UNIKA
2 – Vanille Reglisse
2021
PERFUMER
Veronique Stambouli
tangerine
bergamot
candied fruits
licorice
saffron
Patchouli
benzoin
leather
vanilla
‘This is a fragrance with character! This creation is inspired by a culinary discovery: a skillfully dosed licorice crème brûlée. The vanilla absolute spreads gourmet sensations infused with nature through its oak bark and hay facets. Cleverly paired with saffron, which brings its leathery side, it allows the licorice to weave its way through the scents. From benzoin balm to patchouli, the olfactory and gourmand swirl of this warm and sensual fragrance will enchant many with its captivating character.’ – Unika Parfums
This is a very interesting take on the concept. I”d seen the Unika collection online before trying them and to be 100% frank, the concept, names and main notes seemed rather generic. But upon smelling them, it’s clear that these are refined and mature takes on their respective DNA’s and it was one of the more interesting brands that I discovered at Paris Perfume Week. The brand kindly gave me their discovery set, including the upcoming 6 – Santal Tabac and I’ll probably end up reviewing all or most of them if they continue to prove their quality.
This one barely registers as a vanilla straight away, but a semi-sweet vanilla reveals itself throughout. It’s not your average full-blown, super sweet gourmand. What stands out in the opening hour to me clearly is licorice. Slightly candied, sweet, but clear liquorice, with that anise-mint like edge to it. Evolving into more of a sweet resinous core.
Myrrh isn’t one of the notes for this fragrance, but that was I reminded of quite a bit, as I often make that connection between myrrh and licorice in fragrances. The type of gourmand-ish myrrh from Tom Ford Myrrhe Mystere or Le Labo Myrrh 55. 2 – Vanille Reglisse is more vanillic than the Tom Ford, and has a candied fruit accord that cuts through the vanillic resinous nature, but it’s not as bright as the Le Labo.
As mentioned, a mature take on the DNA and smelling more like licorice, both the black candy and the glycyrrhiza glabra branches for a good chunk of the wear. Spicy in a way, but not in texture, as everything is very resinous and oily. Vanilla highlights it all, but it’s a subtle blanket covering a much more interesting array of scents than in your average vanilla-focused fragrance. Not my favorite vanilla in the world, with that heavy licorice emphasis at first, but definitely an interesting one and I enjoy the way this one wears on skin, especially in the drydown.