anise: 2 posts

Elisa’s guide to fragrances with licorice and anise notes.

In my day, bringing black licorice candy to school would win you no friends on the playground. Count me among the nine out of ten kids who found the taste of Good & Plenty absolutely repulsive. We looked at the one boy who wanted all the black jelly beans with horror.

Perhaps, as with coffee and hard liquor, we appreciate these tastes extra much as adults because their appreciation came hard-earned. I still don’t buy and eat black licorice, but I’ve come to enjoy the taste of licorice in other forms – licorice tea, roasted fennel, Italian sausage, and so on. And as it happens, I adore the scent of licorice in perfume.

Continue reading →

Guerlain Après l’Ondée was created by Jacques Guerlain in 1906.  I loved this scent right away for its wonderfully delicate combination of orange blossom and violet, tinged with a spicy anise note.

The first accord is reminiscent of a spring garden after a tempestuous May shower as the damp earth, drenched leaves and flowers begin to warm up under the sun. The aura of this fragrance is effervescent, innocent and joyous. But there is a dark timbre to Après l’Ondée as well. It is similar to the moment after the rain is over; the sun is shining, yet the clouds still cast somber shadows upon the landscape. The heart blossoms with iris and violet, which much to my delight, is a departure from the traditionally sweet candy-like violet notes. The carnation is subdued and merely adds a spicy ornament. The dry down is smooth and tender, with the sugared almond, vanilla and musk lending it an abstract gourmand sensation. Après l’Ondée is a garden in the first flush of bloom, yet to reveal all of its secrets.

Continue reading →