Archives 69

Got my hands on the sample kit with 20 small vials of ELDO's fragrances to try with my girlfriend. This is the last and final fragrance in the set that we tested together! This one is extremely varied in the reviews for it online as this scent seems wildly different depending on the skin of the person trying it! For me, this opens juicy and sweet, the orange backs up the punchy paprika with a citrusy undertone and some pepper on the side. This opening melts into a slightly firm plum, keeping some of the citrus and trading the pepper for incense while the paprika simmers down a lot; all while that INCREDIBLE camphor note comes in and steals the show. This is an extremely camphorous concoction - it's green, slightly medicinal, and incredibly relaxing alongside the incense smell. The incense is also not as pungent as you'd think, as if it hadn't been burned yet. The plum remains sweet and vaguely floral. All of it supports that really glorious camphor that sits right up front on your nose. As it dries, it grows dirtier, like you can smell the brown stems on the sides of a bush. There's an earthy sweetness in there - likely the benzoin - that adds a ton of depth to the pre-existing notes on display for me. On my girlfriend's skin, this developed a lot differently. We had very similar openings, but hers was sweeter and had more citrus to go around. As it dried down, that paprika note remained noticeable as the camphor took over; but the plum was more delicate and the incense played with the paprika more. There was also a lack of dirt or patchouli in her experience, as for her it was significantly less strong and more of a backdrop to the paprika and camphor. She got the same creamy benzoin as I did, which enhanced that sweetness in a beautiful, earthy way. This was an excellent fragrance to end on because this one is absolutely one that needs to be experienced to be properly understood. This is a shapeshifter - VERY different on many people's skin, more than usual with fragrances, and I believe the reviews here are indicative of that. Many people describing BBQ sauce, food, etc. We feel a bit lucky here, because we're both genuinely in love with this fragrance and would absolutely wear this again and again. It lasts a fair bit of time, projects off the skin just enough to catch it throughout the day, but it's not too grossly overpowering; which was a worry of mine considering the incense and camphor. A huge winner for us at the end of our journey with ELDO's discovery set!

on todays episode of samples i have tried once, chucked into the back of my closet, then revisited 2 years later and fallen in love with... we have archives 69. consisting nearly entirely of notes i dislike, i never thought i would like this perfume, i think i got the sample for free as a bonus to a purchase online - and initially i did not like it. i am glad i remembered about it today again, because it is so wonderful. the name might be a little misleading, but not entirely. opening with a blast of camphor and pink pepper, i thought "how is this naughty in any way?", but... oh it is. as some other reviewers have picked up on, there is something oddly reminiscent of 'secretions magnifiques' in this, a milky salty-but-not-quite saliva accord. it is not overbearing in any way, barely noticable, in fact, but it adds a layer of playfulness to this scent. overall, this is a soapy, creamy concoction, pink pepper and mandarin heavy from opening to drydown. there is something wonderfully retro about this, not vintage, but retro. perhaps its because i just watched "the love witch" (2016) today, a modern movie made to look like it came straight from the late 60s. this also might be just my brain naturally connecting the two together, but i think 'archives 69' actually perfectly captures the essence of the movie, and vice versa. elegant and feminine, with a seductive, witchy side lurking just beneath. some other reviewer described this scent as "a woman taking her swimsuit off", which, weirdly enough, is insanely accurate. nearing drydown there is almost a sunscreen-like quality to this. the incense in this is also barely there, only peeking out from underneath every once in a while. to sum it up, this is insanely beautiful and wearable, flirty, soft and feminine, creamy, soapy, fruity, camphorous. perfect for summer, in my opinion. i might just need to buy a full bottle, i fear.

Some people say that the opening on this perfume is harsh and unpleasant, but to me it's a nice, spicy, medicinal ointment/balmy note wafting straight into the nostrils, like opening a quality vintage tin of tiger balm. It stings a bit, but in a fun, refreshing way. As that settles it starts to get sweeter and more plumy, with a note of unlit incense in the background. Someone said that it smells like the air of a traditional spice store, and yeah, it's that, but the way that airs hits you the moment you come in. It's definitely a strong perfume, quite assailing, and I do find it pleasant (to myself) in summer, but if you're one to avoid assaulting people with your sillage, then it's probably best reserved for milder days, but I would rather reach for something deeper than this in true winter weather. The most prominent notes to me are the pepper, camphor, plum, incense and patchouli. Sometimes mandarin orange and benzoin come in, but I can't say that it's very musky, paprika-like or orchid to my nose. The wear is solid, it projects moderately but the notes themselves are definitely an attention-grabber, and it lasts several hours with prominence, definitely a scent that becomes rich with movement. It also has a vintage quality that I quite like. I'm likely buying a full bottle of this! I tested it out within a 4 sample pack from ELDO, and I'm picking this as a fresher, warm/mild weather scent, opposed to ELDO's Attacquer le Soleil for colder months.

