New Perfume Review: Etat Libre D’Orange Remarkable People + Happy Therapy Draw

EtatLibred'Orange-RemarkablePeople-

Etat Libre d’Orange (ELDO) has been releasing intriguing perfumes with provocative names since their inception nearly ten years ago. Etienne de Swardt launched the brand with an edgy often risque sensibility. He clearly has a talent, not only for curating a line of offbeat fumes, but also for marketing. He has succeeded in creating a real buzz in the crowded niche marketplace with an outrageous and uncovential image, and there’s nothing quite like it. Etat Libre d’Orange has one much talked about fragrance, the modern masterpiece Sécrétions Magnifiques (Antonie Lie) that still pulses electric shocks of terror through those less intrepid travelers. We met up with Etienne at Esxence in March where he debuted his latest fragrance, Remarkable People.

etienne de swardt and cecile matton polge

Etienne de Swardt  and Mane Perfumer Cecile Matton Polge

Remarkable People, the latest release is a reworking of Joséphine Baker, a perfume Etat Libre d’Orange made for Sephora, but no longer available. The perfumer is Cecile Matton Polge (one of the noses behind Bonbon for Viktor & Rolf).

josephine baker champagne

Champagne Bottle Chilling on ice: Jospehine Baker with author George Simenon at  La Coupule Paris, 1925 in honor of  his novel an Act of Passion  (she was his onetime paramour)

Referencing the link between Remarkable People and Joséphine Baker, Etienne de Swardt says: “Remarkable People is another ‘mash-up,’ like True Lust; we have combined formulas from Josephine Baker with a fragrance we developed which was never released. I have worked with my sister in the evaluation and I presume we have a good joyful scent inspired from past days of glory and "insouciance" with pink champagne on ice. "C'est une construction joyeuse", positive, the art of celebration and seduction. Very much needed when reading the daily news ! Cecile Matton is roughly 60 % of the bouquet if you want the numbers.The code name internally was "happy therapy"!

Yayoi Kusama

Yayoi Kusama

The marketing material talks about “the “un” people – uncompromising, unexpected, unconventional, unpredictable. We salute them, we honour them, by offering the extraordinary fragrance they deserve.” I have to agree with Etienne, that this is one of those happy, smiley face perfumes. It is not overly complicated and smells good enough to eat.

 

Yayoi Kusama, Pumpkin Chess Set 2003

Yayoi Kusama, Pumpkin Chess Set 2003

Remarkable People has been not only a fun wear but also seems to lift my mood on each spray. It opens with a fizzy champagne accord doused in grapefruit that sparkles and shines with a hint of fun to come. Cardamon has a starring role and that suits me just fine. It lends a delicious spiciness that provides a contrast with what has gone before. There's a touch of gourmand yumminess, reminiscent of that sugary stickiness on fingers when a lolly is unwrapped and popped in one’s mouth. You have the remnants of the sugar but not the full blown effect.

Flowers (1) by Yayoi Kusama

Flowers (1) by Yayoi Kusama

. Listed in the notes is curry JE – Mane’s Jungle Essence extraction that apparently captures the true rendition of the original product’s aroma. Well don’t let this addition put you off. I can only detect a faint curried effect; this is certainly no Vindaloo by any means. It merely adds to the laid back spiciness, although a sweetness is still detectable. The oriental styled base has a feel good vibe and settles nicely.  There’s labdanum, sandalwood and lorenox, which is an accord developed by Mane that can be woody, ambery, leathery and aromatic. It’s definitely woody in the dry down with light amber and a twist of leather but nothing too overt, it’s not one of those chemical wood based horrors that smells like there’s a bonfire on my skin.

The Obliteration Room, envisioned by Yayoi Kusama

The Obliteration Room, envisioned by Yayoi Kusama

Remarkable People is an easy to wear, warm and comforting perfume. It has a smooth, rounded texture with a sweetness that reminds me a little of La Fin du Monde in that this is a deliciousness that works.  It's not too overpowering and makes you want to come back for more. This perfume doesn't take itself too seriously, there’s a sense of dottiness and playfulness in true Yayoi Kusama style. Sometimes you can have a little fun with your perfume and smell great at the same time.

