Anais Anais Cacharel for women

Anais EDT is a nice floral accent, timeless and almost dreamy
I wore it back in the eighties
Now I find it too flowery/soapy for my taste
A bit sharp also
But for lovers of pure floral scents this is one to have!

“Anais Anais” opens on a super-fresh, chewy white rush of orange flower indoles, immediately followed by a jasmine and lily combo. This is the starchy, strong, floral aspect of “Anais Anais”; the part that often resembles high quality, triple-milled soap, to my nose. It’s definitely a French soap cake, not a bar of “Dial” although it could be thought somewhere in the direction of “Dove” soap. I like this part of the blend, but I like it because I apply “Anais Anais” sparingly – one spritz on one wrist, and then the wrist makes its rounds about my neck and my other wrist. Spraying this on liberally would be the height of oppression. It would suck the air out of my lungs. The top is layer upon layer of fresh, white, creamy florals, with a hint of powder.

The white flowers ease and then the sheer, watery-metallic hyacinth and lily of the valley stage emerges. If you want a genuine, just showered smell – not super sudsy or sanitized, but the smell of soap that has just been rinsed from your skin, leaving behind an ash and floral residue – hyacinth is your note. It has a viscous, oily freshness that’s almost rounded in how it moves over your passages. It’s almost like a mix between burled wood, iris and moss, if that mix were impressions made out of metals.

Finally, the creamy white florals, dewy hyacinth and lily of the valley, subside and a smooth, fuzzy wood note is noticable. Something polished and sweet like a treated horse saddle emerges and the horse saddle mixes with sawdust and a lavender incense, touched with hints of nutmeg and clove – which could be an addition of spice or just a quality of the carnation, a note that can sometimes resemble a creamy clove blend.

What I love about Cacharel, is how bravely perfumey and brazenly sensual their fragrances are. They routinely blow raspberries at trends and will only offer their own sultrier interpretations of them – complete with Cacharel coziness and leisurely pace -- even making some blends that are defiantly antiquated. “Anais Anais”, as beautiful as it is, has that homey, out of time quality; could almost be the scent inside a well-worn wardrobe; cedar drawers, scented papers, linens embedded with sebum, some hard soaps in the corners, the whole piece vaguely scented of a lived-in home. It has this leisurely haziness to it that inspires naps in the afternoon; the hyacinth makes it sleepy and refreshing at the same time.

I love this stuff. It melds perfectly with my skin, a natural match, and feels like my own, natural skinmusk emerging from shower-clean skin. It smells familiar and nostalgic. There must’ve been someone – or entire groups of someones – who wore this scent in my infancy. It just gives the impression of long, lost dreams and cozy memories. I’ll keep searching my brain, with the help of “Anais Anais”, until I find them…

This was my very first perfume... I received this as a gift when I was 11 or 12 years old...
It is powdery, floral, pretty, and unlike many of the scents I smell today. I had no idea it had so many different notes in it!
It is a classic in my book, and hopefully will always be a part of my collection.

EDT. the first hour or so wasn't too bad, very sweet muguet, jasmin and lily with a touch of galbanum. The dry down horrendous - pure Lyral and impossible to get off the skin. Waxy/lactonic. This is the most synthetic fragrance I've smelled in a long time, and reminds me of old face cream that's lost its scent and the rancid oiliness is the main note.

Happy that other people enjoy it, though :)

I miss Anaïs Anaïs, it was so nice, maybe my bf will like it better than the vintage or jasmine perfumes I use to wear, I remember that I got a lot of compliments back then when I was wearing it but I can wear only edp, edt turns bad on me

This is a lovely gentle floral fragrance which is for the young or the young at heart. Its quietly pretty and doesn't make a statement or flings itself in your face, but it is a pretty, feminine perfume.

I loved this clean, fresh floral so very much when it first came out. At the time, my mother-in-law & I both were wearing this. It smelled just wonderful, a perfect floral IMHO, alas...it would not last on me. I would have to reapply & reappply every few hours. I remember I quickly went through my first bottle from Belks's & my mother-in-law gave me the second bottle. I still went through it too quickly. So I have never bought it again because it has no longevity on me.

