Description
Created in 2004 by Jean-Claude Ellena, Hermessence is a collection of unique
fragrances conceived as olfactory poems using perfuming’s most exclusive
elements. As sober and intense as Japanese haiku, they reinvent a nature that is
as precious as it is unusual, as if rendered by the inspired writing of a composer
in search of the new.
Enriched each time the perfumer discovers a new country, a language,
a culture or simply extraordinary new ingredients, as of today the line
consists of eight fragrances, exclusively available in Hermès stores.
Brin de Réglisse: a quintessential blend of exquisite lavender wrapped in
liquorice, the mischievous reconstruction of an olfactory symbol of the South
of France reinvented by the gourmet touch of a ribbon of liquorice. “Dressed
in mat black, an magnified lavender, memory and landscape…” Hermessence Brin de Reglisse was launched in 2007.
steanypenue – :
Great choice for insomnia soothing.
Very mild herbal cloud sit close to the skin. Also very well blended. The only down side is its longevity.
zxc71 – :
They say this scent captures the south of France in a bottle. lavender, hay, and Licorice. A sweet, soft spicy, herbal, floral. Very aromatic to my nose. Very fresh. On me the licorice is prominent. The lavender is very beautiful and authentic. Enjoyable fragrance to say the least. However, the sillage and longevity lack… could be better.
dddfffd – :
Hay, hay and more hay on first spray, then dries down to a faint whiff of lavender a few minutes later on my dry skin. It’s been about 10 minutes and I can barely smell it. I was hoping for noticeable licorice and lavender and only a little hay, but it smells mostly like a hayfield.
Shuman959 – :
Lavender and licorice, a sexy sleepy caramelised morning cologne. Dig into your neck later in the day for a clever dried apricot accord. Bravo.
KurtKentin – :
A really dry scent ,floral with the lavender but dry herb aroma ,the liquorice makes it woody and pungent ,lingers for ages with a smooth base -a bitter take on the woody side of the fragrance instead of it being a sweet candied liquorice
dimon7an7 – :
Would work really well as soap and as a candle. Seems like something that can only be worn with a robe. I find it to be therapeutic and reminiscent of a spa. Good stuff, but definitely lacking versatility. To me, this is a more edible and understandable take on Serge Lutens Gris Clair. Neither are versatile, but the Hermes smells less chlorinated than Gris Clair and is less rebellious
Ставр – :
A burst of fresh lavender, neither too cologne-y nor too sharp, blends seamlessly into the scent of black licorice. Exactly like black licorice. I love scents with black licorice or anise, so I really love it. The licorice has a salted aspect like salmiak candy. The drydown incorporates coumarin, which ties the slight gourmand of the licorice to the herbal lavender. A very unique cologne. I love it. It’s just so heart breakingly fleeting.
(And to the reviewers wondering who would want to smell like black jelly beans – ME 🙂 )
karloserik – :
A lovely blend of anise and lavender, very fresh and extremely delicate. I enjoy it in hot weather.
More of an ephemeral splash cologne than anything – blink, and you’ll miss it.
bekoma – :
Brin de Reglisse is such a calming scent. Beautiful, and never too much. It’s very much my favourite of the Hermesscence range, followed closely by Paprika Brasil.
Paprika Brasil is a soft spicy number something found in a city restaurant, but Brin is… well, it’s an intimate morning on a cool farm. I don’t detect coffee beans, but working in a cafe must make me anosmic to it outside of the cafe (I’m beginning to hate it). It contains soft, soft lavender and a strong hay accord. The licorice comes through in such a lovely fashion. This reminds me of a very soft, not so spicey Eau Noire. Don’t shoot me… I adore both.
The Hermes range has been anything but hit and miss for me, consistently getting to me and striking my heart and making me feel great. The Hermessence range is a natural set of scents, ranging from the city to the seaside to the country on a farm with horses and leather. The main lines contain some very special ideas, but the Hermes dna is consistent with them all. Hermes is a very special house and Jean Claude Elena is… so helpful and his ideas are inspiring.
Unlowlbyboatt – :
There is a short window during the year when Brin de Réglisse calls me. It’s during those dog days of Summer around harvest, an innocent child’s playtime. Hiding away laying on a bale of hay dried from the blistering sun, dusty from the ground and infused from inside with gentle flower petals and the scent of wooden twigs. The mouth cheekily full of sweet and chewy aniseed and liquorice bonbons straight from the paper bag. Forbidden delights and moments all to myself cause Mother to anxiously look out from the balcony waiting for my anticipated return for family lunch. The warm breeze carries sweet herbal flavours across from the nearby lavender fields, which melt with the liquorice to form a fine layer of slightly salted caramel on the outside, delicately burnt and bursting with rich aroma. As I close my eyes, for that short moment, the world seems a homely place, even many years later.
