.
Post by Gabriella
.
Anais Anais was my foundation perfume. As I have explained previously, it was my very first signature scent and thus accompanied me on many rites of passage throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It was the scent of my high school travails, my first love, my 21st birthday and countless Christmases. I was lucky in that it was not ubiquitous amongst my coterie of friends and so it was truly my scent, inextricably linked with my character and the foundation for my subsequent perfume journey.
The perfume has not been left unscathed by the passing of time. Over the years, the lovely soap, body lotion and deodorant slowly disappeared from shelves. The EDP also went, only to be relaunched in a new guise some years ago with new Kate Moss ads and then became difficult to find. The current EDT, while still lovely, is but a whisper of its former glory: subtle refomulations have rendered it sunbleached and ghostlike as if someone has taken the pastel-hued maidens of the ad campaigns and watered them down: they have become fuzzy and indistinct.
Anais Anais L’Original by Cacharel 2014
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Hyacinth, galbanum, orange blossom
Heart: Jasmine, rose, lily
Base: Sandalwood, cedar, incense, amber
So when I heard that Cacharel was relaunching the 1978 classic under the name Anais Anais L’Original, I was excited but also somewhat worried and perplexed. Here was the chance to go back to a great love. But what if it didn’t match my olfactory memories? Furthermore, if Cacharel had this formulation at hand, then why had it persisted in keeping the current EDT on shelves?
All my worries vanished upon first sniff. Memories flooded back and I felt like I had come home. Here it was again, my scent, my bastion of a perfume.
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
The only difference I could detect between what I was smelling and my olfactory memory is that L’Original appears a to have a stronger hyacinth top note, rendering the composition brighter and rounder. Comparing it to the current EDT, I was struck by the difference between the two: the Anais Anais EDT is harsher upon first spray, the hyacinth is more astringent and the whole composition a little bit more powdery and dry. The sillage and longevity is also markedly different: L’Original sings on my skin as it did all those years ago and lasts and lasts whereas the current EDT is but a mere shadow after a couple of hours.
Photo Stolen Flickr
I’m very thankful to have an old love back. And I’m comforted by the fact that in these days of IFRA restrictions and reformulations that an old classic has been given a new lease of life.
Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and The Non Blonde
Anais Anais L’Original (available in both EDP and EDT) and Anais Anais EDT are widely available at department stores and online sellers.
FragranceNet has the current EDT starting at $31.19/30ml before discount
Surrender To Chance starts at $3/ml
Do you like Anais Anais? Have you tried L’Original? What was your foundation perfume?
With much love till next time!
M x
Australian Perfume Junkies 
Lol!! I`ve a bookcase shelf of the original – SO we dearly need to pick this newbie up! EDP preferred usually…thank you for the refresher course 🙂
LikeLike
Pleasure Linda! Wish I could also have the contents of your bookcase!
Cheers,
Madeleine
LikeLike
Nice one Madeleine.
I didn’t even know this had come out. So many of my girlfriends too timid to wear LouLou were wearing this those many years ago. I think Mum may even have had some at one point.
Fond memories.
Portia xx
LikeLike
Ooh I did wear Loulou too for a while Miss P. Yep, this one only just came out but why they have only released it now is beyond me…but at least it is back
Xx M
LikeLike
This makes me very happy indeed. I have always adored this, and have a vintage parfum de toilette upstairs which, though it smells grotesque on a middle aged man, is a holy grail of a certain age and a certain subtlety.
LikeLike
That makes two of us Neil. Gosh, I’d love to smell that vintage PDT. I love how AA is refined and yet innocent. You can’t say that about many department store fragrances for young girls these days.
LikeLike
Also love LouLou – NOT a shelf full :-), 6 pieces, but there is always discount shopping now…
LikeLike
🙂 Linda. Loulou reminds me of a certain trip to England when I was 16 listening to the Pretty Woman soundtrack on my Sony walkman…those were the days…
LikeLike
I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I haven’t tried the original Anais Anais. L’Original sounds great though and has become a must try! Thanks for the review.
LikeLike
My pleasure Maya. Don’t be embarrassed, there are heaps of things we all haven’t tried. Do try and find some of this…..
LikeLike
I loved this back in the day so I will have to see if I can find this version. There’s something oddly comforting about wearing perfumes that remind me of when I was younger even if they’re not really scents that I would consider “me” right now.
LikeLike
Indeed Poodle. I was worried I couldn’t wear it again but there’s something very reassuring in putting it on again.
LikeLike
Well, it’s nice to read good news about a reformulation/reissue for once. Congratulations, and enjoy it!
My foundation scent was Tabu by Dana, which got noticeably thinner and sweeter back when I was still wearing it. I spritzed a little from a tester at a drugstore recently, and it wasn’t unpleasant, but I wasn’t tempted to buy a bottle for old times’ sake. Maybe one day someone will issue a Tabu L’Original, and I’ll finally get to smell it in all its 1930s glory.
LikeLike
Thanks Laurels! I’d love to smell the original Tabu. I did try it a while back and it was harsh and I bet the original is a thousand times better. Here’s hoping….
LikeLike
I too wore this back in the day and figured it was gone (at least in it’s vintage version) for good. I’m happy to hear about this and can’t wait to try it. Since they renamed it, I wouldn’t have known about it without your review, so thank you so much!
LikeLike
Pingback: Top 5 Department Store Scents: Madeleine « AustralianPerfumeJunkies
Pingback: Nuxe Prodigieux Le Parfum vs Le Labo Lys 41 – Battle of the summer beach florals « AustralianPerfumeJunkies