Laetitia Rancé 1795 2008

The Rancé fragrances with female first names often refer to queens and regents from various eras. Whether the Rancé family had Laetitia, the mother of Napoleon Bonaparte, or another lady of noble birth in mind as the namesake, we do not know. The Spanish queen was probably not intended, as the fragrance is too old.

Laetitia is definitely a fragrance for queens. I envision a resin queen on a patchouli throne. The scent is dark, mysterious, and a bit wicked. I love that. Labdanum adds a wonderful hint of grunge. The vanilla is present but very subdued. In the foreground, patchouli and myrrh engage in a sensual dance, fueled by a wonderfully spicy and angular nutmeg. A fantastic combination of notes, so perfectly harmonized that the top, heart, and base notes flow seamlessly into one another. The fragrance remains consistently harmonious and beautiful throughout its entire duration. Nothing scratches or disturbs here, as is often the case with these older compositions, which simply bring a wonderful charm for me.

The lady is not shy. Of course, we are far from beast mode; these old French perfumes were never intended to be that way. But Laetitia does have a bit of spice. Two small sprays already envelop you in a gentle, sensual cloud of scent. Close to the skin, but definitely noticeable. For the wearer and for others.

Naturally, despite the citrus notes in the opening, this is not a summer fragrance, but when I recently received a package from the lovely FrauKirsche with this beautiful scent, I didn’t care that it was summer and we had 28-30 degrees. I absolutely had to wear Laetitia, who incidentally has also enchanted my partner.

Whether I am myself sassy and sensual enough for this resin queen, I still need to find out. She has piqued my interest, this regent with a hint of grunge. She smells to me like the big, much more mature sister of the vanilla and floral Miranda by Fragonard. And Macadam by Il Profumo, also a fragrance focused on resins and patchouli, but with more vanilla and flowers, could be Laetitia's cousin.

Rancé is simply a great house. Anyone who loves old-school perfumes should definitely take a sniff here. Wonderful! And: drumroll: not discontinued. A big thank you to FrauKirsche for the testing opportunity.