Before smelling Etro Rajasthan, I asked my friend Rekha, who grew up in Delhi (and who has visited Rajasthan many times), to describe the aromas of that Indian state. Here are some of her scent memories of Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur:
“Sandalwood incense burning in front of a musician playing the flute, early in the morning; kewra, flavoring a sweet yogurt lassi; Jaipur market, full of spices, car and scooter emissions, cows and stray dogs, a mass of humanity, street vendors selling samosas, chaat, potato cutlets, barbecued meats, garbanzo beans, ice cream, kulfi…messy stuff…all in afternoon heat; jasmine made into garlands for the hair; smoky evening fires burning as dinners are cooked; water being sprinkled on lawns to cool them for evening, activating the scent of earth.”
A heady mix!
I was excited when Etro announced its new India-inspired fragrance (and being really excited about a new perfume release is rare for me these days). Having never been to Rajasthan, my imagination ran wild with the fragrant possibilities. First there were the scents of foods and spices — almonds, condensed milk, jaggery, clove, cardamom, fenugreek, turmeric, dried mango powder, coriander, cumin. After the kitchen cabinet, there was the landscape to consider; though Rajasthan is a dry place, certain aromatic plants grow there: Acacia nilotica, Ficus religiosa (Peepal), wild roses and Commiphora (myrrh). How could Etro’s Rajasthan perfume be anything but a lively, pungent, exotic elixir? If the perfume’s name wasn’t evocative enough, the bright, vibrantly colored Rajasthan perfume bottle pointed to good times ahead.
My first intimation Rajasthan might be more “business as usual” than “trip in a bottle” was its listed fragrance notes: pink pepper, lemon flower, polygonum leaves, cassie, mimosa, rose, amber, white musk and ciste; those notes could just as easily represent the south of France, California…or the Bland Lands of Sephora. I resisted buying Rajasthan “scent, unsniffed,” and waited for Rajasthan samples to arrive at my house.
Rajasthan goes on smelling rather indistinct: a mélange of soft, powdery aromas (with a hint of “freshness”). I detect a pallid floral accord, maybe a dash of pepper, and some opaque citrus. There is also a Rose in Distress, the note being choked by a sweet, crumbly musk and a talcy, “white” violet-like scent. I do smell mimosa/cassie; they are “hazy” and dry. I know Rajasthan, the place, is mostly desert, but all this scented “dust” in Rajasthan doesn’t thrill me. Where’s the dissonance, some “racket,” techni-colors, floral syrup, dirt? As Rajasthan dries on skin, a vanillic note appears and, mercifully, for a short while, is joined by a hint of “tartness” (smelling like a “rhubarb pastille”). Finally, Rajasthan becomes white musk, pure and simple.
Rajasthan is advertised as “unisex”, but I bet it’s too feminine for most men (myself included). Due to all the powder, talc, and dusty/hazy elements, Rajasthan has the character of a cosmetic perfume, something a manufacturer of face powders would use to scent their product. (I had surgery about 18 months ago, and the hand sanitizer my nurses used throughout the day smelled like Rajasthan’s vanillic musk…a bad association.) Resist the urge to buy Rajasthan unsniffed, even if you want the bottle (as I do)! And speaking of the bottle — talk about false advertising! To represent this perfume, Etro should have used a subdued palette of pale pinks, ivory and butter-colored yellow, not the “hot” colors they decided upon.
Rajasthan reminds me of many women’s perfumes of the silky, powdery floral-fruit ilk; it also has a faint resemblance to Boucheron Jaïpur Bracelet (but with the dimmer switch on). Etro captured India best, long, long ago with its Patchouly, Sandalo and Vetiver perfumes which were vigorous, bold and beautiful.* Even the memory of those perfumes makes me want to hop on a plane and head to Jaipur...SOON.
Etro Rajasthan Eau de Parfum (100 ml) seems to be available everywhere but in the U.S.: Europe/€122; UK/£112; India/Rs. 8500; and Canada/$160.
*I can’t vouch for the current formulations of these fragrances; I tried Etro Vetiver about four years ago when it was released in new packaging, but I’ve not smelled Sandalo or Patchouly in ages (I kept buying the old versions of these on eBay till they, gulp, sniff, disappeared).
Note: Top image [altered] via Wikimedia Commons.
