New Niche Fragrance Review: Jardins D’Ecrivains Orlando + Both Sides Now Draw

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“I’m sick to death of this particular self. I want another”

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of discovering the perfumes of  Anais Biguine under her Jardins D’Ecrivains label. Jardins D’Ecrivains means The Garden of Writers and Mme Biguine looks for literary inspiration for her fragrances. Despite having discovered four new fragrances I always “want another” and so Mme Biguine has delivered Orlando based on the 1928 novel by Virginia Woolf. Those who prefer the visual to the printed page will also be familiar with the subject from the 1992 movie starring Tilda Swinton. The story in a nutshell is a young Orlando who is male, and an Elizabethan Era Lord, falls asleep for a week and wakes up as a woman in the next century. Ms. Woolf’s prose was scandalous for a time when the concept of gender roles was just beginning to gestate. Women over 21 were able to vote for the first time in Britain in the same year Orlando was released. Mme Biguine wanted to capture “an unusual character” in fragrant form.

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“As long as she thinks of a man, nobody objects to a woman thinking.”

One of the things I admired about Mme Biguine’s first fragrances was there was a clear direction and imagination at work for each of them. Orlando shows she is a perfumer who is inspired by her literary inspiration and is thinking about how to capture her subject with essential oils and aromachemicals. For Orlando she wanted to capture not only the eclectic nature of the character but also the timelessness. To make this happen she uses an almost discordant set of top notes full of kinetic potential before presenting a heart of depth which evolves to a base of delicacy; poised as if between one breath and the other.

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“One can only believe entirely, perhaps in what one cannot see.”

Mme Biguine takes the juicy quality of orange, the piquancy of pink pepper and the zest of ginger and mixes them together in her first chapter. The first time I smelled this on a strip it was unsettling and weird. When I put it on my skin the weird smoothed out as the notes felt like frantic electrons competing for my attention. This sense of clamorous potential is something that will not be to everyone’s taste, I found it to be very interesting especially when I was wearing it. The heart becomes a bit less challenging as amber and patchouli combine for a more traditional second chapter. Mme Biguine uses a bit of clove to keep it from being completely traditional. Those heart notes would be the base in many another perfume. In Orlando a really beautiful transformation occurs as it moves from those heavier notes to a base of gaiac, peru balsam, and musk. Orlando actually lightens up and turns almost fragile. This reverse kind of development makes you feel as if you’re traveling up the pyramid rather than down and almost making time stand still.

Orlando has all day longevity and above average sillage.

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“Thoughts are divine.”

I think it had to be difficult to take on such a multi-faceted literary creation as Orlando and do it justice. Orlando is a fascinating olfactory study which accurately captures the duality inherent in its inspiration. Orlando is as divine as the thought Mme Biguine put into composing it.

Disclosure: This review was based on a bottle provided by Sens Unik.

jardins d'ecrivains orlando perfume cafleurebon

Courtesy of Sens Unik we have a 100mL bottle of Orlando to giveaway. This is a US only draw. To be eligible leave a comment on why you would like to try Orlando and your favorite Virginia Woolf novel or Tilda Swinton movie. The draw will end on August 18, 2013.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

Editor’s note: All of the quotes are from Orlando by Virginia Woolf and all the pictures are from the 1992 movie Orlando starring Tilda Swinton and directed by Sally Potter.

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46 comments

  • I’m not familiar with this fragrance house, but Orlando sounds fascinating. I’m in the U.S.

  • I would love to try this since ginger and pepper are two of my favorite notes. I rarely get the opportunity to watch movies (although I enjoy them when I do!) and have never read any Virginia Woolf novels….but this review has made me interested in Orlando.

  • The notes sound great. Please enter me into the giveaway, I am located in the US. I liked Tilda Swinton’s portrayal of Gabriel in Constantine, she does look very angelic to me.

  • I’m not very familiar with this house, but the notes in it sound fantastic, I would love to be entered.

  • 3thingsuneed says:

    I want to try it because anyone that can “see” scents and possibly colors and base on a book?! How amazing is that?.. That is a passion, like a Rembrandt..
    The Chronicles Of Narnia.. are the movies I love Tilda in.. they seem to fit her “look” ..
    and also her photo spread in W magazine

  • That orange/pepper/ginger opening sounds challenging and definitely piqued my interest. My favorite Tilda Swinton movie was the Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons. Fantastic character!