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. First, I have a severe addiction to ELDO perfumes, and second, this one is a blind buy! I couldn't resist. So, what did I get? Hmm! Archives 69 is hard for me to explain. Camphor is so powerful in the beginning, better to describe it: robust milky-fruity camphor. I have never smelt anything like it. How peculiar, to be honest, and still, so refreshing. After several minutes, this perfume gets very similar to Penhaligon's Eau Sans Pareil, as the camphor note calms down. Both are very hard to compare to anything else. Both smell very unisex and light. Both are sweet and masculine initially, and more on a feminine side later on; Eau S. P. has the hair spray + milky-fruity note, not unlike the camphor milky "saliva"- like fruitiness that I get here. Later on, A. 69 grows more delicious and elegant. After a few hours, I grasp the cat fur comparison as the fragrance becomes a bit warmer, animalic. I love it. The fragrance melts on my skin and becomes a beautiful skin scent. All in all, the perfume is whimsical but easy to wear and likeable, office-friendly. I'm yet to find an ELDO that is unpleasant on my skin. I perceive them primarily as comforting and lovely. This one is no exception. The perfume is long-lasting with a moderate sillage.

i am about to be very predictable. "ohh, so the person who's liked or loved 7 out of the 8 ELDO fragrances they've reviewed so far, not to mention the many others they wear and love is gonna give the ELDO perfume a good rating? wow, very surprising." whatever! whatever, i say! i like this perfume an awful lot! i like that it's spicy, citrusy, clean, with a sweet resinous undertone. i like that it's a little difficult. there's something a little medicinal about its smell, but as someone who pretended to be sick as a child just to taste cough medicine and chew chalky grape-flavored tablets, that is okay by me. this smells like friendships with mercurial, funny, irritating old men who give me very good reading recommendations. this smells like a beat-era novel that i don't want to like, but enjoy thoroughly. this smells like a curious second-hand bookshop with gems hidden among questionable science fiction novels. i like this scent a lot, and i have a blast wearing it. but a lot of my ideas of "having a blast" are like . . . bird-watching. or listening to live jazz. so keep that in mind.

My go-to fragrance, oh, my Shayla... I'm not a perfume expert, not even a hobbyist, so I can't isolate and feel every note as some more experienced fragrance lovers. All I'm good at is creating associations with everything I smell, and this one... oh boy, it's a vivid one It's a sauna or even a steam bath for me and as a Balt I love every second and layer of it. Or maybe a little carpenter stand on a summer market with spoons and coasters made of juniper. Archives 69 is an angel with a broken wing, who stuck in our world, trying to blend in for a time being, but their calming, clement presence can't be unnoticed by the humankind Charming, mysterious, nicely peppery at first, at some point even edible. And definitely not for everyone. One of my friends said it smells quite fruity on me, really bright plum, other said — I smell like her dad. It's unisex for sure My sister «gifted» Archives 69 to me, because its scent was too relaxing for her (sauna indeed!) and she couldn't wear it. Lucky me I guess!

The review below nailed it, perfect description. I love it when I'm in the mood for it, but it's a difficult perfume to wear. For awhile it was in my top 5. My daughter says it reminds her of potpourri in an old lady's house. My husband said it smelled like thyme and spices, but he likes it. It smells much better after half hour to an hour. It smells clean, slightly herbal soapy, pink pepper spicy camphor incense, with plum and maybe a hint of berries. to me, and the drydown is a clean sexy. Here is my major qualm with this scent. Occasionally I get a whiff of a cat pee/litter box note. I've had it for 2 years, and for that reason I have yet to wear it to an indoor public space . I wear it at home, and my daughter's evening outdoor sporting events. The cat pee note makes it too risky for closed circulation. Drydown is beautiful and clean yet sexy. First half hour is medicinal, spicy with hints of urine.

