500 Years

Leonardo da Vinci's oil paint drips into a glass of liqueur, where a handful of rose petals are already floating. I hated 500 Years the first time I smelled it, which simply means it failed to meet my expectations. After falling hopelessly in love with Eau de Protection, I expected 500 Years to be a more monastic, more Gothic interpretation of the same idea. And while there's certainly a hint of that, the fragrance ultimately reaches much further. Eau de Protection is Gothic in a distinctly pop way—seductive, bold, immediate, and modern. 500 Years, by contrast, is deeply Baroque. It feels much older, dustier, but also richer with an unmistakable liqueur-like quality. There's something scholarly about it, like if a photograph of a Botticelli or a da Vinci painting was captured in perfume form. It is luminous, but never warm. What put me off the most at first was its alcoholic facet. I generally dislike fragrances that evoke liqueur, and 500 Years undeniably has that syrupy, boozy character to my nose. I'm not entirely sure which combination of notes creates this effect—I suspect it's the interplay of saffron, geranium, and suede—but it's remarkably prominent. Fortunately, on skin it bears little resemblance to a typical boozy fragrance. 500 Years wears quite discreetly; it doesn't overwhelm everyone around you. It's understated yet unmistakably present, and astonishingly long-lasting. I wore it while visiting Granville, Christian Dior's beloved hometown, and it provided exactly the kind of olfactory soundtrack I had imagined for the occasion. It feels spiritual, disciplined, and full of character. The drydown on fabrics is eternal, and smells incredible, a whole another level of beauty, trust me. If you spray your clothes the day before you wear them you'll smell like a god among mortals. État Libre d'Orange truly excels at creating mystical fragrances—perfumes that are worn less to seduce the crowd than to elevate one's own introspection. In the end, 500 Years has far more in common with two other ELDO fragrances I deeply admire—Spice Must Flow and Attaquer le Soleil—for their sheer force of character than it does with Eau de Protection. And that's exactly as it should be.

~ Sample Review ~ I purchased the set of all three scentuals which I have now tried a day or two apart as to keep them straight in my mind and body ~ I abso~freaking~lutely love this , Ooooo, my goodness, I will be purchasing this " beauty " when things calm down a bit . I truly appreciate the way they blended these notes , it is a pure " Rose and Oud on me with a beautiful hint of spice { can bergamot be spicy } This just kept getting better and better as the hours wore on . I could smell the Rose & Oudh throughout , but mostly a lighter version from a few hours prior with a chocolate chaser , that lasts on me , I can smell it like a hot cuppa cocoa . I could tell this was blended so well , to my learning nose . It is expensive but in my opinion well worth the saving of funds to purchase . I love it , Sillage was spot on , long lasting as well . Once spritzed it remains the same so much ~ ///=^} ~ it is ridiculous , a real " treasured beauty " to behold ~ Edit : 5/15/20 ~ I was able to pick up a full bottle of this " beauty " with a $45.00 off from ELO for a added Mother's Day extension until 5/24 /20 using code ~ I'm super excited to add her to my wardrobe , since I only have a sample . I'm also in love with the bottle ~ I'll compare the sample I have to this when receive ~ I'm flying high on " notes " of seduction , they seduce me all day / night long ~ I've had it on since after my bath / shower combo and it is still going strong at 4:00 am ~ I don't sleep long these days ~ Edit : I broke two toes on my left foot this am 6/26 because my cat stopped in front of me all of a sudden and I hit the far left door jam on my bedroom door ~ Ha ~ it took less than 20 mins for them both to turn colors and swell ~ So , I'll be getting my second bottle of this a bit later next month than I wished ~ ///=^} ~ silly kitty , no longer my diva kitty , she is a brat ~ lol

I tried this in Selfridges before Christmas and for the next month just kept thinking that I wanted to smell it again, at that point it wasn’t listed anywhere so I had no idea if the notes so I’m glad it is now officially out. I love it.... and can’t stop smelling it, I made the 90 Mile trip back to London just to get it and glad I did,( I was told it was an in-store exclusive, yet now see it available online ) To me it smells like roses cola cubes, very unisex might even be slightly more for the ladies however I don’t care I love it. As a guy I have loads of “man” smells of all types and this is nothing like any of them so it is a great addition to my collection. It might be similar to more femeine Fragrances but I haven’t tried many of them so its very unique to me. Sweet but not a gourmand. It’s a very well round blend and I’d be interested to know the nose behind it. I get 8-10 hours on my skin, With solid projection for the first 1-2, then lovely reminders catch me throughout the day. Only slight downer for me and it is splitting hairs is that being that it was to celebrate a milestone in purfumery I was expecting something in the box with a write up of the concept or at least note breakdown but found noting. Anyway I love it and happy to have a bottle all to myself, if I keep it away from the Mrs.