Megan Paki, Senior Contributor, ÇaFleureBon and Editor of meganinsaintemaxime.com

Disclosure : I received samples from Etat Libre d’Orange

Yayoi Kusama 4

Yayoi Kusama

Megan chose a remarkable person Yayoi Kusama, a 86 year old Japanese multi media artist and writer known for her avant garde work. Her art can be found on art.net. My reimaged photo of Josephine Baker was the orignal I found via ourmaninparis.tumblr.com

Thanks to Etat Libre D’Orange wehave a 100ml bottle of Remarkable People for draw.  To be eligible you must be a registered CaFleureBon reader, and leave a comment with why you would want to win, where you live, your favorite  Etat LibreD’Orange perfume and a remarkable person. USA, CANADA and EU readers. Draw closes May 22, 2015

We announce the winners on our 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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44 comments

  • I love to win because I want to be a remarkable person. I live in the US and my favorite ELDO perfume is Rein.

  • MikasMinion says:

    My favorite ELDO is Rien. I remember liking Josephine Baker but I never got a bottle. I’m looking forward to trying the reinterpretation. I was recently thinking of a college professor I had who was just fantastic and certainly a remarkable person. I’m in the U.S.

  • BlessedTA says:

    I would like to try it.

    I don’t have a favourite. I’m in Canada.

    Thanks for the chance.

  • Systeme D says:

    I would be a remarkably happy person if I won this draw because cardamom is my favorite note of all, and I just learned from Megan’s review that it has “a starring role” in Remarkable People.

    My favorite ELDO fragrance is Fils de Dieu du Riz et des Agrumes, but I also love Rien.

    I am in the US.

    When I think of Etat Libre d’Orange, a remarkable person that comes to mind is Tilda Swinton. She’s so talented!

  • This sounds like a fun interesting fragrance. I loved hearing about Kusama also. I want to win because I am forever ever to try new things! Thanks for the draw. I’m in the US.

  • I would love to win this because I really enjoyed my sample of Josephine Baker that I had tried in the past. My current favorite ELDO fragrance is Like This and a remarkable person I know is my sister! I am in the U.S.

  • in a way it is odd the past few EDLO have not been totally original. I think the last one was Quentin Bisch but hey I liked Rien Intense. My favorite EDLO is fat electrician. I love cardamon so I would like to win. A remarkable person was Harvey Milk.
    USA

  • My favorite is Delicious Closet Queen. I want to win because this house has some unique scents. A bottle of this size would be so fab. 🙂 USA

  • fazalcheema says:

    I want to win because ELDO is one of the most innovative brands in my opinion and I like avant garde creations if they may not be wearable..this is how art should be . My favorite ELDO creation continues to be Jasmin et Cigarette. The remarkable person that has me most inspired these days is without a doubt Carl Sagan. I am in the US.

  • Thank you to Etat Libre D’Orange and Cafleurebon!! This is wonderful. I am so eager to try Etat Libre D’Orange’s happy, sparkling, cardamom scent! I enjoy cardamom perfumes that are not simply warm spices. The citrus in this makes it all the more appealing. My favorite ELdO is Like This, and my remarkable person is Eartha Kitt, for the incredible life she led and incredible tenacity she portrayed. I am in the US. Thank you!

  • I admire ELdO as a house for their playfulness and wit, even if not all their offerings work well on me! I do enjoy Like This a great deal, and Remarkable People sounds like a wonderful pairing with summer in Seattle. (Grapefruit doesn’t usually work on me, but the drydown appeals to me a great deal!) My remarkable person…hmm…today it might have to be Bernie Sanders! I live in the U.S., and thanks for such a generous draw!

  • The base notes alone make me want to try this perfume. I’m a sucker for these sweet and comforting notes, which is also why ELDO’s Like This is my favorite from the line.

    Thanks for the draw. I’m in Canada.

  • Laurentiu says:

    I would like to try ‘Remarkable People’ because the combination of sandalwood and champagne is quite new to me and I am curious about it. Also, I have never tried a perfume with curry or with lorenox and I am curious how those two ingredients join the composition.
    My favourite ELdO is Tom of Finland. For me the most remarkable person has to be my mother.
    I am from EU. Thanks!

