New Fragrance Review:  Arquiste El and Ella (Rodrigo Flores-Roux) + 70s Beautiful People on the Prowl Acapulco Beach Draw

Acapulco,photobySlimAarons

Acapulco, photo by Slim Aaron

1970s Acapulco. Bronzed goddesses prowl the poolside while sipping champagne cocktails. Tawny, bare-chested men watch them from behind their mirrored shades. A samba is pulsating somewhere in the background, and ripe blossoms sway in the curupita trees.

Cannonballflowers(curupita)

Curupita flowers

Arquiste El and Ella are the latest collaboration between Creative Director Carlos Huber and master perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux, who (along with Yann Vasnier) is the in house perfumer for the House. . The perfumes were inspired by stories Carlos’ parents used to tell him about Acapulco in the 1970s, then the epitome of jet-setting glamour. Nightclubs, champagne, sun-warmed skin, the beat and sweat of the dance floor find their way into El and Ella.

Catherine Wilke

Catherine Wilke, photo by Slim Aarons

“Oh, wow – that smells like the 70s!” cried a friend upon sniffing Ella. Ella’s sparkling fizz of champagne and floral spray of light jasmine and curupita flower (described by Carlos as having “touches of hyacinth, petunia and rose with a characteristic green sage note”) do have a retro feel, recalling the aldehydic florals of the 1970s, such as Ivoire de Balmain, Nina Ricci Farouche and Estee Lauder White Linen. Ella tweaks the feminine gentility of its archetype with musk and animalic notes, suggesting a lady who is not afraid to get a bit dirty – in both senses of the word.

CherylTiegs,photobyKourkenPakchanianforVogue,1973

Cheryl Tiegs, photo by Kourken Pakchanian for Vogue, 1973

From the listed notes, Ella looks like a she-beast, a panther sauntering on the end of a jeweled leash. But her effect is more subtle. Ella has a quiet, self-assured slinkiness with just a hint of trash – think Cheryl Tiegs in a white pantsuit unzipped to her navel. Honey seeps into sparkly, lemony-jasmine top notes. After a few minutes, the honeyed florals are met by the snowy sweetness of angelica. But then the beat changes slightly, the lights lower, and Ella gets a touch of something darker, a paper-thin waft of cigarettes – a Sobranie exhaled from a distance – and musk. Ella dries down to dries down to a warm floral-skin scent. This is White Linen after it’s been rolled around on all night.

 

New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath lounges by the pool with press and fans before Super Bowl III. Photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. for Sports Illustrated

 New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath lounges by the pool with press and fans before Super Bowl III. Photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. for Sports Illustrated 

Ella and her male counterpart, El, share more than a few notes. But where Ella is waiting to be unzipped, El is bare-chested and unapologetic, a butch swagger of a fragrance. It is Burt Reynolds in Deliverance, Joe Namath on the prowl: musky, earthy, assertively male.

DeliveranceBurtReynolds

Burt Reynolds in Deliverance, 1972

A fougere-like opening, with green herbs and peppery geranium, gives way to smoky vetiver and then something earthy and animal. The civet note growls here and is amplified by musk. As it dries down, the fougere accord and animalic notes become balanced: part suave refinement, part open-shirted playboy. Don’t wear this unless you want women to wonder what you look like naked.

Disclosure: Perfume samples provided by Arquiste. Opinions are my own.

Lauryn Beer, Sr. Contributor

ElandElla

.Photo El and Ella via Arquiste

Thanks to the generosity of Twisted Lily, we have two sets of  Arquiste both El and Ella  for two registered readers in the USA. To be eligible please leave a comment with what appeals to you about El and/or Ella based on Lauryn’s review and your favorite seventies fragrance or celebrity. Draw closes 8/28/2016.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option … or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

 

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24 comments

  • I kove that these are unapologetically carnal and utterly ’70s. My favorite fragrances from the era (polar opposites) are Desprez’s Versailles and the original Z-14–beauty and the beast.