If it lasted longer I would still have this in my fragrance collection!

Wanted to try this ´oldtimer`, since I never did in the 70-ies as I found it too sharp then. So fro two days I`ve tried this one- and to my surprise I quite like this very sweet, long lasting almost clinging scent. It is sweet, feminine, and smells a bit `cheap`compared to ex. Narcotic Venus by Nasomatto- but by all means,
I feel fine and like the way it clings even to my clothes.

This is one of my first experiences with perfumes. Being too young to wear perfume, but old enough to notice and admire the smell of the fancy "older than me"-girls and young women, I longed for the time when I was able to have my own Anais Anais and wear it every day.

Being a teenager in the eighties, this perfume was IT! And you could smell it everywhere. It smelled like pastel colored dresses, pastel colored tights and big white plastic ear rings. It smelled in a way, that made me feel like growing up too slowly, and it was my biggest wish for Christmases and birthdays.

Finally it got it and I felt grown up.

But now, so many years later, to me Anais Anais is a teenage girl's perfume. I still love it, but I can't wear it. The smell of it makes my ages clash.

I long to smell it on someone, though, maybe a young girl in a pastel colored dress, pastel colored tights and with big shiny white plastic ear rings. Then I will long for the time when I was young enough to feel the time going too slowly, and when my biggest wish was an Anais Anais perfume of my own.

This is a really interesting perfume to me:in the first few seconds i feel something harsh in it,but then it turns into a really nice,gentle scent on my skin: i guess i feel the carnation and lily-of-the-valley, exactly the same feeling,when I'm in a little flowershop. A quiet, clean, fresh and a bit chilly breeze .

I bought this again after many years, curious really about whether I could wear it, or whether it would feel silly and girly. But it is still a classic and credible fragrance. Yes, very floral, very misty and pretty, with a chemical note that slightly detracts from the overall effect when worn on skin, however, it is absolutely delightful as a fabric spray to spritz on pillows before sleep (and still cheap enough, too)

Is it just me or there is really something in Anais Anais what makes it similar to Eden. But while Eden is saturated, Anais Anais is pastel and misty. While Eden makes me feel strong, Anais makes me feel soft and a little bit vulnerable. Anyway, it's a lovely fragrance, so beautiful.

It so reminds me of my teenage years!I might purchase it again at some point.

Such a mild, relaxing, almost harmless scent. Flowery, powdery and, as many fragrantica users have noted-milky. Yet, despite its apparent simplicity and "silence", you can tell it's a classic right after the first sniff. Not my cup of tea but damn, what a perfume!

One word: Flowery

Its ok if you like that but for me it was just a bit to much to busy.

Im looking for a more water down version does anybody have any suggestions ? Thanks

I'm with you Maggiekat. I remember smelling this as a child and thinking that it was the most heavenly scent. I thought that I wanted a bottle of this when I grew up. Unfortunately I never got it. I sampled it recently and I still like it but it doesn't smell anything like it used to (at least in my mind).
Back then I remember smelling clean pure freshly cut white flowers: lilies, jasmine, maybe some tuberose and perhaps a hint of citrus.
To this day it smells a bit rancid (maybe a bad tester?) and more strongly of muguet and carnation with some incense thrown in. Still nice, but nothing like before.

I can't comment on sillage and longevity, since I sampled it very briefly.

I know that I used to love Anais Anais, I wore it daily from age 12 to 16. Have they reformulated? Do I have a bad bottle? a fake? It just doesn't not smell the way I remember it at all.

i love Anais anais.. it is pure Flowers.. i use to have it for daily, is a little bit sweet but it smell just wonderfull. roses roses and roses .

My gran had this perfume when i was 16. Whenever i was at her place i would always sneak into her bedroom to have a smell of it, i loved it. One day she said she didn't want it anymore and gave it to me. It reminds me very much of my college days. Recently though i smelled it again in a shop and although i still like the fragrance i wouldn't wear it anymore. It is not a timeless fragrance and i feel it is too old fashioned smelling now.