In my review for 'Spice Must Flow', I noticed a plastic pool toy scent in the opening notes, and this is also the case with '500 Years'. Where 'Spice Must Flow' turns into a magical, syrupy, rose and cardamom-rich Middle Eastern pastry, '500 Years' matures into something that smells spot-on like the medicinal and incense-y aspects of myrrh resin (which I had on hand to verify!), tempered with cocoa and woods. I can't make out the cocoa and woods *distinctly*, but they appear to be acting in supporting roles along with the rose, which also doesn't appear to dominate in this fragrance, and myrrh is unlisted. Strange. That said, I am writing this from a sample/decant and not via atomizer like my experience with 'Spice Must Flow'. Therein may lie the difference? I've since ordered a full bottle because I can't get enough of the beautiful incense quality in the dry-down. '500' is also something I'd wear to work because it's less of a radiating gothic, mystical romance bomb, and more of a subdued yet still extremely beautiful fragrance. Both of these ELDO scents are transformative from the initial impression to the actual, matured fragrance. The first 30 minutes I was thinking 'meh', but just like 'Spice', the fragrance blossomed beyond expectations. I can't wait to explore this line further.

This is rich, chocolatey dark woods and roses, all day long. It’s scrumptious. I can’t stop smelling it. You have to be CAREFUL with how many sprays you do, because it can be too much - the first time I wore it I overdid it and was pretty annoyed after a couple of hours; but today I took it easy with just a spray on my wrist and another on my collarbone before going to work, and I’m still easily able to smell it over nine hours later, even when I’m not being ridiculous and shoving my nose up under the neckline of my sweater to inhale deeply. Is it something I should wear to work regularly? Probably not, but no one complained. It does seem better suited to evening wear, and it seems really best suited to winter (oh this will be just perfect for Valentine’s Day!!!). It’d probably be way too heavy for the summer, but perhaps it could work with the right skin chemistry, and in the right setting. The price is steep, but 100mL is a lot of fragrance, especially considering one or two sprays would be perfectly adequate. I have two sample vials, so I’ll make my way through both of those first, but a full bottle of this might be going on my wish list. If it came in a 30 mL, I wouldn’t even hesitate.

At first, all you get is a strong, authentic rosy smell and a powdery, dry sweetness. With time, the powderiness rises up further, the rose lingers and dries like its been pressed between the pages of a book, and a bitter chocolatey cacao presents itself. The woodsy note doesn't jump out at you, but it provides a stable base that helps keep the fragrance very unisex and solid. Long lasting and enchanting, this fragrance helped me understand why roses were considered masculine in many cultures and still are today, despite my very white American bias towards seeing them as feminine. The cacao is such a strange but effective touch; there is nothing gourmand about it, purely bitter dusty chocolate powder. I have a lot of floral button ups I wear to work, or layered over t-shirts for casual brunch hang outs and the like, and I love pairing that look and vibe with this scent. It's great for wandering street festivals and antique stores, or for sitting in a bookstore or cafe in. Warm and floral and bitter and powdery, charming and understated and complex all at once.

Now *THIS* is my kind of fragrance. Good heavens, it's beautiful. Though not an oud blend officially, it has all the gravitas of the finest rose-oud blends without the medicinal note or controversial edge of oud. I imagine this one will turn fewer people off. Etat Libre D'Orange is one of the least synthetic-smelling perfume houses I know of, and this one is no different. It is so rich, natural, powerful, and exquisitely composed. There is virtually no sweetness or syrupiness. Yet despite the substantial heft of this fragrance, it doesn't weigh me down. 500 Years is an olfactory presence that augments a bold personality. It can pair with an avantgarde artist or the most refined and tailored person. Purely unisex. Admittedly, it smelled a little too feminine after sitting for a few hours for it to match my husband, but it's 100% unisex on me. I love everything about this one and have no issue spending the money to get it. I did find a good deal on perfumeonline . ca (remove the spaces, obviously) which was exciting as this one isn't cheap.

*HEAVEN* 500 Years is glorious and a perfect fragrance for a trailblazer. The Turkish rose is elegant and is a perfect foil for the pong of the woods-- they complement each other so beautifully! I would not recommend this for shrinking violets or wallflowers, but if you like a bold, spicy, assertive fragrance, you should probably try this one. Patchouli is not listed in the accords, but it almost feels as though it is in there, somewhere. 500 Years was an instant classic for me, and one of the more lusty fragrances I've smelled in a very long time. I don't know if this would project boldly because I spray with a light touch, but the fragrance lasts through the day and well into the evening, to my nose. I think this would work equally well on a firebrand woman or man. One of my top 10 all time fragrances, and I hope and pray it's not a limited edition, because I can't afford to buy a dozen back-up bottles at the moment! This one is love. True love. I want this in my fragrance wardrobe until I die.

