ETAT LIBRE D’ORANGE
EXPERIMENTUM CRUCIS
2019
PERFUMER
Quentin Bisch
lychee
apple
cumin
rose absolute
jasmine absolute
honey accord
akigalawood
patchouli
musk
‘Legend has it that an apple from a tree fell on Newton’s head – and thus, the theory of universal gravitation was born. But then let’s imagine a different scene – Newton, asleep under a rose bush. And instead of an apple, a flower falls, an enormous rose, a fully scented, fleshy rose. Would he have felt it? Would he have plunged his face into the heart of the flower? And what would this mean for his theory? This scent: A chypre! And a very precise and clear-cut formula, like something that falls on you, sudden and direct. And never leaves you. A trail of scent that holds on. Akigalawood and patchouli for a honeyed rose. Newton, excuse us! Your Crucial Experience showed us that colors are not characteristics of objects but properties of light. We now know, thanks to you, that white light is a mixture of rays with the nuances of the rainbow. You also showed us that just because an object IS red does not mean that we see it as red. If it appears red to our visual perception, this is because, when illuminated with a white light source (for example, sunlight), its surface absorbs all the colored light rays that compose it, EXCEPT the reds. So forgive us for taking inspiration from your Experimentum Crucis! You have been the inspiration and the source of criticism for so many. And as your theory has changed our vision of the world, we have tried to create a fragrance that will change the world.’ – Etat Libre D’Orange
I reviewed Experimentum Crucis before and it made it to my wishlist. I ended up getting a used bottle for the time being, but this is my favorite ELDO and it may be my second favorite Bisch creation (after Ganymede).
The first thing I smell is apple. A clear apple note here that is contrasting at first, but blends in with the spices and sweeter facet after a while.
The second thing is the spices and in particular cumin. There is a strong cumin here that will likely put people off from loving this, but I (as someone who often has issues with cumin) actually appreciate it here. I think what makes it manageable is that it’s a very wet and oily textured fragrance; cumin is more of a challenge in a dry and spicy texture.
Then there’s the rose, which is beautiful, slightly soapy and jammy, but in my mind, bright red. In the mid I get more generalized florals, although not much of the listed jasmine, definitely more rose.
What starts to blend everything together is a sweet, plasticy vibe. It’s what makes this fragrance unique to me. It’s like a sweeter version of the rainy-dewy vibe from Bisch’s other ELDO Hermann A Mes Cotes. Now the overall fragrances vary significantly (Hermann being primarily green and the rose is less forward). But at the same time connection is unmistakable for me. As if you take Hermann and make it a sweeter, Christmassy apple flanker. I can even see a hint of Ganymede in the way this feels to wear.
The base feels more woody, with a spiced, slightly old-fashioned, dusty, yet very soapy rose. There’s quite a bit of acidity lingering for long enough to not get too dark. Looking at other reviews, I personally seem to get a lot of apple from it, not just in the opening minutes.
