Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration Review (Mathilde Bijaoui) 2022+ It Will Always Feel Like Autumn Giveaway

Etat Libred D'Orange Frustration

Midjourney prompt & Photoshop edit by Nicoleta for Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration

During a summer a few years ago, while walking on the Ramblas in Barcelona, I listened to a song by Rare Bird, an English band of progressive rock from the 70s. The song was called Sympathy, and the chorus was “and sympathy is what you need my friend, and sympathy is what you need my friend cause there’s not enough love to go ‘round, No, there’s not enough love to go ‘round…”. And there, suddenly, with the richness of a whole psychoanalytical past (according to Lacan), this same past which sometimes foists my strength on others or sometimes my great weakness on myself, there emerged from the refrain a word stronger than sympathy. It planted its black flag of melancholy in the heart of my mind, and issued forth a word more correct, more vast, more true, more sincere, more useful since forged in the experience of life: FRUSTRATION.  And then to sing again in my head the substituted refrain “…And frustration is what you need my friend, and frustration is what you need my friend.” -Founder and Creative Director of Etat Libre D’Orange Etienne de Swardt on the inspiration for Frustration

Approximately one year ago, my pupils dilated and nostrils fluttered in anticipation, reading the press release for Ghost in the Shell (which I reviewed here). It lit up so many parts of my brain: the “groupie” level of excitement as a long time Etat Libre D’Orange fan, the references to one of the best SF books of all time: Hyperion by Dan Simmons, and the neon cherry on the top – the name that teleported me straight to Shirow Masamune visual wizardry and the hypnotic rain montage from Ghost in the Shell.

Mathilde Bijaoui Mane

MANE perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui

With Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration, composed by MANE perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui things were no different. It sent me directly to one of my favorite quotes, from one of the most transformative TV series – Twin Peaks – and inexorably set the tone of expectations. The connection? A frustrating one. Major Garland Briggs’ biggest fear also lurks, growls, and echoes in the muddy corners of my own mind. “The possibility that love is not enough”.

Anticipation is the prelude of love, isn’t it? As I waited, counting my postal taker, twice I day, for my Frustration parcel to arrive, I listened to a lot of Julle Cruise (whose death earlier this year didn’t hit me until now. But somehow, now it did. Like a ton of bricks).

Sherilynn Fenn as Audrey Horne Twin Peaks

Funny thing Etienne brought up Lacan* and the psychoanalytical past as this string of associations opened up drawers in my mind that I haven’t looked in for thirty years. I vividly remembered my childhood days, when pretending I was Audrey Horne, dancing eyes closed in a café, was my whole personality. I smiled thinking how in one episode, as a summer job, Audrey works at a perfume counter, and I thought then that working in anything perfume related is the most glamorous thing you can do. And let me tell you a secret: I still do and I still look at the wonderful ladies selling us perfumes in the elegant, thick carpeted stores with the same giddy childlike admiration of a kid (even if I’m sometimes twice their age). Sometimes times does feel circular, but when you get to where the line closes into a circle, frustration turns to possibility.

*In the Lacanian approach to psychoanalysis we are offered retroaction or Nachträglichkeit, deferred action: a system whereby future events control the meaning of ones in the past. So effects frequently determine their causes, rather than the other way around or, in other words, memory is reprinted in accordance with later experience.

Twin Peaks TV series still, Audrey Horne dancing

Autumn, being my favourite season, and October my most beloved month, I have countless rituals – big and small- to which I look forward all year. The first day of October, for me, is summed up in a short and simple gesture – my arms stretching inside the sleeves of my old, worn out, favourite brown leather jacket.

From the first moments on the skin, Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration smells red, warm and rusty. Intimate and lived in, just like the reassuring comforting feeling of your old jacket, an added shield of comfort, worn on top of the skin, deep rusty colours seeping into the soul, like honey slowly infusing a hot black cinnamon tea. The first signal of what’s inside – the iconic bottle- this time in a stunning blood red glass edition with the antiqued gold stamp on the corner. Weighty, tactile and catching the light of post-autumn-equinox sun is une obscur object du desir in itself.

