Encens & Bubblegum (2006)
by Etat Libre d'Orange

Unfortunately all bubbles n gum on me no incense trace at all. Very disappointing

23rd January, 2012.

just too sweet for me with the bubblegum overtaking the incense note. If you concentrate on one or the other you can get each note, but the sweet, scent of dubblebubble just overtakes it all. Really much more of a feminine scent and just doesn’t work at all on me

25th July, 2011.

I think probably because of the highly influential directions of Comme Des Garcons for most of us frankincense in a fragrance should always be something glorious and a tad serious, enhanced with woods and some other complex stuff. Between niche fragrance lovers frankincense is often considered elitist: hence by all meas worth the mockery.

And here it is. Frankincense without woods. Bubblegum instead. A realistic blast of bubblegum before it settles into simple and beautiful incense supported only by light fruity-ambery base. It manages to be dry and juicy at the same time yet these two characteristics are somehow separated, simplicity being the key idea.

This is also one of the few ELdO fragrances that doesn't utilize their powdery kinda signature mix to fill the gaps. On the contrary, there is a lot of air left, making this fragrance a successful example of 'does what it says'. No need to be too weird or shocking: simply intentionally putting a cult niche note in a profane context does the job just fine. In fact, this is extremely wearable. I like it a lot.

20th July, 2011.

Encens et Bubblegum is the kind of wacky idea that Etat Libre d’Orange often comes up with, but doesn’t always execute successfully. In this case, they’ve nailed the bubblegum. Its lurid pink and proudly synthetic fruit is so accurate you can practically hear the bubbles smacking when they pop. Of course that’s not too surprising when the aromachemicals that flavor food and perfumes are synthesized at the same facilities.

No, it’s the incense that falls down in this case. The idea of the crass, synthetic, bubblegum fruit and loftily austere frankincense or myrrh sounds terrific – as did the tuberose and animalic leather of Vierges & Toreros, or the smoke and white flowers of Jasmin et Cigarette. Unfortunately, I don’t smell the incense here. If it's present at all, it's overwhelmed by the plastic fruit and a powdery, sweet vanilla. Without the radical internal contrast frankincense, opoponax or myrrh might have offered, there’s nothing to distinguish Encens et Bubblegum from any of a hundred sticky sweet and fiercely synthetic fruity floral celebrity scents. A missed opportunity.

28th June, 2011.

Like it! The raspy aldehydes combine well with the sweet incense. It is an unusual strong fragrance to me. Nearly unbearable for a male.
It can be worn with dark and neutral cloths, as to contrast the scents vivid expression. But it is a matter of taste.

An other issue could be the long lasting somewhat boring dry down. Alas, the fragrance is true to its name in that it might become as boring as an old chewing gum (fruity kind) or a catholic mess. It would have been a more homey pet with a less sweat tail. Nontheless, something new I'm fond of.

11th October, 2010.

The place I take my son for bubble tea doubles as a cutesy, Japanese gift shop, hawking all the usual suspects: the full Sanrio latex-stinky accessory line, soapy mango-scented Hello Kitty erasers, and lots of vibrant jelly candy and fruity ball-shaped bubble gums. It happens they also market (and burn) a rather charming, modern, square-shaped, mini incense line, which offers such innovative, culturally 'exotic', new scents as 'Santa Fe Sunset' & 'Tropical Banana', and 'Parisian Rain'.
Anyway, 'Ensens et Bubblegum' smells just like -- exactly like -- that shop! From the rubbery Keropi galoshes, to the cellophane-wrapped peach gum, Strawberry Pocki, and tropical-fruit inspired joss-sticks!
Terrific.

18th April, 2010.