État Libre d’Orange Spice Must Flow Review (Mathilde Bijaoui) 2019 + Dune Rose Draw

November 25, 2019November 25, 2019

État Libre d’Orange Spice Must Flow (Photo/digital effects by Despina Veneti)©

“He who controls the Spice, controls the Universe! ” – Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in David Lynch’s film “Dune” (1984), based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel

Expanding its rose-centric “Orange Extraordinaire” collection that was initiated with Experimentum Crucis, (inspired by Isaac Newton’s world-changing scientific theories), État Libre d’Orange has just released the exuberant – former Selfridges exclusives – 500 Years and Spice Must Flow. Faithful to the collection’s concept of paying tribute to luminaries of progress or key events in history of mankind, 500 Years (to be reviewed soon) is an olfactory homage to the Renaissance, while Spice Must Flow honors both the spice merchants who boldly traveled old and new paths and Frank Herbert’s iconic sci-fi “Dune” saga.

Orbiting Arrakis (Digital collage by Despina Veneti)©

The very name of État Libre d’Orange Spice Must Flow is a line from David Lynch’s 1984 film adaptation of Herbert’s highly successful novel, and it epitomizes the vital importance of “the Spice” (or “Melange”) to the vast, spread among galaxies, worlds of a very distant future. An addictive and mind/body altering drug, the Spice is essential to interstellar travel, as it enables its users to extend their life and enhance their mental abilities. Meeting the universal demand for it is an extremely hard task to tackle, since the Spice can only be harvested on the inhospitable, desolate desert planet Arrakis (aka Dune), through a complicated and highly dangerous procedure; controlling Arrakis, and its Spice production, equals to almost controlling the Universe…

Marché aux épices marocain (Oil painting by Patrick Brière)©

In actual history, spice trade has for centuries played a major role in the development of Western civilization, very often a most dramatic one. The (frequently artful) attempts of Arab traders to control the spice market by spreading all sorts of fantastic tales (while keeping the actual production locations completely secret), prompted Europeans to explore areas in which they had no interest up to then, in order to access directly the valuable aromatic substances. Around 1090 the Seljuk Empire’s obstruction of the existing trade routes triggered the Crusades, while a similar act by the Ottoman Empire in 1453 spurred the Age of Discovery. Wars and conflicts aside, spice trade facilitated cultural exchange between Asia, Northeast Africa and Europe, eventually affecting all civilizations that were touched by it. The pressing need for new maritime routes and the adventurous men who travelled them, easing the spice flow, virtually shaped the world. It’s to those spice merchants/travelers of the past that État Libre d’Orange Spice Must Flow pays tribute – for, while trading and exploring, they were also connecting the world as unwitting cultural ambassadors.

Étienne de Swardt of État Libre d’Orange & Mathilde Bijaoui of MANE

The evocative idea of Étienne de Swardt, founder and creative director of État Libre d’Orange, was aptly realized in scent form by MANE perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui (who has also composed the brand’s Malaise of the 1970s, Bijou Romantique, and Like This.) État Libre d’Orange Spice Must Flow opens with a vibrant, enveloping spice cloud: sprinkles of tingly pepper and luminous saffron, as well as generous doses of comforting cardamom and energizing ginger, unleash an aromatic extravaganza reminiscent of the glorious spice markets of the East. A velvety rose soon emerges amidst this heated, dry spiciness, accompanied by warm, reassuring cinnamon (a possible clin d’œil to “Dune”, where the Spice is described as having a decidedly cinnamon-like taste). At this stage the fragrance shifts towards a no-nonsense, non-gourmand sweetness, as the Turkish rose’s jammy floralcy mellows the spices, while the smoky, resinous incense adds a mystical dimension to the composition. Maybe I’m already on holiday mode, but I do find an abstract, albeit familiar, Christmas vibe running through the scent, a result of its “gingerbread accord” that to me smells exactly like an austere, sugarless, but highly fragrant pain d’épices, and the fir balsam note that adds an aura of dark, wintry woods of evergreen trees. The sensuous spicy/smoky/rosy experience of État Libre d’Orange Spice Must Flow lasts for a good 8-10 hours, before it slowly fades into an unexpected musky-clean, “soapy” rose that feels like taking a relaxing rose petal bath after a day under the blazing sun.

Dune Rose (Multimedia/digital collage by Despina Veneti)

Unmistakably extrovert and unapologetically commanding, État Libre d’Orange Spice Must Flow is a thoughtfully conceived and brilliantly executed olfactory tribute to the grand travels of bold, ingenious humans that forged new routes, and the universal longing for spice as the wind beneath their sails. All this, and a rose blooming in the dunes too.

Notes: Cardamom, Ginger, Pepper, Gingerbread Accord; Cinnamon, Cumin, Turkish Rose, Saffron; Incense, Fir Balsam, Cypriol, Patchouli.

Disclaimer: Many thanks to Étienne de Swardt for my tester bottle of État Libre d’Orange Spice Must Flow. The opinions are my own.

– Despina Veneti, Senior Editor

Thanks to the generosity of Étienne de Swardt and État Libre d’Orange, we have a draw for a 100ml bottle of État Libre d’Orange Spice Must Flow (value: 200€) for one registered reader in EU, USA or Canada. 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, have read the book Dune, (or seen the movie), and where you live. Draw closes 11/29/2019

Available in the USA end of December 2019.

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our blog feed… or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume…