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"For Jasmin et Cigarette, I asked Antoine Maisondieu about his version of femininity. For him, it was jasmine twisted with tobacco." —Etienne de Swardt, founder and Creative Director of Etat Libre D'Orange

 

Etienne De Swardt

Most of us in perfume land are familiar with niche fragrance house Etat Libre D'Orange and Creative Director Etienne de Swardt’s vision that fragrances should engage the senses, push our boundaries and as in the case ELDO's infamous first fragrance Sécrétions Magnifiques, provoke us.  I am a fan of many of the Etat Libre D’Orange scents because they don’t fear to travel the fine line between unique and unwearable.

Charlotte Gainsbourg, from Cut (Japan) 1994  Jean Baptiste Mondino

My favorite is Jasmin et Cigarette,  the second fragrance released by Etat Libre D'Orange,  composed by master perfumer Antoine Maisondieu in 2006.  This is the perfume of a beautiful woman, surely with a past. I imagine her at a bar, oblivious to the No Smoking sign and no one cares or dares her to tell her to stub out the cigarette that fills the room and mixes on her skin with soft florals and the smell of smoke. There is something very French about this perfume, she actually talks to me, in a husky voice, in a language I don’t understand, but her meaning is clear. If ever a perfume was a conversation Jasmin et Cigarette speaks to me until the bar closes after her last set.  

Perfumer Antoine Masiondieu

For my story I wanted to use Antoine Maisondeu’s idea of femininity and amplify it by adding the concept of feminine confidence and seduction.

 

Charlotte Gainsbourg Oyster Magazine

There's something about a self-assured woman that has time and time again seduced  powerful men, (Samson and Delilah, Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, Helen of Troy and Paris, Josephine and Bonaparte, Marilyn Monroe and JFK). Was it their feminine wiles or was it their scent that brought them to their knees?

Photo: Charlotte encore pitchfork.com

My Purgatory by The Nosey Artist

I could tell she was staring into my soul through the silhouette of her cigarette smoke as she exhaled the last drag of her Gauloise, unfortunately she failed to tell me what she  saw but judging by what I felt at the moment I had a pretty good idea…

For the first time in my life my macho bravado had completely faded away, my aura grey, my persona cloaked in cautious curiosity—I knew I was being led astray.

I was no longer surrounded by my corporate comfort and no amount of capital could provide me security. I was being strung along by a French jezebel who was both gamine and femme-fatale. From her bohemian chic style to her dark plum colored lip stick . She  smiled out of the corner of her mouth, lshe was letting me know that her seductive powers were  going to wear me down.

Charlotte Gainsbourg Heaven Can Wait

I fumbled through the silverware as I grabbed the spoon to stir my coffee, anything to keep my mind occupied, and then it hit me; that intense aroma that lifted off her skin and made its way to my nose. At first it was soft, subtle, and slightly soapy like the last cry for attention a white flower gives in the fall before it wilts and its beautiful smell fades away, but now it was singing to me in a rather melodic tone but with a deep and dark underlying story to it like the lyrics to Charlotte Gainsbourgs's Heaven Can Wait. The musky aroma of jasmine was uplifting and erotic all at the same time, and the sweet vanilla note paired with her natural smell was enough to subdue the alarming feeling I felt and keep me right in my seat to continue to fall victim to her mind games. I thought to myself, "Yes, heaven can wait and hell is too far to go- so for the time being I will allow her to be my purgatory."

I lifted my coffee to my lips and took a sip as I peered over to her from the edge of the cup. I knew I was in trouble but I was in no rush to save my self; I was buckled in for the ride no matter where she decided to take me…

Charlotte Gainsbourg  Photo by Benoit Peverelli

.The composition notes are Jasmine absolute, tobacco, apricot, tonka beans, cedar, musk, and amber and depending on the time of year different notes take the lead while others create a foundational background. During the summer season,  the musky narcotic of Jasmine was much more noticeable,  even more so as the scent dried down and the tobacco notes surfaced  to kiss me  with red painted lips.  Now, during a cooler season the Jasmine note seems more fresh and slightly soapy and the tonka bean, with its hint of sweetness  mixes with the smoke at the dry down. Apricot is listed  but  I could never detect  it until I sprayed the fragrance on my friend who is a woman, and although as a man I wear  Jasmin et Cigarette  the nuances of the fragrance are, as perhaps they should be more noticeable on a woman. Sillage is excellent, as it should be. And yes, it brings me to my knees… for hours.

Disclosure: from my personal collection

–The Nosey Artist, Contributor (follow him on Instagram @the_noseyartist.

Art Direction Michelyn Camen

Jasmine et Cigarette (photo The Nosy Artist)

Thanks to our long time friend Etienne de Swardt of Etat Libre d’Orange we have a worldwide draw for a registered reader (you must do this or your comment is invalid) for 100ml of Jasmin et Cigarette

Discovery Kit of 20 Etat Libre D'Orange Perfumes

OR

a Discovery kit of 20 samples of “The Greatest Hits”. To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about The Nosey Artist’s review and story,( extra credit if  you include a quote from perfume prose) where you live, which you would like to win  and if you have a favorite Etat Libre D’Orange Perfume. Draw closes 11/12/2015

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.