Reviews of Fils de Dieu du Riz et des Agrumes by Etat Libre d'Orange

I’m confused by people who say this smells like a Thai curry like that’s a bad thing. The best smell in the world – apart from that of a baby’s head and perhaps marijuana – is the smell of a good Thai meal being prepared in your kitchen. The aromas of crushed lemongrass stalks, freshly-chopped coriander leaves and stalks, chilies, lime juice, and of course, the steamy smell of basmati rice are all a cheap, legal high that nobody in their right mind would turn down.

Fils de Dieu works because it triggers all the right responses in our salivary glands – hot, sour, aromatic, fresh – while also giving us the creamy rice mouthfeel of a pudding at the end, to sweeten and calm the mouth. Although technically a gourmand, I think of Fils de Dieu more as an aromatic oriental with a sour citrus vein running through it. It’s perfect for summer, because it’s has the same psychotropic effect on the nerves as the smell of a gin and tonic, or a squirt of whatever suntan lotion your mother used on you when you were little. In fact, Fils de Dieu should come with a trigger warning (may cause drooling, beatific smiling, and general time-wasting at work).

The first half of this is very pleasant. I was expecting something nutty, like basmati rice, but instead it's mildly sweet, like lemondrop candy with ginger and cardamom notes. Slightly effervescent, too, so that the effect is like a soda. It gets a lot duller toward the middle, turning into a sort of undistinguished and rather muddy vanilla rose. Had it remained as charming as the top half was, I'd have considered a full bottle, but as it is -- no.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I finished a small decant, then sprang for the 30mL bottle. I love those 30mL bottles--so sad ELdO discontinued them. I was about to buy a second 30ML, but it was sold out before I could...

Anyway, I love this in fall and spring. There is just enough citrus, and just enough vanilla, and it is perfect during the day for either season. This wears pretty close to the skin on me, so I found it very work appropriate. I did not get the curry /Thai or Vietnamese dinner that so many others do. I found it slightly powdery (maybe that was the rice) and slightly spicy, and overall very well blended.

Unfortunately, my partner hates this. I can't imagine why. I will therefore not spring for a 50mL or larger size.

I guess I can call this one a gourmand, as almost instantly I get the smell of a rice pudding with milky coconut and some spices. Although there are times when I get a floral body lotion, actually more a suntan lotion, due to the coconut.

A very nice, refreshing citrus opening. After it settles down, I kept getting wafts of what resembled a very nice, floral-sweet skin lotion. Projection is good, if not above average. Listed as unisex but this is too feminine for me, but a nice scent nonetheless. I enjoy smelling this but not something I desire to wear.

An artful rendering of notes reminiscent of Filipino or Thai food. Alternatively, after the drydown, it reminds me of Indian rice pudding. I'm a sucker for cardamom (in this, Bigarrade Concentree, Bergamote 22, and others, but cardamom's body funk can be overwhelming (e.g. Jo Malone Mimosa Cardamom). Not so here. The Cardamom has a light touch, and the lemongrass cuts the bite of the coconut milk notes so that the overall effect isn't cloyingly sweet. I could see this working as well at the office as at a beach party; it strikes me as very versatile. I think I will use some store credit to procure a bottle.

This is an interesting one. I got a free sample of this a while ago, tried a little bit on the back of my hand, then forgot about it. I've been re-visiting all of my samples and this was today's choice. When I first put it on, I got coconut, tangy citrus and rice – specifically, fresh steamed jasmine rice, straight from the cooker. Nice, but unusual in a perfume. A quick check of the notes online, and yep, coconut, rice and lime are a few of the ingredients in this. Half an hour in, the cardamom and ginger appeared. Three hours in and it's mostly faded away, which is a shame – I can only pick up a faint citrusy tang now. Nice, but the staying power, on me at least, is weak.

Very nice and nothing more. There's nothing offensive here, to my nose. 'Jrr2ok' and 'tempest moon' offer reviews similar to my experience. I can't pick out any one note especially well. This one's well-blended and wearable. Lasts all day and performs just to my liking. (Not too strong). Although I like it, and it wears well, I wouldn't say it's an every day fragrances, nor would I buy a bottle. Would be suitable for a man or woman.

7/10

If you are dying to smell like a really classy Vietnamese dinner then I have news for you. The ginger, lime, and rice notes are particularly strong.

The opening combines a fresh ginger with lemon and a good measure of coriander, which makes a pleasant opening. The drydown developed somewhat flat coconut with clear cardamom and a quite unexciting jasmine-centred floral impression. This second phase is less fresh and less impressive that the rather nice too notes.

The base is a dull nondescript leathery affair that is not saved by a castoreum finish. The performance is nothing to write home about: moderate sillage, adequate projection and a longevity of fours hours on my skin.

A nice start, a mediocre follow-through - neutral it is for me. 2.75/5.

