Eloge du Traitre

After falling head over heels for ELdO's Eau de Protection for Rossy de Palma I decided to order a sample set from them. Most of the perfumes I tried until now (Charogne, Vierges et Toreros, Noël au Balcon, Archives 69 and even Jasmin et Cigarette) left me quite disappointed. None could compare to the luminosity and genius of Eau de Protection. Then along came Eloge du Traître (wonderful name, by the way). The opening is green, aromatic and bitter and than it turns more bitter still, slightly musty with a very strong woody note. It almost smells to me like biting in a branch just pulled of a tree, just not as fresh. Slightly unpleasant and unsettling almost, precisely what I love about Etat Libre. Beautiful, wearable, but slightly unsettling perfumes. After some time Eloge becomes drier, but still full of aroma. Laurel is very prominent, strangely enough I don't really smell pine at all. I'm in wood heaven. Thrown back and forth between a leafless forest in winter and a room packed with ancient wooden boxes, that have absorbed the scent of everything they ever carried. And apparently they carried a lot of dried herbs. After a couple of hours a dark, sophisticated leather shows up. The leather mixes with the bitter woods and astringent herbs and rounds the fragrance, mellows it slightly, makes it deeper. This perfume is absolutely full bottle worthy. It is melancholy, brooding, deep. A person full of dark thoughts, but not without compassion, he does not kill for fun, he kills because he needs to, because he must.

This is my favorite from the ELdO line. There's nothing hugely original going on here, but this is a very well executed fougere that was clearly inspired by some of the virile masculines of the 1980s. When I first smelled this, I was instantly reminded of Halston Z-14, which my father wore some 20+ years ago. There is also a definite resemblance to Caron's Yatagan. Still, I'm always attracted to fragrances that attempt to capture the scents of the forest. This is definitely that - you're immediately struck by a beautiful pairing of pine and laurel in this fragrance. The wormwood is nicely aromatic, and the patchouli is actually quite subtle. The real twist here comes in the form of jasmine - not an ingredient you'd expect in this sort of fragrance. That said, the addition of that jasmine really gives this an additional dimension - and balance. Since this is a throwback to those ultra masculines, it will still scare a few people. Too bad - this is a wonderful, earthy fragrance that is particularly nice in cooler weather. Wear this one in the fall and be transported to the northern woods. This could have been Agent Cooper's signature scent in "Twin Peaks". ELdO has already done a collaboration with Tilda Swinton - maybe they should do one with David Lynch?

I love green fragrances and I’ve sampled quite a few now, but this one hits a real sweet spot: it’s a woody, bitter, herbal greenness that’s distinctly masculine in a vintage way. I love the presentation of wormwood here: it adds a thrilling nervous energy to the aromatic bay leaf, sage, and clove notes, like a poisonous snake slithering through undergrowth. The pine notes also blend seamlessly into the musky, leathery base, conjuring a foggy forest, not a Christmas tree. The geranium and jasmine are a surprise, as is the fact that this fragrance is so green without having any galbanum or vetiver. It feels surprisingly light and agile—effervescent, even—but it also has impressive duration and sillage. Many people have described this as a modernized version of Caron’s classic Yatagan, which I haven’t smelled, though I gather that it’s more animalic (I suspect it might lean a little ~too~ overtly masc for my taste, though I’m very curious about it). Of all the scents I’ve sniffed by Antoine Maisondieu, this is easily my favourite. I wish it wasn't discontinued! Hopefully my decanted sample lasts me until I can find a vintage bottle—or better yet, maybe ELdO will bring it back?

A remarkable fragrance for man (though marketed as to be unisex, I can see nothing unisex in here). The opening was rather sharp with bay leaves, but after the first few minutes it settles down to a fantastic pine and bay leave combo. The best part is the heart and the dry down where "Eloge du Traitre" turns to be a smoky and warm pine scent. The pine is very natural smelling and hard to resist actually. Do try this, it is a marvelous aromatic scent reminding me of warm summer nights in forest after the rain. This smells very inviting on me and I can only imagine how perfect would this smell on a man. Masculine, warm, sensual and macho like. One of the best by Etat libre d`Orange. UPD: Wanted to add that the staying power is enormous. It has been 14 hours or so and I can feel "Eloge du Traite" on my wrist still going very strong.

Take Caron Yatagan, and give it the necessary twist to make it wearable on a daily base in the 2010's... Here is Eloge du Traitre. Beautiful piney smoky birch tar (aka leather) with a strong support of bayleaf and cloves. Shares similarities with other leather fragrances, like Yatagan (as said before), Versace L'Homme, Bogart Signature and Bottega Veneta Pour Homme. Nothing new, but an excellent fine-tuning from ELdO, that makes this one of the most interesting in that category. Quite linear with moderate/heavy projection and I suggest not to overspray if worn at the office. Highly recommended to amateurs of this style. That said, young crowds and beginner nose may not appreciate it at its real value. Fall/Winter days, 30+