AciDfish – :
One of the best scents ever (!) made.
The simplicity of it, the transparency, the absolutely beguiling combination of lavender and licorice, combining salty, sweet and herbal notes, in perfect, perfect harmony. It’s a true work of art. Even the fact that it is a fleeting fragrance, to me, adds to its appeal.
I would wear this every day, if only I could afford a bottle ;-(
msv7708 – :
Aaaaaah, man, this stuff is fantastic! What a perfect mix of herbal and soft. The notes are so perfectly balanced, and what freakin’ genius to pair such simple ingredients for such an amazing, minimalist fragrance. This is exactly what I was looking for when I originally began looking for a licorice scent. It’s so natural smelling!
Now…the idea of paying $225 for a TOILETTE blows my mind. It makes me think of that Macklemore thriftshop song where he talks about getting “swindled and pimped.” I’d easily pay a hundred for a full size of this eau de toilette, and *maybe* the two-hundred for a parfume of this. But what the fuck? Why is it THAT expensive?
sergey87 – :
I get a blast of licorice upon the opening of Hermès Brin de Réglisse, with the lavender soon joining in and forming an alluring and harmonious duo : the licorice is dark and sugary, yet it’s somehow lightened and elevated by the aromatic, herbal characteristics of lavender, as if the black root shimmers under the Provençal sun; the lavender is stripped off its dirty and rough edge, yet the woody, bittersweet nuance of licorice brings in another dimension and prevents it from being ‘disinfectant’ clean.
However, the intensity and the sillage of the fragrance drop rather abruptly after about 40 minutes, even though it’s already relatively soft to begin with. It then becomes a sheer veil of salty caramel with woody undertone. This salty-sweet interplay actually makes a very sensual skin scent, if only I don’t have to press my nose so hard to my arm to smell it.
The silage is very soft especially after about 1 hour, and the longevity is around 4 hours, which is rather poor as most fragrances last reasonably long on my skin. I usually prefer lavender paired with gourmand elements, Brin de Réglisse is thus right up my alley. Moreover, its pairing with the woody, relatively dry licorice also makes it different from a few creamy gourmand lavender that I tried before. The translucent interpretation of the usually heavy licorice also makes it very wearable while still being an unusual combo. I think it definitely worths a try, but I’d strongly suggest testing before buying as the performance is rather weak, especially for the comparatively high price.
Tolick67 – :
nice fresh and dry , it is very minimal like most hermessence fragrances .
adri – :
Just when you think you dont like an Ellena perfume a month later you find yourself wearing it every day.
zik_79 – :
I love this. This might seem strange for some as the other reviews note as this is different from many other perfumes, but this is lovely and very wearable for me. It smells very soft and warm and I love wearing this when I don’t want to smell like I’m wearing a perfume.
hoyy – :
Brin De Reglisse is probably the most blatant example of why I consider several *Hermessences* to be frustrating experiences. The composition is centered around a great bone accord made out of lavender and licorice. The synergy between the two gives birth to something extremely novel, refreshing and modern. On one side the aromatic and sharp-ish qualities of lavender. On the other the dark, bittersweet facets of licorice. Simple, yes, but absolutely perfect. It masterfully avoids the heaviness often associated with licorice fragrances (see Eau Noir), it’s never too sweet, never too sharp (see Lolita Lempicka), anything but functional but, in the end, really too thin.
I’m not obsessed with longevity and I obviously wasn’t expecting Hermessence to deliver in sillage but on skin this disappears after a couple of hours leaving the wearer with an incredible sense of frustration (unless you literally stick your nose to your wrist). It basically performs like the weakest Eau De Cologne and it should be re-applied constantly just to achieve an almost ghost-like presence. At these prices, this is honestly too much.
Pity because I really love the main accord but beside that, Brin De Reglisse feels more like an expensive joke.
Rating: 7.5/10 (for the composition)
3/10 (for the performance)
XXXlenax – :
Love this. Deeply aromatic and very calming to the senses. More warm liquorice than lavender yet still, a bit of lavender purity peeks through. Reminds me of root beer and soft fluffy marshmallows. Comforting & a great scent for nighttime or for bed.
serega-boroda – :
Brin de Réglisse opens up with a wonderfully authentic dry, rich burst of Lavender in the opening, full of unmistakable quality… followed by a juicy liquorice note. Very well made.
