PERUSING ETAT LIBRE D'ORANGE ONLINE CATALOGUE

Despite an order of perfumes recently arriving in the mail, most of which are still unopened, this will not stop me from windowing-shopping and pining for other fragrances. 

Let's call this the early 20s of my perfume journey. I'm open to new things, lost, overwhelmed by choices, constantly on the verge of tears/a breakdown, and I don't want to be tied down, but still looking for the right one. I want to have fun before I start waking up with body pains. 

As a 20-something year old that doesn't go on many adventures or have a lot of fun in real life (I'm sure you've already deduced that fact, considering I have both a cosmetics and book blog), I'm going to have all the fun with perfume. 

I decided to browse Etat Libre d'Orange's (Free State of Orange for the non-francophones, ELDO from now on) selection of fragrances on a sheer whim. I've heard of them and looked at some of their products. Their scents like Putain des Palaces, Tilda Swinton Like This, You Or Someone Like You, and I am Trash - Les Fleurs du Déchet caught my eye with their unique names.

Many of the perfumes also have eccentric profiles. Unfortunately, of the 40+ fragrance profiles I looked through, I would only say yes to two and maybe to seven scents, but more on that later.

About the brand:

It's obviously French. It was founded by Etienne de Swardt, who created Givenchy's fragrances for pets! Swardt rebels against the perfume industry's traditions and challenges taboos. "The fragrances of Etat Libre d'Orange celebrate sexuality and eroticism with their aromas, their titles and their images." The brand is reputed for daring and unusual compositions. Their ethos is "luxurious, provocative, sometimes ironic, often subversive, and always elegant."

If you go to their US website, you see just how daring and erotic they want to be/are. The very first image you see is a woman with red lipstick, her mouth is sensually parted, and the text "our business is pleasure" greets you. 

They have a collection of 38 fragrances; I said 40+ above, which probably includes some of their discontinued fragrances. 

On the website, you can choose from those 38 and a discovery set of (almost) the entire collection for $45. Each bottle ranges from $98 for 50ml and $159 for 100ml. I would describe the bottle, but the house already did eloquently.

"Etat Libre d’Orange is a gallery of avant-garde perfumes, a platform for olfactive innovations. No restrictions are imposed on the making of fragrances. The concentration is on the juice, not the packaging. Etat Libre d’Orange doesn’t spend time, energy, or money in the design of its bottles. We are perfumers, not glass-makers. A simple bottle — solid, serious, attractive — holds the true creativity."

Shade all those houses with fun bottles. Mugler?! (I don't think Swardt would shade Mugler, though. He pioneered gourmand, which still has a strong hold on the perfume market, and he was also quite rebellious in fashion.)

While looking through all the profiles, I saw some familiar notes and some unfamiliar ones, which is great! I love learning more about new notes. Their profiles are unique; I wouldn't have thought to put certain notes together because I expect them to smell bad together, but reviewers like the perfume, so it must work for some. 

The two perfumes I would definitely try are The Ghost In The Shell and Philippine Houseboy. Quite the controversial selection. When I hear of the former, I think of ScarJo, the most talented Asian actress in Hollywood. It's obvious why the latter's name would ruffle some feathers... It's not called Fils de Dieu.

The Ghost in the Shell

Aqual, Hexyl acetate, Yuzu

Milk, Skin, Mugane, Jasmine

Ambroxan, Vinyl Guaiacol, Moss

This is a musky, lactonic fragrance, which isn't what I would expect to capture the essence of a cyborg woman, but sure. There are a lot of synthetic notes, which makes sense.

If you have time to look through all the notes and reviews on Fragrantica, I highly suggest it because I've read some wild things. French man's pubes on Putain des Palaces, white gays on Secretions Magnifiques, and leathery sex toys on Tom of Finland (which is to be expected/very on brand.)

If you've tried ELDO's perfumes before, which is your favorite and why?

If you've never tried ELDO's perfumes, did those reviews pique your interest and shock you too?