L'Aigle de la Victoire Rancé 1795 2013

In darkness
Where my dreams are all too clear
Darkness, darkness
Filled with all the sounds of fear
I hear voices (don't turn out the light)
Calling faraway
I see shadows (don't turn out the light)
Moving, changing shape

And the clock stops
As darkness closes in
I hesitate but it's too late
I scream and scream again

I hear colours black and red
I see sounds that fill my head
I'll never read those books again

Lyrics: The Human League

The album "Dare" by the English group The Human League was something like a musical revelation for me, and apart from the universally popular "Don't you want me," I still enjoy listening to the record. Dare is (along with Kraftwerk) responsible for my fondness for electronic music, which has persisted to this day.

Alongside the song "Open your heart," the melancholically dark "Darkness" is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and in my opinion, this song fits the cumbersome scent of Rancé 1795.

After being somewhat disappointed by the fragrant emperor, I didn't pay much attention to the brand anymore, as I suspected something similarly trivial with L'Aigle de la Victoire.
I was mistaken, as I can now realize thanks to the lovely Angeliese.

The previous comments make it clear, this scent is special and it polarizes.

I don't want to contradict my fellow commentators (except for Angeliese), L'Aigle de la Victoire is very idiosyncratic, but it is not a stinker to my nose.

I dare to make the bold claim that the scent is more suited for men's skin, as my surroundings also found that the scent would smell very good on me, but indeed also quite distinctive.

For me, L'Aigle de la Victoire has no top note, as the scent starts off with a very smoky patchouli blast. Well, not everyone may like that, but I have experienced even more charred scents, and this one is almost harmless by comparison.

The smoky trail dissipates quite quickly and gives the leather (I assume in the form of birch tar) all the space to unfold further. The mixture of earthy-sweet patch and coarse leather then dominates the scent. Only after many hours do balsamic traces emerge, without significantly altering the scent.

By the way, L'Aigle de la Victoire (whatever that may mean, something with victory for sure) thematically (not olfactorily) has a lot in common with ELdO's Rien. Both smell rough like leather and have both above-average projection and longevity. In direct comparison, I even find the Rancé to be a bit darker.

Since I already have such a powerful scent club in my collection with Rien, L'Aigle de la Victoire doesn't necessarily need to come into my possession.

Anyone testing L'Aigle de la Victoire should dose carefully!