The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Caprice Reglisse arrived in 2007 as part of Les Caprices de Lolita, a collection created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Lolita Lempicka's first fragrance. Annick Ménardo, who also composed the house's debut scent, gave this limited release a sharply reduced palette: licorice and patchouli. The licorice was already a signature ingredient in Lolita Lempicka's first fragrance, where it brought dark sweetness to anise, violet, and vanilla. Here, that thread is pulled free and paired with patchouli's dense earth. The name, Caprice Reglisse, gives the idea away. Réglisse is French for licorice, and the fragrance turns that familiar candy note into something darker, woodier, and more mysterious.
The pairing is unusual because both notes can feel decisive. Licorice brings sweetness with an almost mineral, anisated edge, while patchouli can turn heavy, earthy, or smoky. Together, they pull in opposite directions without losing cohesion. The composition also reflects the house's history of placing licorice at the center of its signature gourmand language, but Caprice Reglisse pares that language back. Less dessert, more atmosphere. The result feels intimate and deliberate, a celebration scent built around contrast rather than abundance.
The evolution
The opening is a clean hit of licorice, bright and sweet with a cool, anise-like snap. It feels almost effervescent at first, though quickly shadowed by patchouli's dense earth. As the scent settles, the candy-like quality gives way to something darker and more tactile: sweet roots, dry wood, and a faint resinous warmth. Patchouli becomes the material that outlives the brighter opening, leaving a close, earthy trail rather than a sparkling finish. The contrast is the surprise here, because a licorice-led scent can stay playful on one side while the drydown turns brooding and intimate. On skin, expect a moderate 4-6 hour arc, with the final woody patchouli staying near the wearer and carrying a faint sweetness into the next day.
Cultural impact
Caprice Reglisse belongs to the house's celebration of its first fragrance and reflects Lolita Lempicka's signature move: placing a familiar gourmand note inside a more literary, slightly provocative frame. Its licorice-and-patchouli pairing gives that tradition a darker register, suited to wearers drawn to Lolita Lempicka's knowing edge rather than simple sweetness. Because it was released as a limited 2007 anniversary edition, it also carries the appeal of an early chapter in the house's fragrance history.
The House
Lolita LempickaLolita Lempicka is a French fashion house that expanded into perfumery in 1997, founded by designer Josiane Maryse Pividal in Paris. The brand is named after Vladimir Nabokov's novel and Polish Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka, reflecting a romantic and literary sensibility that permeates both its fashion and fragrance collections. The house gained international recognition through its signature apple-shaped perfume bottle, introduced with the debut fragrance Lolita Lempicka. Known for whimsical, fairy-tale inspired aesthetics, the brand creates fragrances with a distinctive gourmand character, particularly anchored by notes of anise, licorice, and vanilla. The label has collaborated with multiple notable perfumers including Annick Menardo, Francis Kurkdjian, and Christine Nagel across its collection of over seventy perfumes.
The Creator
Annick MénardoDark, smoky, and beautifully resolved. Menardo has built her reputation on bold contrasts: leather against sweetness, wood against air, shadow against light.
