Story of Your Life

A deep love for me. As some have already said and I agree, there’s a definite nod to the bread in Lutens’ Jeux de Peau, which I appreciate. I get a hint of that warm treacle note found in American tinned brown bread. I’ve noticed reviews here in which they say they can’t smell the rum. If you swallow a sip of rum (DARK rum, not the clear stuff, and not the spiced commercial Captain Morgan) and then breathe out through your nose— trust me, you’ll immediately “get it”. The rum note in SOYL is by no means faint, it’s deliciously intense and leathery. The cacao is sweet and powdery, like dark Dutch processed cocoa powder. But what brings me back again and again to wearing SOYL is the fantastic note of a very specific kind of smoke. When I first smelled this I couldn’t place why the subtle scent of the char in SOYL was so familiar, or why smelling it made me feel a deep sense of happy wonder. It’s the *story* of that particular kind of smoke in SOYL that made me fall in love with it. It’s not the smoke off of cones of balsamic incense, a wood fire or the sulphuric salt of burnt matchsticks. It’s somewhat close to the tallowed soot of extinguished candle wicks, but that’s not right either. It’s mineral, but in what contexts of human experience do the scents of smoke and mineral happen simultaneously? Volcanoes! Molten rock... the smell of a forge? Hmmm 🤔 Well, yes, but still not quite right. It came to me finally while having movie night with my two daughters. We were watching Clan of the Cave Bear (not my choice of movie, don’t judge me!😄🤷🏻♀️). I had been wearing SOYL for quite awhile at that time, still confused as to why that beloved note was so familiar. The scent memory suddenly hit me when watching Daryl Hannah in this movie discover how to create fire when she struck a piece of flint against a lump of iron pyrite, resulting in a large spark...and a wisp of smoke. When I was 11 years old, I remember doing the same thing in summer camp in northwest Texas. While camping one evening in a shallow canyon on the banks of the Guadalupe River, our camp guide (muscular, tanned and long blonde hair, like Daryl Hannah) passed out pieces of glittering pyrite from a burlap sack and showed us how to find chunks of flint, which were actually quite common around the area because of the amount of natural chalk within the surrounding sedimentary rock. She then showed us how we could generate sparks to make fire by striking these two natural materials together. After forming a nest of dried grasses, she made our campfire that evening this way. I recall how entranced we young preteen girls were by the magic of it, totally struck dumb at the magnificent sight of this strong, beautiful woman’s expertise with this primitive yet powerful survival skill. I remember all of us striking our stones together, brilliant sparks illuminating our laughing faces in the grey-lavender dusk of a Texas canyon twilight...and I remember that hot, mineral scent of scorched rock. Story of Your Life actually smells like a story of mine.😄

Got my hands on the sample kit with 20 small vials of ELDO's fragrances to try with my girlfriend. This was the sixteenth fragrance we tried from the collection together! I'll start with my experience; off the bat, I got huge boozy notes, a ton of balsam, alongside a punchy herby smell. As it dried down, the booze weakened, I got that sort of rye smell, and then the orange blossom took over the scent. It further developed into a woody baseline; maintaining the slighty sweet, yeasty qualities that were floating around before... with a side of beer. There's something dirty in my mix that lasts the whole way through as well. For my girlfriend, she got an opening of RUM - distinctively rum, like more of that rum flavor and less alcohol - and the bread and orange blossom. There were traces of the balsam notes but they were significantly weaker than on my own skin. Then it got sweeter from that vanilla note (which is fantastic) and it really lifted up the rum note; and the scent was overtaken with a resonant, warm amber. Very little "dirt" or "green" on her skin. This scent is quite polarizing, just from glancing at reviews and comments about this one. Given that I try these with my partner, it's fun to compare how the scents take to our skin - we've had a couple instances of "this smells different on you" in the sample set, but this immediately was "wow, that's really different on your skin." I have a feeling that the skin chemistry plays a way bigger role in the overall experience of this fragrance than most others we've tried from ELDO. It's definitely dynamic and not for everyone - which means this isn't a safe blind buy and you should absolutely try a sample prior to purchase. If you're looking for something similar from ELDO, the closest approximation is probably "Frustration" which is similarly rummy and sweet and not as confusing or complex. With that being said though, we really enjoyed our respective experiences with this fragrance quite a lot; it projects solidly (5-7 hours) and stays as a skin-scent for longer, and hovers around the body enough to detect it consistently. A favorite for us so far!

