État Libre d'Orange - Archives 69

Head Notes

Mandarin, Pepper

Heart Notes

Pepper, Orchid, Plum, Camphor

Base Notes

Frankincense, Benzoin, Patchouli, Musk

État Libre d'Orange -Archives 69

An odd, even unsettling perfume, Archives 69 transports the wearer to the sense of unease on the streets of Paris just before the student riots exploded. It smells like plum compote stirred through the crackle of pepper and gunpowder, and pushed outwards through an eye-blistering haze of camphor. Is this the pepper spray of an overly enthusiastic French police officer, or is it perfume? Both, maybe. Whatever it is, it sure is exciting to wear and smell. It smoothes out into a musky floral buzzed by smoking incense resin and overripe fruit, making one think of the dark, velvety seclusion of an underground bar after the riots, puffing on a cigarette and pulling on a bottle of syrupy pear liquor to stop your hands from trembling.