Nombril Immense

A sudden itch in my bellybutton and I have to scratch it. Woah, woah woah - I've got to stop neglecting this little recess during my shower time, it seems there's a hefty dose of lint trapped within. I pull out the itchy culprit and inspect it. What is this? It's not lint, but a balloon. A mottled balloon; primarily green but flecked with specks of brown and purple. Just how did that get in there?! As I bring this oddity to eye level to inspect it my nostrils are teased by the odor of patchouli. With child-like curiosity I begin to inflate the balloon. There's a tingling sensation in my mouth, and with each breath the sensation grows until finally it has engulfed my tongue and cheeks. I don't know it now, but there's a bouquet of violets stuck in my vanilla chiclet teeth and my uvula is actually a piece of smoldering opoponax resin. The once dark green mottled balloon grows and grows. I'm not sure if the balloon's rubber has stretched so thin that it has simply disappeared or if it has mysteriously transmogrified into the denser hazy green smoke that encapsulates the swirling currents of opoponax smoke and violet breath within. I continue to blow and it continues to expand until my head is completely engulfed; like an old diving helmet but rendered not with copper or brass but patchouli and opoponax and violets and vanilla instead. A vaporous helmet fit not for an aquanaut but a psychonaut. The intoxicating aroma of my new headgear assuages any fears of absurdity that had begun to arise. With my newfound confidence I gaze back into the navel that gave birth to the whole of this experience and find neither flesh nor flora, but instead a gaping expanse of velvety white clouds that extend into infinity, each perfectly shaped into the likeness of a patchouli leaf... ... ...My toes reflexively curl as if to grab hold of the shag carpet beneath my feet for a bit of extra stability as I come down for a landing. I open my eyes and gaze about, slowly adjusting to the surroundings that my body never actually left, and wonder just how long and just where to my mind has been traveling. Gently clutched in my left hand is a sample of Nombril Immense.

The brand ELDO is known for rather provocative monikers for its products, but in this case we can happily disregard any associations with belly buttons and focus on the scent per se - I mean, belly buttons don't smell like peppery patchouli! For this is a very beautiful (and not at all kinky) fragrance with patchouli as the star protagonist. The list of notes is completely accurate: our protagonist is supported by black pepper, bergamot, vetiver, opoponax and peru balsam; pepper is the sidekick, and the remaining notes play relatively minor, but colourful supporting roles. This fragrance is green, woody, ambery and completely unisex. On my skin it lasts 8+ hours and stays pretty linear throughout. Highly recommended even to people who are normally averse to patchouli, because here it has been stripped of all potentially challenging components. If someone asked me to (re)name this scent, I'd call it 'Zen'.

This is a beautiful patchouli fragrance: soft, feminime and very comfortable. Nombril Immense is my favourite from ELdO!

This is My favourite,my love:)

Soft. Powdery. Patchouli? I should start by stating that I'm not a huge "patch head", honestly, it's a note I struggle with. As someone who has spent their life involved in music and art scenes of various types I have naturally encountered many saints and sinners who held patchouli incredibly close and wore it almost like a second skin. With the association of both the kindest old women I've ever met AND passive aggressive condescending granola yuppies attached to patchouli I've naturally approached it with trepidation and just a general apprehension. Enter Nombril. I was offered a trade a few days ago, Nombril being a part of that. I was already a fan of ELDO so that certainly helped it initially but I did some research and was intrigued. I love soft and gentle fragrances, especially of the "brown" variety. After getting home and testing all my newly acquired fragrances I was initially a bit let down. All I could smell was patchouli, rollerball hippie shop patchouli oil. So naturally this morning it was with a bit of apprehension that I decided to test this fragrance on skin but I am so glad I did. Nombril has been a pleasant companion with me today as I do chores and loaf around my apartment. On skin this fragrance opens with a slight citrusy brightness along with a strong dose of patchouli but that fades VERY quickly. Very shortly after the opening I was left with a very relaxing and cozy patchouli and woody scent. There is a certain powdery feeling that I absolutely love, which I believe is coming from the carrot seed, that powdery feeling in the dry down is making the patchouli much more digestible for me... Here's my assessment: -7/10 Overall -Spring, Fall, Winter -Day or Night -Location/Situation: Asheville, NC on a sunny Saturday afternoon in November. Window shopping after eating lunch and an edible. -Song: Things We Never Did - Sad Lovers and Giants