When I first heard about Noël au Balcon from Etat Libre d'Orange, it was being offered as a limited edition fragrance for the 2007 holiday season. I was disappointed that I wouldn't have a chance to try it, since it was only available at Sephora in France. Fortunately, Noël au Balcon joined the permanent Etat Libre line-up about a year ago, and now that I've had a chance to wear it, the season seems right for a review. Noël au Balcon's composition includes notes of tangerine, vanilla, honey, orange blossom, apricot, red pepper, patchouli, musk, cistus, cinnamon, nigella, and amber, and it was created by the perfumer Antoine Maisondieu (who has produced a number of fragrances for Etat Libre, including another of my favorites, the aldehydic peachy-floral Vraie Blonde).
Since we're dealing with Etat Libre d'Orange, there is the requisite punning in the fragrance's title and some racy imagery in its logo and its descriptive "story"; allusions to cleavage abound. The proverb "Noël au balcon, Pâques au tison" means that a warm Christmas — warm enough to spend on the balcony — will be followed by an unseasonably cool Easter (requiring "firebrands"). And the expression "avoir du monde au balcon," or "the balcony is crowded," is a reference to a shapely bosom. In the descriptive text on the Etat Libre d'Orange website, we learn that Noël au Balcon exists "halfway between a flirtatious temptress and a dancing queen...a detonating cocktail of scents.”
I'd classify Noël au Balcon as an oriental gourmand, but it's not as foody as the list of notes suggests, nor as explosive as the description promises, which is fine with me. The fragrance opens with a gust of cinnamon that nearly veers into "red hots" territory. The cinnamon segues into a clove-y pairing of red pepper and vanilla that reminds me of certain carnation fragrances, particularly Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Oeillets Rouges or Floris Malmaison. There's a candied citrus note, a glowing drop of honey, and some warm, comforting musk. Overall, Noël au Balcon is the olfactory version of a holiday beverage, something that combines the best parts of a hot toddy (honey, ambery booze) and mulled cider (spiced fruit). It's less attention-getting than you might imagine, however, and it stays fairly close to the skin. Its staying power is slightly above average.
With its mix of sweetness and spice, Noël au Balcon does feel right for the Christmas season; it would probably seem less appropriate (to me, anyway) on a warm spring or summer day. Then again, as the weather becomes stranger and less predictable year by year, maybe we will be gathering around the fireplace on Easter. If that comes to pass, I'll be wearing a spritz of Noël au Balcon.
Etat Libre d’Orange Noël au Balcon sells for $80 (50 ml); for purchasing information, see Etat Libre d'Orange under Perfume Houses.
Hi, Jessica – I’ve been dismissive of ELd’O’s marketing angle, and not all that impressed with the scents I’ve tried. They’ve seemed well-constructed, but in each case less distinctive than other, similar fragrances (with the exception of the barfalicious Secretions Gagnifique, which is in a class of its own): Putain de Palaces was a quieter Citizen Queen, Rossy de Palma paled next to L’Arte di Gucci, and Vraie Blonde, with its buttermilk note, was not enjoyable compared to Vega or Eau Premiere or… well, just about any other aldehydic scent I own. (!)
But here you are mentioning two other fragrances I love, Oeillets Rouges (I’m getting a dram of that in my stocking this year, woohoo!!) and Malmaison… and I enjoy a good spiced cider or hot toddy at this time of year… so perhaps I need a sample of Noel au Balcon. Thanks for the nudge!
Mals, I wish I could change your mind about RdP! I think it may be a matter of expectations — to my mind it’s really not a dark rose chypre type fragrance at all, it’s a bright, lemony geranium. I find it incredibly uplifting.
Of course, you may be reacting to the patchouli and “cacao” in the base, which I barely smell but I know you’re sensi to patch.
I don’t know, E – I thought it was perfectly nice, but it just didn’t “speak” to me.
Mals86, I remember being really put off by EDdO’s marketing/imagery when the line first came to the US, so I tried one or two fragrances and then sort of avoided the whole line for a while. But they reeled me in with the Rossy de Palma and Tilda Swinton fragrances; I’ve always admired both those women, and I ended up loving both those scents, and then others in the “regular” line. However, Secretions will probably never make my list of favorites.
If I liked orange blossom, I’d try Like This. If I liked jasmine, I’d try Jasmin et Cigarette. If I liked vetiver, I’d try Fat Electrician.
You see where I’m going with this?
If they can’t capture me when they do my favorite notes (rose, white florals, aldehydes), why try the notes I don’t care much for?
That actually sounds much more negative than I feel about the house, but until I run across something that really grabs me, I’m just not going to be an ELd’O fan. (The JHaG marketing annoys me too, BTW, but I am a Citizen Queen Ho anyway.)
I can’t be the only one who sees that name and think it translates as Christmas Bacon? And now I really want someone to make a scent that combines pork & pine!
Bjorn, That didn’t occur to me, but now I’m hungry!
No, you’re not the only one! You just beat me to it.
I was totally reading it as bacon. And it was making me hungry.
Yes, I saw ‘bacon’ for an instant too, but was not surprised. This is Etat Libre d’Orange, after all. And pork and wine would interest me more in a fragrance than pork and pine … still, nice work.
You may be giving ELd’O some ideas for future fragrances!
Yip, and I keep having the thought though by now I really should know better.
Thanks for the great review, Jessica. I have yet to sniff any ELdO fragrances – bar Secretions Magnifigue which was horrifying on many levels and has scared ‘me off if the rest of the line. This, however, sounds right up my alley and I will definitely seek it out.
J
Fragrantwitch, It took me a while to try this line… I think I sampled a few when they first came to the US, and none of them was the right fit for me, but now I have a few favorites.
I agree with Mals: the marketing doesn’t appeal. However, I liked “Like This” well enough to feel willing to explore the line, and this fragrance sounds like a good place to start—it sounds really delicious!
Thanks for the review Jessica!!
I would agree… those are the only 2 ELdOs I’ve tried, and I really like both. This one is highly wearable (I don’t get near the spiciness Jessica did), only lightly sweet, and a great comfort scent. I don’t know if anyone else gets a similarity, but for me it brought to mind Theorema (more in feel than in smell)… except that Theorema didn’t quite work for me, and this one does.
Boojum, Noel au Balcon does remind me vaguely of something I tried long ago… maybe it was Theorema? I agree, it’s much more comforting and less bombshell-ish than it sounds.
Hmm, and you know…I’ve only dabbed from a sample. I wonder if the spiciness comes out more sprayed? It often seems to be the case that top notes stand out more when sprayed, at least for me.
Well, it was definitely spiciest in the top… and then it settled down into a softer spicy-fruited-amber thing. I don’t usually *love* cinnamon notes, but this one worked all right for me!
Dee, Angela wrote a great review of Like This, and I think she also liked Vraie Blonde, which I really enjoy. There are a few others I’ve tried and liked. Some of the sexxxy marketing still doesn’t really “click” with my own sense of humor/aesthetics, but in the end, it’s the fragrances themselves that matter most, right?
You’re totally right, of course. Marketing is irrelevant when it comes to how a thing smells. I have no trouble disregarding the JHAG marketing, but then, I smelled before I saw!
I think I’ll give this, and Vraie Blonde, a whirl when I next order a batch of samples from LS.
I can hook you up with some Vraie Blonde…
Yay! That’d be rad! Maybe I can talk you into a trip to Nordstrom’s to see about the Chanel counter too…
Any time, Dee!
Ah, thank you so much for reviewing this! It’s an unsniffed Christmas list entry of mine (which I think I may end up receiving… I have a feeling…)
Of course, Like This has my heart so completely. Possibly my favourite ELdO. I also wear Tom of Finland often during these wintery months.
Sensualist, What a great holiday-wishlist item! And yes, I’m still smitten with Like This, as I have been since its release… ahh!
A hot toddy scent sounds so good just about now. Or just a hot toddy
Oh, agreed. It’s definitely been the right week for that in NYC! Let’s make plans.
