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.

I normally find rose a bit saccharine, however I adore this!! Picked up the sample in the ELDO discovery set and I mainly get hits of rose, oud and I guess the wood balances it out. Find it lasts for ages on my clothes, perhaps feels a little grown up for me as a woman in her mid 20s but I will continue to wear it and will probably ask for a bottle for christmas.

great stuff. i detect leather .I suppose bad reviews come from people more familiar with Versace,YSL and such. Perfect winter fragrance .If I met person wearing it ,my first thought would be expensive and sofisticated . ps.I ordered full bottle .Rose here is very realistic,not idealistic ,little bit sour . Along with Rose Privée L'Artisan best rosy frag for me

The best rose scent I have. It is a complicated rose. It smells mystic. The longevity is wonderful. I'm picturing an Oracle in ancient Greece descending the marble stairs, and she smells of rosewater and sandalwood and incense burns in the background. The name 500 years feels right. It is the smell of a magical romantic immortal.

I hate roses and I LOVE this one. To me it's blended with violets, earthy bramble berries and a shortcrust pastry. There is not much of evolution, but great longevity and sillage. A mix of raw cocoa and soft woods is recognizable, but not obvious. My detailed review is on my YouTube. Dina_France

Opens with a gentle waft of oud and roses over a warm, spicy backdrop. The drydown smells incredible - almost precisely like the sweetened cocoa powder used to coat truffles. A lovely, warm scent. I won't buy a FB after I get through my sample, but I will enjoy it while it lasts.

I don't always pick out the cocoa scent in fragrances, but I smell it here. Which is pretty incredible, considering this is an oud fragrance. I smell rose, cocoa, and oud. The oud/cocoa combo gives it a bit of a boozy feel. Especially in the scent aura around me. It's lovely.

I actually really like this one. At first it smells a little dusty, but when it dries down this GORGEOUS rose scent emerges from it. The rose isn’t too feminine, so I could easily pull it off as a man. Genuinely tempted to purchase a full bottle (which is rare).

I wore this for New Years Eve and i felt so sexy in it! It also makes you feel like a million bucks, but i would not reccommend this for daily use. This parfume screams POWER!!! In my skin i can feel the cocoa mostly entwined with the woodsiness.

This smells immense and expensive. It clings and lasts forever and will definitely get noticed. Huge rose and wood bomb and it's not listed, but it smells a bit like saffron in there too. Very similar DNA to Montale and Amouage.

Coming back to say I found it for under $100 on Jomashop and after a month of back and forth with myself, I sprung for the full bottle and I am SO glad I did. I find it incredibly interesting and addictive. 10/10.

Cacao dissapeared from pyramide here for some reason ,which binds together and gives sense to other notes. At the moment it's my nr 1 fragrance. I feel as if I had found my Holy Grail of perfumes.

It's great, composite of rose cacao so fantastic, that's weird in good way, you can't find anothers similar or alternative of this one, extremely unique and smells like roses grown on cacao tree.

OMG, I cant stop sniffing myself, if I had to only wear one perfume for the rest of my life, it would be the eternal 500 years. Rose, Chocolate, with a pinch of Oud. I dont smell any cirtus ever.

Sexy. Sultry. Femme fatale. Projects well, is great for night time, nice dark/strong rose that has a little bit of smokiness to it. One of my favorites from the brand.

loved the mix of woods, rose, and cocoa, blended well and the performance is very good

These woody notes really compliment the rose, and gives the perfume nice warmth

Not Carmex. Maybe some Carmex. Always did like the smell of Carmex.

absolutely wonderful. chocolatey rose amazing. i love it

the cacao in this is my best friend!

One of the best blended rose fragrances I've smelled. Personal: 7.5/10 – A sweet spiced rose that has lots of depth and complexity. I don't like rose, but... this one can get a pass due to the depth and sweeter, darker notes. Mass appeal: 7/10 – Sweetness and amber give it broader appeal than sharper rose frags, but it’s still polarizing for those who dislike rose. Performance: 8/10 – Strong projection and longevity, typical of resinous warm spices like this. Value: 7/10 – ELDO pricing is fair for the quality and heft you get here, as long as you like the DNA. Uniqueness: 7.5/10 – A gourmand-leaning spiced rose with cacao isn’t unheard of, but the blending gives it distinction. Despite cacao, vanilla, etc. not being present in the note breakdown, it's there. SCORE: 74/100 Full bottle buy? NO, still too rose-heavy for me to wear often, but I enjoy using the sample. Blind buy? NO, rose is polarizing. I think this is better for people who don't inherently like rose. Recommend? YES, especially to rose lovers who want something richer and gourmand-leaning. Date night? YES, seductive in a darker, spiced way, though maybe too heavy for casual settings. Office safe? NO, too bold and rich for a professional environment. Pros: Rich spiced rose with cacao depth, excellent performance, well-blended and classy. Cons: Still rose-forward, too heavy for daily wear, polarizing DNA. Not very versatile. 500 Years is a luxurious, spiced gourmand-ey rose that leans ambery sweet as opposed to just sharp rose. That's the only reason I give it a pass and have actually chosen, on a few occasions, to wear it. The rose also disappears relatively quickly, leaning into a more 'generic floral' sweet, cacao, ambery gourmand rather than just something that's ROSE and SPICE. It has depth and evolution in the drydown, which I appreciate. It's good enough that I actually WORE a rose fragrance. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. I love what this is outside of the rose, and the rose is, technically, a knock against it. But... I still enjoy it. A pleasant, sweet, woody, gourmand-type rose fragrance that I would actually *almost* consider owning. Review #123 in my fragrance journey – this fragrance I own as a decant

