État Libre D’Orange Divin’Enfant © Cristian

What does childlike purity have in common with heavy vices and by what alchemy could one bring together light and darkness in harmony? In what dimension do the earthly and the divine coexist peacefully? Leave it to État Libre d’Orange to dream up a fragrance that does just that. This alternative perfumery brand spearheaded by the visionary ‘enfant terrible’ Etienne de Swardt, who describes himself as a “man of words and emotions”, enlisted the olfactive wizardry of the equally subversive and brilliant master perfumer Antoine Lie to create ‘Divin’Enfant’.

 

 Sacred and profane – Ètat Libre d’Orange Divin’Enfant ©Cristian

Faithful to his own characterization, de Swardt infuses all the État Libre d’Orange creations with profound words and emotions: olfactive mythology and poetry spun into complex layers of meaning, intertwined with references to literature and popular culture. And more often than not, the preferred literary means by which the État Libre d’Orange fragrances come to life is an innocently irreverent kind of poetry. The preamble to Divin’Enfant reads as follows: “A child can either charm or annoy us with the same ruthlessness. A child can be irresistible with his angel-sweet smile but he also knows how to drive us crazy. Under the angel, the faked innocence of a demon.”

Shadow play by Cristian©

And it’s this exact beautiful cacophony of opposites that make État Libre d’Orange Divin’Enfant a fascinating and alluring fragrance: an oxymoronic olfactive illusion that perplexes and delights at the same time. To draw a literary parallel – think of this fragrance as an interpretation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. A peculiar duality that, on paper, should not necessarily work, but one that ends up being more than the sum of the two parts. The fragrance opens with a surprisingly delicious bergamot and orange blossom cloud: freshly floral for a moment, then slowly descending into a much sweeter and gourmand floral facet. Divin’Enfant is anything but linear. You find yourself bringing your perfumed wrist to your nose constantly, just to make sure that what you are smelling comes from you and that this is, in fact, the same fragrance you sprayed on some time ago. Transient notes of rose and heliotrope make their contribution known and then fade into the background, further blurring the lines between floral, fruity and gourmand.

We are offered further insight into the structure of État Libre d’Orange Divin’Enfant: “After the gentle top notes of orange blossom and marshmallow, breaks the unexpected accord of coffee, leather and cold tobacco, a shrilling symbol of our sleepless nights. True to his reputation of “polymorphic pervert”, this mini-sized tyrant is only happy when he succeeds in imposing his whims, which he always manages to do. What a sweet little monster!”-a note from the brand.

After the opening notes conclude their performance, the mature and the obscure take center stage. Accords of coffee, leather and tobacco transform the diaphanous and luminous cloud of floral notes from the opening into a haze of delectable vices. Divin’Enfant becomes less gourmand while enhancing its transgressive character. From infancy to adulthood. The lucid loses its initial innocence. Once État Libre d’Orange Divin’Enfant ceases to evolve on skin, it settles into a musky and soft tobacco vanilla that  serves as an epilogue to this exhilarating olfactive poem. Divin’Enfant is, in its essence, not unlike good poetry. The more you read into it, the more will be uncovered to you. The closer you pay attention to it, the deeper you will be pulled into its beautiful and tangled web.

Notes: Bergamot, Neroli, Peach, Rose Absolute, Orange Blossom, Heliotrope, Vanilla, Patchouli, Musk

Disclaimer: A bottle of Divin’Enfant was sent to me by Etat Libre D’Orange for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Cristian Marianciuc, Senior Contributor

 Ètat Libre d’Orange Divin’Enfant by Cristian©

Thanks to the generosity of Etat Libre D’Orange, we have a draw for one bottle of Divin’Enfant for one registered reader in the EU, UK, Canada and the US. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Cristian’s review of Etat Libre D’Orange Divin’Enfant and where you live. What is your favorite Ètat Libre d’Orange fragrance? Draw close 8/22/2021 EST

For more insights into Etienne de Swardt read his Creative Directors in Perfumery article here

The Three You Should Be Wearing? Etienne’s suggestions here

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