Immediately upon seeing the rating for this fragrance, it's a reminder that all fragrances are subjective and no matter how popular or highly-rated something is, you should still try it for yourself. If I came across Story of Your Life online, I wouldn't even bat an eye: No way am I going to blind-buy a fragrance with this low of a rating, and so easy to find online, it must not be in demand or liked. ...this boxed-in opinion I had for so long on fragrances is what lead me to purchase so many Designers and popular Niche's that I just ended up selling. Etat Libre D'Orange's Story of Your Life is a loud fragrance without being your traditional loud scent: That benzoin is noticeable right from the start and keeps throughout. It gives off a fizzy-drink vibe but only a few minutes later smells more edible, like a sweet bread. You might hear bread and think that's not a desirable smell you want, but it's done differently with this. I say it's not a traditional loud scent because it's versatile and different from anything in my collection. Usually you hear a scent is "loud and sweet" and you think it's a rough wear: Take JPG's Le Male Elixir, it shares some same accords but my goodness Le Male Elixir is headache-inducing and I sold it after a month. This one is done different, like a fresh spicy vanilla with some edible accords, where you can criticize this scent is that it almost feels like it has an identity crisis, like it wants to be sweet but also aromatic/fresh/spicy. However for me I love how versatile that makes it. As for longevity and projection: My brother wore this from morning to evening and it lasted literally all day, I kept picking up the scent around him and it projects so well even in open space, I am impressed with the quality and longevity of this one. TDLR: A sweet & spicy fragrance with an identity crisis but lasts all day and keeps you wanting more. 8.5/10

Reminds me of the incense smoke that lingered in my aunts linen curtains she hung in her historic home in downtown that I house sat the first fall of my undergrad. I’d bake biscuits in her tiny kitchen while playing house, imagining what it would be like live on my own. I consumed classical theatre scripts and detective fiction. I fell in love with a boy who was very much still a boy but loved The Smiths and so I loved The Smiths too. I walked along the riverside in the middle of autumn and felt so nostalgic from the smell of rotting leaves. I devoured French Canadian film in her basement that was lined with wood paneling and twinkle lights. That’s what this fragrance conjures in me; book pages, incense, sweet baking, and artificial life. Upon first test, this fragrance leaned so heavy into benzoin which smelt heavily synthetic that I almost couldn’t sense anything else at all. But I let it linger on me for the rest of the day, slowly settling in my skin, to eventually turn into a sweet warm reminiscence of vanilla lattes and wood. I gave the fragrance a try the next day and found I could identify more of the notes like the cocoa and patchouli. I definitely prefer the dry down much more than the top notes, and the top notes seem to linger for quite some time. I also found this to not have much projection and had to really get close to my skin to sense the notes, only sometimes get a whisper of it when I moved my hair away from my neck. This is a really good test for me in trying fragrances more than once. I really thought I would be giving this a disappointed review but I find myself loving it the more and more that I think about it and wear it on my skin. Sadly I used up my lucky scent sample on this last wear today but I am really debating ordering a larger decant of.

So if you liked Orto Parisi's Seminalis, this should be a really great match for you. I feel like it has the same spicy-warm, kinda milky tone, especially after the dry-down. It is not overwhelming and if Seminalis is too much projection for you, Story of your life is a great alternative, also because it's cheaper and Orto Parisi fragrances are very hard to find. I really love that one it's not too gourmand which I very much apriciate here. It does smell like some kind of sweet pastry with warm vanilla milk and orange-flower jam. It reminds me of a cozy afternoon in October, where the rain pours outside, the raindrops are knocking on the window-glass and sill. You're sitting on the sofa with a warm cup of vanilla milk, with a littlebit of brandy in it. The fire is crackling in the fireplace. The air is filled with the warm smell of wood, vanilla rain and freshly baked brioche. You're thinking about the long-past, your childhood memories, your grandparents. It is an amazing smell, perfectly balanced.

I am very surprised with the response and reaction to this fragrance. I think it's actually quite nice! In my mind, story of your life captures brief glimpses rather than one concrete story. Isn't that how it is? Spotted the memories of your best moments. It's not supposed to smell luxurious. It's supposed to be nostalgic. Perhaps even comforting. For those of you say it smells like cheap alcohol during the holidays, my response to that is yes. You are exactly right. And I love that about it! I smell Christmas spirits on the couch, talking to my aunt or my grandparents while my mom is cooking Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday meals. This fragrance is bringing back those memories. And that something I'm grateful for. I don't think this is meant to wear while you go to the club or even to the office. This is meant for you during the times you are nostalgic and are ready to reflect. The hints are everywhere. Even in the name. The description. This is a subtle gift.

I think I smell bread? But I have a feeling I’m being influenced by the listed notes. More so, I get a slightly sweet, soft woody accord. I think the sweetness can be attributed to the rum rather than the cocoa, on my skin. I agree with those who say it’s a very comforting unisex scent, perhaps leaning masculine (just a smidge). It’s the kind of frag that would make someone appealing to snuggle up to in colder weather. For a fairly amateur collector like myself, I’m tempted to fb, but if you own an extensive collection, I’m not sure if this juice will stand out as unique. Edit: On a respray 8 hours later, I *do* get the bread, but it’s not a soft white loaf straight out of the oven. This is a loaf that’s thick, hardy and yeasty. Medieval tavern bread.

I think the negative reviews on this one are not fully warranted. Is this the most luxurious fragrance, no, but you are also not paying a ton for the fragrance. If you want to smell like a million dollars and spend $100 some you are going to smell like a $100 fragrance. With that being said, this is a really nice fragrance. I wouldn't necessarily call it a gourmand, but it does have the sweet notes that try to take it there. I really think the cocoa and rum come through nicely and give this scent something that many others have a hard time hitting. If you want to have a really strong, masculine scent this isn't it, but it is something that is different that will get attention. I think it plays on the ingredients well and overall is just a nice scent!