I could not stand this by just sniffing from the bottle, so much so that i never bothered to spray it.
Then someone at work was wearing this delicious floral, and it turned to to be Anais Anais.
So i tried some on, and lo and behold, after the initial 10mins that i'm not too fond of, it becomes a creamy floral, very pretty, very wearable!
totally delicious! and so cheap to buy too.
I also like wearing Lou Lou.

This has been my mom's favorite perfume for quite a while even though she doesn't use it too often. To me it has always been too spicy. But today I wanted to buy a new fragrance, went to the store and smelled it without expecting anything...I bought it instantly.

To me it is the strong smell of hyacinth that made it for me. It is a flower I do not get to smell enough.

Anais Anais is perfect if you love hyacinth and lily of the valley. Spicier than what I usually enjoy, but still very feminine and romantic.

The opening has a strong freshness, probably by galbanum and hyacinth. Not exactly citrusy but fresh, like a wet garden or take a bath with the smoothest line of organic products: everything clean and a bit green.

After a little, it developes to a delicate , a bit powdery and almost milky white floral. This is clean too and maybe I could say: it probably can be a natural smell of someone.

I don't know why but I think about a mother taking care of your baby, just a maternal relationship. Anyway, for me, this could be the smell of innocence too, along with this image of love. I used to hate it but now, I just can feel the fondness here: the etheral love or the motherly one. Both are sublime and here.

Conforting, kind and classic. My grandmother used to use it.

Anais Anais is one of my favorite perfumes because it's a very complex fragrance, with contrasting (but harmonic) levels... not only for young (innocent?!) girls, and not a simple gentle, floral fragrance. The advertising campaign, with schoolgirls jumping and dancing among pink petals, is totally misleading. But let's come to the scent...

On my skin it changes as the hours passes: it begins with an explosion of white flowers with a citrus touch, and turns gradually into a creamy melody, more and more intense and sensual, in which I can feel the fragrance of incense and sandalwood wisely blended with a tasty scent of amber and even honey... a very intriguing fragrance to me, also due to the very intensive presence of leather, which is often ignored by many people.
The first phase (the floral one) is a little too sweet to my nose, and even though many people who smell my wrists like it very much, I appreciate it, but if it weren't that interesting citrus note, I wouldn't love it after all...
This phase doesn't last more than 5-10 minutes... soon it is gradually replaced by the more intense second phase, and this is the moment in which I really begin to enjoy Anais in all its voluptuosness! I love the way in which my skin fits Anais like a warm, intimate, velvety embrace... sometimes I'm tempted to think that my skin is impregnated with ambrosia, and I'd even like to "eat" it!
My partner gets crazy for Anais, it is definitely his favorite one... and many colleagues told me that I was wearing such a sexy perfume, without knowing that it was indeed Anais...
Even if Anais Anais is an EDT, the sillage is great, and the lasting power is quite good on my skin.
I think that the main characteristic of Anais, despite of the first fresh floral notes, is an intense, long lasting, warm and sensual scent... I guess amber and leather notes are two of the most important components (next to oakmoss, incense and sandalwood) thanks to which Anais is not merely a perfume for little, innocent girls, but a fragrance for charming women with a deep personality.

One of the most popular fragrance, but also one of the most misunderstood.
I definitely love it!

I borrowed a line from a film to describe Anais Anais. The geniuses behind this fragrance "crossed oceans of time" to give us this remarkable scent... Oh, Anais Anais... The mystery of incense, the lolita of white lily and the strangeness of leather... too much of scent pleasure. My personal rule: will spray on my skin twice, third one would be a sin.... Anais Anais once in thirty days.

THE floral perfume!!!!
I just love it, it is Cacharel's most clasic perfume, and i believe no matter if someone is a floral lover or not, she would agree that this one is just pefrect!

If there's one thing that can be said about Anaïs Anaïs, it's that it has definitely earned its status as a classic.

Love it or hate it, the scent has been popular for over 30 years and even now I constantly smell it on women of all ages.

Unfortunately, this is not a scent that I was ever able to love, or even like really.

There is something in this that has a negative physical effect on me...and I get a chemical note from that is overwhelming.

Still, despite my own personal dislike for it, I can admire the fact that it's still going strong.

Cacharel seemed to master the art of huge 80's fragrances with ones like this and Lou Lou. It's a shame that neither of them work for me.

