Perfume is soul, soul is perfume.
In the tales of the One Thousand and One Nights, there is this wonderful expression for addressing a loved one: to say “soul of my soul,” signifying the emptiness of living without love.
I remember Aladdin’s warm voice – crackling out of a record player on a 45 rpm – speaking to Badroulboudour. He calls her “my princess, soul of my soul.” I was 7 years old at the time, and I asked my mother for the meaning of soul.
She replied, “There is no single definition. It is an invisible presence that links us to the divine, a little like the trail of the perfume that you want to follow. The soul travels to infinity in space and time and connects us to the whole. It is a fragment of that which is beautiful and perfect in each of us, that returns us to heaven and remains on earth when we disappear. Perfume continues the presence of this fragment, and the soul proceeds in the same way.”
A few years later, through the sustained reading of One Thousand and One Nights, I learned that the relationship to the body is nothing without a relationship to the soul, though for some, sensuality seemed to be an excellent substitute for the soul. To embrace each other could be an innovative way of instilling in each other a drop of the white and cosmic soul that flowed into the primordial ocean before the world came into being.
We have here a perfume that speaks of the fire-god of Persia and the gods of India, the worship of offerings, Mesopotamia, milk and clarified butter to honor the gods. And to remember, by a wake in the air, the foaming whiteness of the soul that comes from everything. Here, perfume is soul, soul is perfume. A creamy explosion, where musk intermingles with iris butter and transmits the powerful balm of vanilla, followed by the friction of tonka against benzoin.
– The Perfumer
NOTES
Top: Bergamot Italy Orpur, Incense Essence Somalia Orpur, Pink peppercorn CO2 Orpur
Middle: Iris butter Orpur, Rose Absolute Orpur, Suede Accord
Base: Sandalwood Essence Australia Orpur, Georgy wood Accord, Vanilla Absolute Madagascar Orpur
HOW IT WEARS
Beginning with a bright sparkle of pink pepper and bergamot, it doesn’t take long before Soul of my Soul gets creamy, comforting and enveloping. The sweetness of rose gently embraces powdery iris, lying down together on a bed of soft suede, as the fragrance dries down. The base is all about creamy sandalwood and warm vanilla, which hug the skin gently for 6-8 hours
LORE LOVES
Soul of my Soul has such a beautiful concept, and we think it really lives up to it. It’s comforting, like a warm hug or a gentle carress, enveloping like a blanket or a warm breeze, and puts a little smile on your face when you wear it it. A little elusive, bordering on indefinable, this is a fragrance you just have to experience for yourself.
ABOUT THE BRAND
Founded by Etienne de Swardt in 2006, Etat Libre d’Orange is an ambitious, audacious perfume house. Its name meaning “Free Orange State” in French, this is a house with an emphasis on originality, audacity, authenticity and freedom of expression. Each of Etat Libre d’Orange’s offerings is uncompromisingly surprising and knows no constraints in terms of creativity nor raw materials.
A perfumer for LVMH for many years before going rogue, Etienne de Swardt founded Etat Libre d’Orange with a view to turn the commercial fragrance industry on its head. Its launch certainly made waves, not only due to the raunchy fragrance names, but for the compositions themselves.
Read any review of Etat Libre d’Orange online and you will see a wide range of opinions, from disgusted to delighted, from aroused to inspired. We are obsessed with the daring whimsy of this fragrance house and so excited to have it at Lore!
FREE RETURNS
Love your fragrance or return it for free. Learn more about The Lore Promise here.