This fragrance is Jean-Claude Ellena’s take on Lavender, and for this he chose Liquorice – another note which has some olfactive similarities to the herb (he also managed a similar choice of combination with Vétiver Tonka). It’s dry, almost caramel like quality pairs with the deep lavender to give a very rich, authentic feel… like standing in a lavender field in summer eating liquorice. The hay is also a wonderful choice here, which really evokes the natural and dry, herbal feel of this fragrance.
I also suspect there may be other notes at play here such as immortelle, with a dry, burnt-sugar and herbal feel, or maybe a hint of vanilla and orange blossom. Either way, Brin de Réglisse has one of the best lavender and liquorice notes in any perfume I’ve tried. It’s transparent, as is Ellena’s style. But, much like Vétiver Tonka, although I do like the combination… there are better interpretations of lavender and liquorice in other perfumes out there. Dior’s Eau Noire comes to mind, which smells much more authentic than this (it’s also a lavender liquorice combo). Overall I do really like this one, I just wished it gave me a little more.
Firemanandruxa123 – :
On my nose, the wonderful bombastic blast of sweet enigmatic liquorice is made docile with the herbaceous fleeting note of lavender with an underlying green note of hay.
Conceived in 2007 by Jean-Clause Ellena for the Hermessence line by Hermès, Brin De Réglisse is described as: “A fragrance that blows cool and warm, dry and sweet. A landscape in Provence, dry earth, fragrant purple fields, the wind of the mistral… draped in a luxurious coat of mouthwatering licorice. The fragrance opens with the pure light of stylized lavender only to move into the velvety black of licorice.”
The ‘provence’ that is France for Ellena is translated into an entirely different entity on my own terms. The scent of lavender and licorice evokes memories of tea and scones with licorice root tea and scones generously smothered in lavender scented chantilly cream. Whilst Ellena’s conception of this was to gauge the South-Eastern aspects of France, I get my own memory-evoking, or ‘memory-reminding’ scent of complacent periods of my life.
-And that’s what I find to be most important; Something as a true testament to the Hermessence line and Jean-Claude Ellena’s ability to fabricate something that I adore not just as a product, but as an art form.
The composition overall is linear. It boasts the crisp, gourmand scent of upfront anise, which is almost minty and menthol-like in quality in the sense that it cuts through the receptors unapologetically… but I’m okay with that.
The lavender quality acts as the softener in the composition, which doesn’t necessarily dampen the anise/licorice quality, but adds that mysterious perplexing quality of many fragrances that requires even more stern sniffing and professional patience.
The final note I detect, hay, is more imaginary than real. What I mean is, it’s not that I can’t smell it, but it’s more of a colloquial term used to describe the green note from the fragrance. It’s a bit like how the stem of a flower is usually more bitter than the actual petals, it’s as if Ellena utilized 2 parts lavender bud and 1 part lavender stem; in turn this delivers a mildly rough quality that works wonderfully with the potent liquorice.
Furthermore, the green, ‘cut grass’, hay quality has this warming affect, that is concurrently kind of roasted and a tad toasted by the sun (which happens to be Cis-3-Hexenal & 1-Hexanol that is attributed to the intense grassy note). In turn, it gives the fragrance a ‘dirty’ character; but an Ellena kinda dirty…think Terre d’Hermès; that draws out the molasses character of licorice and syrups.
Ellena’s fragrances, whilst story tellers, are novellas, not novels. A message is still received but in a shorter, sweeter amount of time. This is the case for Brin De Réglisse. The EdT carries the cost of an EdP, but philosophically makes sense, seeing how Ellena is the master of understatement and a particularly close sillage.
My new signature, 5/5.
Xeroxobenm – :
The opening was a surprise, and a pleasant one.
I expected a blast of liquorice. But no, it’s really subtle and soft. Liquorice, ‘anise’, lavender, and what is described as ‘hay’. It is a lovely and just subtly sweet accord.
