Helene

Oh, Hélène! So beautiful! I'm happy to see it listed here! I could try it in the only one-brand Rancè shop about 30km from me. The lady inside is one in her kind too! So overdone yet soft and friendly! I like almost everything Rancè, because they are beautifully blended, ancient-like perfumes. Some like Laetitia are heavier which makes sense anyway, but others smell like the scent you would smell in heaven forever! Hélène is one of them. Very romantic, luminous, no single note screaming out of the perfect composition and it has a perfect aura of bliss. Flowers are at the core of blend and radiate so beautifully all together. Fruits if there are not so noticeable. The green edge is very well made too because it's not pungent and acrid, but rather a fresh, smoothy very natural green made of angelica. The drydown is much softer and rounder, quite powdery in an airy way. A scent for delicate yet deep souls. I tested it while searching for a signature and... ended up with a small bottle of Organza! Why? Because I liked that too and it smelled stronger and more earthly, more attached to everyday life in a city full of stinks from the pavements and aggressive scents from humans. More of a weapon than Hélène, the ethereal beauty from ancient times. Hélène is also very expensive, but with a good sillage and lasting power. For me it's a masterpiece.

My review is for the original version of Helene. "Before reformulation top notes were neroli, ylang-ylang, cardamom and cinnamon; middle notes are jasmine, african orange flower, tonka bean and rose; base notes are musk, iris, sandalwood, benzoin and heliotrope." (From Fragrantica) Helene is my very first foray into the Rance 1795 brand. It won't be the last. Helene is a slightly sweet, perfectly spiced, floral sandalwood fragrance. Mellyhelly's review (the first one of this fragrance) is really spot on to me, except I would have chosen Helene, rather than Organza ;) Sandalwood, Tonka Bean and Heliotrope make an enchanting triple crown base for Helene. They blend together seamlessly, beautifully. I'm a Cardamom lover, and this note just shines in this scent. The florals are wonderful accents. I love Helene. This is my first full day of wear. I find the sillage to be soft to moderate, the longevity is pretty decent, 4 plus hours. The bottle with its' pretty bow fits my Helene's aura perfectly. I am so very happy to have found her.

Long-lasting (the scent lingers on the skin for at least 12 hours), unique and not commercial or generic. The fragrance develops beautifully on the skin, becoming light and natural after drying down. This is a beautiful and elegant perfume, lively and charming! I LOVE IT!

This is a very soft and elegant floral woody musk. Unfortunately it is not longlasting. On my skin I can smell it for one hour. IMO it's a good office scent. But nevertheless one of my best blind buys.

Classy yet Sexy. If I could choose just one from my collection, THIS is the one.