For me this smells like jungle, weird monsters lurking in the swamp, ready to eat you, you can die at any moment... Also smells a bit like sickness a bit, but in a very beautiful way. Paradoxically, I found the scent very comforting because while wearing this, I realized how safe and predictable our society is. This is not a signature scent or something that you wear with pride outside, but a scent to enjoy the experience of this fantasy jungle swamp world, with t-rexes and giant insects and deadly viruses... Makes you ponder as well. (It's not totally unwearable though, I think you can pull this off) I would highly reccomend trying the fragrance because it smells like jungle, but it's not woody like pine trees or even vetiver (encre noire) it was totally new experience of smell for me. Use when going alone to woods in the evening 10/10. Also evokes a image of plague doctor in my mind...

Imagine an alternate dimension where Necco Wafers have flavors of spiced plum, blueberry, strawberry, and paprika, along with the usual wintergreen. Then imagine you are touring the factory where they are made. Imagine the air. It penetrates, but it feels so good. You are then transported to a temple, something out of Jodorowsky film, and the aroma from the alternate dimension Necco factory has taken the form of a camphorous incense. The smell is warm, sensual, yet meditative. Why, this feels at first peaceful, yet also unnerving—exciting even. Cold and sharp melts to creamy and smooth, and flashes of heat are intermittent, like when one's skin is flush from arousal while in a chilly room. There is the slightest impression of perspiration. The fat and airy pulsation of life is noticeable. Archives 69 is a fever dream for this skin, and I like it.

This is such a gem! It smells like what I hoped Replica's By the fireplace would smell. Archives 69 smells a LOT like pine trees. It immediately reminds me of woods. Weirdly enough it's not listed as a note. The opening can feel a little obnoxious due to the paprika, but the drydown is absolutely beautiful. It's smoky all the way to the base notes, propably because of the incense. But the sweetness from the mandarin orange tones it down a bit and blends beautifully with the smokiness. This perfume reminds me of a bonfire, or camping weirdly enough. Not a safe blind buy though! Probably not a crowdpleaser (or it depends on what type of people you're hanging out with), even if i've gotten compliments when wearing it. Maybe an acquired taste? Either way, I absolutely love it and it will forever be a staple in my collection. Great longevity too!

its the dead middle of winter and im yearning for summer (whats new!), so i am wearing archives 69 to bed again. i mean, its just such a summer/late spring scent. i discovered this perfume during may last year when i would only listen to fleetwood mac for the entire month and pretty much nothing else, especially their 2003 "say you will" album. on loop. like 20 times a day. so, naturally, my brain associates this perfume with fleetwood mac. but honestly this scent is so hippie. smells like a hot witchy ≈40 y/o womans forest cabin. incense always burning in the living room. some fruit on the verge of rotting in her kitchen she needs to clean out. bead curtains in every door. the smell of the soap she uses on her back shiny with sweat in the scorching heat of the sun outside... makes me wanna snog myself whenever i wear it.

tonight, i am wearing archives 69 to bed and thinking about one of my favorite movies ever - "stoker" from 2013. i think the two fit quite well. hot, hot summer in the countryside, getting caught in the rain, sweaty skin, a woman wearing men's cologne - perhaps her father's, or her uncle's, lush and prickly vegetation, goosebumps, the smell of your mother's expensive soap as you brush her hair. off-topic, but i cant get over the unmistakably saliva-like milky saltiness of this fragrance. it is so sexy. i love it. edit: finally wearing this in colder weather for the first time - it is much more musky and intimate, deliciously so. fruity freshness takes a back seat and lets the sweaty salty musk take the wheel, while still retaining its spicy, camphorous quality.

Back when I used in college, a friend sent a sample for me and I was taken aback--a wave of calmness and tender love cocooning me. The scent is so unique, back then I thought. So sensual, sexy, but in a way that it is... calm. I didn't have much money back then, I thought that it was just amazing and I have to buy it someday. Now I have a job, not a well-paid one but I am able to buy this. Now, mind you, I have gathered with the people who love fragrances and sniffing different perfumes, having lots of sample shoved up my nose and all... But this one still stands for its uniqueness. I could never forget the first time I sniff this on my hand. Such a scent.