  • I’d like to win because I definitely need a happy, smiley face perfume. The remarkable person I’d choose is Oscar Wilde. My favourite ELDO is Like This. I live in the UK. Thanks for this opportunity!

  • Marcopietro says:

    What interesting rewiew! I love Jospehine Baker, but Yayoi Kusama is a real revelation for me. I like Eldo fragrances and even the most foolish of them are interesting. My favorite one is Tom of Finland.
    I think a remarkable contemporary person is Pope Francesco.
    I live in EU.
    Thanks!

  • I live in Romania. would like to win as niche perfumes are difficult to find here. My fav ELDO is Like This (coz Tilda is a remarkable person) Thank you !

  • Very nice review! And thank you for this lovely draw. I had never tried any of Etat LibreD’Orange perfume, but I heard a lot of good about those particular perfumes. So I’m very interest about them. I would like to win, because the notes sounds very nice, and interesting. I would be glad, If I would win. A remarkable person for example my mother.
    I live in Europe.

  • Iphigenia says:

    I want to experience Remarkable people because in the review there is a part that says : “There’s a touch of gourmand yumminess, reminiscent of that sugary stickiness on fingers when a lolly is unwrapped and popped in one’s mouth. You have the remnants of the sugar but not the full blown effect” and since I am a gourmand perfumes lover, I definitely want to try it.
    Unfortunately, I have no favorite perfume from this house since I have not experienced any yet. I live in EU and I thank you both for the lovely review pictures included and draw as well.

  • Hello, I am in the USA and am crazy about the work of Yayoi Kusama. She is a remarkable person! My favorite ELD’O is Like This, created with Tilda Swinton, who is also a remarkable person…I’d love to try more of their fragrances. If I won, I’d be able to get started on that! Thanks so much.

  • I would like to win for the grapefruit and champagne notes. My favorite ELDO is the Cologne released last year. U.S. ty

  • Anything that mentions champagne, my favorite drink, gets my attention! My favorite from this line is Bijou Romantique. I also like Fils de Deu (probably spelled this wrong). I am in the USA

  • I would like to win because every ELdO I have tried was, at least, remarkably original. I live in Belgium, in the EU. My favourite ELdO is Noël au Balcon, and I think that remarkable persons are the ones who contribute to the good of others, for example all those scientists who are anonymously trying to find a cure against HIV, or the ones who are helping sick people in underdeveloped countries. Those are the remarkable people we should know by first and last name.

  • silvrolive says:

    I love cardamom and this scent sounds absolutely delicious! My favorite ELdO scent is Like This. A remarkable person is Natalie Portman. I am in the US. Thanks for the draw!

  • Great review, Megan.
    Remarkable People sounds delightful, it contains so many of my favorite notes.
    My favorite ELdO is Putain des Palaces.
    Thank you for the opportunity. I am in the U.S.

  • Valentine Girl says:

    I would love to try this for the cardamom & curry with a twist of grapefruit & a douse of champagne. I also am intrigued by the nomadic extraction tool & process used by Mane to create their Jungle EssencesTM and would love to try something that utilizes them in the final creation.
    I like Sex Pistols because I was, and still am, a punk rock kind of girl! My remarkable people are Nelson Mandela, Marcus Garvey, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I reside in the USA. Thanks for the draw!

  • This sounds so unique – I am having a hard time imagining what it might smell like! It also sounds different from anything I’ve tried, so I’d love the opportunity to try it. I’ve never tried any ELdO scents so far. As for a remarkable person – definitely my father. He is amazing and talented and always puts his family first. My first role model for sure. Thanks for the draw, I’m in the US.

  • pursejunkie says:

    My favorite ELdO is Fat Electrician, I’m in the US and my remarkable person du jour is David Foster Wallace. I hope to win because I strive to try all ELdO scents and never got to sample JB. Plus: champagne!

  • I would love to win because ELdO is one of my favorite houses.

    My favorite from the house is Tom of Finland.

    A remarkable person is Paul Newman.

    I am in the US. Thank you for the draw.

