Rance 1795 - News from the House

by: Sandra Raicevic Petrovic

The French house of Rance 1795 introduced themselves for the first time at art perfume exhibition Pitti Fragranze in Florence. In my interview with them I found out more about news of the house, redesign of packaging and improvement of formulations of four fragrances among the 12 in their Collection Imperiale. The house of Rance 1795 wants to complement the packagings of their collection with new, lovely details. With these improvements Rance collection stands out with its aestetic and artistic value, taking care of the smallest details of their elegant packagings.

Hortense and Heroique are the first two fragrances to feature the new concept of Rance 1795. collection. With reference to the esthetic part, the material is even finer, matte and discretely rough, very elegant. Inside the cardboard box which is lifted up and leaves the flacon on the bottom part like on a pedestal, one can find inscribed verses of poems by French poet Charles Baudelaire. I will try to present you the changes on the outer carton with images of details.

As for improving the formulation, Rance 1795 decides to make four among their fragrances even better and of better quality. These are fragrances of the IMPERIALE collection: Francois Charles, Helene, L'Aigle De La Victoire andTriomphe to which some notes of the composition were changed. Formula improvements made them more voluptuous, more long-lasting and radiant.

New outer carton or the fragrance Helene by Rance 1795

Francois Charles is a fragrance dedicated to men and inspired by the birth of the first and only Napoleon’s son. Improvement of the formula highlighted its fougere character while the elegant packaging is now covered in top quality grey pepper resembling the color of sage and leaves of aromatic herbs. Details in gold color evoke luxury and quality of the edition. 

"Il est des parfums frais comme des chairs d'enfants, Doux comme les hautbois, verts comme les prairies" - Charles Baudelaire

FRANCOIS CHARLES by Rance 1795 bergamot, greapefruit, tangerine, bitter orange, lemon, melon, pineapple, cinnamon, cardamom, annise, pink pepper, ginger lavender, clary sage, orange blossom, jasmine, rose sandalwood, iris, ebony, patchouli, caramel, chocolate, amber, vanilla, musk, cedar, vetiver, labdanum

Helene is a women’s fragrance dedicated to Napoleon’s last mistress and their passionate and pure love. The fragrance is characteristic for its new, sparkling spirit conveyed in fruity zest and exotic floral bouquet. Outer carton of the fragrance bouquet receives a new shade resembling delicate fruit skin and color of peach blossom. The poem hidden inside the box speaks about passionate and endless love, according to the house of Rance, which perfectly depicts the soul of the fragrance.

"Ainsi ton âme qu’incendie l’éclair brûlant des voluptés S’élance vers les vastes cieux enchantés" - Charles Baudelaire

HELENE by Rance 1795 lemon, currant, pear rose, peach blossom, heliotrope, magnolia, jasmine, neroli, pink pepper amber, tonka, musk, patchouli

L'Aigle de la Victoire offers the seductive side of Rance 1795. The fragrance provides an explosive blend based on oud and leather and aims at men. L'Aigle de la Victoire with strong notes of agar wood and leather it becomes bolder. Outer carton is colored in olive green combined with details in gold color.

"Il est de forts parfums pour qui toute matière Est poreuse. On dirait qu’ils pénètrent le verre" - Charles Baudelaire

L'AIGLE DE LA VICTOIRE by Rance 1795 Calabrian bergamot, grapefruit raspberry, birch tree leaves leather, sandalwood, oud, vetiver, patchouli, cedar, vanilla

The fourth fragrance of the collection Rance 1795 with improved formula isTriomphe, providing a dynamic blend of notes. The union of spices and citruses, as well as leather and wood raises adrenaline and celebrates triumph in energizing and dynamic way. Outer carton is in pale beige with golden color details.

"Il est des parfums riches et triomphants, ayant l’expansion des choses infinies" - Charles Baudelaire

TRIOMPHE by Rance 1795 cardamom, bitter orange, green tangerine, bergamot cinnamon, clary sage, taragon vanilla, incense, leather, vetiver, amber, guaiac wood, patchouli, benzoin

Photos from Pitti Fragranze 2015 and perfume and box of Helene by Sandra Raicevic-Petrovic
Official photos of redesigned packaging by Rance 1795

Rancé 1795 Près de Toi and the Reformulation of Powerhouses

by: Miguel Matos

Rancé 1795  is a perfume house that, in my opinion, doesn't get all the attention it deserves. Not only do they have the most wonderful people in their staff (a pleasure to be with them when I go to the perfume expos) but they also have a collection of precious- smelling gems. The brand has something for everyone even though some of the scents I admit to be less than memorable. But here and there they have launched some real masterpieces like Tubéreuse Amour, L'Aigle de la Victoire, Laetitia andPrès de Toi, the subject of this review.