This opens up quite peppery but not too harsh, sweet plum tones that harshness down alot. With a subtle incense note in the background. to me this is a really amazing blend. For some reason this really smells like bubbles to me? There isnt really a english word it i think? In NL we have this thing for kids which is basically a soap solution in a little bottle which they can blow bubbles from. This smell just like that to me. Very fizzy and bubbly and very nostalgic. The dry down is a sweet comforting musk that has a slight hint of incense. And still a bit fizzy to me. Overal i really enjoy this scent. A bit more fem leaning but perfectly wearable for men

went from a meh to a love. First time I tried it it felt very flat and unexciting after the first blast of red pepper mellowed into bland plum/floral sweet and slightly spicy, still not very exciting. Now it’s colder outside and it seems to skip past the floral fruitiness straight into a sweet powdery and warm, amber spice in a lovely little scent cloud that I feel from time to time throughout the day, upwards to 7-12 h longevity! Happy I didn’t declutter. It seems ELDO frags need you to take the time to explore them since I had a very similar experience with Putain de palaces (from a no to a heck yes).

Questo profumo cambia spesso aspetto a seconda della giornata. A volte è piccante,altre è caldo e oscuro,altre volte incenso nero e benzoino,un tocco di canfora stregata e la dolcezza di prugna golosa. Per me funziona bene soprattutto quando ho la pelle calda, cioè non in inverno. La parte che mi piace di più è l'inizio; canfora fredda e pungente,piccante di peperoncino,sottofondo di prugna golosa e mandarino frizzante. Poi incenso da chiesa antica,benzoino, patchouli misterioso, e infine un muschio metallico e freddo (che mi piace di meno). Nel complesso è un profumo che mi da una bella sensazione.

Archives 69 brings to mind a large question mark that just keeps expanding. Composed of a strange mix of notes that to me smell like old fashioned bubble gum, dark plummy incense, warming musks, and an overlay of cooling camphor that ever so slightly opens up the sinuses. Expressive, experimental, off-kilter. The perfect fragrance to wear while doing an interpretive dance or while watching new wave films directed by women. I imagine Agnus Varda would smell something like this, which is the highest compliment (she is the wise fairy godmother of arthouse cinema).

I bought a bottle of this as I love ELDO, it was an absolute bargain so I was willing to take the risk of a blind buy. She's a belter! Initial blast of pepper which I love, settles into a wonderful blend of incense and camphor with a hint of plum but wouldnt say this is fruity at all. Very unique and a lighter but still very pleasant version of my usual resins and spices. Didn't know what to expect at all, but exceeded my expectations! I would say you could wear this almost all year, apart from in high heat. Very unisex

This is clearly a love it or hate it fragrance, and I love it. Camphor is the main ingredient here. From the opening where it's wrapped in a lightly fruity, gently smoked dry spice, until beyond 3 hours, it's the strongest smell. After that it's a lightly musky benzoin aroma. This is a very expensive smelling perfume. It exudes class and sophistication and is certainly something to wear on special occasions. Longevity is moderate to long lasting; sillage is moderate. Etat Libre d'Orange Archives 69, worth every penny.

To me it opens with a really soapy, spicy and clean peppery feel. In the mid it goes into a laurel that smells like it has been cut on a dried out wooden cutting board together with some crushed pepper corn. It later dries down with a more musky incense smell. It’s totally wearable and I think this would fit a lot of settings really well. It’s not challenging but still really unusual. I think if the right person finds this it could 100% be their signature scent. It carries a lot of personality.

The opening was a bit unpleasant i gotta agree, but once it settles in it's wonderful. On my skin the warm spice notes are subtle in a way that leaves you wanting more whenever you smell it. I definitely prefer lighter spicy fragrances to stronger ones, and this one hits in the perfect way that isn't overpowering while still being intriguing and comforting. Reminds me of being in a cafe in fall, smelling all the sweet pastries and coffee filling up the room. Might be my next fall scent...

