• About
  • Login to comment
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
  • Perfume Reviews
  • New Perfumes
  • Perfumers
  • Perfume Houses
  • Shop for perfume
  • Resources

Etat Libre d’Orange Vierges et Toreros ~ fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 14 December 2016 18 Comments

tuberose and bullfighter

Almost ten years have passed since Etat Libre d’Orange released Vierges et Toreros.1 I've never come across it in a store and no one ever gave me a sample of the fragrance. The only reason I just smelled it is that I got a tiny vial of the perfume along with the recent Etat Libre d'Orange Attaquer Le Soleil Marquis de Sade release. I ignored Vierges et Toreros all these years because bullfighter images aren't my thing, and people I trust gave it lukewarm reviews. I never added it to my to-try list. Mistake!

As usual the Etat Libre d'Orange PR text is worth reading for a good laugh and head-scratch:

Where were we? In Seville? In Puerto Santa Maria? Definitely somewhere in Andalusia, where the stature and pride of men are compelling. The arena was flooded with sun and the clamor of the crowd rose from the tiers like an offering. On this particular Sunday in the month of May, the combat to be delivered did not have the aim of putting a bull to death. The intention was a sensuous ritual act: to confront animal-like notes with the influential power of a flower, one of the most odorant in the vegetal world, the tuberose. Wood, musk and costus, in daring, unreasonably abundant proportions, would once and for all bite the dust in this arena dedicated solely to the glory of men. In this openly sexual confrontation — me the woman, you the man — one of the most blasphemous of men’s perfumery, the purity of the tuberose is falsely innocent so that in appearance only, these macho reputed notes seem to be the only ones victorious. But smelling it tells a completely different story… the nose instinctively knows who the victor is.

Signed: the Virgin and the Torero. (Along with the Now Smell This Prix Eau Faux contest we should start a new one: present a real PR text and let people compete to give the best interpretation of the words...a difficult task!)

Vierges et Toreros starts with the aroma of honeyed leather (the "honey" veers close to orange blossom more than beeswax or food). Ylang ylang and pepper appear next and mark the path to spicy tuberose; the tuberose is neither soapy nor indolic, but rich and creamy: pure. Vierges et Toreros' spices burn off and tuberose takes center stage (or "ring" as the torero imagery would have us believe). What often happens with many tuberose perfumes as they develop on skin, their transformation into pedestrian suds or sheer/bland "white florals," does not happen on me with Vierges et Toreros: it has a long-lasting tuberose gutsiness, wearing down to soft leather-hay-tuberose-costus. Vierges et Toreros reminds me of a (male) perfume relative of L'Artisan Parfumeur Séville à l'Aube.

My love of tuberose started with real flowers, not with its representation in any fragrance, so I've most often been disappointed with tuberose perfumes. Apart from bouquets and blooming tuberose plants in my garden, I've had to satisfy my cravings with the occasional candle or soap (it's hard to find a non-soapy tuberose soap, let me tell ya). Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower, Robert Piguet Fracas, Serge Lutens Tubéreuse Criminelle, at least their current formulations, are fun at first, but never satisfy me in the end; I can't wear any of them. Vierges et Toreros is different: thanks to leather, nutmeg/pepper, costus/musk, it never turns soapy or feminine on me.

At the end of 2016, I find myself buying and yearning for an outrageous number of perfumes! I am a torero of sorts myself this year — holding my cape before me to obscure all the perfumes I want to buy (I've been "bad" this year). My arduous, but bloodless, battle with perfume lust does have a victim: my wallet.

Etat Libre d'Orange Vierges et Toreros

Etat Libre d'Orange Vierges et Toreros Eau de Parfum is $85 (50 ml) or $149 (100 ml). For buying information; see the listing for Etat Libre d’Orange under Perfume Houses.

1. Virgins and Bullfighters, by perfumers Antoine Lie and Antoine Maisondieu: listed notes of bergamot, nutmeg, pepper, cardamom, ylang ylang, tuberose, leather, animalic base, costus roots, patchouli, vetiver

Note: top images via Wikimedia Commons: Tuberose for the photographic herbarium of the Museum of Arts and Crafts Hamburg, 1900; and Cordovan bullfighter Rafael González Madrid (1880-1955), better known by his nickname "Machaquito" by Julio Romero de Torres.

Possibly of interest

Rogue Perfumery Flos Mortis ~ fragrance review
Maison Margiela Mutiny ~ fragrance review
Aftelier Velvet Tuberose ~ fragrance review

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: antoine lie, antoine maisondieu, etat libre dorange, tuberose

Advertisement


18 Comments

Leave a comment, or read more about commenting at Now Smell This. Here's our privacy policy, and a handy emoticon chart.

  1. johanob says:
    14 December 2016 at 2:37 pm

    I am glad you succumbed to the charms of this one.It’s a favorite ELdO in my little collection.Have you tried Charogne?

