Etat Libre d’Orange

Dangerous Complicity by Violaine Collas for Etat Libre d’Orange 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hey frag hounds,

There has been a lot of talk about the two fragrances released around the same time by ELdO, Afternoon of a Faun and today’s offering. Having loved the Claude Debussy Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun as a child I will spend some real time with it, and the fragrance, soon for you. I really enjoy the name of the fragrance that we’ll be talking about today….

Dangerous Complicity by Etat Libre d’Orange 2012

Dangerous Complicity Etat Libre d`Orange FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one linew:
Rum, ginger, Chinese osmanthus, coconut, bay leaves, calamus, leather, patchouli, ylang ylang, Egyptian jasmine, Lorenox, cashmere wood, sandalwood

So you have probably read the back story of Dangerous Complicity, Adam & Eve: “By eating the forbidden fruit, complicity took on another dimension, and became dangerous. They lost their innocence and their paradise. The door was opened to carnal energy, they were liberated from restrictions, and they could now create their own version of Eden” The inspiration is a story that most Christians and many others are aware of. A good place to start but fraught because we all have our own preconceived idea of how that fall should smell.

Dangerous Complicity ELdO Adam + Eve WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Opens sprightly citrus, ginger, vanilla and tea-ish, like a milky chai. This is a surprise because everything I’ve been reading says that Dangerous Complicity is only dangerously generic. Not how Dangerous Complicity opens for me at all, um, HA HA HA HA!! Note to self, put your glasses on before you spritz! Ha Ha Ha HA HA HA!! I am an IDIOT. Hilarious. Sorry all I’ll be back to review this after my next bath.

OK Back on track and we have spritzed…….

So are these notes for real? I miss all ginger and rum completely but get a soft wash of very pretty flowers that are absolutely depthless. A fragrant solo soprano equivalent, floating and disconnected from anything earthly but without any of the chills and goosebumps. Soft, feminine and wispy, a winsome fragrance for people who don’t want to overshadow their own scent but enhance it with pretty waxy florals that float through the heart. Is this made for Asia? For schoolgirls? How did they get this name? Seriously, this is the perfumer who brought us Honour Woman by Amouage, at least this shows diversity, he he he.

I think Dangerous Complicity is called that because it’s Dangerous to Comply with the current trend for some drugstore offerings and some celebuscents: ethereal whispers of bland nothing. Or are the ELdO people proclaiming their outrage at the IFRA regs coming in and making a bland statement against what could end up being all we are allowed to have in perfume very soon? Remember the fuss when By Killian brought out the Asian Tales series? Was there the same outrage for this or was everyone so uninspired that they let it slide?

watercolour 2Photo Stolen ⚫ Flickr

Further reading: The Non Blonde
LuckyScent has $149/100ml and samples
Surrender To Chance starts at $4.50/ml

Have you tried Dangerous Complicity? Is it just not working on my skin? Please tell me that it’s not as banal as I am getting.
Portia xx

Fat Electrician by Antoine Maisondieu for Etat Libre d’Orange 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hello Fragrance Friends,

You may or may not know that my partner is an electrician, or sparky as we call them in Australia. I had longed for today’s fragrance for ages, just because I thought it would be funny to have in my collection. I grabbed a decant and drained it in record time so then I decided it was absolutely and utterly FB worthy. Every now and then Parfum1 has a 20% off sale and when they had one recently I was all over it like a rash, and here is one of my purchases. Sadly they no longer have stock of

Fat Electrician by Etat Libre d’Orange 2009

Fat Electrician FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Vetiver, olive leaves, marron glaces, vanilla, opoponax and myrrh

From the ELdO site: His beauty would have been his greatest asset. A midnight cowboy, his splendor was consumed in the service for others. Now, a fat electrician in New Jersey, he is cursed with the memory of his glory days. Because all beauty carries within itself the knowle­dge that it cannot last…

Well, there is a LOT of online discourse about the names and backstories of the ELdO range. My opinion is that it’s fun and harmless story creation at its best. I don’t know the people involved but they seem silly and naughty, not afraid to push a boundary and are creating engaging perfumes that are essentially wearable, with a couple of notable exceptions. Here are my imaginary before & after Electricians, he he he!

Fat Electrician 24SevenElectricsBefore Photo Stolen 24SevenElectrics

Fat Electrician Him.UKAfter Photo Stolen Him.UK

How does Fat Electrician smell? On my skin it opens all diesel and woods, which they say is the vetiver, dirty and dark with a greenness and balsamic sweetness all smooshed in together. There is also a metallic tang that reminds me of the years we used to take LSD, that initial metallic almost blood-ish taste as you chew your cardboard. OMG! I just physically shuddered at the memory. Imagine wearing Tam Dao in a mechanics garage, yes? That’s Fat Electrician.

Fat electrician has quite a bit of space between the notes, interestingly it feels both dense and light and bears absolutely no resemblance to my electrician or his ass crack. I get earthy, dirty vetiver and some slight softening and sweetening as the fragrance lives. The resins are not really getting much of a workout today though. Perhaps the cool air does Fat Electrician no favours, I get less growth and the story is far less interesting that in the 20+ celcius weather where it blossoms beautifully. Looks like I’m going to have to put this baby into the return to wear at Spring box and relegate it to the back of the cupboard. DamnIt! I was hoping for a fabulous winter extravaganza with Fat Electrician.

Fat Electrician SUCCUBUS COFFIN LaurieFlowerPhoto Stolen LaurieFlower

Later the same day: WOW! There is a definitely fresh hewn wood with beeswax polished, finished products and some smoky charred wood nearby. I’m about 3 hours in and suddenly Fat Electrician has started to give me its beauty. In the cool air the life is extended by HOURS! and the release is slower and way more interesting. BRAVO ELdO.

Further reading: PerfumeSmellin’Things and I really like the ambivelence of EauMG’s review too
EtatLibreD’Orange currently has 69€/50ml with FREE WORLD SHIPPING!!
SurrenderToChance starts at $4.75/ml

Where do you stand on the ELdO range? Are you outraged or amused by their names and stories?

We hope to see you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Secretions Magnifiques by Etat Libre d`Orange LIVE Video Sniff

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 23 Comments

Hey Hey All,

Something incredible happened today. My set of Andy Tauer’s Dark Passage, Miriam and Loretta all arrived! YAY!! Look out for my breathless reviews very soon. I’m so EXCITED!

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

About 2 weeks ago one of my buddies, Robert “Radium” Maxwell, and I were doing a video on Comme des Gracons Series 6, Synthetics. Radium is a Freaky Fragrance Fanatic, loving the weird and quirky side of the perfume coin. As a special Thank You to him I brought along an extra special LIVE sniff sample. Secretions Magnifiques by Etat Libre d`Orange.

Photo Stolen ELdO

We had seen Katie Puckrik do a live sniff and found it entertaining and a little gross sounding. BINGO! We wanted to get us some of that.

Photo Stolen answersto

Here is our LIVE sniff. The video was shot and edited by my BFF Kath and made ready for the internet by Jin. Thanks guys. You are AWESOME!

I hope you enjoyed watching us, it was fun bringing it to you.

See you tomorrow,

Portia xx