Only have a sample of this, but I have been enjoying it so far. This perfume gives me a cozy Sunday at home when it's cold out, baking and taking small sips of rum as you enjoy the warmth of being indoors. The booze is not so overpowering for me as others describe it, more so a resinous sweet vanilla with a kick of something green and earthy. It has a lotion-y smell to it, something creamy lol but I quite enjoy it. The orange is faint, but definitely there. I think it adds something soft and charming to the mixture that would be a little dark, otherwise. There is a bready/yeast quality to the fragrance that is subtle but gives the fragrance a fluffy sort of feeling.

Gourmand bread and cocoa? Did we try totally different perfumes? I have to try again but...very strange incoherent start that you almost have to endure. On Etat Libre d'Orange an unusually strong, intense and striking scent. A medieval blacksmith in a leather shirt has a lunch of groats with freshly smoked pork. After eating he goes down to the cellar, where he has lots of unused leather fringes, straps, he looks slightly scary like a lewd sensual dungeon. Drydown is mild, unsweet noncloying vanilla and rouded non-stinging amber covers everything and rhum washes away this whole memory, but not before you experience it to your heart's content.

I totally relate to the brand’s official description of the perfume: it’s a dream. It’s something between sleep and awakening on a warm Sunday morning. Those few fragile moments when you’re slipping out of slumber. It has that very pleasant and comforting feeling of being tucked into bed by your lover, the smell of marmalade toast on rye bread and the warmth of the autumn wind. It’s the scent of Alain Resnais-ish daydreaming, "Last Year at Marienbad" in a bottle. When I wear it, I have a nonstop conversation in my head with a non-existent French man from a black and white movie, in a language I don’t know or understand.

I can't even begin to understand how anyone could smell something so tender and beautiful and say that it deserves such a low score. I'm pretty sure that most of the commenters here haven't even tried it. The idea behind it is clear and simple, and so is the execution. This is a very mild gourmand that smells like many different things but nothing in particular. It doesn't smell like a pastry or a bakery, but rather like a home where something sweet is baking in the oven. It's golden and enveloping, there's no tension or sharpness, just pure bliss and comfort. Extremely easy to like.

Smelling this feels like being given a big, long hug. It is super comforting, cozy, and warm. Right upon spraying, you get a smoky, resinous, woody base. This smokiness comes from what, to me, is roasted/burnt coffee. These dark notes give depth to the sweeter nuances, which I can only describe as milky vanilla. In the drydown, I'm getting more chocolate bread than the brioche bread note it claims to have, but it's still delicious. Performance seems to be on the weaker to average-ish side, although it does leave a beautiful, ephemeral trail. Gorgeous scent, 9/10.

Review #2, just to update: I fullbottled. *Every* time I’ve worn this out, I’ve gotten reactions along the lines of, “Mm, something smells good!”, even though I didn’t think it was projecting much (I wear 1 spray to each wrist, and 1 at my neck). My full bottle (directly from ELDO) smells sweeter and more bread-like than my sample from Twisted Lily, for whatever reason. The sample also had a stronger rum drydown (kind of similar to ELDO’s Frustration). I prefer the FB by far and have no regrets. A deep, warm, sweet winter gourmand.

I was down at Le Marais for a sunny afternoon stroll when I decided to enter the rue des archives shop in Paris and try this, immediately fell in love and bought it. On my skin this smells like a sweet smokey brioche, the perfect french brioche that when you rip it in half, the sticky burnt sugar stays stuck in your fingers. I feel it’s a quite comforting smell, but maybe not a safe blind buy as it is very gourmand and smokey.

Demure, comforting, subtle. Familiar in a way I can't put my finger on. Sweet in the way that fresh milk bread is sweet. Warm like the oven is still hot from baking. The scent feels close to me. Not in a skin scent type of way, but on a soul level, like it penetrates deeper than my skin. Wearing and smelling Story of Your Life makes me so soothed and happy.

Extremely cozy and incredibly beautiful. This is autumn in a bottle. The Bread note is the star here, it reminds me so much of Kvass, with that unique, fermented, and yeasty depth. The combination of Rum, Vanilla, and Cocoa makes it so warm and addictive. It’s a very attractive and comforting scent, like a warm hug on a cold day.

This completely wowed me at first sniff. Immediate buy. The most delicious sweet smelling piece of bread you've ever smelled. It reminds me a little bit of Spell Caramel by Zara but it's smoother and more wearable. It's beautifully blended. Someone below said it smells like Christmas and I couldn't have said it better myself.

It triggered something in me, a scent, a place or a memory... kinda liked how Elegent this fragrance is I would say it has the wow factor, but it definitely has its own identity it smells better on cloth then skin.. the ingredients and perfectly blinded, balanced and unique. well its the Story of my life Over all 7.5/10

Maybe I have a different interpretation of these notes or maybe it smells different on me but it reminds me of the smells of a tire burnout + racing fuel at a drag strip, but good. There's a kind of electric and neon blue feel to the scent. The warmer, sweeter vanilla and rum comes in the later parts.