Reminds me of when I was 14 years old, 30 years ago, a lovely innocent, fresh floral fragrance. A beautiful rose about to bloom.

This is the first fragrance I ever used. My dad gave it to me as a 12th birthday present. I have very fond memories of it. I do like it a lot.

Smells more like an expensive face cream rather than a perfume scent.
I don't hate it but I definitely don't like it.

I hate this perfume because I have bad memories of you. I was little one of my friends who is wetting at night smelled this perfume in school..... horror ....

anais anais has this special dosage that you should put on. more of this dosage, it becomes like a poison, you feel like you are suffocating in this smell,very very uncomfortabe.The right dosage though will make you distinct! purely floral and creamy and mmmm very very delicious...romantic to the bone.

freshly picked lilies, white flowers and touch of powder. nostalgic scent for me.
cacharel makes some of the best scents ever!

Seriously,it's a perfume of memories.Childhood,garden,flowers...Very innocent and light.I wouldn't wear it,but it's incredibly good as a perfume base for body lotion.

I found a dusty bottle of the EDP for sale today. This is the Anais Anais I remember wearing in the eighties! Gosh it's divine.

I am having a eureka moment with my newly acquired bottle of AA EDP. I really had forgotten just how wonderful this smells.

Oh, and the memories! Don't you love it when an accurate olfactive memory surfaces and places you exactly in that moment in time?

I am not that person anymore but I can smile fondly at her in her over-applied Anais Anais.

A truly wonderful unexpected rediscovery.

I get only carnation from it, and while I like it as a flower, I simply cannot wear it as a fragrance. I love classics, but this is one that smells dated to me.

The galbanum opening is very nice, but it dries down quickly and than all goes the wrong direction. Even more unbearable, that everybody seems to overapply. At least, it is very uncommon nowadays to smell it by accident.

It's really wrong for me. I don't like Cacharel. Not my style. Over the top.

I cant believe a fragrance as strong as this one was targeted for teenagers. I don't like fragrances with too many notes - it gets heavier, loses its focus like many oldschool fragrances. 8 or less is better. After all, you may smell more than one note from one ingredients, so why add many?

I kept going back to smell this old trooper so many times that I decided to buy it. I have the EDP rather than the more common EDT and I found a satisfying difference between the two. This one still has the soapiness, but it really is reminiscent of Paloma Picasso, with less brightness than the EDT and is more of a soapy leather scent with a floral aspect. I really like this and am very pleased to re-discover this consistently good and now, classic scent.

No, no, no. A few years ago I got Anais Anais body balm as a gift. It was awful. The fragrance was heavy, old-fashioned, sour, sad... Lots of white flowers and the air in a room of an old lady, it was sad somehow. I didn't know how but I used the balm in total - perhaps it happened because I didn't have much perfume from the higer shelf then.

I love soft florals so I tried this, but this was just waaay too old fashioned smelling. I like florals that smell fresh, clean, pretty... This smelled very MUSTY on me, like an old dusty cabinet filled with doilies, like I could actually smell DUST, or dusting powder, I wanted to sneeze! haha! And it was also waay too green, a little greenness is nice as it adds freshness, but this was too green and it stung my nose. I don't think this is a sexy, alluring fragrance at all, it just smells old and stale...

Some perfumes are like wine I believe. The more you let them mature the better they get.

That was the case with my bottle of Anais Anais. Some 4 years after purchase, smelling it mesmerizes me. Unbelievable, but that fresh bouquet of white flowers now smells like funeral flowers, withered, yet as beautiful -maybe more- as before, this time with a distinctive aroma. Just like the flowers left on a grave, or a crematorium, and you smell them after a while, even if they lose their freshness they still fill the atmosphere with their smells. It suddenly seemed hard to describe this, but I never thought of Anais Anais could ever smell Goth in such a unique way. The patchouli note is still there, but not as fresh as initially it was, this time it adds a different depth to those funeral flowers. Anais Anais in this form is certainly darkly divine, and nevertheless Angelic still.