I wasn’t going to write a review until i saw these horrendous reviews!?! This is a fresh light juicy plum with perfect touch of spice and floral notes beautiful incense in the air in fresh green base Look at the note pyramid it smells exactly like it in the best clean blend natural way possible I cannot fathom how can someone “hate” this its unique and has beautiful touches of multiple aspects (fresh-fruity-floral-green-spicy-incense) in a clean harmonious blend. its beautiful

When I was little my parents would take us to the same rental every summer, which was a concrete Tetris block sequestered by pitch pine and an overgrown hedge with rock hard berries that held a strange spicy aroma. In the evenings we'd throw open all the doors and windows and let the smell of the foliage mingle with the aroma of a tar roof that spent all day baking in the sun. Putting it on brings me back there, and it puts me at ease.

I got the full sample package from ELDO and after testing too many at a time, this one was the one that I reached for the second day, the one that I truely remembered I love. Now i'm not saying I don't love other ELDO fragrances just as much, I find all of them at least interesting and totally wearable, but this one is so easy to wear while being unconventional enough, fruity, spicy - it's the first full bottle I got from this house.

why is nobody talking about this scent?! it's such a unique and unusual combination of notes. this fragrance smells different every time. sometimes it's super sweet in a medicinal way, reminding me of sore throat candy. other times it smells like balsamic vinegar. and also bell pepper. it has a soapy feel as well. truly one of a kind perfume, it's a pink metallic smell and I think the bottle packaging is well-fitted :))

To me, this smells exactly like a vintage chateau or a silent, ancient church. It has a mysterious, sacred vibe to it and that's why it's my signature fragrance. I like that the Pink Pepper and Paprika opening is sharp and spicy without being sweet, even with the Mandarin. The Incense and Camphor really give it that silent church atmosphere, and it stays unique even as the Plum and Orchid come through in the dry down.

You've just put on a medicated lip balm and have popped opened a rosé champagne behind the desk of a university library. Lowkey my fave ELDO frag I've ever tried, which is fine by me since it's one of their least expensive. On top of that it's very versatile. Can work in any season, day time or night out, also quite unisex. Unique but wearable. The signature scent of a librarian with tattoos under their cardigan.

This is just gorgeous I love it. Its spicy and warm but not too sweet. It reminds me of roobios tea. Theres something medicinal to it that I like. Its herbal, like desert sage after it rains? its so unique and I just love. its like incense and tea brewing and farmers marketttt. so cozy, a little hippy and a little grungy. the only thing i dont like about is the name. Def considering buying the full size.

Obsessed with how polarizing ELDO always is. On me, this is a spicy sweet white musk and dries down into an intricate incense - like what the ash of many different sticks smells like. Then a sweet note - not honey or sugar, but soft - probably that plum I guess. Imagine glossier You had a rich edgy stoner cousin - that's archives 96 * << Ar-cheev-s soixante-neuf >> very important

Just bought a full bottle after trying out a sample for a few days. I call this an ultra-clean fragrance. It’s not the kind of clean that’s just fresh from the shower. It’s the clean where you’ve scrubbed your skin raw and pink and it tingles in the air. It smells kind of like a doctor or dentist’s office. Lasts decently maybe 6 hours on me at full intensity.

god, this is SO GOOD such a perfect and unique winter fragrance. It's warm and cozy, but not in a spicy, creamy, or sweet way as most winter fragrances are. This is warm herbaceous, reminiscent of taking refuge in a warm cabin in the snow, perfumed by pine and vaporub. Didn't know how much I needed a fragrance like this until I smelled it

This is an archive worker who's wearing a set of ultra sexy lingerie under her woolen skirt. Camphor is such an interesting choice for this perfume, but I feel like this is what makes me so drawn to it - it balances out the overall typically sexy pyramid perfectly. This is that rare perfume that's equal parts interesting and wearable!

Today is the last wear of this master piece <3 I am 100% buying another bottle. There’s just nothing like it. So unique and complex yet easy to wear. It is unique in its many aspects, a juicy plum like no other. Warm spices with a beautiful edge. Fresh watery green base, all wrapped in a gorgeous shroud of incense. Stunner 10/10

I love the uniqueness of this. It is a free spirit. Pink pepper wraps around the orchid that is grounded by patchouli and the camphor agitates the molecules into a beautiful aura. Not a safe blind buy and not for everyone but definitely worth testing.

