about the notes and ideas behind the scents I smelled and tried. And it's always a lot of fun to sniff with another perfume lover. These are the people who would never give you weird looks as you inhale deeply and do a stream-of-conscious blabbing.

First I asked to try Rossy de Palma because I've always been fascinated by the actress/model with the amazingly unusual look. The perfume, however, didn't live up to the legend. It's a rose and not an interesting one. I wasn't moved enough to give it skin space, but then again, I'm not that big on roses to begin with.

Next came Vraie Blonde (a name that alludes to the age-old question of drapes and carpet matching) which earned my curiosity just because. It's a cute little aldehydic bellini, but I'm just not the type.

Encens et Bubblegum was different enough to earn precious skin real estate. There was something about the game of bold sugar and soft incense that captured me. I expected it to be much more crass, like a middle school Lolita who giggles too much and hikes up her skirt to show a bit too much not yet fully formed thigh. Instead, I got something twisted but pretty, girly but not all the way Barbie. It makes me happy every time I wear it, and the only thing preventing me from calling Bendel and ordering a bottle (other than my dislike of such a hassle. I've already whined about Bendel's miserable e-commerce) is the husband's deep disapproval of the bubblegum note. He picks it up in blind testing, so it's not just an aversion to the idea.

Then came Rien. That's one big oxymoron if there ever was one, named "Nothing" but haunting and distracting like very few scents can do. It reminded me of Bandit and has a lot in common with it, except that it's much more butch. It's like Bandit stripped from its floral heart and having everything else about it amplified to an almost cartoon version of a smoky, tarry, black leather scent.

It's fascinating from the very first beautiful/ugly notes. This is the scent I would have expected to see named after Rossy de Palma, her avant-garde face and twisted characters. The first couple of hours are all burnt leather that fascinates, repulses and makes me question my taste. I don't know where or how I could wear it in public, as to a "normal" person who stumbles into my personal space it would smell downright scary and not at all like a perfume.

The drydown is all dark and subtle incense. The smoke and tar are toned downed and it's different enough from Bandit to deserve a place in my wardrobe. I still don't know where I could wear it, and I would advise anyone to sample thoroughly before purchasing (and not to wear it on a first date, unless applied at least two hours prior to your rendez-vous).

If you're somewhat familliar with the ELdO line you know what comes next.

Yes, that one.

I wasn't willing to leave the store without trying the infamous Sécrétions Magnifiques. A perfume that's supposed to have accords of blood, sweat and sperm with a side of milk and is so reviled that sales assistants are rumoured to avoid spraying it. I didn't want to stink up the place so I dabbed it on instead. The metallic opening was certainly unpleasant. I suppose that's the bloody part. Then it became watery and most of all reminded me of a stale load of handwash water that was left in the sink for too long after the dirty clothes were removed from it. There's an unwashed aspect there and a floral laundry detergent but that was about it. Not something I'd like to wear, but not really puke-inducing. And unlike any other ELdO I tried then or since, Sécrétions Magnifiques had the least staying power.

To read Denyse's account of our sniffage, go here.

Images: photos of the boutique (that has a large part dedicated to artistic erotic photography): http://www.parismarais.com. The colorful illustrations that adorn the tester bottles but not the ones that are actually for sale are from the ELdO website.

Etat Libre d'Orange perfumes are available from Henri Bendel in NYC and Harvey Nichols in London, as well as online from the French site (that will ship to the US and charge an arm and a leg for that. It's better to deal with the concierge service at Bendel). If you're in the UK you can also order through amazon.co.uk. Imagine that.