Hello, today I want to talk about Anais Anais by Cacharel, a flowery scent to say the least, because the first perception is something very warm and enveloping, especially in the flowers that are white jasmine or lily, the effect is pleasant (in my heart of reminds Calandre by Paco Rabanne), but during the whole of the persistence of the traditional bouquet of flowers that effect reached florist vases where the petals give off their fragrance with great generosity, in the final is gently dust it gently fades like a sunset that meets the stars .
Innocent and very feminine.

I have had this when i was in my teenyears. Little 7ml sample bottle. I loved it!
I just got this 50ml bottle as a gift. Great opportunity to reminisce old memories.
Oh my. Elegant white flowers. It has all my favorite flowers; lily of the valley, tuberose and hyacinth. Only mimosa is missing...
It's strong on my skin at first, but does settle down eventually. Great for everyday-occasions. Doesn't offend anyone. (If it does, he/she is scent-allergic.)
Suits for women in every age. (i always thought it was only for innocent teens....!)

"bitter-innocent floral" with an edge as another poster said. One of the nicer really floral scents but there are others I like better.

this is one of the most complex perfumes I have ever experienced. I am never sure which notes will come through on my skin, but it is always pleasant. I smell very sweet fresh florals at first with a hint of something that reminds me of licorice--maybe it is the leather or resin? This instantly transports me to nostalgic wonderful times, I feel sexy and timeless. I could wear this scent 100 years from now and it would still fit. I imagine a french woman sitting at her vanity in her lacy underwear surrounded by bouquets of flowers wearing leather gloves...

Horrible. It makes my nose bleed every time I smell it. My poor Dad bought it for me for my graduation. He had no idea that I would have such a strong allergic reaction. Neither did I. I one had to leave a party because there was a woman wearing it there. No kidding my nose bleeds.

Most people I know, argued a lot about how this wonderful 80's perfume was actually pronounced. You'll be surprised when you find out that most probably, you spell it wrong as well!
Anyway, "Anais Anais" was a marvellously marketed perfume that whispers quality from a mile away! Everything from the coloured pencil flower design on the package to the inspirational porcelain-like bottle and the delicate, discreet and unique scent inside, is more art than a product made for the masses.
It is one of the very few perfumes that actually put you in a specific mood before even you apply it on your skin!
The TV commercial and poster that marked its launch revealed the perfume's 3 main qualities in a wonderful manner.
Floral, powdery and tender, with a hint of unspoken sin very abstractly suggested.
This is a perfume made by men who love women!

A note: the 'eau de parfum' edition is very true to the 'eau de toilette' but more intense and with greater longevity.

my mother introduced this perfume to me. i used to like it, until realised that this one is too floral and too intense for me. Makes sometimes headache. But still it's delicious and classic feminine for summer time or autumn.

Anais Anais has been a lot of years my signature scent after it came out, I loved it then and still love it very much.
This is one of the best floral fragrances I ever had and did wear it in spring as well in winter.
The composition of florals smell like magnolia on my skin, it is a very fresh romantic scent and bit powdery.
It lasts not as long as the first issue at my skin and is less stronger. I went trough several bottles.
Than I used a bottle Yves Rocher Magnolia in between and it is almost identical on my skin.

tender and soft...but not my style.Weak lasting power on my skin

Powdery white floral. Excellent, elegant and classic. I love the smell on me in the winter time. Very sophisticated and feminine. This is NOT old fashioned or for old ladies! I'm 24 and I've been wearing it for years. It's for any age.

People, I'm in love! What else can I say?
I've just discovered Anais Anais and will never use other perfume. It's so distinctive, unlike anything else. Dreamy, light as a cloud, spring-like and romantic.
Love at first sniff. (boy, do I love the hyacinth in it!)This one is for me.
update: I bought it and it smells heavenly. However, I find the sillage to be minimum, which is a dissapointment

This perfume is just mediocre. I do not think I would purchase it, nor would I wear it. It is just TOO powdery for my little nose. I have smelt it on people and it can be gorgeous. I just find it to have a weird "vintage" edge to it that my skin does not agree with.

A white, spicy carnation that is perhaps a tad too spare, sour and powdery to pass with today's girls, despite it's pleasant, soapy realism. I have a scent memory connecting Anais Anais to my pediatricians office when I was barely four years old. It bears the same scrubbed and sterile aesthetic, without being unpleasant.

