Un Brin de Réglisse by Hermès: the 7th Hermessence {New Fragrance}

The 7th perfume in the exclusive boutique collection Hermessences by Hermès is a lavender and licorice fragrance called Un Brin de Réglisse (lit. a strand of licorice or fig. a tad of licorice).

It was composed by Hermès in-house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena and is said to be based on an accord combining a dry, re-worked lavender and a dash of licorice........

Hermessence perfumes are produced in relatively small quantities, 50 000 instead of 300 000-400 000 in their luxury lines. Ellena has explained that to him the quality remains the same as for the design lines but that the Hermessences, he considers to be like exercises of style, the writing of a ".....short story around a raw material..." destined to be appreciated by "true connoisseurs",

« Je ne cherche pas à proposer une qualité supérieure, j’estime que Terre d’Hermès mérite une qualité identique à celle des Hermessences. C’est plutôt un exercice de style qui s’adresse à de vrais amateurs. À chaque fois, j’essaie de raconter une histoire courte autour d’une matière que je transforme et d’un voyage. »

A 100 ml flacon retails for 149 Euros and 385 Euros with a leather case. You can also acquire a set of four 15 ml travel flacons for 95 Euros.

(sources: Le Figaro, Madame Figaro, ABC-Luxe, Hermès boutique in Boston; images from Hélène Corbin and Uniprix)