Rien Etat Libre d`Orange for women and men

Very complicated bunch of notes here. This is like dried out crusty black leather, rubbing alcohol, aldehydes, smoky spicy incense, resinous amber, something plastic-y/rubbery like old school iron-on t-shirt transfers, and rose. The rose in this perfume gives off this sweet undertone which sort of smells more like a plum or a berry instead of an actual rose. That note makes this perfume very balanced to me. This is good. Rien means "nothing", which is such an ironic zen-like brilliant name. weird and perfect and sexy and lasts forever and ever. sample first, then when you hate it..send all samples to me! ha. no really...

My signature scent. It simply makes me feel special and... horny...

I really admire this fragrance. It is so powerful, intense, unexpected. It almost has a "historical" scent even though it's very modern. There's a LOT going on here.

I spritzed some on in my office, and people walking by stopped in their tracks, and asked what it was. People came back periodically during the day to get more of it --they couldn't get enough.

I wore it in Buenos Aires (where fabulous French fragrances are plentiful) and the hotel staff asked about it.

For those who really want to make a statement.

I love love love this. When I sniffed the sample vial before putting this on I couldn't smell anything and so I was expecting to be completely underwhelmed. I was wrong. On my skin there was an initial blast of sexy leather and lots of pepper. About 20 minutes later I was enveloped in the warm intoxicating incense. I love incense fragrances, and this is up there with the best of them. Great longevity and good sillage (apply sparingly!). I will definitely be investing in a bottle of Rien.

Fragrance notes very special, a tuning fork for a perfect pitch!
The innate elegance accompanied by a strong character and secure for people and even naked!
This fragrance for sure, unconsciously alienate all those people other than the wearer A wonder ...

Well, this scent... I gotta say, testing it was actually quite a frightening experience, and not one I plan to repeat any time soon.

First of all it's STRONG... like the kind of strong that it overpowers industrial strength bleach.

This scent is really all about the leather, which takes center stage from the start.

Unfortunately, whereas I was hoping for a soft, buttery leather, this is extreme, in-your-face leather, that smells a little like a well-worn biker jacket.

Yes, a well worn biker jacket that got wet in the rain and never dried out properly and is now musty.

I think that musty smell comes from the strong civet note that's present. Unfortunately, civet is a note that I find exceptionally unappealing, and together with the leather, it gives off a sort of dirty restroom odor to me.

As the leather overpowers almost everything else apart from the civet, I can't really comment on the other notes, although I can detect a spiciness under the surface.

I tried this out on a friend, and the effect of overpowering leather was the same on her too, so it's not just my chemistry.

I'm not really sure exactly why this is marketed as a unisex scent, because it screams "for a man!" as far as I'm concerned. But perhaps there are women out there who can pull this off... I am not one of them though.

It's really not my kind of fragrance, but anyone who likes the combination of powerful leather, civet and aldehydes will adore this fragrance.

And on the upside, it's got serious sillage and longevity like no other perfume I've ever encountered.

Well, I'm going through my ELDO samples two at a time. A long, strange, enjoyable journey it is. On my left wrist is Rien. All I smell is brand-new snow tires in a garage.
And I can't scrub it off. Must be those 60,000+ mile steel-belted tire models. I just might have to wrap my wrist in a towel and duct tape it up...so that I might get to sleep tonight.

At first I found it quite interesting when I had just a tiny bit on my hand but after spraying it generously I had to have a wash and douse myself in l'air du desert marocain to try and hide it. I can still smell it and the aldehyde, civet combination is bugging me. It smells like a rundown seaside public lavatory that has been cleaned but not quite thoroughly enough

This one is specific, as most of the ELDO fragrances from 2006-2009 years, and you shouldn't buy it without testing. When I put it on I feel rubber with incense firstly with a shade of sweetness on the background. Then after about 20-30 minutes, this nasty rubber dries down into something that I can call sweet and incensy, the scent becomes really gothic (but not a "church" scent like Etro' Messe de Minuit). I don't feel strong aldehydes to my happiness. This one is for those who like perfume experiments. The fragrance itself has many layers, it's very complex and you should get used to it. Better wear it in cold weather. Rien is not an everyday fragrance but it will be very good for Halloween and gothic parties. The name of it, that means "nothing" ... no, I don't agree.

