Bis

It's a little like L'Heure Bleu meets Betty Friedan. The depth, sensitivity, and formal seriousness of L'Heure Bleu blends with the teetering, fiery outspokenness of over-educated housewives of the 1950s whose parties you would definitely want to go to. Quite unique as a mood. As a smell, it's beautiful, natural, and also slightly too provocative at times? But that's why I like it. Later: Bis is such a human perfume, and so very sweet. Not dessert sweet, but skin sweet, mother sweet. At times the dry-down gives caramel! 9/20/25: longing for something yet undefined, or like missing someone you haven’t met yet. Mother and child who are as one but feel the separation already

This scent is fabulous! It is classic and yet so current. I believe this is not only do to the notes, but to its exquisite blending. It truly conjures up the beauty of perfumes of the past without being derivative or "retro". For me it is luxe lipstick, smart pocket books and chiffon scarves. It morphs as the day progresses and I have noticed the lavender makes an appearance when my temper gets piqued. Perfect! It is now my favorite and I find myself clearing out my "also rans". Finding Rodin has been an exciting relief.

For me, Bis is all about the anise, violet/lavender, ambergris and musk. It's a little weird but plenty wonderful, opening with an almost savoury bent but drying down to a beautiful, softly aromatic and gently sweetened floral musk. I've had my bottle since August 2021 and have worn it many times. It's a unique fragrance and prized in my collection.

I love this quirky gem. It's character changes each time I wear it. I adore the anise-lavender-jasmine richness. Bergamot brightens it all up. If you like unique anise/lavender scents, this is for you. Bis rates high on my all-time cherished perfumes and shall remain there.

Strangely addictive. Ambergris + aromatics. Can smell somewhat like an indian grocery store, lol. Another interesting recommendation from Dana a_nose_knows.

Bis is a strange, beautiful fragrance whose marketing has done it a disservice. There is some sort of disconnect between Linda Rodin and DS and Durga, the creators of the fragrance. It's marketed as a green orris-violet scent, and often described as powdery and peppery and fruity, but it's maddeningly none of these things. It's almost as if DS and Durga were interior decorators, and Linda Rodin kept insisting on mid-Century modern, and finding herself disappointed. Then when the artists throw their hands in the air and try Bohemia, she says, "Yes! This is finally what I'm looking for!" Nonetheless, I love this strange combination of salty musk, ambergris and aromatic lavender/anise. It smells vintage and subversive but also comforting. JessDrew's review below is spot on. Longetivity is epic, and at $300 for 50 ml it better be! Edit: now available on the gray market for less than half the price

This is a quality vintage-throwback that I appreciate, but it's not an easy wear. "Bis" lends itself to jokes about "piss" - while it doesn't enter public urinal territory, it does come dangerously close. Ambergris is dominant, and it's in a salty, sweaty form. Anise amplifies that sweetly acrid element. The jasmine is overripe and animalic, and the lavender beautifully pungent. It's a sexy, sophisticated older woman enveloped in fur, fragrance, cigarettes, and perspiration. It's a lot to take in, but it just barely works. It's now easily acquired for far less than its original $300 price tag, and it's absolutely worth seeking out. An idiosyncratic, prickly gem. One day I might even work up the nerve to wear it outside of my house.

Bis. Daring scent to be released today. Its a heavy floral animalic fragrance. On me the ambergis, musk and tonka envelop the rose and jasmine making this a animalic floral fragrance. It has great depth because of the bases used and the florals keep it from veering into straight animalic rudeness. If you are familiar with vintage perfumes, that have animalic bases like My Sin, etc..you will have no issues wearing this sexy primal fragrance. The opening is lemony/bergamot then the animalic florals join shortly thereafter. Its a heavy fragrance, made for a seductress.

What a strange fragrance. I bought it as a blind buy and it is very different. It has an oily feel, and at first I hated it as, on me, I smelt like the inside of an Asian grocery shop. After a while I could smell lavender and the niceness poking through. However, it seems to go around in circles. I still get the oily, Asian grocery, and then it goes back to lavender. It doesn’t fit into any fragrance genre. I’ll keep it, as it’s intriguing. I actually like it.