My parents met in autumn, when college started, in a reddish October somewhere in the late hippie age, in a town where some variation of October fest was held. I grew up with “love genesis” stories hanging around at the border of my consciousness, like an inverted version of a villain origin story in a superhero movie. A particular story hovers in the air, like a warm rusty cloud, carried back to life by the scent – on how in the evenings, the air would get cold and they would buy roasted chestnuts from the street vendors and stuff them in their coat pockets, fresh out of the fire, to keep their hands warm. The stories about how they met embedded in me the idea that love must smell like waking through the cobbled streets of an old town with pointy roofs, there where the raindrops make a different kind of music dancing on the pavement and the lights of the streetlamp drew long yellow lines on the waters of Bega. Maybe there, one Saturday evening, the seed of the frustration was born and attracted possibility. The possibility that there’s IS enough love to go ‘round.

Etat Libre d'Orange Frustration review

Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration by Nicoleta

The whipped cream chestnut puree made by mom, (a much less sophisticated eastern European variation of the more famous Montblanc dessert) filled the house with the smell of roasted chestnuts, vanilla, sugar and rum and signaled, pavlovian, that autumn began and all possibilities were open. I keep walking, in this imaginary olfactive world, where real and borrowed memories mix together, in another old town, where old houses had eyes and street vendors selling mulled wine, to be drunk from rough ceramic cups, hands deep in the warm pockets, footsteps crackling with dried out leaves. Warming up a glass of cognac on the balcony of the house that stood near the liar’s bridge, where the mountains in the horizon looked like impossible clouds, laughter and the sound of the old piano coming in from the old neighbours who still walked hand in hand. Love, a deeper kind of love and the sheer absence of it opened and closed new doors of possibility. Fast-forward to the “Castañada” traditions, encountered later in life in the north of Spain, and red threads of time stretching further, on the map, to a more northern sea and the communion of the darkest corners lit up by the bonfires of all souls night. And love transcending time, even if it is not – temporarily – enough, on the larger scale it is enough to grow the seed of possibility.  And maybe, in a multiverse theory of the soul the relativity of cause-and-effect merges into one endless circle. Frustrating yet fertile axiom of choice.

Returning to the more prosaic subject of cause-and-effect and reflections mirrored back and forth into art and olfaction. Would Frustration have so much meaning for me, if it were just from another brand, that I don’t fill up with meaning beforehand? Or vice versa, the authenticity and fire behind an idea creates a work of art that fuels those open to the same vibration, like radios catching a signal coming on their wavelength? As with olfaction, to what end is there an objective truth to a theory, how does vibration travel, are we constantly docking in uncharted lands, or just missing the keys that fit the right locks?  Puns very much intended.

Etat Libre d'Orange Frustration by Mathilde Bijaoui

Midjourney prompt & PhotoShop  by Nicoleta

Frustration prowls in similar hunting grounds as other deliciously complex beasts I love: think of the resinous nostalgia with vanilla and meringue from Christele Jacquemin Memory Lane, the Proustian silky sweetness of Masque Milano’s Madeleine, the smoky sexy darkness of L’Artisan’s Noir Exquis or the ambery deep comfort of MFK’s Grand Soir. Frustration will meet you somewhere in the middle, sweet and comforting, gripping you in a warm, enveloping hug. But not long after, you will hear an unsettling growl, lurking just beneath the surface, sharp claws digging in your back, swaying you into a darker & dirtier sensuous dance.

Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration is a delicious gourmand with a dark soul that still manages to keep a wide-eyed sense of possibility. For me, it summoned the image of a sexy chef, sleeves rolled up, cigarette in the corner of the mouth, opening roasted chestnuts with a sharp pocket knife. In the red kitchen of the Black Lodge. You pick the season.

It will always feel like autumn.

