Orage Louis Vuitton 2018

Orage means thunderstorm. One quickly reads "orange" and might be confused. But it is definitely a price thunderstorm. Not that anyone thinks I treated myself to 100 ml for 225 euros (it's just a decant).

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One wonders why the world's largest luxury goods conglomerate LVMH (Louis Vuitton - Moet Hennessy) has been releasing exclusive fragrances under the name of the luggage and handbag brand for some time now. After all, brands like Acqua di Parma, Bulgari, Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Guerlain, Kenzo, Loewe, and Maison Francis Kurkdjian belong to the same group (for those who didn't know).

And just to elaborate briefly, because many also don't know: Louis Vuitton himself is considered the inventor of practical travel luggage and initially worked in the 19th century as a trunk maker for the French Empress at the court of Napoleon III. Just a little note for those who think he was a fashion designer like Yves Saint-Laurent or Christian Dior! ;-)

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Now, despite all the interesting company details, let's get to the fragrance itself: It is quite linear (which I generally like) and consists of only a few ingredients (which I also generally like). This way, A) you are not unpleasantly surprised and B) you are able to better detect individual ingredients. We have here a very well-executed mélange of herbaceous-citrus (bergamot), earthy-green (vetiver, patchouli), and powdery-smooth (iris, ambrette).

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Here (unfortunately) is another brief interjection: Ambrette is a synthetically produced musk substitute that, thanks to its sweet component, also reminds one of amber, hence the name. It is somewhat controversial in terms of health. However, ambrette can also be produced as an essential oil from the seeds of the so-called musk mallow. What exactly is present here, I cannot say. Whether it can even be done without precise indication, I also do not know.

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And back to the fragrance: Orage does not come with lightning and thunder, but it does arrive. It was developed by Monsieur Cavalier-Belletrud, one of my favorite perfumers, but they all have some olfactory skeletons in the closet for me, as they have to research and develop in one direction and then in the opposite direction (at times)! ;-)

Orage is clearly masculine and very balanced. Fans of Terre D'Hermes or Encre Noir will definitely appreciate it due to the earthy vetiver note. Orage comes across as original, but not with brute force. The longevity is semi for the price, while the sillage does not burden the environment! ;-) A certain sprightliness remains thanks to the bergamot, a balsamic-tinged powder joins in and dispels the harshness that some other woody fragrances bring with them.

However, since so many are talking about tropical forests or humidity: In my nose, the misleading name "thunderstorm" rather greets. Because I personally perceive Orage as quite dry and do not have a recently subsided rain shower in mind at all. I also can't relate to the hay association, as nothing smells musty or damp to me here.

It always puzzles me how many people "fall for" the name of a fragrance and want to connect what is contained within it at all costs and even can. Amen, I tell you: This is simply marketing in 80 percent of the cases! ;-) Nevertheless, Orage is for me (!) a great and not overly extreme composition that perfectly unites city and forest edge (I’m allowed to throw in an association too).