It's dry & animalic, complex yet somehow minimalistic—not really an ambergris fragrance nor ambery—quite intriguing though.

"I can smell your dirty violets." "It's Rodin Olio Bis, Mommy, and every animalic loving fumehead should sniff it." Now I am not saying Carrie would be wearing this during her gory revenge, but what I am saying is this is a skank machine, a "street walking cheetah with a heart of napalm" as the Stooges once sang. I must also say that I was floored to learn that this was composed by the perfumers behind Brooklyn bearded-hipster darlings D.S and Durga. Another huge plot twist if there ever was one. I would have never expected something from them so captivating such as this. Bis means bisssssness with its pastel notes of lavender, violet, and anise gussied up with a grey ambergris, lots of the tincture it seems, I really mean it. This smells like a LOT of ambergris, similar to what I've tinctured from my very own precious hunk. Salty and arid, its as if this pastel, somewhat pungent concoction was soaked in it and left to dry in the sun. Over time, the musks meld with the purple hues and it gets plusher and richer over time. It's sweaty, prickly, just outrageous, not for the faint of heart. If you happen to be a fan of both L'Heure Bleue and Kouros, you'd be in absolute heaven, I sure am whenever I don it on my willing skin.

Quirky and odd and not an immediate "like" when sprayed. It has a skunky heavy oily feel at first and this must be from the ambergeis, tonka and anise. As it dries it get prettier as the violet and lavender becomes present but this is definitely unisex. This has a lot going on and as the different faucets appear, it's own personality evolves. This is a very complex scent and it takes some work to really understand what Bis is all about. This isn't floral or spicy, but maybe can be described as a complex salty musky amber. It take some patience but once it fully evolves, this can be described as beautiful. The quality here is exceptional and overall this is just so so unique. Not a good blind buy or to give as a gift, this is truly for those who can appreciate the journey this takes you on, you just need to keep an open mind. I did blind buy it and within a few days of being on the fence, I've come to love it. Just got discontinued and can be found at a bargain. Get it now, as I can see this reaching cult status eventually. It's that good.

I love this! It was a blind buy for the ambergris because I found a great deal online, and I was grateful for the reviews here previously that said it wasn't accurate to the description of the perfume as violet and orris aren't my thing. I wonder at that description because frankly orris isn't even listed in the notes here. This on me opens beautifully with lemon and anise flower creating a fresh, green aromatic start, before blooming into the jasmine and lavender being most forward with the salty-oily comfort of ambergris and musk anchoring it with a hint of tonka spice. It's not what it's marketed as, but it does nevertheless come off as very vintage and fresh. New favorite for the spring season!

The opening is very anise-forward, almost a caramelized anise if there was such a thing. Throughout the wear it feels aromatic and medicinal, not gourmand at all, but like an exotic grocery store’s herbal apothecary- sweet with licorice root tea not sugary desserts. A savory, salty, moist and slightly leathery ambergris backs the whole thing up beautifully. The ambergris is not overwhelming compared to others I have experienced, nor is this perfume particularly animalic or even challenging in my opinion. It is very potent and dry, aromatic and just lovely if you dare to give this weird little creation a chance.

Wow! just as i thought! it has that animalic citrus smell that captures my senses. Sparkling citrus animalic love with cute lavender and captivating ambergris! This is a diamond cream, a wrinkleless potion. A lavander citrus cream with animal organs to regain and rejuvenates beauty cells. Quite an amazing blend, and exciting quality. I hope it remains the same until it fades.

I smell cumin for some reason. Aromatic for sure and salty.. not sweet. The musk isn’t fuzzy or furry.. is almost smells like something you’d cook with like a aromatic cooking oil. Not exactly what I was expecting but interesting and not bad.

Hi. Can anyone advise: does the ambergris with its oily saltyness, (and i read theres papper also..) smell like hermes eau de merveilles scent - especially the elixir version, but any of that range? Thanks