Près de Toi is a fragrance that I discovered last time in Milan's Esxence event. It was launched in 2011 and it's part of the collection Les Etoiles: flacons adorned with crystal flowers that you can detach and wear as jewels. Près de Toi plays on a contemporary woody-oud-floral-chypre scheme. It is a fragrance that, despite its easy and sensual character, asks for some attention in order to be fully understood. It always plays the double personality between the overtly commercial floral-patchouli-vanilla and the greatness of natural raw materials with a very intelligent use of oud. Now, the oud in Près de Toi is not used for the sake of pleasing the Arabian crowd. Oud is actually the note that transforms this rather common composition into something with a twist. So, sweet florals and patchouli + high quality ingredients + that touch of oud = the formula for this elegant scent.

The affirmation of an oriental theme comes into life in Près de Toi in a very subtle and delicate way. This balance is done by the dosage of fresh notes like orange blossom, bergamot and tangerine which makes a contrast with the sweet base of patchouli, vanilla, tolu and the zing of a pinch of oud. You can smell all the composition at once, with the florals intertwined, jasmine and rose being the protagonists of the heart with the added touch of magnolia. The effect is not challenging or very original, but it smells very rich, while being very polite and managing to introduce a sexy and indulging quality.

This perfume may seem to fade quickly or it may appear to be too shy, but the fact is that I get a lot of compliments everytime I wear it, so it must be working its magic in a subliminal fashion. In fact, one day I was at the art library researching an article and when I got home I had an email from the lady working at the desk asking what was the fragrance I was wearing. It's a very easy scent to enjoy if you like the florientals. It could be very feminine but then again there is that oud element that makes it a bit rough and also suitable for men. You can't smell the oud but you know it is there working its magic with the creamy sweetness of tolu balsam. Sweet, enveloping, decadent, even mouthwatering but deep and lingering. I really love Prés de Toi.

Now, I would like to add some news regarding two other fragrances that I wrote about previousluy: L'Aigle de La Victoire and Tubéreuse Amour. While talking to the kind and warm Manuela, from the Rancé staff at Esxence, she told me that the brand had decided to reformulate them. Apparently they were too edgy for the Rancé clientele. Yes, they were powerhouses, pretty much like scent bombs. L'Aigle de La Victoire in a very animalic, beastly and intense masculinity. Tubéreuse Amour in a sweet and camphored tuberose amped up to an almost impossible intensity, capable to please the lovers of all things extreme. Oh well, it seems that they both lost their edge. One for better, the other for worse.

L'Aigle de La Victoire I agree it was a bit too hard. Even I myself, a lover of dense clouds of perfume, can't seem to find good occasions to wear it. But when I do, I do it with great pleasure. Well, that was before. The version you can find now in the shops is different. Even though the bottle and the box is the same, the juice got diluted. You can see a change in the color of the liquid, but it is virtually impossible to know if you got an old or new formula. The result of this changing if not very different, but it turned the perfume into an easier thing to wear. A bit less personality, maybe, but a better balance. There is a greater freshness in the top notes and a cooler, more elegant vibe to it. What was before an over the top beast got tamer. All the ingredients are there, but it seems less concentrated and more approachable. And that's not bad, really.

Regarding Tubéreuse Amour, all I have to say is that it is now a regular tuberose. A good one, but the originality is gone. While L'Aigle de La Victoire came from the wilderness to civilization, Tubéreuse Amour just went to sleep. Not very interesting anymore, I have to say.

Another great fragrance I was introduced to recently was Laetitia, of which I shall tell you more in a future review.

Rue Rance Eau Impire Rance 1795

Rue Rance Eau Impire é um perfume que remete ao antigo, ao clássico e principalmente ao maduro . É como as antigas águas de colonia usadas nas barbearias. A abertura tem um balsâmico potente do gálbano e nós-moscada. Existe um toque enólico que se acalma quando notas de chá e bergamota se juntam a uma boa quantidade de Sândalo. Nesse ponto a fragrância começa a tornar-se agradável, fica floral e levemente adocicado com um toque semelhante a rosas frescas (gerânio) e um abaunilhado seco da magnólia. A fragrância é linear evolui do ambarado fresco para o floral abaunilhado especiado com um leve toque de lírio, que se apresenta quase nas últimas notas, e remetem a um homem rico de banho tomado. Tem todo um mistério   e elegância, bem ao estilo Rance

A fragrância é encontrada em sites no Brasil por preço médio de R$ 300,00

a perfumista é Jeanne Sandra Rance