Soul of My Soul is the clean, floral cousin to Frustration’s spicy gourmand profile. Together with Frustration, Soul is one of the very best ELDO perfumes and my favorite of the “Orange Extraordinaire” line. I previously appreciated how Frustration elevated a very wearable spiced vanilla through the addition of some more dynamic evolution. Soul performs a similar song, but with a different set of notes.
This perfume is interesting because it deftly balances a sour, soapy rose, with a powdery-musky heart, and a spicy vanillic base. The initial impression it gives is soap, bergamot, and rose. Smelling it blind, I was shocked to see the marketing describe this as a spicy vanilla wood fragrance. I was also surprised to see other reviews second this description, or instead classify it as a mostly powdery scent. However, neither of these parties are incorrect, and the magic of this fragrance is in deftly balancing these different profiles without letting one dominate entirely. Some of the sour soapiness persists even as the iris powder becomes much stronger, but throughout one can also find themselves drawn to sweet tonka and vanillic warmth. These are notes that can easily overwhelm or conflict, but which feel harmonious and intriguing here. Even more than Frustration, this is a dynamic fragrance that provides some wonderful twists and turns while avoiding quick recognition.
Unlike so many other ELDO perfumes, there is no gimmicky hook here—no cyberskin, puns, or shock value, but don’t be dissuaded. Compared to these others, Soul of my Soul is the more exciting perfume. One of the few ELDOs that I would actually want more than a sample of. A delightful surprise.