Top notes: Cumin; Cinnamon; Pure Rhum Jungle Essence; Middle notes: Pure Vanilla Jungle Essence, Vanilla Absolute, Ciste Absolute (Labdanum);Base notes: Chestnut Wood Accord, Bourbon Vetiver, Vinyl Gaiacol MANE Biotech

Nicoleta Tomsa, Senior Editor

Disclosure: kindly provided by Etat Libre D’Orange, opinions are my own

 FRUSTRATION, Etat Libre D'Orange

Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration, official image

Thanks to the generosity of Etat Libre D’Orange we have a 100 ml bottle for one registered reader in the USA, EU or UK. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Nicoleta’s review and where you live. What is your favorite Etat Libre D’Orange fragrance? Draw closes 10/12/2022

Coming soon to the USA in October.

Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration is the fifth perfume in the brand’s Orange Extraordinaire collection: read our reviews of Exit the king, Five Hundred Years, Soul of my Soul and Experimentum Crucis

Etienne’s choice (as of 2017) of the three you should be wearing

Secretions Magnifique was inducted into our ÇaFleureBon Modern Masterpieces Hall of Fame in 2013

Mathilde Bijaoui is featured in our Young Perfumer’s Series

Also, check out Nicoleta’s reviews of Ghost in the Shell & Rien

Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebonofficial @nicoleta.tomsa @etatlibreorange @etiennedeswardt @mathilde.bijaoui.perfume

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68 comments

  • My favorite is Remarkable People. What sparks my interest about this review is that the autumn visual shines through and captures my attention. I live in the USA!

  • The fabulous and unique notes of this fragrance spark my interest. I live in Poland, EU. I never tried this house so I can’t say which one is my favorite but I think Frustration sounds gorgeous.

  • What a dense review! It’s thought provoking and full of evocative imagery. I like the idea of the perfume as a growling beast of a dance partner. Frustration sounds like a great way to usher in the season. In Tx.

  • Wow, I like the associations with my favourite TV series Twin Peaks. I realy enjoy Rien Intense Incense and Spice Must Flow from the brand. Frustration sounds like a gourmand scent with chestnut and vanilla notes. From EU.

  • ianbradleyandrews says:

    What a delightful read. I loved the twin peaks references! It’s one of my favorites of all time. I also love that this perfume smells red! I am intrigued by the fig. I live in Indiana. I love ELDO especially fat electrician. I’d love it if I would win this!

  • Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration seems like a gourmand fragrance from the brand. I have smelled many from ELDO and also own few but I don’t think I have smelled a gourmand creation before. I may say Bendelerious is almost in that category but the champagne note is too dominant in that to make it gourmand. My fav. from brand is Jasmin et Cigarette. I am in US.

  • Thanks for the review!

    ELDO has to be one of the most infamous fragrance houses out there. Always unique and surprising.
    While I don’t enjoy every fragrance they release, I find that the more recent releases are not as controversial and challenging for me. Ghost In The Shell was amazing and Frustration sound just as great!

    Warm, comforting Gourmands are a must have in the Autumn and Frustration sounds absolutely perfect for the season.
    I can’t wait to try it out!

    Greetings from the UK!

  • Oh wow this Sounds Like a fall gourmand perfection. All my fave notes. Fave vibe. Would love to try this brand and perfume. I live in the EU

  • What a beautiful review! I enjoy ELDO too – so many great fragrances. My favorites currently are Remarkable People and Fat Electrician., Frustration sounds like October in a bottle; melancholy and gourmand. I will definitely give it a try. ~Indiana

  • ELOD has so many wonderful Fragrances. This Fragrance definitely has my attention. Love Fall/autumn, October, twin peaks. I felt I was reading a short story. The notes are so gourmand spicy. Perfect for the season. USA

  • Sorohan Adriana says:

    Wonderful review Nicoleta! Loveky story and lovely gournande parfume autum notes!. I am from UE

  • M captcha time keep’s expiring so I will just say I love EDLO and dark gourmands.
    Twin Peaks fan too
    Favorite is Ton of Finland
    USA

  • My interest was sparked in the last part when the author compared Frustration to several specific perfumes. One I like from the house is Rien. US

  • I was really grabbed by your description of this fragrance as a comforting gourmand that sinks claws into your back! I’d love to try this. Thank you for the review, writing from the EU.