RIEN comes from an old & forgot style of extreme fragrances that have their roots in lanvin's scandale in the '30s, continuing in piguet's bandit/brigand in the '40s, diorling in the '60 (but I've only heard of it, never smelled), & bulgari's black in the '90.
I cannot think of other fragrances that can enter in this very small group: there are various (but not that many) gorgeous leather, vintage or not, but only the before mentioned fragrances are that extreme: not even caron's tabac blond that is a really lush but tame kitten compared to the others.
I have the fortune of owning 4 ounces of the original scandal: dry & edgy, bitter & totally frigid in a noli-me-tangere way: I kiss but I do not french kiss.
I use the original bandit as a daily perfume: bilis-like bitter & utterly seductive in a explicit & direct, but still restrained way: I blow but I don't swollow.
& I really like bulgari's black smell of urban degradation: it reminds me of a tires bonfire used by street hustlers to keep themselves warm in a foggy nite in some metropolis outskirts.
but this, this smells like pure evil, this is a day long intercourse beween beasts in a toxic wasteland.
& it's totally mindblowing & addictive.
never before the philosophy of turning smells into fragrances has reached such perfection.
not in the commes de garçons series, not in the other ELdO nose assault, Secretions Magnifiques, that made me wish I was anosmic.
because RIEN smells like twisted perfection, from the beginning to the end. complex, violent, addictive. disturbing & kinky. rough, yet cerebral.
the compulsion that pushes you to lick the skin where you are sniffing it is not enough anymore. you want to bite it & owl.
animalic leather, half beast, half machine: it's stuff for werewolves.

I think this is a beautiful scent that can be worn either by men and women. The prominent presence of the incense in the first hours of wearing makes it a great masculine perfume, and might be too present for the average woman. After about 4 hours of wearing the scent had a more feminine character on me: softer, a little powdery, with the smallest hint of freshness.
It is saturated with incense, and I had a church-like feeling in the first minutes of wearing, but that disappeared quickly and a pure incense (without hippie or church associations) remained.
I find the smell smoky, woody, warm and comforting. It felt like an invitation for meditation.

Wow! I love this! I've been looking for an incense-based fragrance that suits me for a while now and decided to give this one a try despite being put off by the hideous packaging. I'm glad I did - it's rich and sumptuous and full of incense notes without smelling either "churchy" or hippie. I can imagine that it would be equally good on a man but to me it doesn't smell overtly masculine.

It starts off quite spicy but that soon gives way to the heart of warm and slightly woody incense. When it dries down it leaves a subtle lingering trace on the skin which I would describe as smelling like smoky suede. Gorgeous! Not loud in the way that so many incense-based fragrances tend to be, but definitely not a shy retiring fragrance!

Anything that bends gender lines gets my attention, immediately. In my ignorance of the French language I assumed this would be a "rain" scent, or "queen" like; it is neither of these things!

Rien opens with a massive leathery scent along with an almost musky/dirty scent that is at once skanky almost "raunchy" and simply marvelous. Aldehydes expand to the point of saturation, then are gone. One dipstick wipe on the back of my hand, and the dog is sniffing the air, curiously, across the room! WOW! The caraway and a heavy resinous "opium" accord (ambery sweet with bitterness) are absolutely divine together. Spicy and smooth at once, and very mysterious with the styrax adding a dank, dry woody feel to this. I see, now, why the notes are listed linearly...this punches you in the gut with leather and smokiness, while breathing new life into you with aldehydes. If there are any currants here, other than a slight tang, they're faint and buried under wet patchouli leaves. Incense swirls in the background reminding me of Tibetan temples or Indian perfumed oils. Roses? Maybe, if they were dried and soaked in chemicals used to tan leather goods!! There is a dark sweetness here, though, and everything about this is "dirty"; but not so much nasty...just earthy and raw. A smooth spicy powderiness pervades as it settles down (to a dull roar), most likely the orris root and pepper. After the second stage fades, this does stay close to the skin; but is still mysterious and sweet. This is agression, in its most elegant form. This scent reminds me of a dark mysterious old mansion. There are many rooms to discover and explore though, at first, it appears to be dirty and all nasty...it has many beautiful treasures hidden within it! You may fall in love...you may feel physically ill, but one thing for sure: you will not forget Rien!

Sillage: Curious...
Longevity: excellent
Overall: 4.75/5

Of all the ELd'O scents I have sniffed this far Rien is, by far, the most full bottle worthy! I love dark and spicy florals, massive aldehydes and warm woody incensy drydowns. This has it all and so much more. That sounds like this might smell like a vintage perfume, but NO!; this is something all its own. Sexy, mysterious and intruiging; Rien comes on very strong then shows its softer side, but never "wimps" out. This is definitely more masculine, but the right woman could pull this off if she liked darker leathery scents. Hauntingly beautiful, intoxicating and utterly wonderful!!

March 2011

I think a better name for "Rien" could have been "Tout" as this scent is loud, rich and very straight forward. The opening is harshing and crude with a consistent dose of aldehyde, leather (civet) and a completely desweetened rose. Almost disturbing but I like it. After a few minutes everything is joined by frankincense and the scent stays in the same mood for hours turning in the end to be woody and even drier. For a few aspects Rien reminded me of Knize Ten or even Bandit but it's way more uncomfortable. It's like they have tried to layer the two perfumes I mentioned with a cacophonic result. Don't get me wrong, Rien smells good but kind of unbalanced. Great Sillage and good lasting power. Not bad but could have been a lot better.