Sounds like Etro would have been better served had they emulated Neela Vermeire’s scents (though I haven’t actually sampled them yet). May seek out a sample of their Vetiver, however…
Galbanumgal: Etro should have spent more time in India…or nixed the ‘India’ connection completely
Hi Kevin. Count me among those who was ready months ago to buy this unsniffed, because… Rajasthan! That Bottle! India! Etro!
I haven’t even sampled it yet, and no way some fancy enamel bottle is worth the $160 to me. I’m still intrigued, and the elements of this scent don’t sound bad to me — it’s likely that I could easily find if very pleasant and enjoyable. But what a lost opportunity to create something special with that name and concept.
Oh, and by the way, this isn’t on the Barneys website, but Barneys SF at least has it on the shelves, if anyone is curious. I assume their other branches do as well.
Joe: interesting about Barneys…it’s not on the shelves here yet. Yep, a disappointment all the way around!
Great review, Kevin, and I’ll admit to being dumbfounded at that list of notes. As the kids say, WTF?!? Sounds like a complete 180 between the juice and the name/packaging. And these are the people who did Messe de Minuit. So sad… 🙁
Rappleyea…I know! Wonder how it’s selling in India….
WTF? = Why the face? LOL That’s the dad on “Modern Family” trying to be cool for his daughters. The look on THEIR faces when he says that is priceless.
Oh, that’s funny Kelly. I’ve not watched Modern Family so thanks for sharing the joke.
Oh, come on!!! Does Shalimar smell of India? Does Paris smell of, well, Paris?? I’m not sure I want my perfume to smell literally like a place, really.
Rajastan is a juicy combination of roses and violets, the flowers smell not very real but colorful, and they make me think of a specific Bollywood actress- with quite some make up on and looking a bit cheap (despite the designer clothes) but engaging.
I think Rajastan is among the best in the tide of Powdery-cosmetic-smelling perfumes; I cannot appreciate its white musks, but many perfumistas seem immune to them.
Anyway, I’d take R over Dior 1947 anytime. Or over lipstick Rose. Or over the last Chloe… You get the point! 😉
But shalimar did smell ‘exotic’ in its time. It fed into a cultural fantasy of Eastern opulence. And YSL Paris was and is a high glamour scent, fit to represent a fashion capital and the world of Haute Couture. (Or so the argument could be made?)
Rajastan may be the best of the powdery-cosmetic scents out there but it doesn’t seem like it connects to either the actual place, nor any of our cultural stereotypes…
When I finally get to try it though I’ll try to imagine the sequined sari of a Bollywood actress!
Well, to me Rajastan smells like the red silk of a Sari (not that a Sari should have any particular smell!), with deep purple flashes and that particular grainy texture.
You are right, Shalimar was a very French perfume marketed exploiting a western fantasy of the east.
So is . Except the French part.
Anyway, I guess I’m just jaded about marketing prose, so I don’t get particularly excited – or disappointed- based on what a PR employee has come up with…
Ops, typo.
I meant “so is Rajastan”.
Zazie: I was going to say “enjoy!”…but apparently you already are. Ha!
No thanks, I’ll let other enjoy this violet-rose! 😉
Saris or makeup smelling perfumes don’t find much wear at Zazie’s…
Kevin, have you had a chance to smell The Maj by House of Matriarch? It’s from right here in Seattle. I still haven’t had the pleasure of visiting India yet, so this is total speculation on my part, but I think The Maj might capture some of the exotic essence of India better than Rajasthan does.
Rodelinda, thanks…I’ll try it next time I’m at Blackbird.
Speaking of travel by perfume, I really love Etro Palais Jamais, a weird smoky vetivery tea scent, as well as Shaal Nur (mine are from several years back). Of course, some of the old Diptyques have a paisley vibe, too.
D.S. & Durga My Indian Childhood had kewdra, and I really like it, but it appears they no longer make it. 🙁 I’m going to just sign off before I descend into a curmudgeonly rant about the sorry state of perfume these days that would be terribly boring next to your masterful take-down of Etro!
Noz, drat! Would have been neat to smell kewdra in a perfume!!
I love that bottle, too. What a shame about the juice. But thanks for the great review, Kevin!
Ann, you’re welcome!
Has anyone smelled the more recent versions of Shaal Nuur, Messe de Minuit and Sandalo. Are they ruined, or are they still good?
Merlin: I’ve smelled M dM and it smelled the same to me.
I thought MdM had been discontinued a few years ago?
I only know one shop that has Etro here and they do have MdM…
Rappleyea: Messe de Minuit is still very much alive.