  • Autumn outside, first raindrops and inside the smell of homemade whipped cream chestnut puree made of chestnuts roasted in the fireplace … what else to ask for! My favourite Etat Libre D’Orange fragrance is Putain des Palaces. I live in Greece, EU.

  • Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration is a delicious gourmand with a dark soul that still manages to keep a wide-eyed sense of possibility. For me, it summoned the image of a sexy chef, sleeves rolled up, cigarette in the corner of the mouth, opening roasted chestnuts with a sharp pocket knife. In the red kitchen of the Black Lodge. You pick the season.

    It will always feel like autumn.

    Top notes: Cumin; Cinnamon; Pure Rhum Jungle Essence; Middle notes: Pure Vanilla Jungle Essence, Vanilla Absolute, Ciste Absolute (Labdanum);Base notes: Chestnut Wood Accord, Bourbon Vetiver, Vinyl Gaiacol MANE Biotech. I am intrigued by the notes especially Rhum, Cumin and Cinnamon sounds like a magical concoction. A beautiful description by Nicoleta really has piqued my interest in this fragrance. My favourite from this house is Experimentum Crucis. Thanks a million from the UK

  • Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration is a delicious gourmand with a dark soul that still manages to keep a wide-eyed sense of possibility. For me, it summoned the image of a sexy chef, sleeves rolled up, cigarette in the corner of the mouth, opening roasted chestnuts with a sharp pocket knife. In the red kitchen of the Black Lodge. You pick the season.

    It will always feel like autumn. A wonderful description by Nicoleta really fascinated by the notes especially Rhum because I love boozy notes. A house that I am not familiar with but I am intrigued by nonetheless. Thanks a lot from the UK

  • Nikolina_84 says:

    Nicoleta describes this so vivid and imaginative, I can almost smell the perfume in my nostrils! And my favorite part is: “it summoned the image of a sexy chef, sleeves rolled up, cigarette in the corner of the mouth, opening roasted chestnuts with a sharp pocket knife. In the red kitchen of the Black Lodge. You pick the season. It will always feel like autumn.”
    Hugs from Croatia, EU ❤️

  • katyakotovskaya says:

    Once again, a remarkable review! At first, you got me hooked with music, through those Rare Bird and Julee Cruise references. And then, with expressive imagery of this scent coming from your words. Yes, Frustration is something we need! EU

  • This one sounds perfect for the autumn! Really nice bottle too! It would look great in any collection with that stylish red and gold combo. Thanks!

  • “Frustration smells red, warm and rusty. Intimate and lived in, just like the reassuring comforting feeling of your old jacket, an added shield of comfort, worn on top of the skin, deep rusty colours seeping into the soul, like honey slowly infusing a hot black cinnamon tea. (..) Weighty, tactile and catching the light of post-autumn-equinox sun is une obscur object du desir in itself.”

    Wonderful description!!! The notes sounds lovely, too. Rhum, vanilla, cumin.. I also like the name – Frustration. Looking forward to try it on my skin. My favorite from ELDO is Eau de Protection. I live in the EU.

  • I’ve tried few weeks ago this fragrance and is sooo good, especially per this time of the year.
    Yummy, nutty, creamy lactonic but not sickly sweet. Perfect chestnut composition. The bottle is stunning and the longevity and sillage of this one is unbeatable. 10/10
    Greetings from Italy

  • The description of “a delicious gourmand with a dark soul” caught my interest. Fall is my favorite time of the year for this type of scent. One of my favs from Etat Libre D’Orange is Spice Must Flow. This house never disappointed me. So, Frustration, on my wishlist you go. Thanks for another awesome review and draw. Mich USA

  • I love a warm gourmand in the fall and I’ve been wanting something from this house. The description sounds like my style but if not, I’d love to smell this on my lady. New Jersey, USA

