Affinessence — Rose-Reglisse
Essence
Rose-Reglisse is Affinessence’s 2024 rose-and-licorice EDP by Nathalie Lorson. It turns a bright Rose de Grasse toward a darker anisic, slightly funky direction, presenting the result as a largely linear unisex heart-note perfume.
Scent Profile
Star anise gives the first impression a sharp, nearly medicinal edge. On skin, that edge softens into a rounder accord where a juicy rose meets dark licorice. The contrast is the fragrance’s central idea: a cold, bright floral rose against a shadowy anisic sweetness. Violet smooths the transition and lychee adds freshness without necessarily reading as a distinct fruit. Magnolia perfumes the trail. The gourmand base warms the composition, but it is also where taste divides: some find an elegant mysterious sweetness, while others experience something much sweeter and more dessert-like. The effect stays relatively stable rather than developing through a dramatic top-to-base arc.
Performance
Weak longevity is the most consistent caveat. Multiple wearers find the perfume becomes a faint skin scent quickly, with average sillage at best. Reapplication can make it workable as a personal perfume, but its short persistence is hard to ignore at this price level.
Wearing Context
Rose-Reglisse is genuinely unisex in character. The licorice and anise can pull its floral heart toward a more masculine reading, while the juicy rose keeps it from becoming austere. It works best for cool-weather evenings, close personal wear and anyone comfortable with reapplying rather than relying on a long trail.
Comparisons & DNA
Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin is the most useful reference point: both share a dramatic rose mood, though Rose-Reglisse is brighter and more explicitly tied to licorice and anise. It belongs to the larger dark, anisic rose family rather than a fresh petal-rose style. Within Affinessence, it is deliberately lighter than the dense Base Notes Collection. The house’s older base-material perfumes are associated with more tenacity, while Rose-Reglisse makes a heart-note accord its focus and pays for that distinction with less persistence.
Reception
The perfume has a small but polarized following. Its supporters value the punchy juicy rose and mysterious licorice effect; critics find it too sweet, too gourmand or insufficiently focused on rose and anise. The shared complaint is longevity, which makes the price harder to justify even for people who enjoy the scent. Sampling is the sensible approach.
Versions & Reformulation
Rose-Reglisse launched in 2024 as a 50 ml EDP in the Heart Notes Collection, alongside Safran-Neroli. No reformulation is documented.
Acquisition Notes
The 50 ml format is priced at €149, and discovery samples provide a practical way to test it. Because weak persistence is a repeat concern, a small sample is more informative than assuming that its concentration or house style will guarantee long wear.
Notable Facts & Lore
- Rose-Reglisse is one of the first two Heart Notes Collection releases.
- Nathalie Lorson composed it around Rose de Grasse, licorice and star anise.
- The collection uses red packaging and a red cap to signal its heart-note theme.
- The house’s sensory-effect messaging is brand positioning, not settled independent fact.