Brin de Reglisse by Jean Claude Ellena for Hermès 2004

G’Day Perfume Posse! Portia from Australian Perfume Junkies and it is super lovely to be here writing about Brin de Reglisse with you today. I hope this post finds you in good spirits, or at least leaves you in better ones. All calm here in Sydney. It’s Autumn but the colours have been really slow to turn this year and I only stopped swimming halfway through April, so that will give you a fair indication of how lovely it’s been. Life feels back to normal after Europe earlier in the year and now we are gearing up to visit Jin (my partner)’s parents inBrin de Reglisse Hermes Korean Men Winter  Jo Yong-Hak Flickr South Korea, we are taking a small crew of our buddies with us and doing a bit of sight seeing including Jeju Island (known as Quelpart to Europeans), Seoul and seeing the family near Busan which holds a lot of Korea’s history. Why am I telling you this? Today’s fragrance reminds me of South Korea in winter……

Photo Stolen Flickr

The photo above is an annual South Korean Army exercise where they go and have a snow bath to toughen them up for winter fighting. It looks terrible and totally fun, don’t you think?

Hermessence Brin de Reglisse for Hermès 2004

by Jean Claude Ellena

Hermessence Brin de Reglisse Hermes FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Hay, licorice, lavender (Orange blossom mentioned elsewhere)

COLD, fresh, bracing. The lavender in Brin de Reglisse is the star player. It smells of all my dreams of going to French Provence, though the hay gives it a dryer and dustier air, like potpourri that has been to gather dust. While being Arctic in nature, the licorice as it blows through manages to sweeten the affair in a bitter/sugared way like a, but in no way similarBrin de Reglisse Lavender_in_Provence WikiMedia to a nearly ripe mandarin where you can taste how sweet it will be but right now your lips pucker so you’ve added some sugar and there is a constant vague dissonance both delicious and awkward. The licorice is yum.

 Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Finding myself inspired to write of Brin de Reglisse was a surprise because though I am in awe of the construction that Jean Claude Ellena has put together, it sheer weightiness that feels light as a feather yet creates an excellent sillage, a freaky, old fashioned, “my clothes have been hanging in lavender bags to keep moths away” vibe sillage that is not something I can imagine myself wearing but yet I find my sample disappearing rapidly because I can’t quite believe that such a scent has been created and is popular. As if to know Brin de Reglisse I have to continually come back and probe its depths, like putting your tongue to a sore tooth repeatedly. No, that was harsh, I make it read like I hate Brin de Reglisse, I don’t. I am entranced by it, beguiled and really enjoy its carousel ride but my Brin de Reglisse Hermes Korean Winter Sapexoxo Flickrquestion is always, Do I want to smell like this? The hay note reminds me of putting fresh straw down in the horses stables that we used to muck out on the weekends after lessons, but still it is lavender, lavender, lavender.

I find Brin de Reglisse goes in circles of ever diminishing strength till there is nothing left but through it all to its 5-6 hour dry down cool, cool lavender is queen.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Perfume Posse
Hermès stores have this exclusively, start saving.
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

Does it sound like you could give it a go? Have you tried Brin de Reglisse? Have you been to Korea in winter?
Portia xx

  • Cybele says:

    To me its one of the most sexy fragrances ever-I like wearing it when going out and actually enjoy reapplying it through the night…great on men and women.

  • Musette says:

    it’s 40F and soaking wet here. That photo gave me the shivers. BdR doesn’t. I think it’s pretty! xoxoxoxoA Safe travels to all you darlings!

  • Jaime says:

    I love lavender and grow big bushes of it just so i can break off bits to rub between my fingers when the fancy strikes and I kept flakes of timothy grass hay in the house for years when i had pet house rabbits! I may have to sniff this one out, altho i worry about the licorice note. Have a great trip! PS — that snow bath reminds me of the polar bear swims that Canadians do on Jan 1st to ring in the new year.

  • Hi Portia!
    I like lavender but always reminds me of clothes hanging in the wardrobe for a long time. I have such a difficulty liking licorice… In small doses, lingering in the background, yes, but then I don’t even like the taste of licorice either…

  • bevfred says:

    I quite love Brin although my skin pulls more licorice than lavander. Perhaps it’s just a happy balance.
    But then, I am a granny!

    • Portia says:

      Wonderful BevFred,
      I love a licorice scent, especially Lolita Lempicka, and BdR is really excellent. I don’t get a super granny vibe here at all. Yes to the clothes in lavender but is that a granny thing? I thought it was an I Want To Keep My Clothes Moth Free thing.
      Portia xxx

  • rosarita says:

    Hi Portia! I love lavender and licorice but it’s hard to imagine them in the same perfume. Enjoy your beautiful weather and upcoming trip trip!

    • Portia says:

      Rosarita,
      What JCE has done here is completely unimaginable for me till it’s on my skin.
      I have been loving our weather and will be off to Korea in a couple of hours. XXX
      Portia

  • jilliecat says:

    Hi, Portia. Haven’t smelt Brin and I don’t think it would quite be my thing as I sometimes find lavender quite difficult (shades of my granny!), although I like Caron’s Pour Homme; I don’t know that licorice would make it any easier for me to wear. But I have to say the mass bath photo made me smile and shiver all at the same time. Enjoy your trip!

    • Portia says:

      They look simultaneously thrilled and tortured don’t they JillieCat. What a wonderful shot, I just had to use it.
      Brin de Reglisse is way too arctic for granny though if you were attuned to it as a scent your grandma loved then maybe it could be reminiscent.
      Portia xx