  • Wow! This whole article takes me right back to Acapulco in the 70’s!! Spent a bit of time there, flights from Calfornia were cheap and the party scene was hopping!

    Las Brisas Acapulco was brand new, everyone was rocking Fiorucci, gold chains, and Gucci loafers, smoking More Menthols, and Bain De Soleil orange gel was the lotion du jour. Sounds like these two scents capture it perfectly! My cologne was Agua Di Selva (then, an exotic Italian import) and Carven Vetiver in the old crystal bottles. I’m in the USA, and thanks for the trip down memory lane!

  • Richard Potter says:

    Ella sounds fantastic. The pictures were great. I’ve never smelled or seen a curupita tree.

  • Ella – “a quiet, self-assured slinkiness with just a hint of trash” – great phrase! I would like to embody this. I’ve been interested in Ella since I heard about it, especially since I’m all about the seventies lately. Favourite 70’s frag – maybe First? Because my mom wore it. Fave celeb – the ladies from Abba for sure, Agneth and Anni-Fred! I’m not eligible for this giveaway because I live in Canada, but I can’t wait to get my hands on this!

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    I’ve been actually going through a bit of a 70’s vintage scent phase in my ebaying lately…these both sound wonderful! Love the idea of a green aldehydic floral with some subtle animalic heft…and for the hairy-chested swagger of an animalic masculine fougere. Favorites from that era-ish include Rive Gauche (which was right at 1970) and, I know this is pushing it, but Macassar (1980…again…pushing it) definitely has the hairy-chested virility going on in the masculine end!

  • Hikmat Sher Afridi says:

    WOW!!!!!…..that smells like the 70s!. This is amazing & everyone will like to sniff the smell of 70’s. Lauryn Beer review/description into three phases of Ella is wonderful. Both sounds great and the notes are appealing to me.
    My favorite seventies fragrances are: Yatagan, Polo Green, Chaps Ralph Lauren, Givenchy Gentleman, VC&Arpels Pour Homme, Aramis 900, Anais Anais, Magie Noir, Cinnabar, Silences, YSL Opium, Ungaro, Rive Gauche, Marbert Man and many more…
    Thanks to Twistedlily for the generosity & draw. Would like to participate by giving my relative address residing in NY.

  • Well, as always, it had me at animal/civet. And the 1970s retro feel is something I’d like to try. The White Linen comparisons are not hurting, either. I live in Florida

  • I’m up for a new civet scent. Loved the photos above that depict moments of the 70s. On a woman I really love that Cinnabar perfume. U.S.A.

  • Anything that smells like the 70’s, I’m in! Champagne and jasmine sound like a lovely concoction! My favorite fragrances from the era were Ralph Lauren Tuxedo, Safari, Georgio and Pheremone. USA. Thanks for the draw.

  • The 1970s was a nice fragrance decade. A reasonable amount of new releases. What did I like? White Linen, Chloe, Charlie, Cinnabar, Cristalle, Ciara, etc. Champagne fizz and, “…suggesting a lady who is not afraid to get a bit dirty: 🙂 usa

  • MikasMinion says:

    I missed most of the seventies but vividly remember Avon’s Sweet Honesty. It was the first perfume I remember being able to recognize at a distance, it was apparently very popular in my area, and I yearned to have a bottle of my own. Sadly, I was only allowed a tiny splash of 4711 on special occasions. Arpege, Y, Aromatics Elixir, Ô de Lancôme are other favorites discovered in my later youth. I was known in school for wearing “old lady” perfume, but take pride in not having smelled like strawberry shampoo.
    I’m in the US and very much looking forward to trying Ella. I love some of the vintage aldehydic florals and am interested to sniff a current interpretation with fresh top notes.

  • Acapulco in the 70s was very much my childhood idea of glamor (didn’t the Love Boat stop there?), and I’m glad there’s something animalic in both scents, because I picture browned skin covered in tanning oil, back before we knew the danger of skin cancer. My favorite 70s perfume is Opium, although I didn’t wear it until the 80s. I’m in the US.