This presents three distinct layers to my nose, and how I visualize the scent somewhat inverts the pyramid of notes above. At the top, a medicinal wood, slightly overwhelming when first sprayed. I was going to say kudos to ELdO for not claiming this as a (clearly synthetic) oud, but looking at the notes on their website, lo and behold they do make the claim. In the middle, a sweet and jammy Turkish rose. At the base, a warm, musky, spicy blend. The balance between the layers will depend on your skin. On my partner, the rose comes out front and it becomes very feminine and fairly sweet on her. She found it too rosy and a bit boring on her so I stole - er, rescued - it from her shelf. On my (male) skin, the spices are amplified and it's a great masculine rose/oud/cacao, much more spicy and woody than rosy. The best ELdO's are genius compositions - unique accords you never imagined before and can't live without. This isn't one of those - it's a collection of very nice elements that play very well together (depending on your chemistry). With the usual ELdO crazy-good longevity and projection, certainly a case of try-before-you-buy, but as it can show up at discounters it can be an amazing find. Notes from their website (much more indicative than what's listed above): Top notes: Bergamot HE, Cardamom Pure Jungle EssenceTM, Saffron Heart notes: Turkish Rose Absolute, Oud HE, Geranium Burbon [sic] HE Base notes: Amber Woods, Patchouli, Suede

I didn’t like her at all at first. She was loud and obnoxious. Attacking my senses with all her might, I couldn’t understand what she was saying to me. She was just a loud mess and I didn’t want to bother with that kind of rude. Then I decided to give her another chance, and I finally understood her ... Blast of gorgeous, velvety, rich rose right from the get go. It’s accompanied with brief but powerful dashes of bergamot and cardamom which give the rose a new scrumptious dimension. Right after there’s saffron and the composition now shifts to spicy realm and rests there. And right after the saffron there’s cocoa and phantom vanilla echoes calling to each other in the enchanted amber woods. Blasts of each new note emerges and shows themselves so quickly, it’s like a crazy rollercoaster ride that lands you onto velvety cushion of spicy, delicious rose dreams that envelope you completely, and seduce you without a shame. This is a rose dream. A rose embraced by warm, soft spices, lulled in the amber woods, kissed by the cocoa dust generously sprinkled over her warm, velvety, sensual skin. Rich, deep and seductive. Not afraid of being loud and demand attention. Even if she needs to use her leather whip. I mean, whiff. To make you pay full attention to her. Because it’s all about her. Not a love. Even though she deserves it. But a strong like.

Dare I say, a dead ringer for the character of Fosca in Simone de Beauvoir's novel All Men Are Mortal? Fosca was an immortal man around the age of 500 when his story was recorded. It is more than naïveté to correlate this legend with that the perfume concocted, though even I must admit my struggle to come to grips with the fragrance, but no, spending more time with it has also unwrapped a commonality found in the happenstance. Here we have a rose encased in plastic, dug out from a cigar box tucked away in an unused attic. In Fosca, we have a heart beating dully as the day. Past loves have been forgotten. Their passions tumble under the stampede of generations, their smiles and heartbreaks pass by in a season. Etat Libre d'Orange classifies 500 Years as 'the memory of a rose'. What is apter is the memory of a rose if it happened to slip your mind. The remembrance of an outline of a rose. A toy or a keepsake. The falsehood of romance. It's the smell of the burden of time. The rose is not sweet, but it may have been. The palette's been cluttered with blood. The feeling's numb, but it may have been lovely. It persists and does not continue. It is stuck in the moments before. The horse and the carriage, the unwritten letter, the falling of empires. Finally, the smile. The exile from damage. The rose without a thorn.