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      14 December 2016 at 3:23 pm

      Johan…nope! (I take it you recommend that I do?)

      Log in to Reply
      • johanob says:
        14 December 2016 at 4:18 pm

        Yes,yes I do!People always say Charogne is the “older Cougar teaching the young boys how to properly tango”,I’d rather say:Two guys sit at a bar,the Torero and his young understudy.There’s a mountain and a winter training school ahead.An an intimate tent for two….????

        Log in to Reply
        • Kevin says:
          14 December 2016 at 4:35 pm

          Johan, ha!

          Log in to Reply
  2. chandler_b says:
    14 December 2016 at 2:43 pm

    I just got the sampler set from Etat at Sephora. Mad this is not included!

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      14 December 2016 at 3:24 pm

      Chandler…did you get the new Attaquer le Soleil?

      Log in to Reply
  3. Dilana says:
    14 December 2016 at 3:08 pm

    Oh Kevin. I read the first sentence and I knew this was your writing even before I saw the name. You have no idea (thank heaven) how rough a day I have been having, and your funny, beautiful review has lifted my spirits so very much. Thank you.

    As for the darn scent, I must admit I am a tuberose girl. The note just seems to blossom on my skin, in almost any variation and guise. This particular scent seems to be particularly sensitive to the individual wearing it, since others, like yourself, seem to to end up with soaps or something unclean (in a bad way).
    Does it make sense for someone who already has too many tuberoses to seek this one out?

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      14 December 2016 at 3:26 pm

      Dilana, first — thank you! And I do think you should try it…this is a quirky tuberose scent … a very interesting take on it.

      Log in to Reply
  4. Bee says:
    14 December 2016 at 3:13 pm

    I’m pretty sure I have a sample somewhere, I’m running of now to check. I do love my tuberoses…as you, I know the real stuff, on good summers (not this last one) I have them in bloom on my balcony.

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      14 December 2016 at 3:28 pm

      Bee, it was a sensational tuberose year here in Seattle…but we lucked out on marvelous bulbs this year, too.

      Log in to Reply
  5. Filomena says:
    14 December 2016 at 3:37 pm

    I’ve been bad this week with buying several new perfumes…your review made me want to add another!

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      14 December 2016 at 4:37 pm

      Filomena…I can’t bring myself to say how many bottles I’ve bought in the last 8 weeks.

      Log in to Reply
  6. kevtronic says:
    14 December 2016 at 3:53 pm

    All I smell when I put it on is nutmeg. It really dominates!!!

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      14 December 2016 at 4:38 pm

      Kev, another person who I let wear it said the same thing, and I do love nutmeg.

      Log in to Reply
  7. hajusuuri says:
    14 December 2016 at 10:46 pm

    Have you told Donnatella yet? Inquiring minds want to know what you bought?

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      14 December 2016 at 11:09 pm

      Hajusuuri…I am IGNORING Donatella; I may fess up in my “best of 2016” piece…but for now I’m looking at all the new “faces” in the cabinet and making pretend they came here on their own for the Northwest climate. HA!

      Log in to Reply
  8. nozknoz says:
    14 December 2016 at 11:09 pm

    I seem to recall that Joe from Santa Barbara liked this one.

    Log in to Reply
    • Kevin says:
      14 December 2016 at 11:12 pm

      Noz: you have a great memory! I did a quick search online and he said he loved this WaaaaaaaaY back in…2011! (in my Secretions Magnifiques post).

      Log in to Reply

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Advertisement

Search

Browse by...

Topic

Perfume talk New fragrances
Shopping Books :: News
Body products Home fragrance
Polls Another subject

Date

September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023

Prior months

Author

Robin Jessica
Angela Kevin
Erin Guest Author

Tag

Celebrity perfumes
Cheap thrills
Collector bottles
Perfumista tip series
Video
The complete tag index

Recent reviews

Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus
Moschino Toy Boy
Arquiste Misfit
Diptyque Eau Capitale
Zoologist Bee
Parfum d’Empire Immortelle Corse
Comme des Garcons Series 10 Clash
Frédéric Malle Rose & Cuir
L’Artisan Parfumeur Le Chant de Camargue
Yves Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre
Régime des Fleurs Chloë Sevigny Little Flower
Chanel 1957
Gallivant Los Angeles
Amouage Portrayal Woman

Blogroll

Bois de Jasmin
Grain de Musc
Perfume Posse
The Non-Blonde
More blogs...

Perfumista lists

100 fragrances every perfumista should try
And 25 more fragrances every perfumista should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista should try
26 vintage fragrances every perfumista should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should try
11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love

Favorite posts

The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
New to perfume and want to learn more?
How to make fragrance last through the day
Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn’t smell like it used to
How to get fragrance samples
Perfume for Life: How Long Will Your Fragrance Collection Last?

Upcoming

List of upcoming Friday projects

 

Back to Top

Home
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Books

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z

Copyright © 2005-2023 Now Smell This. All rights reserved.