  • fazalcheema says:

    I am intrigued because these have been clearly inspired by the past decades. I have tried all the fragrances that one think of upon smelling Ella such as white linen and farouche. EL is also something that reminds one of past with its fougere accord and how fougere was once widly splashed by hair-chested figures like Burt Reynolds. Thanks a lot for the draw. My favorite 70’s perfume is without a doubt Opium. I am in the US.

  • doveskylark says:

    This review brought back memories of the gloriously trashy 70s. I was just a kid, but I read my mom’s copy of Fear of Flying and i learned a lot. My favorite 70s fragrance is Babe. I live in the USA.

  • The “gloriously trashy” 70’s is about right: this article has a club soundtrack playing in my head ;). I love that El and Ella are such a celebration, and embrace their carnal aspects. The animalics in these seem both bold and sultry. The curupita flowers are so unusual, and very beautiful. I would love to know how they smell! I’m keen to see how Rodrigo Flores-Roux has used this element.

    Thank you Cafleurebon and Twisted Lily for the generous draw. US please.

  • The seventies were my “coming of age” years. Loved many fragrances from that time especially Chloe, Lauren, Aromatics Elixir, Charlie, Anais Anais, Halston, and Babe was one of my first fragrances I requested for a Christmas gift. Also loved many Estee Lauder fragrances such as White Linen. When I read that Ella smells like White Linen after a long night, I got excited to smell this. I would also like to smell El on my husband! In the U.S.

  • What a wonderful review! I would love to win both – and have my husband try it! Though i wouldn’t want anyone wondering what he looked like naked!
    My favorite perfumes of the 70’s – pretty limited. Anaiis Anaiis, Probably Coty’s? Muguet de Bois, and have to say it, add in some Love’s Baby Soft. I was pretty young.
    Thank you for this very generous draw! I’m in the US.

  • I loved reading this!! When i read “a quiet, self-assured slinkiness with just a hint of trash” you really triggered me for i love dirty, weird but lovely at the same time!
    I love a lot about the seventies, for instance the raw and gorgeous voice of Melanie. I love the retro art of back then and my curtains (green with brown with orange flowers on them, haha! Flower power and Jasmine is just that!!!
    My number one 70’s fragrance is YSL Opium for sure!!

    So i’m very eager to win this draw and spray both El and Ella all over!

    I live in the Netherlands 🙂

  • I loved reading this article and I can’t wait to try Ella! I loved White Linen and I know that Carlos Huber has done amazing things will Ella. I love aldehydic fragrances and White Linen and Cinnabar are among the tops thanks to my mom, but another favorite is Le Labo Aldehyde 44. I live in the US and thanks for the draw! 🙂

  • I am completely digging El. Sounds so raw, dirty, sinful. This is a must try for me. I love the tropics and hitting the beach, chillin in the sun. Then going directly to have cocktails on the beachfront hitting a T-dance disco. I can imaging the smell perfectly. I know this would be a hit for me. I enjoy these type of scents immensely yet they are hard to find. Excited to smell what Mr. Huber’s has concocted this time. I have always enjoyed Caron Yatagan and Harrison Ford has always been a favorite of mine. In the USA. Thanks for a great creation draw.

  • Diana Devlin says:

    Ha! I love the line “This is White Linen after it’s been rolled around on all night.” That’s too funny! I really love the way Ella sounds. A warm floral skin scent is just my vibe!

    My favorite scent from the 70’s was Bonne Bell Skin Musk.

    I live in the U.S.

  • Bring it on! Can’t wait to try them. I love the idea of a fragrance the isn’t afraid to speak its mind! Favorite 70″s fragrance is Opium for sure.

  • I love how geared toward seduction the 70’s were. And I’m glad at least some artists aren’t afraid to reclaim that feature. I’m a guy but lately I’ve been wearing vintage YSL Opium which must have smelled perfectly in tune with St. Laurens’s late 1970’s lines. The fougere and civet combo appeals to me. I’m looking forward to the drawing! Thanks Twisted Lily!!