500 years is a lovely perfume. It is sweet, powdery and creamy, almost gourmand. The rose is for me the main note but It comes with sweet and spicy notes like the cocoa, amber and the cardamom. This perfume shares a similar vibe with other perfumes like oud Velvet mood by MFK, oud mood by lattafa, Velvet rose and oud by jo Malone London or my precieux by note 33. However 500 years is a bit less sweet and more powdery than all these fragances. It is bit more spicy and delicate also and the oud here is very subtle and not medicinal or fecal at all. The performance is good. It lasts about 7-10 hours on skin and the projection is medium. I think is unisex and a very good alternative is you dont own any similar perfume. I LOVE It bus as i have already some similar perfumes inthinl i Will leave It un my future wishlist .. Scent: 9 Longevity: 8 Sillage: 7 Quality/price: 7 Versatility: 7 Originality: 8 Global: 9

It might've just been my body chemistry, but when I initially tried this out of the discovery set, it smelled like olives on me at first, which I found odd... but I just tried this again after about a month, and that olive smell is gone. Now it's just an initial citrus bite giving way to soft, gorgeous, spicy dark woods with a hint of chocolate. I am definitely going to give this sample a work out. I don't predict buying a full bottle because hello, expensive! I just had to spray more on, sitting here reviewing it because it started to get too skin scenty and I'm all over here like, "Baby, don't leave me!" Would definitely purchase if I had a much higher income!

Ooh....this is gorgeous! The spicy love child of Portrait of a Lady and Rouge Avignon. Two scents I LOVE! This is the list of notes on their website. Cardamom, Turkish Rose, Saffron, Cocoa, Oud, Amber woods, Bergamot... I knew there must be saffron present. I knew there was also a spice note but wasn't sure what it was. Perfectly unisex. It's close to being linear on me. Considering the hefty price tag and oud being present I was rather disappointed about the average longevity and sillage.

reminds me of morning ablutions. spicy & minty & musky, a little medicinal. like a cigar smoker on the day of his wedding! or like his partner putting on his cologne for an evening. this scent feels like a redwood tree, upright but with pliable outsides that you can dig your fingernails into, releasing the pungency. also feels older, distinguished, but i will always be a sucker for mature scents so that bothers me not! i love this for the warm weather, it wafts off of me like a soft cloud.

500 Years reminds me of the sadly discontinued Bull's Blood by Imaginary Authors upon first spray. The dry down is similar to Montale's Black Musk. It's pure roses and leather to my nose, like your lover wearing a new black leather jacket and handing you a bouquet of roses. (It's your first month together and you're completely intoxicated by him.) Despite this image, it's still more of feminine fragrance to me. It's such a sexy scent. I just wish the name was sexier.

A really rich accord of dense woods, rose, and cacao, with some saffron to give tang to the rose, patchouli to make the whole thing earthier, and bergamot to make it juicier. This is lovely, and attracts lots of notice. It also lasts longer (and projects bigger) than many other ELdO fragrances, which helps justify the price tag. This is one of my favorites from this house, which can really miss sometimes, but which can also (like here) really hit the bull's eye.

From a lot of 20+ ELDO samples: A really nice jammy rose. Been looking for a date night scent and I think this one will be just that. Spicy, sweet, and intoxicating. I'm going to have to compare this one to Radical Rose by Matiere Premier and Spice Must Flow as well, then revisit. I think this one will be a winner though because Spice Must Flow is a bit more fresh, and Radical Rose turns more fem in the dry down.

Full bodied perfume with rose, chocolate and wood notes—nothing is out of place in this gourmand amber scent. It’s fresh, natural and I’m picking up some light spices; cardamom and a white pepper note (and thrilled to read that it is indeed cardamom according to their website). Really love this scent and am surprised that it’s below a 4 point on Fragrantica. I’m hoping that means I can find it for a good deal.

Really nice "warm+cozy" scent. Rose is modern, woody, unisex. Not that spicy. Decent longevity. One of my favorites of all time so far and hands down the best from the Extraordinaire series. I find it fresh/airy enough for summer wear. A wierd association I make with this one is clean, just washed, but still damp, girl's hair. Which is strange because I apparently love smelling like a girl's clean wet hair 🤷♀️

I get boozy rum, strong cocoa notes, cardamon, bourbon vanilla, coca cola, something balsamic and resinous, something vintage and woody (oud?) with Turkish rose at the forefront and juuusst the right amount of sweetness! T O T A L L Y Y Y deliciousssss and gorgeousssss!!!!! 😍 An absolute delight to wear and smell on anyone!!!! This is so irresistible I will literally go crazy over anyone who wears this!!!

i fell in love with this scent which was super surprising since I don't usually like rose heavy fragrances. It is a dirty rose with a strong cacao note and the woodiness is in the dry down. Within moments the sharpness of it softens and it becomes warm and soft and sultry. It doesn't last very long on skin but I will spray it on my clothes and/or hair and it carries me through the day.

In two words: tastefully old. Smells exactly like an old book store. Has a somewhat magical feeling to it, makes me feel like i am in Hogwarts. If this was a movie scene, it would be when the main character finds a mysterious old book from a huge library. I think this would be perfect for a gorgeous fall day where all leaves are red and orange and you go to university.