Etat Libre d'Orange
Etat Libre d'Orange
281 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The mandarin and ginger arrive as a single bright-spicy burst, sharp enough to make you blink, before the pumpkin accord unfurls like warm squash flesh meeting brown butter in a pan. There's an almost savoury quality, a subtle vegetal sweetness that immediately distinguishes this from typical gourmands, whilst the immortelle begins its slow ascent with that distinctive maple-syrup headiness.
The neroli's bitter-petrol edge cuts through the composition, tempering the immortelle's straw-like sweetness and allowing the rose to bloom without sentimentality. This is where the fragrance finds its stride: the spice softens into a warm, rounded hum whilst the florals interweave, creating that nearly-edible quality that hovers between confection and botanical study, never quite committing to either.
Heliotrope takes centre stage with its characteristic almond-powder softness, merging seamlessly with skin-like musk that feels more intimate than projective. The immortelle lingers as a golden, slightly honeyed trace, whilst the vetiver provides the faintest whisper of earthiness—a reminder that beneath all this warmth lies something rooted and real.
Like This defies every expectation of what an Etat Libre d'Orange fragrance should be. Where the house typically traffics in provocation, Mathilde Bijaoui has created something unexpectedly tender—a spiced floral that feels like pulling on a favourite cashmere jumper whilst standing in a Parisian pâtisserie. The pumpkin accord, far from autumnal cliché, acts as a golden, almost savoury backdrop that allows the immortelle to shine without its typical curry-like intensity. This is immortelle done properly: honeyed and mineral, bolstered by ginger's warmth rather than overshadowed by it. The neroli brings a petrol-tinged brightness that keeps the composition from collapsing into gourmand territory, whilst rose adds just enough florality to justify the near-90% floral accord rating without ever becoming soapy or ladylike.
What makes this compelling is the heliotrope-musk base, which wraps everything in a slightly powdery, skin-like veil that reads as both vintage and modern. There's a subtle nuttiness—almost marzipan—that emerges from the interaction between heliotrope and immortelle, creating an edible quality that never tips into sweetness. The vetiver remains barely perceptible, a wisp of earthiness that grounds the sweeter elements just enough. This is for those who want comfort without banality, who understand that "spicy floral" can mean something more nuanced than cinnamon and roses. Tilda Swinton's involvement makes perfect sense: this is androgynous warmth with impeccable bone structure.
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3.6/5 (114)