Eau de Reglisse (Liquorice)

You arrive at the long neglected family Manor - it is impossible to tell how long these halls have waited for another's footsteps. As you heave the massive wood doors open and enter the foyer, you are assaulted by a mixture of over polished wood and ancient lemon candies...while not repulsive, it was unexpected. You wind through the numerous rooms littering the manor's first floor - the kitchen, a formal dining room, a tea room, a sun room...and so many more. Despite a thin lining of dust and the thick smell of age, the Manor looks to be surprisingly well kept for its age. You decide to ascend the grand staircase which occupies the space of an entire room - you open the ornately carved door to the first room at the top of the stairs. You are greeted with the spellbinding scent of century old books - they gently whisper for your wandering touch. You crack open a heavy book that ponders the meaning of life and its serpentine paths - the scent of the pages wafts about in its vanilla hues with nuances of aged patchouli...the scent begs to linger forever. You slowly walk over to a massive reading chair, seemingly untouched by the dust and decay of the Manor, and free fall into its cushioned depths. An invisible rush of aged flesh clings to the surrounding air - the rich muskiness of your family's scholars and their endless hours of knowledge seeking welcomes you to the chase. In this moment, you feel at home. Between the vibrant lemons of the once well-kept woodwork, the smell of ancient wisdom, and the comfort of your long lost family, you feel like you could build a life here....no longer an outcast, you are home. Day 89 - A little faith Listening to: Muse - Mercy Notes: Well, I must say this is an odd duck of fumes...I am mildly put off by the opening (I get a candied lemon verbena and a rich lemon/pine note that is very hard to shake), but wildly attracted to the layers of beauty beneath. Maybe this could be likened to a blonde with brains...? The opening lasts for about an hour or so and still holds a place in the heart, so you have to be able to tolerate lemon candy for quite some time. However, the heart does begin to smell of ancient books (I live near one of the world's largest bookstores and they have a section with books that are several hundred years old, so this is more than a wild guess) with the thick smell of aged paper (much like aged patchouli) and a rich, dusty vanilla that is likely made nuttier/woodier by the nutmeg. It goes from that wonderful phase to a rich white musk that maintains some pizzazz from the vanilla...and is somehow slightly animalic in its presentation. I unfortunately fail to pick up any ginger or licorice in this....and I love those notes! All in all, this ancient beauty lasts close to the 12 hours mark on my skin and is surprisingly complex, and as with anything ageless, this is also genderless.

I know I've reviewed this already but my replacement new bottle arrived today and I have to re-iterate just HOW MUCH I LOVE this fragrance. Truly, if you love unusual and unexpected fragrances you should really try and sample this. The thing that stuns me so much is the way it morphs from one mood to another, some might say that means it has poor sillage but I disagree. Upon application the lemon verbena is sharp and refreshing and leads for about twenty minutes, then it begins to soften and turn gingery and warm vanilla, still retaining a little citrus edge. Many hours later just the warmth remains. It's like it is a day to night fragrance, it wakes you up with it's citrusy sparkle and relaxes you eight hours later with big vanilla hug, extraordinary! The liquorice is really subtle and green, it smells (tastes?!) more like chewing on a stick of woody liquorice root, it's not a black processed liquorice which I feel tends be heavier. Dying to try the Hermes Brin de Reglisse for comparison but I am sure that Caron's will be the stunner of all the current liquorice scents. The annoying thing is that Caron tends to be difficult to find in the North of England, I buy mine online. If you have the chance to try it, TRY IT!

I seldom reduce any one fragrance to the label of "freshie" just as I usually avoid all popular reductionist jargon in describing perfume, but Eau de Réglisse is sort of "fresh" that seems to suit me best. It is bracing at application, an intensely green-sweet lemon verbena with a ginger-citrus melange, that mellows into an anise and licorice "your skin but better" dry down, only subtly fixed with some patchouli and musks. This best serves me as a pick-me-up on a warmer day, something to reapply as needed when something invigorating and uncomplicated is in order. Not only is the scent itself refreshing, but also it simplicity. It isn't trying to wax poetic or is floridly conceptual. It is mouthwatering, but not exceedingly gourmand, and its one of those that I would file among those scents that have an essence of sprezzatura: not necessarily meant to be pondered, but to be casually felt.

Brilliant. Ginger and licorice, fresh and invigorating, with a slice of lemon. Reminds me a little of the ginger based margaritas they serve in Bryant Park, in Manhattan: fresh lime, muddled ginger, silver tequila, ginger liqueur, anise, and shake! Serve on ice. Yum! Great in summer, but holds up in fall. This is a smart, savvy, citified fragrance that is light on the licorice, slightly boozey, but sparkling. A fresh, citrusy ginger and anise, with a little depth from a tupelo honey. Edit: Wearing this in Fall and winter, the patchouli, musk, sandalwood and vanilla become predominate. Drydown is close to the skin, but lasts a good six hours on me. A strong vanilla that is deep, dark and natural. Reminds me of Mexican vanilla liqueur. Again, I am getting a strong boozey element. A versatile, unisex fragrance.

Brilliant...natural...stunning...and a truly unisex scent to be adorned. My wife and I wore this together in October (each a full wearing) and made love to celebrate the day we got engaged years ago. It is one of the most elegant and beautiful creations of niche quality by the uncompromising house of Caron. From the box/tube to the bottle & cap - and most importantly what is inside...this is artistry in perfumery. The refinement and elegance (as Lolita said) create an olfactory experience that is to be enjoyed. This is not just fragrance. Swiftbanderilla said something great here as well. Enjoy! No rating as this is sheer beauty - and, in this case, is in both the eye and nose of the beholder. Not just a gorgeous flacon...and not meant to be understood by all. This is why I love Caron!