It smells like if a priest gave you cheap v sweet chocolate that sat in his robe pocket and acquired a church-y taste and it’s not that good but later you start craving it again because it was so...unique

i really like it ! starts out super peppery, but as it dries down, the plum really comes out. the perfect blend of patchouli, smoke, and sweetness :-). really three-dimensional but not too complex.

This is so whimsy and so warm. Smells like incense, like smoky mulled vine. Makes me feel like owner of messy antique store with muted lights and smell of incense and old flowing around.

My friend's kid sniffed my arm and shouted "pizza!". I like the perfume, but I'll never ever be able to wear it again without thinking about that.

It reminds me of an ex-boyfriend in a very comforting way. Clean, a bit medicinal - maybe his shave lotion had a bit of camphor smell to it.

I can feel pepper, incense, orange, plum. No camphor at all. Pleasant fragrance. Considering buying a full bottle for my collection.

Coloured pencils and wax crayons. Sublime, and totally unique. Took me a while to get my head around this and I absolutely love it.

In short, this is an incredibly photorealistic fragrance of a Finnish sauna with eucalyptus oil. Gorgeous

modern dryad secretary. like the office siren of the deepest woods. i was almost eaten when i wore it.

i’m at the verge of biting the wrist i sprayed this onto and eating it whole

super spicy then dries down to a lovely sweetness with incense

This is an annoyingly french scent. 10/10

Aers Etat Libre d'Orange Advent Calendar I bought the ELdO discovery set and made it my advent calendar. I'll try to post a review every day in the order the samples are in the set. Day 1 - Archives 69 Starts off interesting. Spicy, a bit woody, slightly sweet, slightly peppery, slightly flowery, pretty herbal, a bit of everything, really. The note that I guess is the camphor clearly dominates the whole thing. My Partner described it as three different sauna infusions all mixed together and sprayed on skin. I agreed with her. Some people feel this as medicinal, which I don't quite feel myself, but I can kinda see the description. The herbal start makes that, the camphor does the rest. On my skin, it takes a fun development and switches between sweet and spicy over and over, which is an interesting experience to say the least. It's a warm scent but it's not warm-spicy-sweet like so many other modern male perfumes are. It's not a christmas market scent at all, there's nothing oriental about this one. I liked the sauna image my partner evoked. It's a friendly finnish male in his 40s coming out of an intense sauna session into a snowy pine forrest where he glows faintly. It's warm, inviting, spicy in a very friendly way. There's sweetness in it but it's not very on the nose or dominant most of the time. I am pretty easy to chase away with too much sweetness and this one definitely isn't that. Again: nothing oriental about the scent. I'd say it's more comfortable than it is sexy on my skin, despite being marketed as "sexy". The incense slowly grows after half an hour and takes over more and more of the sweetness. The perfume still glows warmly. Then there's smoke. The finnish guy chopped some wood and lit a fire outside of the sauna. It's a clean fire, there's just a little smoke, but it's there. And then I find new sweetness in the Patchouli. Less flower-y than the beginning but it continues the trend of warm-sweet-spicy. After about 2-3 hours, the scent starts to die down into subtlety a bit. It still continues to fluctuate between more peppery-spicy notes and more sweet-ish notes but on a far more mellow level. The camphor is still as present and pleasant as ever but besides that, there's just not so much impressiveness going on anymore. I continue being fascinated by the fluctuation on my skin, but in terms of intensity, the scent definitely went down a notch or four. On my partners skin, the scent developed far faster and in a far more spicy way. After half an hour, there's barely anything left on her than spice and pepper, which is a sharp discrepancy to my arm. It flatlined very quickly on her where on my arm it jumped up and down a lot, so YMMV with this one. For me, it's very wearable, inviting, comforting and very interesting in its fluctuations. It's warm and friendly but not without edge or character. It's not a blanket on a bed or a warm bathtub, it's a warm bear hug of a very friendly lumberjack. It feels like a very close scent. Something that is primarily for yourself and the people that you hug. You won't leave a huge sillage with this I think. I was a bit disappointed by the end of it when it mellowed down. When would I wear this? On cold days in Fall, Winter, even Spring. Outside. Wrapped up in warm comforting clothes wearing a warm comforting scent with character. You could wear this on dates if you go for a more friendly than sexy vibe. I think it's unisex enough that everybody can pull it off, but personally I had pretty male associations with it (though, as I am male, that might of course just be me). Would I buy it? Maybe. I like it, I might give it a few full wears somewhen this winter.