  • Constancesuze says:

    I love the Fall. Actually, I love all of the seasons, except maybe Winter, which I’m working on. I love the idea of stuffing roasted chestnuts in your pockets to keep your hands warm. Might try that sometime 😉
    Sounds like a beautiful fragrance. My favorite ELdO is Fils de Dieu. 100% the best coconut ever.
    I’m in the US

  • Wow! Where to start? Such an evocative review in “borrowed memories” of scent, season, experiences that comfort us. Interesting concept about the effects changing our interpretation of an event—retroaction, and how it seems scent can alter our perception of memories as well, and can be the catalyst to keeping those special memories near to us with each wear/slightly alter the memory each time we associate a fragrance with it. I love autumn in that I borrow others’ experiences of a true autumn through the scents I wear. Living in So Cal, we don’t have a proper autumn, so scents are how I enjoy the season. My favorite ELDO scents (so far) are Remarkable People, Like This, and oldie Noel au Balcon. Would love to experience the Dark Soul of Frustration.

  • Enjoyed a lot this wonderful review from Nicoleta, as always. If Frustration sits somewhere in the middle of Madeleine, Noir Exquis and Grand Soir, then i’m all in, sounds perfect. From what i’ve tested in the ELDO line, Hermann a mes cotes is my favourite for sure, amazing creation. I’m in the EU, thanks for the draw.

  • It seems to be the perfect autumn comfort scent. Sweet gourmandish fragrance. The bottle is beautiful as well. Date worthy or great fragrance to wear on your day off for relaxation. Would love to try this as well.
    Martinsville, Virginia USA
    Instagram: @safegotem

  • I too love autumn, and Twin Peaks. I would love to be transported to dancing in a cafe with my eyes closed, the sweet delicious scent of warm chestnuts and vanilla. My favorite from this house so far is jasmine et cigarette. In maryland

  • wandering_nose says:

    Another absolutely amazing review from Nicoleta! I am so grateful for the experience that reading it was. I love Etat Libre d’Orange, from the name through their amazing conceptual fragrances with unexpected names, to the unique and artistic botte designs. Frustration evokes feelings of warmth, coziness but then surprise and some hidden circumstances and meanings and I need to say that is my jam all the way. The notes including the Rum and Vanilla Jungle Essenses, the cinnamon, vetiver and Vinyl Gaiacol spark up all of my senses! My faves from ELDO are Putain des Palaces, Bijou Romantique and Like This. I would love to experience their Frustration. Thank you from the EU

  • Oh chestnuts!! That sweet autumn roasty treat. To have that scent close to me anytime, that’s what compelled me towards this.
    I don’t have a fav of the Orange series as I don’t have any from this yet. But I do love the Jasmine & cigarette from Etat Libre.
    Opalbear, California

  • Nicoleta always delivers great reviews and this one yet another one to remember. I am in love with Etat Libre DOrange, I have so many from the brand, being Ghost in the Shell my favorite one.
    Frustration seems like a hit from the brand and a perfect autumn fragrance, with the Cinnamon, Cumin and Vanilla in the middle, I would love to feel this one soon.
    USA here.

  • Super excited by the release. Love the Twin Peaks perfume counter reference. Intrugued by the decription of a gourmond w a dark soul. Fav EldO is Jasmin et Tobac

  • A gourmand with notes of cinnamon, vanilla, rum and chestnut sounds like a delightful autumn treat. Thank you for sharing some of you family history, Nicoleta. The story of your parents in their early years is sweet. I appreciate the Hyperion shout out for Ghost in the Shell, I read the series many years ago but did not make the connection. Favorite ELdO is Fat Electrician. MD. USA.

  • CHRISTOPHE FERRY says:

    Hello, what I liked about this review is the connection between everyone’s experience and the resulting interpretation, which is different for everyone. I can’t wait to smell it! Thanks for this review. I live in France.

