Nostos EDP 100ml

In Ancient Greek, nostos means “the return” or “homecoming”, a reoccurring theme in
Ancient Greek literature, where it is used to refer to a hero or adventurer returning home after a long time away. It is rare – most never achieve nostos, and therefore as a concept it speaks to the heart and imagination, representing hope in circumstances where there may be none.

Here, perfume is the vehicle of the return to which one aspires in vain. Like an intense and deep incense that would have burned for three thousand years, this perfume celebrates the Homeric epic of the most beautiful of heroes, Achilles.

This is not the nostos of Ulysses and his Odyssey; here, it is Achilles, the emblem of the perfume, conceived by the gods, born of love, like the Trojan war.

Achilles is a complex hero with a double essence: divine through his mother, the goddess Thetis, human through his father, Peleus. He carries within him the beauty of duality, sometimes a fearsome warrior with powerful and penetrating musks – the extreme virility of Oud without which Troy cannot be defeated – the romantic femininity of the rose. Achilles is the violence and beauty found in the extraordinary diversity of humanity.

Spear or shield, this perfume too has a double nature, where the Greek hero is adorned with the attractions of jasmine and sandalwood. Whether engaging in the art of war or love, the perfume approaches perfection in order to attack time, fight against our limited destinies and finally triumph over the merciless Greek gods with amber, saffron and incense.

Achilles will never return to his homeland. He knows this, and fights against this destiny, always torn by the desire of return, haunted by this pitiful weapon against fatality, by this nostalgia in which we see his humanity triumph.

NOTES
Top: Essence of Enscens, Essence of Mandarin, Saffron
Middle: Essence and Absolu de Rose Turque, Absolu de Jasmin, Accord Oud
Base: Sandalwood, Georgie wood, Ambrofix, Suede, Musk

HOW IT WEARS
Imagine yourself sitting on the steps at the base of an ancient temple. There you peel a mandarin as the warming, lemony scent of frankincense floats in the air around you. That’s how Nostos opens, but it’s not long before you’re met with the intoxicatingly rich scent of Turkish rose and heady jasmine, heated by the mineralic spice of saffron. The dry down is where the oud and suede appear, animalic and intoxicating like the scent of hot skin on the battlefield under the beating sun. Nostos is a dichotomous scent – on one hand it’s floral and romantic, on the other hand it’s dirty and earthy. Being a part of ELdO’s more highly concentrated range (Orange Extraordinaire), Nostos lasts on the skin for hours… or until you return home.

LORE LOVES
It seems that rose and oud are core components of most of the fragrances in the Orange Extraordinaire range, but Nostos does it totally differently. Firstly, the oud is probably the most prominent note in this scent – it’s rich, sweet, and animalic, and therefore irresistibly sensual once on the skin for a while. The top notes combining citrus and incense means the opening is quite bright and uplifting, but the dry down is more complex, thoughtful and earthen (perfectly suited to the mythology behind this fragrance). We love the incorporation of ancient perfumery notes to complement the inspiration behind Nostos as well – incense, rose, jasmine and sandalwood are ingredients that have been used in perfumery for thousands of years, beloved by the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. A well rounded fragrance from concept to execution, Nostos is a new fave for us.

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!

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