  • Steve Porkpie Hat Johnson says:

    This sounds strange and fascinating – like watching tule fog creep up the side of a hill in the early morning. I’d want to experience it just for the guiac wood and balsam hits.

    Please enter me in this draw – and for my fave Virginia Woolf, you gotta go with Mrs. Dalloway.

  • I’d heard of this launch a while back and have wanted to try it as I love both the book and the film, which is also my favorite Tilda Swinton film.

  • Someotherspring says:

    I’d like to try Orlando because whenever fragrance notes seem like they’d be discordant and I put them on, they…work, somehow. And my fave Swindon film is ‘I Am Love’. Her character’s clothes are so amazing that you just KNOW a bespoke perfume is part of her arsenal. US, yes.

  • I am always up to try challenging scents and I don’t know this line at all. I loved Tilda S. in Constantine. She does androgynous and strange so beautifully. I am in the U.S. thanks.

  • Tildda Swinton is always so interesting to watch. I will give shout out to Michael Clayton and Thumbsucker. I look forward to taking the non linear journey with Orlando up the pyramid, sounds fun. Very generous draw, thank you.

  • The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is my favorite Tilda Swinton movie sha was an amazing white witch. I would like to experience the reverse transformation of this fragrance for myself in Orlando. Thanks for the drawing and compelling review, i live in the US.

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    I would like to try Orlando for the same reason I like to discover works of new artists in other fields i.e. to discover all the creativity out there and perfumery is also an art in my opinion.
    My favorite Tilda Swinton movie is Constantine and I am in the U.S.

  • “Mme Biguine wanted to capture “an unusual character” in fragrant form.” was all I needed! I live in the US.

  • I would like to try Orlando because my wife and I took our first honeymoon to disneyland in Orlando…Movies would be the Chronicles of Narnia series, or perhaps Benjamin Button…from the USA

  • Orlando sound so great. The notes in the fragrance seem like they would really play around on your skin. Went to the website to check out the specific notes and I really believe this would be a fragrance I would enjoy. I thoroughly enjoyed Tilda Swinton in Constantine. She played Gabriel so well. She seems to be great no matter what she plays in. In the USA. Have a great day.

  • I enjoyed Tilda Swinton in the movie, Orlando, and I greatly enjoyed her performance as the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia. Thanks for the draw. I live in the U.S.

  • I love ginger, so I would be interested to smell it in this perfume. I like how she is inspired by literary characters. Tilda Swinton is such a great actor, but I really loved her in the movie based on the book, “We Need To Talk About Kevin”. I can’t remember what they renamed the movie. To watch the desperation, pain, and horror play across her face was like watching a train wreck. It was a hard movie to watch thanks to her believable performance.

  • Looking for a high quality ginger fragrance. The movie I enjoyed a lot was “Burn After Reading”. I recommend it. USA

  • Orlando sounds most intriguing, with the revere drydown and the ginger topnote. Given the transportive power of scent, who wouldn’t want to experience an alternate self? One of my favorite reads is Mrs. Dalloway, and I loved Tilda’s character in the small but vital role for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

  • susie frankel says:

    I would enjoy this Orlando as it must be a bit edgy. Michael Clayton and Vanilla Sky among the many. I ALWAYS love and respect Tilda’s fashion sense…so fine.
    USA.

  • julesinrose says:

    Orlando is my favorite Tilda Swinton movie! It had quite the effect on me, too, reminding this transported city-to-country girl that beautiful clothes are an art form. Same with perfumery, and the scent Orlando aspires to that. Thus, I would love to try it. It sounds a bit challenging, as all good art should be. In the U.S. Thanks for another great draw!

  • i’d love to try Orlando, the notes look good. I like Tilda Swinton in the Chroicles of Narnia and I really admire her because she is different. I live in the US

  • soupersusan says:

    Thank you for the fascinating fragrance description, Mark. Based on what you write, I would -love- to try “Orlando.” The quarreling notes (selves), the layers, the seeming resolution.

    Swinton is a goddess with an amazing filmography. Orlando may be my personal favorite, but I’m not really a cineaste. She’s done so much interesting work outside the main stream.

    Thanks to you, Sens Unik, and the gang at Ca Fleure Bon for the drawing! I live in the US.