  • It sounds interesting! My favourite is Vraie Blonde. Josephine Baker was a fairly remarkable person. I am in the EU

  • My all time fav. Rose fragrance is Rossy de Palma. I adore this fragrance. ETAT has been making their mark by creating such enigmatic fragrances that I want to try them all. I’m excited to get my hands on this one. The remarkable person I know personally is my dad. Celeb-wise Bjork is just a remarkable artist to exist in this world. In fact there should be a Bjork inspired/collaborated fragrance, now that would be creative and complex at its core!
    Thank USA

  • I live in the US. My favorite Etat is Bijou Romantique which is probably one the of the most complimented fragrances in my perfume wardrobe. People find it unique and sexy. I personally find the Etat fragrances t be fun and I love the names. The notes sound fantastic and the easy to wear comment sucked me right in. A remarkable person to me is not just one person, but all the people that make a difference and change lives for the better.

  • My favorite is Putain des Palaces. The new fragrance, Remarkable People sounds very nice and I’d like to try it. I live in Romania.

  • This sounds like it would make a delicious go-to fragrance. I live in the U.S. and my favorite ELDO is my bottle of Putain des Palaces. As far as a remarkable person, I would have to say Stephan Hawking.

    Thank you for the delightful draw 🙂

  • I live in the USA. I would love to get my hands on this scent because I missed out on ELDO Josephine Baker. My favorite is Tom of Finland.

    Remarkable persons: Josephine Baker and Frida Kahlo.

  • Latifah S says:

    This fragrance sounds interesting. If I had to select a favorite.. .it would be Putain de Palaces or Fils de dieu. They are both subtle and beautiful. Like This is also a nice fragrance. I am in the US. At first thought I would say Misty Copeland is pretty remarkable… inspirational really. However, in all honesty, I was just thinking about my mother. I feel she’s a pretty remarkable person as well.

    Thanks for the draw!

  • I would like to win because I love the sound of the champagne and the grapefruit in it. Makes this scent sound so fresh and great for the warm weather.

    My favorite ELDO fragrance will always be Je Suis un Homme! I love that scent.

    It might be an safe answer, but I’ve always looked at my parents as being remarkable people. They’ve always been there for me and I adore them.

    Canada

  • rodelinda says:

    I would love to win because a) I could use something happy and fizzy right about now and b) I’d never heard of Yayoi Kusama before seeing the pictures in this review, and now I know I’ve been missing out on something fabulous. I’m in the US. Thanks!

  • rodelinda says:

    Whoops, forgot to say that my favorite ELdO is Putain des Palaces, and I think the author Susan Cooper is a remarkable person.

  • I would like to win because I love the “delicious spiciness” of cardamom. I live in the US and have not yet had the pleasure of wearing an Etat LibreD’Orange perfume. I think Amal Clooney is a remarkable person.

  • I love cardamom, but I am picky when it is incorporated into perfume. I am eager to try Remarkable People, because I think this might be my-glass-of-champagne cardamom. I haven’t tried many ELDO perfumes, but I really like Putain des Palaces, and it’s dusty spicy violet.
    My mother is a remarkable person, a devoted pediatrician and a loving grandmother! I also admire Audrey Hepburn and Mother Teresa.
    I am in Bulgaria (EU). Thank you for the chance!

  • This “smiley face perfume” is tempting with its champagne opening and an effect of “sugary stickiness”. Curry JE sounds like a recommendation. Josephine Baker is certainly an inspiring person. My favorite ELd’O perfumes are Tom of Finland and Fils de Dieu… My favorite,great actor, even greater humanitarian Paul Newman is my choice. I read the previous comments, someone has already mentioned him, but Paul is always my answer. I’m in the EU, Croatia. Thank you.

  • This sounds like the perfect “happy” fragrance. And looking at the notes, it must smell incredible! I’ve never tried an ELDO fragrance, but I’m very interested in the house. A remarkable person is definitely my mother. Canada

  • I’d love to win because Remarkable People sounds truly delicious, and ELdO never fails to make me smile. I love Putain des Palaces very much, so far that is probably my favorite. A remarkable person who is currently on my mind is one of my best friends who overcame much to graduate from nursing school as an older student, who reminds me we can do anything we put our minds to. I’m in the US, thanks!

  • Greg Mayne says:

    Talk about a calming and refreshing scent! Just the name makes me think of positive things. My fav ELDO scent is Tom of Finland. My remarkable person is my mother. She’s perfect!

    Canadian reader