Etat Libre D'Orange's main points of strength have always been considered their advertising campaigns and marketing strategies (provocative names, arousing images, trendy concepts) and, during the years, they grew up a consistent amount of loyal followers with their "borderline", love-or-hate approach. On the other hand I'm realizing that their choice of giving the brand a provocative/controversial identity has often turned into a sort of limit. Many people who have been potentially interested in their juices have been disencouraged by the house misleading/questionable perfume's names and images. I would like to suggest this people to try to avoid the provocation and approach Eldo's fragrances focusing on their juices. If you'll be able to do it, you will discover a bunch of extremely solid compositions that range from the classics-inspired Je Suis Un Homme or Eloge Du Traitre, to the successful modernity of Like This, Fat Electrician, Jasmin & Cigarette and Tom Of Finland via the conceptual/artistic-weirdness of Rien, Charogne and Secretions Magnifique. With that said, the new Archive 69 has been commited to perfumer Christine Nagel who previously worked for the likes of Guerlain, Cartier, Dior, Fendi, Armani, Givenchy and many many more....Her latest composition for Eldo strikes as a succesful concoction of resinous notes and frankincense joined by pepper and berries on top, a sophisticated orchid note in the heart and a remarkable camphoraceous vibe throughout. Overall, Archive 69 is an extremely sensual skin fragrance with a multi-facets character that goes from the peppery opening to the warm and comfortable musky/incensey drydown via the endless nuances of the heart where it continuely morphes from flowery to sort of gourmandic. Probably it won't reply the success of the Fifi Prix des Spécialistes award winning Like This, but it's surely head and shoulders above the average quality available on the market. Rating: 8/10

Opens up with a very photorealistic pink peppercorn, mandarin leaves and skin, freshly ground paprika and an overwhelming green camphor note. This combination almost gave me a headache and made me consider scrubbing my arm, but I decided to see it through. The dry down was a chameleon. I smelled an icky synthetic unlit incense that was vaguely fruity and soapy. There was also something oddly metallic, dirty, and blood like here that quickly faded but left me curious. The final dry down is jammy dried plum (think of a dried and chewy persimmon), very faint cherry, dry vanilla, balsamic benzoin, and musky soft incense. The orchid in Archives 69 is dry, dusty, and has paper thin edges. The camphor is present throughout the life of the fragrance, but it is woody, herbal, clean, and soapy like a luxury soap bar rather than a bubble bath or laundry detergent. The patchouli in here is very subtle and only detectable after a few hours of wear in the base notes, but is well done and is powdery and soft rather than being earthy and loud. The mandarin also makes a reappearance but is a lot fuzzier due to the musk. My partner described this fragrance as smelling like a freshly cleaned bathroom burning incense in a tea shop. Archives 69 is experimental, beautiful, complex, sensual, and mysterious. I don’t expect this to be a crowd pleaser or a love for most people. Although I don’t see myself reaching for this, for $44 for a 100 ml, it’s a bottle of artistry I’m happy to own. Obviously not a safe blind buy unless these notes appeal to you. ELDO fragrances can also be hit or miss depending on your skin chemistry, and so far, they’ve been working for me. This is the third one in my fragrance collection. Since my bottle is new, I’m going to hold on to it to see what will happen once it maturates.

Got me a couple of samples of this. Smells like some kind of baby lotion... from 1969! When I was a child. There is something about it that seems familiar - feels safe. If you don't want to smell like perfume at all, but just smell nice - this is a good option. You have to test it first, though - it is very special. Not everyone will like it enough to wear it. There is even something that is a bit strange. But I am almost certain that anyone would like to smell this on someone else. Non-offensive, totally work appropriate, even for a health care worker, since it is so soft. I will have to test it out some more, before I can decide if it is full bottle worthy, for me. It is quite expensive, after all. But I have nothing like this, and MAYBE I need it??? After some more sniffing: actually, I can't sense any incense at all. But another thing, is that it dries down to a subtle, soft, a little bit sweet creamyness that I just love. Did not think I would like this that much. Could easily be one of these rare fragrances I can wear anytime, as one of my "signatures". A bit surprising to me. So that means, at some point I will have to get this. IF, that is, I can justify buying any more perfumes.