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Thursday, July 10, 2014

Etat Libre d'Orange Cologne

By Tom

Cologne Eau de Parfum is a decided departure from the usual Etat Libre d’Orange usual ways of doing things. They’re of course those crazy kids who did C.S.I. Newark, er, Secretions Magnafique, which to me is a total scrubber with it’s notes of defiled mobster found under the pier.(but I am told that it is one of their most popular fragrance. They also did a personal favorite: Tilda Swinton Like This with it’s comforting mandarin and pumpkin accords. But I have friends who think it’s too weird.

So Imagine my surprise to read that these kids want to give us “nice”….

And it is nice. It opens with a bright orange and orange flower that took me by surprise. It also reminded me of something. Then it struck me; 4711. Not the 4711that until recently has been sold at places like the 47 cent store in recycled bleach bottles (although I read that they’re coming back full circle to the good stuff) but the stuff I remembered in the 70’s as a kid. It was a lovely scent that on a hot, humid New England day a splash of on the back of the neck was more refreshing than an ice bag (I was too young for Pimm’s cup back then.)

Of course, Etat Libre is a bit, well, shall we say more in the opening than the innocent 4711, and of course there’s more in the middle and the drydown. 4711 had a flash (if I remember correctly, and it has been decades) some lavender, then nada. Cologne goes to a jasmine middle then a light leather and a skin musk that would make the Chairman at smellbent smile. Lasting opwer is good, considering that it's sold as a cologne. I got several hours out of it, while the 4711 I remember from my yoof lasted an hour tops.

$149 for 100ML. My sample was asked for and received at ScentBar.

Notes (from LuckyScent:) Blood orange, orange blossom, bergamot, jasmine, musk, leather.

Image: LuckyScent

2 comments:

  1. This sounds very promising, I hope to try it soon. Anything to do with orange blossom gets my attention, and having it in a lighter version would be great for this sweltering summer.

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  2. When I was first getting into niche perfumes ELdO was my favorite house (I even have Tilda Swindon Like This). My first was Don't Get Me Wrong" which I described to the SA as "happy". The full name certainly isn't "nice" but would you consider the fragrance itself nice? Just wondering because I love reading your reviews.

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