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Some perfumes are simply created to be beautiful, pleasant, and immediate. And then there are perfumes that try to tell something more: an idea, an attitude, a different way of feeling on the skin.
Let’s Pretend by Etat Libre d’Orange belongs to this second category. It is a fragrance that plays with the concept of identity, appearance, and transformation, starting with a name that seems like a small declaration: let's pretend. But here, pretense has nothing superficial about it. It is theater, expression, freedom to play a different part of oneself.
After all, perfume often works exactly like that: we don't choose it just to smell good, but to communicate something. Sometimes it tells a part of us that we know well, other times it helps us discover a new one.
A perfume of peach, saffron, and warm woods
Let’s Pretend is a fruity, spicy, and woody fragrance built on an interesting contrast: on one hand, the luminous softness of peach, and on the other, the more intense character of saffron, pink pepper, and woody notes.
Etat Libre d’Orange describes it as a playful and multifaceted composition which creates a soft, luminous, and promising sillage. Peach is the protagonist, but not in the most predictable way: it's not banally sweet, nor simple or adolescent. Here it becomes more velvety, intriguing, and mature.
Pink pepper adds movement, saffron brings depth and an almost sensual nuance, while woody notes and benzoin build a warmer, enveloping, and persistent base.
Top Notes
Saffron, Pink Pepper, Mandarin Essence
Heart Notes
Peach, Osmanthus Absolute, Jasmine Absolute
Base Notes
Woody Accord, Benzoin
The theatrical side of Etat Libre d’Orange
Etat Libre d’Orange has never been a quiet brand. It is a house that loves to provoke, tell stories, and break the classic idea of perfume understood only as something "beautiful" or reassuring.
With Let’s Pretend, however, the provocation becomes more subtle. There's no need to shock: merely suggesting is enough. The perfume is presented almost as an invisible costume, something one wears not just to smell good, but to step into a different version of oneself.
It's a fragrance that speaks of appearance and truth, of what we choose to show and what, in the end, still emerges. This is why Let’s Pretend works especially for those who consider perfume a personal language: a way to leave an impression without having to explain it.
What kind of perfume is Let’s Pretend?
Let’s Pretend is a luminous, velvety, spicy, and modern perfume. Initially, it opens with a lively and slightly fruity sensation, where mandarin brings freshness and peach immediately introduces a juicy softness.
Little by little, however, the fragrance changes register. Saffron introduces a more sophisticated tension, pink pepper adds a spicy vibration, and osmanthus makes the heart more elegant and velvety. In the base, the woody accord and benzoin complete the composition with a warmer, enveloping, and refined trail.
Its dual nature is its most interesting feature: on one hand, it is soft, accessible, and pleasant to wear; on the other, it has a less predictable, more theatrical, and more constructed personality.
Who might like Let’s Pretend
Let’s Pretend may appeal to those who love fruity perfumes but don't want something too sweet, simple, or childish. It's suitable for those looking for an elegant and more sophisticated peach, accompanied by a modern spicy note and a warm, woody base.
It's also interesting for those who love fragrances that evolve on the skin, because the peach never stays still: it is progressively transformed by spices, flowers, and warmer notes.
It can be a good choice for those who desire a contemporary unisex perfume, luminous but not trivial, soft but with character. It's not a clean and invisible fragrance: it's more a perfume of presence, one of those that don't shout, but still leave a precise impression.
When to wear it
Let’s Pretend is versatile, but it performs best when you want to wear something out of the ordinary. During the day, it works well thanks to its luminosity and the initial freshness of mandarin; in the evening, however, the woody and resinous base gives it a warmer and more personal trail.
It's the kind of perfume you imagine on a well-groomed, creative person, confident in their taste. Someone who doesn't choose a fragrance just because it's popular, but because they want something with a story and a recognizable personality.
Why try it
Let’s Pretend deserves attention because it takes a note often associated with sweetness, peach, and takes it in a more elegant and contemporary direction. It's not a simple fruity, it's not an overt gourmand, and it's not even a classic woody.
It is a fragrance suspended between light and warmth, between play and depth, between what we choose to show and what ultimately truly emerges. It seems light at first impact, but on the skin, it reveals more nuances than expected.
Conclusion
Let’s Pretend by Etat Libre d’Orange is a perfume for those who love to change their skin, even if only for a day. It has the luminous softness of peach, the spicy charm of saffron, and the depth of warm woods. It is elegant, modern, a bit theatrical, but never fake in the emptiest sense of the word.
Indeed, the paradox is precisely this: it's called Let’s Pretend, but in the end, it seems to want to reveal something very true. It tells of the desire to play with one's image and to use perfume not just as an accessory, but as a form of personal expression.
