When I read the initial announcement for Etat Libre d’Orange’s release of Bijou Romantique, I had a feeling that I would enjoy this perfume; now that I’ve tried it a few times, I’m happy to say that it has fulfilled all my expectations. Bijou Romantique was developed by perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui (whose earlier Like This is one of my favorite Etat Libre fragrances), and its composition includes notes of bergamot, Italian lemon, pink berries essence, ylang-ylang, sage, iris of Tuscany, EVEE (apparently a molecule from Mane’s laboratories), coconut JE, Haitian vetiver, benzoin, and vanilla.

According to the Etat Libre d’Orange website and other sources, Bijou Romantique’s inspirations are diverse and colorful. They include cameo jewelry; a phrase from the Old Testament, “Her price is far above rubies” (Proverbs 31:10); a line from the French writer Alfred de Musset, “J’ai souffert souvent, je me suis trompé quelquefois, mais j’ai aimé” (“I have suffered often, sometimes I have been mistaken, but I have loved,” from On ne badine pas avec l’amour, 1834); and (via Luckyscent) a reference to the cult comic-book series Corto Maltese. Got all that? (If there’s also a sexual double-entendre in the name or concept, as there often is for Etat Libre, I may be missing it.)

So, what do we have inside the bottle…

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