  • I live in the U.S. and I loved Tilda Swinton in “Michael Clayton.” If the scent Orlando is anywhere close to as fascinating as the character, it’s a winner, indeed. The base notes are among my favorites, and I’d love to try it! Thanks much!

  • Orlando sounds very unusual, with it’s reverse development. Great description. I’d love to try it! I really enjoyed Tilda Swinton in both Burn Before Reading and Michael Clayton. She is an actress with incredible range. I’m in the US. Thanks for the draw!

  • I would love to try and own Orlando for the simple reasons I love French literature and mystic gardens.
    My fav. Tilda swinton movie is Julia.

    Thanks
    USA

  • I think Tilda was pretty much the perfect actress to play the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia. The description of this scent sure has my curiosity going. Thanks for the draw and I am in the U.S.

  • I’ve smelled this and found it interesting and somehow it went a bit animal iv on my skin. I liked it quite a bit and would love a bottle.

  • Victoria Casey says:

    I would like to try Orlando be cause I’d like to see how ginger works as a perfume note. My favorite Tilda Swinton movie was The Chronicles Of Narnia. I live in the US.

  • I would love to try Orlando to travel up the pyramid. 🙂 Fave movie Tilda was in, “Vanilla Sky”. CONUS
    Thank you

  • The dichotomy in the fragrance transition sounds fascinating. I love it when a fragrance morphs greatly. As for a favorite Tilda Swinton movie, I did see Orlando, but I recently liked her in We Need to Talk About Kevin. I’m in the US. Thanks for the lovely draw!

  • The juice top of Orlando sounds delectable and with the resinous base it will be good as we transition into fall! I admit to being a bit freaked out by SWINTON, but I really enjoy her interpretation of the White Queen in the Narnia movies. I am in the US and thank you for the draw!

  • I would like to try it because I’m a sucker for a well-blended ginger note. My favourite Woolf novel, though I have a first ed. of Orlando itself, is either the waves or jacob’s room, depending on what flavour of pretentious and arty I’m feeling that day. tender youth stolen by tragedy of war, or holistic stream of rhapsodic consciousness? (It’s always one flavour or the other – never neither.)

  • I just received Gigi in my Olfactif sampler and love it
    I love amber and ginger
    My favorite Sylvia Plath book is bell jar and tilda swinton in Michael Clinton was so memorable

  • Would love to try Orlando since I already love the other fragrances in this line and my favorite Tilda Swinton Movie is The Chronical of Narnia Series were she plays the White Witch…….the actual first movie I ever saw her in and found fascination was the movie Orlando.

  • Steve Porkpie Hat Johnson says:

    I’ve sampled this and it’s just an incredible expression of bohemian elegance.

    It’s decidedly strange, but so is your favorite English professor when he starts in about Transcendental poetry -doesn’t mean it’s not completely awesome.

    The way the sharp citric spiciness of the top notes blends down to the sweet smoky base is hypnotic. This is definitely a singular perfume – I haven’t tried anything else like it, really. Instant, massive fan of this entire line – Gigi is also gorgeous.

  • Tilda, is a screen genius.. It was Orlando for me as well for a favorite. Would love the Perfume as well as this line has several already favorites for me La Dame Aux Camelias and George.

  • I am intrigued by the offerings of this house. I loved Tilda Swinton in Adaptation and Michael Clayton. She has such tremendous screen presence. I live in the US. Thanks for the draw!

  • Chris Schaefer says:

    I love Ms. Woolf’s essey “A Room of One’s Own”. And Tilda is an amazing actress and I have enjoyed seeing her in many of her roles. Orlando sounds fascinating. I would love to try it and I am in the US.

  • I’ve enjoyed her last novel, The Years, as well as her short story Kew Gardens. I think Ms. Woolf would have enjoyed knowing Tilda Swinton with her gender bending roles. Constantine was the first Swinton movie I ever saw and has always stuck out to me, with her androgynousness, which fascinates me, along with her brilliant acting talent. Thank you so much for the draw!

  • The base of Orlando with gaiac, Peru balsam and musk is intriguing to me. I’d love to experience it. Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own has always resonated with me. I am located in the US. Thanks for the generous draw.

  • The sharp ginger note sounds the most interesting to me-I love ginger! I also couldn’t help but notice how striking Tilda Swinton looks in the pictures as she plays each character in different times (with different genders!). I am in the US, and my favorite work by Virginia Woolf is To the Lighthouse. Thank you for the draw!