Anaïs Anaïs

"Anais Anais" in its latest edition of L'Original surprised me with a very soapy start, chemical and aggressive. I was honestly taken aback as I did not remember the scent to be like this (my mother used to have it in the 90s and I remember it being one of my favourite of hers). So, I made at least 10 sprays into the window and let the bottle sit on my table for a few days. Then, I gave it another try. Soapiness is still there, but now with the green and raspy notes, like freshly cut stems. There is a shadow of hyacinth lingering behind the green, together with the sweetness of the honeysuckle. In all honesty, honeysuckle is more accurate and believable of the two. Moss and vetiver pierce through the composition almost from the start, and appear to be locked in a tug of war with the florals. Rose and ylang-ylang do the "heavy lifting" providing heart's sweet and powdery note. LOTV (lily-of-the-valley) is somewhat muddled by hyacinth, but can still be discerned with some effort. Lily's note is definitely a synthetic one, not bad, but obvious. The fragrance softens through its heart and becomes more sweet and powdery, with the raspy green moss and vetiver subdued but still present. Musky sandalwood is nicely executed and adds a needed fluidity and softness to the composition. Conflict between notes is settled and "Anais Anais" becomes what it should have been from the start, - a cosy, powdery floral, with romantic and nostalgic feel. I tend to associate the perfume with Francoise-Athenais de Montespan a famous favourite of the Sun King - Louis XIV, who embodied and encapsulated beauty, elegance and wit with cold-blooded strategy and merciless ambitions. All in all "Anais Anais" is still a favourite of mine, loved for its floral cloud-like scent, even with the few hiccups in the blending and recreation of the notes (which I confidently lay at the L'Oreal's door, - not the first time that they messed up a beautiful creation in pursuit of "financial efficiency", or to be blunt - trying to get away with making it on the cheap), and am certain to keep it on my dressing table for many more years to come. After all, a perfume with character, even a self-contradictory one, is much better than the one without.