État Libre d'Orange Experimentum Crucis (Photo by Despina Veneti)©

It's not often that in the middle of a busy week, with dozens of deadlines closing in on me, I find myself spending hours creating my own artwork for a fragrance review. Such was the case with Experimentum Crucis, the latest perfume release by État Libre d'Orange; from the very first spray I was overwhelmed by genuine enthusiasm for what is a seriously addictive, extraordinarily diffusive, rightdown stunning honeyed-rose scent.

Stills from the promotional video for Experimentum Crucis (Courtesy of État Libre d'Orange/Collage: Despina Veneti)©

“Experimentum Crucis" refers to an experiment capable of decisively determining whether or not a particular hypothesis is superior to all others. A notable example of a scientist using this method was Isaac Newton, who proved this way the validity of his theories about the motion of the planets, and light. Etienne de Swardt (founder and creative director of État Libre d'Orange) took inspiration from Newton's world-changing theories to create a fragrance that would release “the poetry of rainbows and gravity in a natural spray". The essence of his newest fragrant story is that “love and the trail of a scent are stronger than gravity and time”.

“What if Newton was hit by a rose?” (Digital Collage by Despina Veneti)©

To convey this message Etienne de Swardt chose an appropriately imaginative perfumer, Quentin Bisch, who has always shown great flair for realizing Etienne’s most abstract or complicated ideas (see La Fin Du Monde, Hermann À Mes Côtés Me Paraissait Une Ombre and Attaquer Le Soleil Marquis de Sade). The young perfumer's intelligence, culture and perception often lead to refreshingly unexpected creative paths; popular legend has that Newton conceived the Law of Universal Gravitation after he got hit on the head by an apple that fell off a tree, but Quentin playfully wondered what would have happened if the great scientist had been hit by a gigantic, fully scented rose instead!

Quentin Bisch of Givaudan and Etienne de Swardt of État Libre d'Orange

When I asked him about Experimentum Crucis, Quentin told me: “I wanted a magnetically attractive fragrance, powerful enough to mesmerize. Both rose and apple have the damascones as common facets, and I enhanced the apple essence with a Givaudan captive, Pomarose (the apple is of course a “clin d'oeil” to Sir Newton; and you're right, it's indeed the same upcycled essence used in État Libre d'Orange I Am Trash/Les Fleurs du Déchet). I added a burst of lychee, as well as cumin, my favorite spice, to electrify the opening notes. The rose absolute is special: animalic with castoreum and oud facets, deep and dark. I didn't use a honey base accord, because it wouldn't translate the fluidity I like in honey; I found my own way of achieving the desired effect. Honey creates two addictions: an edible one, and an animalic, almost sexual one: in the end the scent is all about attraction! Experimentum Crucis is bold. Every facet is overdosed. No compromise. After all, it is État Libre d'Orange!”

État Libre d'Orange Experimentum Crucis (Photo/Digital Effects by Despina Veneti)©

A limited edition hosted in a grey/blue bottle with a bronze embossed label, État Libre d'Orange Experimentum Crucis opens with a blast of mouth-watering sweetness: the rose, shining star of the composition, is at once present, in the company of delicious, delicately rosy apple and lychee, lightly sprinkled with cumin. The rose soon transcends the initial fruitiness: jammy, velvety and voluptuous, it takes over like an enveloping cloud, absorbing the top notes as facets of its own complex aromatic identity. After the first twenty minutes, the rose becomes increasingly carnal and animalic, moving into the sphere of deep sensuality.

Cosmic Sillage” (Digital Collage by Despina Veneti)©

The edible character is magnified by a seductive honey accord. Both among nature’s most precious and ancient gifts, rose and honey appeal as much to primal instincts, as they do to modern sophistication. Here the perfumer has achieved a honey note so realistic, that one is unsure whether to inhale or to devour. The base prevents the fragrance from ever becoming sticky or cloying: Akigalawood warms the composition, patchouli deepens it and musk uplifts it, while all three together lay the foundation for the scent's fantastic performance (longevity reaches the next day, as for projection 2-3 sprays fill up a room).

État Libre d'Orange Experimentum Crucis (Photo/Digital Effects by Despina Veneti)©

Just like fine wine, État Libre d'Orange Experimentum Crucis is euphoric, but not heady. Erotic but also reassuring, it radiates unabashed sensuality and touching optimism, forming a sort of an aphrodisiac atmosphere around the wearer. Any slight gesture, like arranging a rebellious lock of hair, is enough to activate the fragrance’s tremendous trail. Like attraction at first sight turning into deep love, État Libre d'Orange Experimentum Crucis explodes, collides with you at “hello" – only to become one with you. If you accept that there can be poetry in a scent's sillage, then look no further than this “Cosmic Rose”.

Notes: Apple, Cumin, Lychee; Honey, Jasmine Absolute, Rose NeoAbsolute; Akigalawood, Musk, Patchouli.

Disclaimer: I'd like to thank Etienne de Swardt for my tester bottle of État Libre d'Orange Experimentum Crucis. The opinions are my own. Special thanks to Quentin Bisch for answering my questions on very short notice.

– Despina Veneti, Senior Editor

État Libre d'Orange Experimentum Crucis poster via État Libre d'Orange 

Thanks to the generosity of Etienne de Swardt, we have a draw for a 100ml bottle of État Libre d'Orange Experimentum Crucis (value: 200€) for one registered reader in EU or USA. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you enjoyed most about Despina’s review, if you have an État Libre d'Orange favorite fragrance, and where you live. Draw closes  April 9, 2019

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