  • Thank you Nicoleta for another detailed review and informative review. I was intrigued that you found Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration a complex beast and when you mentioned MFK’s Grand Soir for comparison, that got me hooked 🙂 My favorite from ELDO is Remarkable People but I feel that may change if I get lucky and win this one 🙂 Thank you Etat Libre D’Orange for the kind giveaway. I’m in USA

  • Michelle Bower says:

    This sounds amazing! I too was a fan of Twin Peaks and my hubs and I recently rewatched the entire original series. So good I miss those days when shows had substance. This fragrance has substance and heft to it. What an inspiration for this creation.

  • Nicoleta!!! ❤️❤️❤️ Wow!!! What a stunning review! Retroactions indeed! Your beautiful thoughts & impressions have certainly created a great anticipation for me. As a fellow October-lover, I can’t wait to experience Frustration! ❤️ Thank you so much for the wonderful opportunity! USA

  • Nicoleta’s review is so sentimental that she takes me back in time… The reddish October, hippie age, favourite leather jacket, whipped cream chestnut puree… Oh, what a picture! Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration is a delicious gourmand with a dark soul – that’s what sparked my interest the most!
    EU

  • Frustration has some interesting things going on: chestnut wood, bourbon vetiver, pure rhum jungle essence & pure vanilla jungle essence/vanilla absolute. The kind of fragrance one is frustrated if one cannot test it properly.

    Thank you!!

  • Nicoleta always writes such beautiful and evocative articles. The recurrent call of autumn and its colors, scents and feelings, together with memories linked to it was really charming. The image of autumn as a cradle for love stories, then for peaceful and blissful family life, chestnut and vanilla desserts, warm tea with a hint of cognac, transforming into something darker and more sensual, they all seem like very valid images in order to describe this fragrance.
    I live in the EU and I have several ELdO favorites: Putain des palaces, Divin Enfant, Like this…
    Thanks for the draw!

  • Chestnuts to me are also a “pavlovian” trigger of autumn memories, as Nicoleta mentions. But I much prefer the smell of roasted chestnuts (I adore it) than of the dessert.
    I live in France, EU.
    My favourite ELD’O is Noël au Balcon.

  • I would love to taste that chestnut puree dessert. Beautiful article. I know the frustration of waiting for the mailman when a perfume is supposed to arrive. My favorite of the line is Fin Du Monde. Thanks for the chance and the lovely fall memories. USA.

  • I am such a gourmand lover and the chestnut and whipped cream mention has me so intrigued and excited to try this scent! I have only sampled a few Etat Libre D’Orange scents, but my favorite was definitely their Spice Must Flow. I live in the US 🙂

  • I am always excited by new ELDO fragrances. The previous one – Ghost in the Shell I loved after smelling it once. But my favorite ELDO scent is for sure Fat Electrician. I did’t know they were releasing anything new, so I was very excited to read about Frustration. And looking at the notes and Nicoleta’s review it was released in just the right time- fall!
    I love rum, cinnamon and chestnut notes, and sweet and resinous scents. But what sealed the deal for me it her final description: ” sexy chef, sleeves rolled up, cigarette in the corner of the mouth, opening roasted chestnuts with a sharp pocket knife.” I’m from Illinois, US.

  • Apart from the notes you’ve listed, I’m absolutely sold on the imagery described with ” sexy chef, sleeves rolled up, cigarette in the corner of the mouth, opening roasted chestnuts with a sharp pocket knife.”. Looking forward to a bottle like this! I am in the USA.

  • Thank you for the personal, thoughtful, philosophical review Nicoleta. I’ve never had chestnut puree, but I can close my eyes and imagine it based on your description, along with the autumnal smell of warm drink, dried leaves, and brisk air through dark trees. And now I hear that eerie Twin Peaks soundtrack flickering in the background, though I watched that show years after it aired. If you ask me, it sounds like Frustration was tuned to your wavelength, even if you did bring some extra meaning to it. Also—unrelated—that Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration bottle is stunning. Beautiful packaging.

    I’m in the midwest, USA. I haven’t tried any Etat Libre D’Orange fragrances.

