Legion

A shot of absinthe and in an old 1860s parlor. The sweet licorice smell mixes with the warm, candle-lit atmosphere and your large leather overcoat. Off initial spray you are slapped over the head with boozy anise/licorice and the classic capsule leather accord. Very smooth. As it dries down the sweetness shifts from just strictly the anise to resins which read like mostly benzoin and a maybe a bit of balsam. It all mixes really well together at the end, the sweet anis and leather being the two main stars though. Dark, brooding, mysterious, but still sweet and approachable. I’m surprised it’s a lowly rated as it is. I will say, you have to like anis/licorice focused fragrances to really this, and this might be an underground holy grail for people who really love that smell. As for me, I like anis and licorice, and the booziness of it in contrast with the creamy leather is really nice, but I don’t think this is full bottle worthy. Will enjoy my sample thoroughly though. Nuclear performance (18+ hours), still testing projection but it seems strong. 7.5/10

Testing blind, opening was a bit storied, moving from a light herbal whiskey, to leather tones, to a hint of warmed up rubber. After a bit it did settle on distinctly spicy anis, which I now see is the main protagonist (or maybe antagonist, depending on your preference). The leather and oakmoss add a complimentary warmth and earthiness, but I'm surprised there is no wood to deepen the plot. If the caramel adds any sweetness, its slight. I get more salt from it. While warmly anis, it sides on the herbaceous liquor side, and not licorice. But, if you run away from all things black liquorice, the way a fake wiccan strays from a black cat, even this herby spicy anis is probably too much. I enjoy licorice caramels, so this is right in good to me cover to cover. It's nice and warm, and spicy enough for cold weather. If your company hates the whole anis thing, just don't mention it. Say it's a spicy lavender fragrance and they'll probably say they like it.

Capsule - Legion Smells really nice at first and later begins to smell sort of like patchouli, but not a smooth patchouli, it becomes unpleasant

Yep. Holy grail for anise lovers! Imagine a biker bar where they only serve ouzo.

A low lit room, a soft, vintage leather armchair, and a boozy artisanal rootbeer float with anise ice cream. My anise perfume dreams come true!