I love the taste of smoke. The smell of smoke is pleasing to me, but I crave the taste of it. My favorite spirit is the notoriously smoky Ardbeg 10-year Single Malt. I keep four kinds of hardwood on hand to at home to smoke anything that won’t run away. I’m a sucker for smoked salts and spices, smoked cheeses, smoked fruits, smoked cocktails served under pretentious little domes. I’m thinking right now about smoking some butter. Of course I like Lapsang Souchong.

My perfume friends told me about Arquiste Indigo Smoke (reviewed here) and the idea of a Lapsang Souchong perfume took root in my mind. I wanted this. When my sample of Indigo Smoke arrived, I had to wear it twice — once to get over my disappointment that it doesn’t smell like Lapsang Souchong, and again to determine what it does smell like. Now that I’d spent a few weeks imagining wearing the scent of Lapsang Souchong, I couldn’t let the idea go. So I did a quick search, found Eustache, and impulsively ordered a bottle.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen a Jean Eustache film (hopefully Janus will rectify this for me soon). But realizing that he was the inspiration for this perfume made me even more excited to try it. Eustache made raw, evocative autobiographical fiction; his hallmark was authenticity. His style was similar to documentary, he didn’t idealize but rather attempted to show things as they really are. I took this as a very good sign.

Eustache Perfume Review

Eustache, the perfume, is a dream. At first it’s rather camphorous and medicinal (a realm of scent that I happen to adore). Smoke swirling from crackling pine logs. It glides into a stunning leather phase which reminds me of horse tack — well-worn bridles and reins hanging from hooks on the barn wall. Languid smoke is ever-present as a hazy, peppery veil. I’m smitten.

As it softens, Eustache becomes humid, smelling of wet pebbles, earth, and old wood. The smoke becomes diaphanous, as if it were steam coming from a cup of tea. It’s like drinking a cup of Lapsang Souchong in a root cellar. As it eases into frankincense, the smoky vapors linger. The entire experience is about three hours but oh, what a ride.

Eustache from Jolie Laide is a botanical perfume created by Heather Kaufman. Her perfumes appear to be inspired by French New Wave Cinema. Now that I know a Cléo de 5 à 7 perfume exists, I’m not sure how I can go on without smelling it. After experiencing Eustache, I have high expectations.