Fils de Dieu du Riz et des Agrumes / Philippine Houseboy by Etat Libre d'Orange

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Fils de Dieu du Riz et des Agrumes
Philippine Houseboy
Etat Libre d'Orange 2012

7.5 / 10 299 Ratings

A popular perfume by Etat Libre d'Orange for women and men, released in 2012. The scent is spicy-citrusy. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Spicy

Citrus

Sweet

Fresh

Gourmand

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Ginger

Lemon

Coriander

Heart Notes

Rice

Cardamom

Jasmine

Base Notes

Tonka bean Amber

Amber

Leather

Perfumer

Ralf Schwieger

Ratings

Scent

7.5299 Ratings

Longevity

7.1234 Ratings

Sillage

6.3232 Ratings

Bottle

7.1210 Ratings

Value for money

7.476 Ratings

Submitted by Emrocco · last update on 11/26/2025.

Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Shalimar Eau de Parfum

Bahiana

Eau de Shalimar

Le Chant de Camargue

Papyrus Moléculaire

gs01

Reviews

23 in-depth fragrance descriptions

12/31/2012

8Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Missk
1357 Reviews

Missk

Very helpful Review 8

A savoury gourmand

I was incredibly fortunate to have won a sample of this fragrance in a competition a few months ago. I didn't know what to expect, having never tested anything from this brand before, but I was delighted to be given the opportunity to test it in the comfort of my own home.

Fils de Dieu, (the name is far longer but I'll shorten it to simply this), is a fabulously complex and beautifully composed fragrance. The main notes to my nose are orange, ginger and lime, however there are many other fascinating ingredients that make up the rest of this blend. I could literally smell this for hours and be quite content doing just that.

It is said to have been inspired by the Asian tropics. I have never travelled there, nor tasted many Asian dishes from which the coconut rice accord came to fruition, but I do get a sense of its exotic aura and somewhat foreign approach.

There are so many people raving about Fils de Dieu, and I'm just going to chime in with my positivity too. Even those that don't fall head over heels for this fragrance, should count themselves lucky for having experienced the complexity of this scent alone. The perfumer Ralf Schwieger is a very clever man and I will be looking out for more of his compositions in future.

Although the opening is very bright and citrusy, the ginger and coriander add a certain depth and intensity to the scent. The spices are never too much. They prefer to compliment rather than intrude. The heart makes way for a delicious blend of coconut milk, white rice and vanilla. It's not far from being a gourmand, and an interesting one at that. It's savoury rather than sweet.

This fragrance amazes me with its smooth transitions from one stage to the next. The drydown is a delicate meeting of animalic musk with exotic spice. This is where a sense of sensuality can be felt, which I find a suitable end to such a captivating scent.

The longevity is rather good, lasting a decent six or more hours on the skin. The sillage is not overpowering, but it does leave a pleasant trail. I personally think that this is a fragrance not to be missed.

NB. I may be wrong, but I'm certain that this fragrance and Philippine Houseboy by the same brand is the same fragrance, just a different name.

03/31/2023

7Scent 7Longevity 8Sillage

Kurai
388 Reviews

Kurai

Helpful Review 6

Dinner time

Both "Philippine Houseboy" and "Fils de Dieu du Riz et des Agrumes" are brilliantly chosen titles. They paint a vivid picture and create extremely specific expectations. The beautiful thing is, those expectations are met with great success.

Cilantro, lime and ginger zest create a fresh and somewhat juicy-creamy opening. Spicy in a way, but all heat and sharpness is muted. The heart notes that follow are rather soft and floral. They give off a warm sense, but the composition is a little blurred in this stage, diffuse. I mean it is hard to point out specific notes. It feels comforting, though, rather satisfying. In the drydown a nice tonka-leather remains.

My brain cannot let go of the associations that come with the name. Steaming hot rice East-Asian style, yes, it makes total sense. In fact, I have worked up quite an appetite. Boodle fight, anyone?

10/09/2013

9Scent 10Longevity

aoe
51 Reviews

aoe

Helpful Review 3

Travel Memories

It's probably in bad taste (pun intended) to write a review before the perfume has had much chance to develop. But in this particular case it seems to match a certain kind of body chemistry - I particularly love the rice note that turns up early one.

I don't eat rice every day, sometimes not even once a week, but there were times and places when I lived essentially off rice, beans and corn day in and day out. What develops around it is subtropic as well - at some times it resembles (soy) milk rice, at others it brings the ever so pungent sweat note of those who have eaten lots of rice in their lives (or at least recent weeks). Coconut? Sure, for festivities. There is some lemon and lime in the head note, but it makes way for the austere if versatile heart soon, introducing dry grass and a whiff of beans. The demigod of rice doesn't rest on his roses before evening ... don't be mistaken though, it's going to be sweeter than the laborious day.

05/23/2025

ClaireV
969 Reviews

ClaireV

Helpful Review 4

Thai Shalimar flanker

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).

07/06/2023

8Scent

DogiCoco
637 Reviews

DogiCoco

Helpful Review 3

If a coconut milk curry became a perfume...

This is very interesting. It got my attention when I was looking for unique coconut fragrances, and it certainly delivers.

ELDO seems to have streamlined the official notes list for this fragrance. It had coconut in the notes when I got my sample (a few years ago) and I can clearly smell it. I don't know if there was a full-blown reformulation or if they just changed the list for marketing reasons, but I suspect the latter. Shorter notes lists seem to be trendy in the last years.

Anyways, this scent smells like the essence of an Asian curry, but without the parts that wouldn't work as a fragrance. No meat, seafood, onions or anything like that, but a lot of fresh ginger and rice cooked in coconut milk. There are warm spices like cardamom and cinnamon, another note that was in the list but isn't there anymore. I also get something that reminds me of lemongrass, but maybe that's just the citrus notes mixed with ginger and coriander. Overall the scent isn't too spicy or savory, the drydown has a warmer vanillic feel and the scent as a whole is clean enough to be wearable despite the food associations.

Personally, I don't think I would wear it though. I envision it on someone who has an earthy, boho or hippie kind of style, which is not me at all. But I can still appreciate it as a special scent, a work of art even.

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