Etat Libre D'Orange • Rien • Fragrances

LianH on 12/29/2009 10:45:00 PM more reviews by LianH

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

One of the best incense perfumes I have ever smelled, it might not be very wearable on a day to day basis but this is just brilliant.

It's not an easy to like perfume I admit that, but if you are into weird and strange smells this is one to try.

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bohi on 12/29/2009 3:54:00 AM more reviews by bohi

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Medium   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

"Rien", indeed. As in "nothing to write home about". On my skin it is plain incense, I don't detect any of the notes mentioned in the previous reviews.

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jemimagold on 7/28/2008 3:06:00 PM more reviews by jemimagold

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Rien, aka "Dorian Gray" is the last scent in my Etat Libre d'Orange Smell-A-Thon and I am getting weary of their nonsensical marketing material. Here is an extract from their description of "Rien": "Rien is a second skin perfume, a perfume that clings to the body and perseveres in the mind. Like venial sin on the verge of becoming mortal, irresistable and resolutely pervasive".


Whatever. In case you are wondering what this smells like in plain English, and despite the laundry list of official notes below, Rien smells like loose body powder for ladies, ie. the kind that comes with a powder puff. I sniffed it all the way to the end and the whole time it smelled like uninteresting body powder that Estee Lauder might have produced in the 1950's. I could tell that they added aldehydes to try and give it a sense of luxuriousness but that was overpowered by the strong smell of powder.


Similar to Dorian Gray but far outclassing it in terms of complexity and beauty is Le Labo's Aldehyde 44 and Chanel No. 5.


Here are the notes, courtesy of The Perfumed Court: incense, rose, leather, iris, ciste, foam chene, styrax pyrogene, patchouli, amber, cumin, black pepper and aldehydes.

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*TOP REVIEWER* ocarina on 7/16/2008 6:27:00 AM more reviews by ocarina

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

The bastard child of SL Vetiver Oriental and Bulgari Black. A deep grungy chypre overlaid with a persistent fake-leathery note. It certainly doesn't smell like "nothing" and I'm not sure I even like it...and yet I can't bring myself to wash it off. No way is this a skin scent (per ELDO's description) unless the skin is the tanned hide of a cow. Could be dead-sexy on the right person, it remains to be seen whether that person is me.

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debrsl on 4/7/2008 12:09:00 PM more reviews by debrsl

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

If you like the old-fashioned, classic perfumes, check this one out. Otherwise, don't. It is the strongest of their fragrances, despite its name of "Nothing". Notes: blackcurrant, blond suede, vanilla/opium accord in drydown.

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my3sons on 1/22/2008 1:15:00 PM more reviews by my3sons

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I have a love/hate with this line in general. But this one, if you can get past the first hour or so, is totally unique. I loved it on the card, rubbed the card on my skin and got a deep, sexy, light leather, deep spice and soft floral scent. Bought it. Then sprayed it and almost died with the overwhelming scent of . . . tires. Strong rubber tire/leather chaps smell. Where was the deep, sexy scent? Again, this is a wait-it-out scent. Dries down to the sexy spice/floral/leather mix, but retains that tire smell, only more blended. But make no mistake, this is not soft leather at any level. Again, just totally unique.

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