by Mark
Regular readers know of my love for leather fragrances. I have gone so far as to buy a proxied bottle of Cuir Mauresque from Paris, yet somehow never managed to acquire so much as a sample of Rien, even though there is a distribution point in New York (Henri Bendel.) It was Dane, my Etat Libre d'Orange pusher, who hooked me up. His review had piqued my interest.
Rien awakened a long-forgotten scent memory from the instant of spraying it on. As so often happens, I couldn't quite put my finger on what it reminded me of. It was reminiscent of some orange-flavored chewable vitamins I used to take as a child; at the same time, it reminded me of the smell of my bureau drawer where I kept my clothing a few years later. Kinked citrus and cheap powdery wood. Weird, synthetic, evocative, and I still felt like I was forgetting something.
Right underneath the haunting scent memory, I could detect a more recognizable configuration of powder and citrus, quite similar to that of Knize Ten.
On the next wearing, something clicked, and I realized there is also a shared note with Kölnisch Juchten, and that note is sweet patchouli. This was the fragment I had been trying to recall.
There is no development for a while, then the sweetness fades, wood smoke begins to creep in, and the smoke in turn morphs into a dark, almost oily incense.
Underneath all this is leather; slightly dry, rich, with a hint of birch tar. The balance shifts as the incense fades and the leather increases.
I did not get the similarity to Bandit until Dane pointed it out to me, and then I couldn't stop noticing it; in the last stage, it has the same dry, bitter quality, only minus the green galbanum that to me defines Bandit.
I was bemused by the list of notes, which mentions no citrus whatsoever; perhaps I read the aldehydes, cumin and rose as citrus.
This is a well-built leather fragrance that, despite all its reference points, stands as a unique and worthwhile fragrance in its own right. I am pleased to make its acquaintance.
Year 2006
Perfumer: Antoine Lie
Notes: Encense (Incense), Rose, Cuir (Leather), Iris, Ciste, Mousse de Chene (Oakmoss), Styrax, Patchouli, Ambre, Cumin, Poivre Noir (Black Pepper), Aldehydes
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Notes: Encense (Incense), Rose, Cuir (Leather), Iris, Ciste, Mousse de Chene (Oakmoss), Styrax, Patchouli, Ambre, Cumin, Poivre Noir (Black Pepper), Aldehydes
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Thank you for yet another great review of Rien. This smells different on me everytime I wear it... sometimes strong and caustic (like acid and cement) other times I get the leather, incense and woods, with a tiny bit of the floral. Always an adventure.
ReplyDeleteI totally love this house/line and am somewhat perplexed by the stubborn disdain many reviewers have about the merits of their fragrances. I mean, there is really nothing else out there like them and their approach is really interesting- no matter what one's take is on their 'intentions'- and their price points are so reasonable. One of my favorites.
cheers~~ dea
They do seem to get a lot of flack from the reviewers. I can understand that some of their image is a bit "much", but I believe Tania Sanchez said it best in one of her reviews - they're perfume pop art.
ReplyDeleteI get something different everytime I wear Rien too...it's rather fascinating in a strange, harsh way. Looking forward to testing Bendelirious soon, and Fat Electrician if it ever makes its way out of Paris.
Ha, Fat Electrician. So great! I hadn't heard of it.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Bendelirious supposed to smell like? Frankly, I was kind of surprised they would do one for an American department store- but I guess Bendel's is not so mainstream.
Which is your favorite of the line? Though I haven't seen any raves of it anywhere, the Rossy de Palma smells really great on my skin... kind of like bloody roses. If such a thing can be considered 'good'.
Rien is my favourite, so far, of the ELdO line. It's burnt rubber, spiced pudding and hay for my money, which I handed over at the wonderful Les Senteurs. It is an unusual perfume but not strange; it feels oddly familiar and comforting. It appears to be lighter sprayed on than dabbed on from a tester. Scrub it off if you have a migraine coming though, it isn't friendly to headaches.
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