You will always want more of this fragrance. The fleeting animality of cumin merges with the warm and powerful cinnamon, and the intense syrupy trail of rum reveals itself to be a fleeting pleasure.
The spicy and generous matriarch, vanilla, in search of vital euphoria, duplicates itself to the point of paroxysm. In its insatiable quest, it drags davana, whose fruity aromatic bipolarity is completed by the warm tones of cistus. Despite all this, it is not enough, the feeling of unfulfillment persists, like the woody ardor of chestnut and the biting character of vetiver. There is still desire, a desire conveyed through the vibrations of amber woods and the technology of Vinyl Gaiacol.
Perfumer: MATHILDE BIJAOUI
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a scent for close quarters and low light, when warmth, smoke and spice can gather around the wearer without turning loud. It feels intimate and slightly unruly, like a private conversation that keeps circling back to desire.
How to wear
Best in cool weather, when its rum, vanilla and chestnut notes can bloom without becoming heavy. Apply with a light hand: one or two sprays are enough to let the smoky woods and vetiver trail unfold gradually on skin, where the sweetness softens and the dry, spicy edge becomes more apparent.
Who it’s for
For those who like gourmand perfumes with a darker spine: smoky, woody, leathery and spiced rather than sugary. It will appeal to wearers who enjoy contrast, depth and a slightly restless, autumnal character.
Release year
2022
The nose
Mathilde Bijaoui is a contemporary perfumer known for compositions that balance texture, contrast and a clear structural line. Her work often moves between gourmand warmth, woods and spice, giving fragrances a tactile, almost edible richness without losing shape. For Frustration, she builds a dense, autumnal accord around rum, vanilla, cumin and cinnamon, then sharpens it with vetiver, smoke and chestnut wood. The result fits her style well: expressive, layered and modern, with sweetness held in tension by dryness and bite.
Collaborators
Etienne de Swardt shaped the concept and title, bringing the fragrance into Etat Libre d’Orange’s deliberately provocative, psychologically charged universe. The brand also worked with MANE Biotech laboratories on the key materials and accords, including the rum, vanilla and vinyl gaiacol facets that give the scent its distinctive smoky-gourmand profile.
Etat Libre d'Orange’s story
Etat Libre d’Orange builds fragrances with irreverence, freedom and a taste for contradiction. The house is known for treating perfumery as a space for ideas as much as pleasure, pairing unconventional names and bold concepts with compositions that are often sensual, witty and deliberately offbeat.
Frustration’s concept
Frustration was created as part of Etat Libre d’Orange’s Orange Extraordinaire collection and released in 2022. Its name came from a moment in Barcelona, where Etienne de Swardt heard the lyric “frustration is what you need my friend” in Rare Bird’s “Sympathy.” The perfume was conceived as a regressive journey, meant to awaken the strong child in the fragile adult and the fragile child in the too-strong adult.
Extra info
Frustration is the fifth fragrance in Etat Libre d’Orange’s Orange Extraordinaire collection. Its formula includes vinyl gaiacol, a material that helps create its smoky, resinous edge. The bottle is presented in blood-red glass with an antiqued gold stamp.
You will always want more of this fragrance. The fleeting animality of cumin merges with the warm and powerful cinnamon, and the intense syrupy trail of rum reveals itself to be a fleeting pleasure.
The spicy and generous matriarch, vanilla, in search of vital euphoria, duplicates itself to the point of paroxysm. In its insatiable quest, it drags davana, whose fruity aromatic bipolarity is completed by the warm tones of cistus. Despite all this, it is not enough, the feeling of unfulfillment persists, like the woody ardor of chestnut and the biting character of vetiver. There is still desire, a desire conveyed through the vibrations of amber woods and the technology of Vinyl Gaiacol.
Perfumer: MATHILDE BIJAOUI
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a scent for close quarters and low light, when warmth, smoke and spice can gather around the wearer without turning loud. It feels intimate and slightly unruly, like a private conversation that keeps circling back to desire.
How to wear
Best in cool weather, when its rum, vanilla and chestnut notes can bloom without becoming heavy. Apply with a light hand: one or two sprays are enough to let the smoky woods and vetiver trail unfold gradually on skin, where the sweetness softens and the dry, spicy edge becomes more apparent.
Who it’s for
For those who like gourmand perfumes with a darker spine: smoky, woody, leathery and spiced rather than sugary. It will appeal to wearers who enjoy contrast, depth and a slightly restless, autumnal character.
Release year
2022
The nose
Mathilde Bijaoui is a contemporary perfumer known for compositions that balance texture, contrast and a clear structural line. Her work often moves between gourmand warmth, woods and spice, giving fragrances a tactile, almost edible richness without losing shape. For Frustration, she builds a dense, autumnal accord around rum, vanilla, cumin and cinnamon, then sharpens it with vetiver, smoke and chestnut wood. The result fits her style well: expressive, layered and modern, with sweetness held in tension by dryness and bite.
Collaborators
Etienne de Swardt shaped the concept and title, bringing the fragrance into Etat Libre d’Orange’s deliberately provocative, psychologically charged universe. The brand also worked with MANE Biotech laboratories on the key materials and accords, including the rum, vanilla and vinyl gaiacol facets that give the scent its distinctive smoky-gourmand profile.
Etat Libre d'Orange’s story
Etat Libre d’Orange builds fragrances with irreverence, freedom and a taste for contradiction. The house is known for treating perfumery as a space for ideas as much as pleasure, pairing unconventional names and bold concepts with compositions that are often sensual, witty and deliberately offbeat.
Frustration’s concept
Frustration was created as part of Etat Libre d’Orange’s Orange Extraordinaire collection and released in 2022. Its name came from a moment in Barcelona, where Etienne de Swardt heard the lyric “frustration is what you need my friend” in Rare Bird’s “Sympathy.” The perfume was conceived as a regressive journey, meant to awaken the strong child in the fragile adult and the fragile child in the too-strong adult.
Extra info
Frustration is the fifth fragrance in Etat Libre d’Orange’s Orange Extraordinaire collection. Its formula includes vinyl gaiacol, a material that helps create its smoky, resinous edge. The bottle is presented in blood-red glass with an antiqued gold stamp.