  • Jacob Savitt says:

    This may be the first ELDO that I am genuinely and actively gonna look for! Wow, this sounds heavenly!

  • I have been so excited about ELDO’s new release, Frustration. Like Nicoleta, autumn is by far my favorite season and October is my favorite month. There is something so special about this time of year; I find the season very comforting. I enjoy how Nicoleta described the evolution of Frustration. From the moment she put it on, it evoked the comfort of an old jacket; I was immediately more intrigued by the fragrance. I enjoyed hearing her reminisce about her childhood and her family’s autumnal traditions. The whipped cream chestnut puree her mother made sounds absolutely delicious. I very much enjoy L’Artisan Noir Exquis and Masque Milano Madeleine, in addition to every other chestnut-prominent fragrance. Chestnut is one of my favorite nutty notes, so I need to try any fragrance that features the note. ELDO’s Frustration sounds very warm, comforting, and delicious. The bottle is stunning, as well. The deep red color and gold plate work beautifully and remind me of autumnal foliage. I am a fan of ELDO and enjoy numerous fragrances from the unique house. One of my favorites is another comforting fall offering, Like This. I love the combination of pumpkin and immortelle in it.

    I would love the opportunity to own a bottle of ELDO Frustration. Thank you, Nicoleta, for the amazingly detailed review, and thank you to ELDO for the giveaway. I am located in the USA.

  • Michael Prince says:

    I loved Nicoletta’s review of Etat Libre D’Orange Frustration. It sounds like the perfect autumn fragrance with warm, spicy, and gourmand leaning ambery accents that is compared to Grand Soir and Noir Exquis. Something that gives you a cozy and comforting feeling like putting on your favorite jacket. My favorite Etat Libre D’Orange fragrance is Exit the King. I am from the USA.

  • Sounds like an autumnal beauty. I love the scent of chestnuts. I like how you conjured the image of the chef. I’d love to convey that kind of energy. My favorite ELDO so far is The Afternoon of a Faun.
    I live in Denmark, EU.

  • Whipped cream chestnut puree, autumn, my favorite of all! Would love to experience the Dark Soul of Frustration. From EU.

  • wallygator88 says:

    I think this review was did justice to the Etat D’Libre brand – so many themes on waving threads that seem disconnected, but ultimately connect to the main idea of a gourmand with chestnuts and spices.

    My favourite is Fat Electrician.

    Cheers from WI, USA

  • Regis Monkton says:

    I haven’t tried anything yet from ELDO but I’ve been wanting to see what their fragrance releases are like, especially “Rein Intense Incense”. I’m interested in trying this new fragrance for multiple reasons, e.g. it seems like an interesting, autumnal gourmand and I’d like to add it to my collection. I live in the U.S.A.

  • This sounds amazing and very timely. My favorite ELDO scent is Putain des Palaces, I think, though so many are fun.

  • scentofautumn says:

    I’m obsessed with ELDO Une Amourette for fall … all the notes in Frustration sound gorgeous, especially the roasted chestnuts and rum. I’m in the US and if this were out here, I’d have already bought it!

  • Awesome article
    Learning about Etienne de Swardt inspiration, old TV shows , Nicoleta memories as a kid , and some psychological tips was a pleasure.
    Frustration is fascinating and alluring scent. The roasted chestnuts and the Cognac i find beyond addictive as aromas.
    Etat Libre d’Orange are famous with (sometimes a lot….) quirky fragrances, I do believe Frustration is no exception.
    Tilda Swinton Like This is the only Etat Libre d’Orange fragrance i own , now the name is changed to just Like This , I have no idea why , on my second bottle “Tilda Swinton” part is missing.
    Thank you for the opportunity
    USA

