Liis Bo Review (Jérôme Epinette) 2021+ Hidden Bohemia Draw

November 2, 2021November 2, 2021

Liis Bo, Studied and Rosestruck photo by Indigo Perfumery©

Liis…ethereal like a second skin ~ Alissa Sullivan and Leslie Hendin

Marin County natives Alissa Sullivan and Leslie Hendin, the founders/creative directors of California-based LIIS (the name Liis is an amalgam of Alissa and Leslie), share a vision: a desire to exemplify the beauty of minimalism manifested as fragrances which are a delight to wear. To this end, they have employed the talents of well-known Robertet perfumer Jérôme Epinette, the nose of choice behind many Atelier Cologne, Byredo, Commodity, Dolce & Gabbana, Ellis Brooklyn, Floral Street, Jovoy, Nest and Vilhelm Parfumerie releases (among others). One fragrance in particular called out to me –LIIS Bo, a very naturalistic woody tobacco eau de parfum which feels perfect for autumn and the encroaching cooler months.

Alissa Sullivan and Leslie Hendin, Liis founders/ creators via Indigo Perfumery

Both Ms. Sullivan and Ms. Hendin were fortunate to grow up in northern California not far from Point Reyes National Seashore, the only federally protected seashore on the West Coast. Marin County has long been a haven for artists of all sorts since the early 1920s (musicians, painters, authors, actors et al), but this national preserve is also an extraordinary blend of craggy marine coastline, magnificent forests populated with cypress and redwoods, and fertile grasslands teeming with an abundance of wildlife. It’s easy to understand why the creative community once stealthily removed signage in order to protect their privacy and discourage outsiders: their hidden Bohemia.

Marin County via istock

Bo alludes to a Bohemian atmosphere with its calming chalorous tones of variegated gold, ochre and russet. The ocean is indeed part of coastal Marin County, but it is not that which we smell: conifer-redolent wooded environs reach out to us with beckoning fingers, wreathed in tendrils of spiced smoke. Too gentle to suggest a campfire, the delicacy of fine incense burns in a corner of the cottage set on the forest’s edge. It’s lemony, peppery and luminous (elemi), balsamic with a trace of bitter almond. Cedar logs in the fireplace release a warmth reinforced by guaiac wood for added smolder; redwood pine needles impart an elusive dry, lightly spiced aroma. Wistful puffs of tobacco suggest a thoughtful pipe smoked in contemplation, tenderly vanillic and more sylvan than sweet. Here we find that precious corner where retreat from crowds and everyday din is a boon; it sets the stage for burgeoning creativity in natural surroundings far from prying eyes.

Liis West Marin, July 2021 via Facebook

Liis Bo is undemandingly beguiling; it doesn’t make you jump through hoops, challenge your nose, or attempt to impress you – because it doesn’t have to. That’s the point, in fact. In its own quiet way, Bo travels with you like a forest within which reveals itself upon the flesh, murmuring dulcetly to anyone who is willing to listen.

Notes: elemi, tobacco leaves, redwood pine needles, incense, white cedarwood, guaiac wood, vanilla beans

Sample kindly provided by Ann Bouterse of Indigo Perfumery – many thanks! My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

Thanks to Ann Bouterse of Indigo Perfumery, we are offering a 50 ml bottle of LiiS Bo for one registered CaFleureBon reader in the USA (if you are not sure if you are registered click here.). You must register or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please tell us what appealed to you about Ida’s review. Draw closes 11/5/2021

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