I love Vraie Blonde, although it is similar enough to Moschino Couture that I don’t need a bottle. For some reason, I’ve mised Noel au Balcon completely. I think I need to get a sample before the holidays.
Jen, It took me a while to realize that Noel was available here in the US… and, fortunately, it’s not *just* a Christmas scent.
I dont know too much about the marketing in general, but i actually do like the odd names and quirky pics. I haven’t yet bought any ELO but I remember being quite struck with viergos en torreors. Did anyone else around here like that? And its the strangest thing but fat electrician smelt exactly like grapefruit on me! The saleslady agreed but said it didn’t smell like that on others.
Vierges et Toreros is one of my favorite scents – makes me feel like a dominatrix. Tuberose and leather is such a great combo.
So thats ho its spelled! I’m not sure I get dominatrix from it. It actually makes me think of a bullfighter in being so forceful, but also rounded with elaborate embellishments, ornaments and elegant style!
Joe has recommended VeT several times. It sounds like a highly sensual scent! (On my to-try list, for sure.)
The only ELDO that I love is the one that I own: Nombril Immense. It’s a soft, sweet patchouli, so warm in cold days…
I like Fat Electrician (good vetiver), Putain des Palaces and Delicious Closet Queen too.
Isa, I definitely know some other fans of Putain and Nombril! I should sniff the Fat Electrician some time. lol.
I own Jasmine & Cigarettes, Fat Electrician, Like This AND Noel au Balcon. I love them all!
Hello, Raymond!! Where do you buy your Etat Libre scents? I sort of wish that Barneys or Jeffrey carried them… now I’m being picky, I know!
i get them at Bendel’s in NYC.
Ah, yes… well, it’s worth braving the crowds (and the pushy sales staff!) on the 1st floor to get upstairs to these!
Another one that I really like – and which is totally out of character for me – is divine enfant. I don’t get the cold ashtray scent at all, it just stays marshmallow and orange blossom on me. Sweet and uplifting! Perhaps even my favourite
Merlin, I like that one, too. I get the orange blossom and the marshmallow, and some cold, bitter coffee. It’s odd, but pleasing to my nose!
All right, you’ve got my attention now! I love cinnamon (and Malmaison). Plus, I’ve been getting curiouser and curiouser about Like This. Now I’ve just got to figure out who carries this in the SF Bay Area….
Nobody! I have searched. I want Barney’s to get it – it would be a great line for them.
Tama, I agree with the Barneys idea. Here in NYC, Bendel carries the full line (but the crowds in that store can be off-putting) and New London Pharmacy carries a few fragrances (wish they had the entire line).
Jessica, do you know if they still carry Bendelicious? i’d love to get my hands on that one. Heck, I want the entire ELdO line.
I hope they still carry it… it’s so fantastically trashy-sweet! It made me giggle.
Suddenly, it’s not a widely distributed line — it’s so niche, and I have a hunch that it’s actually a small-ish company — but I think Luckyscent sells samples, and The Perfumed Court might, too.
I just got that big 16-scent coffret and have been having fun with it. Of course, this was one of the few not in it, but it’s definitely keeping me occupied! It’s a fun line – some great scents, some meh, a couple blech, but all in all pretty well done. Even with Secretions I could see why Turin loved it – it is very well composed and interesting.
Tama, what fun! I really do need to try a few others that I haven’t already experienced, or that I’ve only tried once and too quickly. I think I would like Rien. And I sort of remember liking Don’t Get Me Wrong, Baby, but that’s one case where I just can’t get past the name/concept…
I am impressed with your knowledge of French colloquialisms.
Ceelouise, Thanks! The press materials included that information… although I was already familiar with the cleavage-related expression.
Like you, I was disappointed that it was a limited edition, and, to be honest, I sort of forgot about it. I am glad to hear that it is actually a part of their collection, which gives me an added incentive to seek out a sample.
By the way, the sage shower gel you reviewed last week is fantastic!! Thank you.
V, It’s worth a sniff, since you’re in the mood for spicy gourmands!
Also, glad you enjoyed the Pattern body wash; I think they do a very nice job with their fragrances!