Lanarchiste by Caron Fragrance Review

Today, as we cast a glance back over our shoulder to the perfumes created at the end of the last century, we can see a curious pattern emerge. The early to mid 90's were dominated by genderless fragrances that were minimal and androgynous in style; and then - just as the millennium clock was due to tick over - we saw a return to complexity and depth much akin to the bold scents we had come to love in the 80's. The threat of the "Millennium bug" had a somewhat doomsday effect, and people were ready to party with wild abandon as the midnight sirens rang. Richard Fraysse's masculine creation for Caron, L'ANARCHISTE (2000) embodied this wild and reckless ideal... packaged in a copper-coloured flacon reminiscent of a whiskey flask or jerrycan, l'Anarchiste became an emblem for subversion and prohibition.

As the name might suggest, l'Anarchiste is a rebellious lone wolf... a scent that is both unique and independent. It comprises a complex assortment of accords which remain constantly transient – no linear trajectory here – l'Anarchiste is a shape-shifter that seems to be constantly evolving... ducking in and out of shadows, stealth style. Top notes of mint and orange blossom belie a rich and elaborate nucleus of vetiver, musk and precious woods... sandalwood, guiacwood, cinnamon bark and cedar. Despite this woody core, at times l'Anarchiste feels chocolatey, at other times, metallic, and other times again, like dry black tea. The sum of these accords makes for a memorable and intriguing composition which is unlike any other masculine scent you might have smelled before.

A true anarchist rebukes conformity... he is self-governed and independent. If you or your man can identify with this, then l'Anarchiste is for you. Possibly the most 'atypical' scent I've ever encountered. Combustable fire in a bottle!