Unfortunately, it only lasted on my skin about 2-3 hours and sat fairly close, but it was really nice
It’s unisex and maybe someone with different skin chemistry will get better longevity
khd825InsuffBooni – :
Being not a fan of licorice, this fragrance was already doomed as far as my olfactory tastes go. There is however, a beautiful composition here which is daring and unique in every way. The inspiration for the scent as described by Hermes is a fragrant field of Provençal lavender, and in the opening there is a very heavy herbal lavender tone. This lavender is more camphorous and less floral in its rendering. It mixes quite well with the sharp and “biting” scent of licorice wood. Initially I feared a pungent or synthetic licorice odor, like that of commercially fabricated candies. Instead what one finds is a less “chemical” and more organic/earthy licorice. A dash of hay gives a slight dampness and animalic quality to the scent, which aides to soften the pointy licorice note (pure genius on behalf of Ellena for its inclusion). Like an unbridled black steed grazing a bucolic countryside, dotted with blooming lavender. (96)
KoSToLoM72 – :
Usually, i like weird and this is definitely a weird one. I’m gonna try to describe this in two words: Beautiful Hay. That’s all i can add in terms of smell. Brin de Reglisse is more like a smell and not like a fragrance. I can’t figure out if i like this or not. On second thought: It really doesn’t matter if i like it or not because the longevity sucks.
Foomealek – :
I won’t comment on the BDR’s scent because the reviews written so far are accurate in terms describing scent and composition. I’ll just say that I like, but don’t love, the smell of it. 7/10
On the points of longetivity, projection and silage, BDR is a poor performer on me. It simply does not last long, about 1 hour on me. It has a low projection as it goes skin-level within 30 minutes. Last, it has little silage. 3/10
If you like this lavander and licorice note I would highly recommend trying Dior’s Eau Noir before buying BDR. Dior’s EN is more elegant and sophisticated. It is an EDP (I believer BDR is an EDT), so the smell of the notes and the performance are much better. You get more for the money (BDR is priced at $240 for 3.3 oz and EN is priced $155 for 4.25 oz). Both have the licorice/lavender smell (they are both very similar in that regard), but you will just get much more w/ Dior’s EN.
TrisTan – :
One of the few Ellena’s that I’ve liked. The only other one was Terre d’Hermes parfum.
Hxyasyys – :
Nice but very weak scent.
shaperuga – :
A very linear, underwhelming composition; a clear, bitter-sweet black licorice opening, crisp and wonderful….and that is it. The other notes do not come to the fore, there is no juxtaposition of elements, there is no revelation in the mid or dry-down stages, just a very nice licorice note that fades rather quickly.
Undegebeecino – :
To me it starts off with a curry aroma…that’s where i stop..i love curried everything when it’s on a plate but not for the first 45 minutes on me!It does turn into a nice aroma but i gag from the start.
monkay – :
Brin de Réglisse is a straightforward, linear accord of aniseed and lavender. On skin, there is also a note of lightly roasted coffee, as other reviewers have noted, which tries but doesn’t manage to impart much depth or complexity. There is also not much in the way of sillage, so you wear this for yourself.
In this way Brin is almost antagonistic to the idea of a perfume, which might appeal to some, but being such a simple, overly gourmand fragrance, it fails completely to blend, to become part of the wearer. Throughout its short, linear life, I feel as if I am walking around with a sachet of lavender and aniseed in my jacket pocket. Sounds not bad until you recall the 170 dollars you paid for the privilege.
Hérmès and J C Ellena call the Hermessence line olfactory haikus, but they are merely sketches, no flesh, no life. The upside of which is that great results can be had by layering if you have the inclination and the cash.
I tested Brin de Réglisse with Poivre Samarcande, a black pepper and wood scent that works wonderfully on its own, and the result was much more powerful than either achieves alone. In fact, the pair smells so wonderful together, like smokey, spicey licorice tea with an undercurrent of salty skin, I’d wear it regularly if not for the 300 bucks it would cost me for a bottle of each.
trinit34 – :
Beautiful natural lavender. I’ve been searching for something true to the lavender bush that graces my garden, and so far this has been the best. Within the first 1/2 hour the licorice starts to grow in this and mixes flawlessly. Gorgeous, dirty lavender with a licorice twist.
Lasts a few hours and stays close to the skin.
DonaMovecoM – :
Brin de Reglisse is all about dry lavender while I don’t see lavender listed here. It’s the main ingredient of Brin de Reglisse. I smell lavender and dark coffee! Dry,bitter lavender and coffee!I really appreciate a nice lavender perfume but I appreciate longevity too..Brin de Reglisse does not last!! I get the impression of lavender for 10 minutes and then it’s…gone!I smell nothing!I suppose that for this price level I had to smell at least something!!!Anyway..overall it’s a well constructed perfume,all I am askiing for is a better lasting power..
fortemorte – :
The Finnish firm Panda produces some of the best black licorice around: all natural and rich in molasses. Among my favorite products from their line are the herbal black nibs, which, according to the ingredients listed on the box, add to their already superlative recipe the following herbs:
Peppermint leaves, Shop vervain wort, Orange leaves, Marsh Mallow root, Glycyrrhiza glabra [which I believe is just licorice?], Blackberry leaves, Plantain herb, Thyme leaves, Torch weed flowers, Lungworth leaves, Elder flowers, Milfoil flowers, Iceland moss, Sage leaves, Star anise, Mallo flowers, Primrose flowers, Red poppy flowers.