  • I always like when the contributor on Cafleurebon looks on the subject not just from the perfume , but also from culinary, historical and other different perspectives. Bravo Nicoleta
    You surprised me with Mont Blanc comparison. Most people know it as French dessert, but according to most historical sources it was actually created in Italy.
    In the Culinary world Mont Blanc for many years was considered part of a long gone Culinary era , like it’s almost old-school, but because of my mentor Pierre Hermé , it became trendy again ~ 11 years ago. He changed the original recipe to fit more the modern day look for not so filling desserts.
    Of course Nicoleta take on Frustration made me think of making Mont Blanc, living in Paris and trying to fulfill my dreams of becoming a Pastry Chef. Good times
    Etat Libre d’Orange do have fragrances for every occasion, 500 Years for example , my favorite Etat Libre d’Orange smells like chocolate rose and Cardamom Tarts, with Rose Water .
    Appreciate Nicoleta different approach to Frustration article , and the giveaway campaign
    USA

  • From Ramblas in Barcelona, to Japan (Ghost in Shell) , to “Castañada” traditions , and some Eastern European flair, I like everything about Frustration and the article.
    Personally I love the warm , rusty and slightly sweet undertones of Frustration , the perfect Fall fragrance .
    I’m a fan of Experimentum Crucis and Remarkable People by Quentin Bisch . Matilde Bijaoui I know for her work with other brands
    Thank you Nicoleta Tomsa, Etat Libre D’Orange
    USA

  • sephrenia300 says:

    Lovely review Nicoleta! What sparks my interest based on Nicoleta’s review is how she describes Frustration as smelling red, warm and rusty, like an old jacket, comforting and warm. it sounds so simply inviting and perfect for fall.

    I live in the US. My favorite Etat Libre D’Orange fragrance is hands down Putain des Palaces.

  • Of course Love is not enough, you should also have some passion and I have a feeling there’s a lot of depth , and passion in Frustration, cozy chestnut fragrance, with some cuddling touch
    Etat Libre d’Orange= Experimentum Crucis, fragrance I can’t get enough of.
    Thanks for the draw
    USA

  • That last line about the sexy chef had me chuckling out loud! And I like how you mentioned L’Artisan Noir Exquis – it happens to be one of my favorite scents for the cooler temps.
    I have to say, Frustration sounds incredible. Your colorful description of it has me wanting more. Such a great composition of spices and vanilla. Not often so I find chestnut listed as a note in a perfume. It sounds like gourmand perfection! I’ve yet to ever sample an Etat Libre D’Orange so I’d love for this to finally be my first.

    I live in the USA.

  • I loved how Nicoleta intertwined the very personal story of her parents meeting and the scent of roasted chestnuts! It was very heartwarming and also evocative, as I too have memories of munching on freshly roasted chestnuts in winter as a child – this sparked my interest the most 🙂 I am in the UK, and my favourite Etat Libre d’Orange fragrance is Frustration!

  • Marie, parfumaficionado, Belgium
    When I smelled Frustration, I had the so rare instant reaction of molecules hitting directly my innermost emotion – bang. I laughed out loud, shook my head, not quite grasping what was happening and not caring about that.
    Do I love Frustration?
    Do I hate Frustration?
    Did Frustration badly hit my nostrils?
    None of that.
    When I have such a strong instant interaction with a scent, it means that the scent and me have an interesting journey ahead.
    And yes, I am totally crazy about this creation. I am at a loss and I love it.

  • Marie, parfumaficionado, Belgium
    When I smelled Frustration, I had the so rare instant reaction of molecules hitting directly my innermost emotion – bang. I laughed out loud, shook my head, not quite grasping what was happening and not caring about that.
    Do I love Frustration?
    Do I hate Frustration?
    Did Frustration badly hit my nostrils?
    None of that.
    When I have such a strong instant interaction with a scent, it means that the scent and me have an interesting journey ahead.
    And yes, I am totally crazy about this creation. I am at a loss and I love it.
    I wear 500 years, Spices Must Flow and Fat Electrician.

  • I’m sold by the description but nervy about the cumin note. It wasn’t mentioned here, so maybe it’s subtly done?
    Summer ELdO fave- you or someone like you
    Spring- Fils de dieu
    Cool weather ELdo- hmmm, Spice Must Flow or 500 Years