Above the Waves

Basic Information and First Impression

Etat Libre d'Orange Above the Waves is a 2025 Eau de Parfum and the house's first fragrance centered on tea. The current international edition is presented in 50 mL and 100 mL sizes.

The title means “Above the Waves,” but this is not a marine fragrance. Tea, incense, and dry woods define the scent. Bergamot and cardamom provide a bright, airy entrance. Green maté and Ceylan tea then bring leafy bitterness before cedar and vetiver settle close to the skin. This is not a sweet milk-tea fragrance. Its appeal lies in green leaves, cool spice, restrained incense, and dry wood.

Perfumer, Brand Background, and Creation Story

Mathieu Nardin composed Above the Waves. He grew up in a Grasse perfumery family, trained at Robertet, and now works as a perfumer at MANE. His profile is often associated with joining traditional material knowledge to contemporary technique.

Here, incense is kept lighter than a dense cloud of smoke. It supports the quiet bitterness of tea, while bergamot and cardamom keep the composition open. The result connects an old ritual vocabulary with a modern, easy-moving structure.

Etienne de Swardt founded Etat Libre d'Orange in Paris in 2006. The name recalls the former Orange Free State in South Africa, where he was born, and also declares a space for creative freedom. A house known for provocative titles turns here toward the quieter subject of tea, breath, and a pause within movement.

Detailed Scent Analysis

The current international edition has an explicit three-part pyramid. Bergamot, cardamom, and incense form the top. Bergamot gives the opening a clear citrus brightness, while cardamom adds cool spice. Incense brings composure without making the opening heavy.

Green maté, Ceylan tea, and rose make up the heart. Green maté suggests a blue-green leafiness, while Ceylan tea adds a deeper tannic impression. Rose does not become a large bouquet; it softens the edge between the two tea notes.

Tonka bean, cedar, and vetiver form the base. Tonka provides only a gentle rounded sweetness. Cedar stays dry, and vetiver adds an earthy green quality. The fragrance therefore moves from citrus and spice through bitter leaves into a restrained woody finish rather than a dessert-like tea accord.

Comparison and Positioning

Le Labo THÉ NOIR 29 shares an interest in tannic tea and shadowed woods. Above the Waves is brighter through bergamot and cardamom and greener through maté. Choose between the darker impression of black tea and woods, or a lighter meeting of green leaves and spice.

Nishane Wulong Cha offers another way to read citrus and transparent tea. Wulong Cha keeps bright citrus and clear tea in front. Above the Waves moves from freshness into incense, tonka bean, vetiver, and a calm woody finish.

Miller Harris Tea Tonique is also a tea fragrance composed by Mathieu Nardin. Tea Tonique places more emphasis on refreshment. Above the Waves brings in incense, tonka bean, cedar, and vetiver, leaving a quieter woody finish after the initial brightness.

Buying Guide, Price, and Recommendation

Above the Waves first appeared in a Taiwan-exclusive edition in 2025 and expanded internationally in October of the same year. The Taiwan edition highlighted Taiwanese oolong tea and regional woods. The current international edition instead adds cardamom and tonka bean to green maté, Ceylan tea, and dry woods. The two editions share a title and a tea theme but have different note structures. When buying, check that the note list is for the international edition; cardamom, green maté, and tonka bean are useful identifiers.

The current product page presents 50 mL and 100 mL bottles of the same Eau de Parfum. The clear rectangular bottle carries a white label, a red-white-blue circular mark, and a metallic spray cap. Pale liquid remains visible through the glass, with the white label and three-color mark as the main focus.

Test the scent on skin beyond the first citrus minutes. The heart and base reveal whether the bitter tea leaves, gentle incense, and dry woods suit you. Price, size availability, and stock can change, so check the current official page before purchase.

Wearing Experience, Scenes, and Reputation

Spring and autumn daytime are the clearest starting points. The citrus and green tea feel light, while incense and woods suit cooler air. Some wearers also find it comfortable in warmer weather, making early summer a possibility. Opinions are more divided on whether midsummer is its best setting.

Its quiet diffusion can work for an office, reading, a gallery visit, or the calm before a journey. Cotton shirts, fine knitwear, and light jackets complement its clean textures. In a dining setting or a small quiet room, begin with a modest amount because the citrus and spice are most noticeable at first.

Projection is generally described as restrained and close enough for tea and wood to register at a short distance. Longevity varies considerably: some wearers find it close to the skin after three to four hours, while others continue to notice it beyond six hours. A skin test through the woody stage is more useful than judging only the opening.

Mazu is also central to the story. The brand presents the fragrance as a dedication to the goddess who protects sailors, which gives the name “Above the Waves” a clear connection to a journey at sea. The concept then shifts from the goddess to a practical point of view: do not let the wave directly in front of you take over; step back enough to see the whole. Tea provides that pause, a moment to stop, breathe deeply, settle, and recover the space to notice what is around you.