I think that this entry in the Hermes Hermessence series, BRIN DE REGLISSE, is quite similar to the concept behind Panda Licorice flavored with herbs. The difference being that BRIN DE REGLISSE throws in a touch of lavender and omits the herbs included in the Panda confection. When all is said and sniffed and chewed, I think that Panda has produced a better herbal-black licorice perfume. I like BRIN DE REGLISSE, but I love Panda, and I’d rather eat their nibs than smell like them.
T.I. – :
Hmmm.. both underwhelmed and a bit impressed if that’s possible?
I finally plucked up courage to enter the intimidating Hermes shop today for a long awaited test. As a huge fan of Caron’s Eau de Reglisse I wanted a comparison.
Brin de Reglisse is certainly LOVELY, soft, warm, comforting, gentle.. but, it seems to have no sillage whatsoever. You would have to spray this really generously to smell it on yourself and possibly spray it continuously for somebody else to get a whaft as you pass. It’s gone in an hour. At £150 a bottle that is not good.
The only capacity in which I see this this working is to save it for when you are going to get close up to someone. It’s scent is very much like a soft natural body smell and in that way it’s very sexy. But really, is there anypoint in getting this little fragrance for £150? Sadly, I think not. Though if I ever win the lottery I will consider an hourly dose..
ps. I’ve just read some of the other review on here and I absolutely agree that it had a pleasantly ‘salty’ element. I wonder if that’s why it is reminiscent of the human body/skin smell?
Nepolbi – :
WOOOOOOAAAAAAAH! LICORICE EXPLOSION! Brin de Reglisse is all about licorice, so if you like licorice, here’s your true calling. Personally, I don’t like it.
bonanza123456789 – :
Smells like Dritte Salze licorice coins, which I love. There’s a brief herbal note like the herbs/mint in SenSen breath candy, but mostly it’s a smooth, faint herbal salty licorice. It’s VERY faint, though, very skin-close and doesn’t last very long. Plus my husband hates black licorice, so I won’t be buying this. Otherwise, a must try for licorice fans.
AdandabeSkent – :
The wind of the mistral caressing a sprig of lavender ,a coat of liquorice,a breeze of hay and a soft sigh of orange blossom.
carlson96 – :
This is the first fragrance by Hermes that actually works on me..and I adore it.
I am a huge liquorice fan anyway but the mixture with lavender makes Brin de Reglisse extraordinary and special.
The lavender comes first an adds a comfortably touch to the whole composition, then liquorice appears like a strangely beautiful black butterfly.
It is not the typical sweet candy liquorice odour but rather edgy, salty-bitter and nonchalant.
There is no dramatic sillage and unfotunately no extraordinary longlivetiy, rather subtle.
Might not be everybodys cup of tea but if BdR is your type, it could grow to be an addiction.;)
A quite unusual and enchanting perfum.
Vertinskaya – :
After falling in love in Ambre Narguile I had some hopes on this one to.
And the opening is so lovely that I almost starts jumpin up and down, like an inside of my head explosion of the most powerful and yet pleasant lavendel and licorice cloud. So absolutly stunning! But then my skins ability to suck up everything with licorice in starts to work, and after only a coupple of minutes the licorice is gone and unfortunatly it takes the most of the fragrance with it! Sniffing my wrist and wanting the magic back so bad, but no… after about an hour I can`t almost not smell it anymore, just the lightest remainings of lavendel, and offcourse no coffee on my skin…
But the opening makes it worth to have tried it anyway. The opening is… well, I want it back over and over again, like a labrat pushing the button for… guess it must have been Brin de Reglisse, right? 😉
awa29 – :
I recived a long desired sample from fraganticamember, F_A. Thank you so much! Very honest and natural fragrance. Simple ,unusual combination of realistic licorice and lavender. This is a very different perfume. Love it!!
MakS_88 – :
Very beautiful notes of lavender and licorice, soft and warm coffee base. Worth trying!