I was pleasantly taken aback by the wave of ginger and citrus from my initial application of Fils de Dieu. The ginger and lime have an effervescent quality, like a zingy soda. However, this soon evolved into a very nice and balanced jasmine/rose combo, with the rose rounding out some of the harshness that can occur (at least to me) with jasmine. Eventually (>4 hrs), the florals faded into a powdery vetiver with just a hint of vanilla. This is a very wearable scent. I don't understand the curry references (and I love me some Thai curry). I found this to be much straight-forward and wearer friendly. I could see this being an office scent for someone who needs to be conservative, but wants a little zip and mystery for their own benefit. A pleasing effort from ELDO.

This is a nice scent in many ways being a complex oriental with a light gourmand touch. Its shortcoming is the lack of longevity. I expect more from ELDO, and this was not the quality I have come to expect. I have other scents from the line that are much better than this.

Totally tropical, fully oriental... and simply delicious!

Etat Libre d'Orange's gourmand masterpiece is Fils de Dieu de Riz et des Agrumes is a fantastic mix of a deep, animalic vanilla oriental (like Shalimar), and a savoury gourmand fragrance.

It has a crazy list of notes... but I basically get some food-like notes, such as lime, shiso leaf, ginger, coriander, coconut... and white rice, followed by Leather, Vanilla and Castoreum. It's an incredible combination. What I find it comes down to is a (very) well done combination between sweet, rich & creamy... and slightly acid-like savouriness. What I mean is that you have a creamy vanilla flavoured white coconut rice pudding, but also an spicy aromatic herbal mixture of shiso leaf, green cardamom, and the acidity of lime, with dark smoky leather and castoreum.

How does it smell? Well, really nice actually! You would think that this combination would not work, but it does... and it's actually very wearable! At least to me anyway. I really like it and I think that if you are someone who likes "exotic" smells (or food) and likes "savoury" fragrances, with a hint of sweetness, then you will like this. Some people say it smells "too much" like food. Well, I personally think the balance is just right. You have leather and castoreum to balance out the gourmand aspect. Having said that, please try it out on your skin first, and give it time. I find it a very well done fragrance (really good perfumer here), and it works well with my skin. I think this is a fragrance for people with "unusual" or "unique" tastes in fragrances (like a lot of the Etat Libre d'Orange line), but I personally like it very much.

If you want something very different from anything else, try this one. It may smell like food on you and turn you off... or you may not think like that and really like it anyway! For me it's very special and unique, and I enjoy wearing it every time.

Smells like lemon curry, coconut and a touch of amber. All the other notes mentioned escape me.

A little odd, but I like it very much

Although not my kind of scent for wearing anytime except to an outdoor party, this is a fun and incredibly well done fragrance. After an hour I began to get the vanilla and coconut, but it has predominantly been an experience of cilantro, spicy chilis, lime, and musk. I definitely passed one person who did not find it agreeable, lol, but for me it reminds me of the smell that lingers about me when I cook Thai food at home. The longevity has been excellent! Almost 3 hours and it still holds on strong! Beautiful and special, but not for every day.

This smells just like a Thai green curry, complete with lemongrass, coriander, lime leaves & coconut rice. l get a little musk in the base, before it fades out around five hours in.
lt's really quite delicious, although l'm not sure l'd want to smell like this all that often. l have to give this a thumbs up though, because it's really a very well executed fragrance, if lacking in longevity.

It's a little bland, but pleasant enough. I get toasted rice and lime, a touch of vanilla. You could do worse if you are looking for a soothing summer fragrance. It's certainly the most commercial scent I've tried from ELDO, wouldn't be surprised if it sold quite well. I give it a neutral rating for lack of originality and not very good longevity.

If for several aspects, Eldo's choices when it comes to marketing, may result silly, immotivately provocative and even a tad puerile, on the other hand I find their playfulness to be somehow refreshing and uplifting in a sector that is taking itself too seriously. In front of pompous brands clamining mythical historical heritages, high-sounding names and immotivaded promises of exclusivity, I prefer Eldo's almost situationists approach hands down.

That being said, this time I'm not convinced. Fils De Dieu, Dur Riz et Des Agrumes (aka Philippine Houseboy) is an average quality spicy oriental with no particular twists. It opens with a slightly dissonant accord of citruses and vanilla to turn quickly into a creamy yet moderately sweet spicy-vanillic base with an overal coconut vibe. Bad? Not really but way too far from Eldo's countless outstanding deliveries...

have tried this at les senteurs two weeks ago, it is probably the only fragrance in which i can stand the coconut and the rice notes but ultimately it is way to sweet for me, veering towards the feminine, also quite innocent and inoffensive, after the usual releases from eldo which some can be quite controversial, this strikes me as.. well, bland.
i still like it but i don't think i can wear it. i do have to give it another try though, les senteurs did not have samples for this yet, have only tested it once on my wrist. also, i guess that etat libre d'orange have given in to the political correctness and have changed the original and experimental name (albeit only temporary as i have been told) that they've had for this fragrance, which was 'filipino houseboy'. hmmm.. doesn't have the same sound as the incomprehensibly french 'fils de dieu du riz et des agrumes', loosely translated in english as 'son of god and citrus rice'.