June 2011

After several more wearings I'm addicted. Now Rien doesn't smell so rich as I used to perceived it in the past, I get it as simply straight forward, uncompromising, kind of unsettling and positively crude, kind of stylized. It's like a dadaist portrait of Bandit after a steady diet of dryness.

Rating: 8.5/10

This is a strange and fascinating scent. I sympathise with the people who don't like it, because at first wearing I went through a phase of finding it almost intolerable. But. I love it. It starts off with a brief but strong smell of new leather, animal and almost chemical. Then the metallic note creeps in, and it smells of silver polish, then of furniture polish, the type made of beeswax and turpentine. This, for me, is where the incense makes itself felt, and the scent becomes that of an old, well-kept, church, Finally, it settles to a refined, very likeable civet with slight overtones of rose and iris. Delightful and weird.

Wow!: Rien isn't "rien" at all. It's a rich, powerful, gothic-dark, distinctive fragrance. Smoky, elegant, mysterious.
What a creation!

This perfume starts with a soft, warm balsamic leather note.( Hints of the aldehydes and then floral: rose and iris all together).
It is dark, incisive yet cold: iced, smoky leather in a cold, wet cave with musky stones. Great!.
The incense arrives hand in hand with the leather; not a mainstream leather but dense, animalistic. The cistus make its own presence now as the sweaty cumin.
The iris note increases and I can detect a hint of powdery pepper in the background, while the accords get smoky and kind of gratefully mineral, graphite-like.
The drydown is mostly incense and leather with smoke accords and soft patchouli and powdery iris.

I can't see this perfume tagged as woody.
It's just mineralistic-leather iris!.

This juice may be an interesting choice for all leather & spice lovers.
Madly superpowerful sillage and longevity. Use it with caution!.

I LOVE this stuff...boy is it strong. I used 1/2 of the tiny sample from Luckyscent and it lasted like 24 hours. It smells really good on/to me. Of course, others may disagree. I can't wait till I can afford to buy this, because not only do I like it, I know 1 bottle will last me approximately 30 years or the rest of my life whichever comes first.

I have to say I like this fragrance very much; yet I have to be in the mood to wear it and also bear in mind the destination I'm wearing it to.

It's not a scent you can wear early in the morning on your way to work at the office, because it's very personal. You wear it because you want to be by yourself and want to experience what Rien has to offer.

I initially thought the the incense that dominates this perfume was frankincense, but it's actually an Indian incense which is unique and definitely not your average 'churchy' smells that I have in my 'incense' collection of perfumes.

This fragrance may suit men more than women, but it needs to be worn with extreme caution (like Secretions Magnifique) as it may irritate some sensitive noses around you and needs to be worn sparingly - you may still smell it after 2 showers!

This morning I was testing out Etat Libre d`Orange Jasmin et Cigarette which is a beautiful blend but while getting ready to head out for the afternoon and reading such contrast reviews of this fragrance, my curiosity was peeked. So I looked for my sample of this fragrance to put some on.

"Nothing is everything" the tag line for this scent.

At first it is overpowering but soften has it warms up.

"It has a meticulous elegance and hypnotic beauty of a modern Dorian Gray..." As we continue to search for immortality between masculine and feminine balance in a fragrance, we will continue to protect the portraits of perfumes in our collections.

On my skin, this a beautiful blend of incense, floral and leather notes after the aldehyde notes disappear.

Follow up entery (6 hours later):
This fragrance has mellowed out into a powdery & incense fragrance. If you allow this fragrance several hours to develop, you may come to enjoy the contrast from the beginning notes to the final notes is beautifully drawn out in this master piece of contrast notes.

brilliant job! very strong in the bottle, on my skin it became feminine but power scent. Wearing it in the evening I am feeling ready for flirt and may be ...more. Really sexy scent for night adventure when I wear black dress and red lipstick. But it works good with jeans and leather jacket too. Yes,it's "nothing" without you, but you are "everything" with it. One of me favorite . Benefit: long lasting.

It's wonderful especial strong scent, a little bit resemble to YSL KOUROS or very strong woman's perfume Agent provocateur

I guess this fragrance smells better on men than on women. I know one guy for whom this fragrance is no.1 and on him it really smells nice, different.Even hard to believe it's rien! There's no bad rotten smell on his skin. I guess it's our skin chemistry again....

PS. Do you want to know what it actually smelled like? I don´t have a clue, I didn´t wear it long enough.

????? OMG! It maked my stomach turn upside down... have to washed it off right away? Shold be fun to hear if someone actually pull this one off? I would rather name it "To much of everything... bad"

PS. I would almost call this a absolutly not try, but since I guess you are a curious bunch I know you wont pay attention to it anyway! ;)

Eek! Too strong on the aldehydes. Not really much of a skin scent which was what I had expected with a name like "nothing".

My oh my! It's one of those fragrances that my nose just cannot stand.On my skin it smells like rotten pickled cucumbers with mould on top:/ had to wash it off immediately...