This is a steampunk scent. Not steampunk cosplay, either. We’re talking the real deal, debonair-spinster-piloting-a-zeppelin scent. It’s an opulent black rose desiccating inside an eccentric professor’s workshop. On first waft, there’s an indelible rubber note. Beyond that I’m getting oiled suede, polished brass, a little tang of motor oil. Perhaps a ghost of spilt bourbon. This is not a fresh scent. It smells antique, archival, and slightly sweaty. Since zeppelin pilots are a bit unrealistic for a target market, I’ll go with kinky librarians. Longevity: at least 7 hours with respectful sillage. Less rubbery on fabric than my skin, so I prefer to spritz straight on the ‘fit. Mental Snapshot: Midway through the Aerial Council’s debutante ball the whole ship lurches. You sprint straight from your waltz to the boilers, slipping your trusty screw-wrench from the laces of your corset. A whole ballroom of gearsmiths and mechaneers and only you, Contessa Zipphora Crane, can hold their drink well enough to recalibrate a luftheryion generator. Not that any of them could do it sober. tl;dr: industrial rose ⚙️👢

500 Years is a cold weather perfume. It has a bold rosy wood smell that makes you think of tucking yourself into quilts inside of a wooden cabin while the snow blows outside. The wood scent hovers between a more rosy sandalwood and cedar. I caught a bit of the coriander scent at the beginning, but it disappears quickly and just becomes more generically spicy. It smells more masculine at first but then becomes more unisex or feminine. It eventually started to remind me of La Belle, then woody intense, then cocoa. I wasn't thrilled with this scent at first, but the longer I wore it, the more I became addicted to smelling it. It's definitely a scent that grows on you ... in a good way. It also is different with the weather. The second time I wore it, I didn't smell rose at all. Instead, it was a sweet berry resin scent. So, if you're not sure if you like it, wait for the weather to change, and try it again.

mature and strong, definitely not suitable for me, but would wear well on, say, a self-assured older woman sitting down to nurse a glass of wine at the bar. she holds a mysterious smile, and the lingering smell of sweet rose and saffron entices you to follow her through the crowd—but if you get too up close, her smile turns sharp, if not fatal, and the sweetness starts to taste like dry burnt rubber in your mouth. you realize you might have taken on more than you could handle... the perfume almost overpowers your senses and begs you to turn away, but you almost don't want to. maybe that's the appeal. TLDR a classic rose oud situation, but with a dose of saffron and cardamom so strong it almost smells medicinal and headache-inducing. need to smell this on a gorgeous lady who could play me and i'd say thank you. i think i'm just desperate and this is all just make-believe. anyway it's a 7/10.

like other ELO scents i've tried, this one is very long lasting and very potent. it does have a distinct chemical note that never really goes away in my opinion, and yet i can't bring myself to throw away or re-gift the sample i have. i find myself continuing to reach for it to try and figure out what that intoxicating heaviness is lurking beneath the amber-cast rose and smoky bitter cacao body. definitely not a scent to wear casually, i think this would be best suited for a night you have long plans for (if you know what i mean). apply carefully, this scent is powerful and it WILL linger forever on whatever it touches. edit: having now tried a few other smoky rose perfumes, this one's actually emerging as a favorite. it's deep and complex and spicy in a way nothing else i've tried has been able to match, and the initial chemical note burns off relatively quickly in the dry down.

Guilty pleasure Strange, it's suppose to be around the queen rose...and this one smells edible like a rose water jam spread over a gingerbread. A kind of loukoum (turkish delight), a cute rose-Oud note chisseled in the manner of Lutens, with an almost edible woody-spicy base with rich melting cacao butter in which you just want to bite. It is like the rose transforms from crushed textural material into rich gooey jelly. A light perfume but tenacious, very easy to love and too cute to be be mean against him. The oriental decorum of the packaging and the eavy golden bottle are very deceptive from a brand like ELDO and for this result, a rose water jam who smells as delicious as it is very disapointing if you wanted also something more than just a pretty gourmand. But I know that i will enjoy to wear it anyway...

Looking at the reviews, this fragrance seems to hit everyone's nose differently. Personally, I get a plush, slightly fruity, cream-candy rose, with an undertone of warm, spiced wood. The cacao is subtle on me, and comes through with a smooth, browned-butter nuttiness. 500 Years smells mostly rounded and plush to me, with the sweet, diffuse chewiness of biting into a lightly-toasted rose marshmallow. Only the rose and spice give it an elegant bit of edge. I do get a very brief zing of crisp and dirty bergamot, right out of the gate, but on me it lasts only a minute, and is barely worth mentioning. ETA: After a couple of hours a dry woodiness finally comes out, with a minor bitter undertone that I don't particularly care for.

This came in my Eldo sample set, and I really liked it! Not sure if it is office appropriate due to it being a bit on the stronger side but the the blend of rose and deeper richness of cocoa and woodyness was perfectly balanced to me with a nice muskyness that really lifts it up and makes it a bit more daring. For a small while I did get more of a jammy rose that reminded me a little of some Lush products but then it balanced itself out really well. However, I feel like if I was going to buy one of Eldos more expensive line, I would buy The Spice Must Flow instead as it was similar to this but contained a bit more spicyness that elevated it.