This wrapped up the 1970s as every school girl passionately sprayed it liberally. It is innocent(really?), white(pink), and really a powerhouse scent that cannot be forgotten.

Ironically, I am also surprised that it escaped reformulation! Cacherel must have some pull to keep it intact. This was as late as a 2005 batch and it may have been changed since then. The oakmoss was turned down somewhat, yet everything else was still shouting powerhouse!

It has not lost its youthful flirtation nature. It this is worn is schools today, you may get sent home! Its actually perfect for brides who like outdoor weddings.

I just ordered the sample out of curiosity and nostalgia.

I used to adore Anais Anais in my early teens. I never owned it, but I would visit the perfume counter every once in a while on the way from school or my ballet class for a discreet spray of AA. I wanted it so badly, but it seemed too grown up for me at that time. Besides, my aunt wore it and I had some silly notion about two women in the same family not being supposed to wear the same scent, especially with an age difference like ours.
I'm rambling. This just brings so many memories.

Amazingly, the Anais Anais of today doesn't seem like it's suffered much reformulation. Maybe they forgot about it and accidentally left the formula intact? It's wonderfuly complex for the girly floral it was marketed as. And for something that contains the notoriously deadly tuberose/jasmine/lily/muguet combo it's unbelievably happy and light. Come to think of it, it has every note from my non-wearables list, and yet it fits like a glove.
I don't find it dated at all. But then, it's me. Compared to the girly florals of today Anais is probably an ancient freak.
It's all in the eyes of the beholder...

I wore this in high school in the early 80's. Very age appropriate, but also great for anyone who likes soft florals-I don't think this scent has an age limit, it is a classic.

This is my grandma's signature scent, but usually she puts on too much, so it can be really choking. This fragrance is a tipical case when you have to leanrn the appropriate way to wear it. If you don't do that, it can be awful. In my opinion, it smells elegant and perfect on a wet and rainy day during spring.:) Great sillage and lasting power, and the White Lily and Lily of the Valley notes are strong. Be careful with the dosage!

One of my first sophisticated perfume purchases after graduating from college when I earned my own money. Mellow, understated floral and not overly sweet ( gardenia, jasmine, lily of the valley). I still like it and buy it as a basic scent as it is not much of a stand out. Good for Spring.

I like this perfume but not love it. It smells warm, fresh of flowers and sweet. It smells also nice but it's not my favorite. It can makes you headache if you spray so much and it will bother others. But if you only spray it a little bit, I think it's ok. Test it before buying it. If you buy it online without testing it, I advice you not to buy this perfume, because maybe this is not the smell you're looking for

Pleasant but powdery. Dislike the choice of name.
Still keeping a beautful anais anais silver box which I received for Christmas when I was 9 yrs old containing a scarf (orignially contained the gift set). Still have the scarf too come to think of it!

I wore this in the early 1980's on my wedding day. Its not one of the love me/hate me fragrances but a gentle every day floral that doesn't shout for attention!. Sickly sweet? definitely not!, powdery/soapy maybe? but on a summers day it would be perfect. Probably wouldn't buy again but if given a bottle I would certainly wear :)

Hi.

Inspired by ancient fairy tales.ANIS ANIS is a white floral spin that speaks even more romantically of that which we're all after:The great love.It is a recognizable smell and not overpowering.Sensual but not in a decadent way.A innocent fragrance with a wonderful mystique that is sure to please. Remarkable,Rememberable,Timeless,Romantic,Stylish, Sophisticated,Mystical,Classic,Charming and Feminine.

A blend of high powdery floral notes like honeysuckle,jasmine, rose,orris and orange blossom with a rich combination of lower accents including incense,leather,amber and vetiver that add dimension, depth and warmth to this elegant and feminine perfume.It smells like a walk through and enchanted garden.

ANAIS ANAIS has a strong enough scent that makes it noticeable,but it is not never painful like most other perfumes.It is perfect for anytime of day.I recommend it for Spring and Autumn seasons.If you are looking for a refreshing and cute floral scent that any man will love,i highly recommend this one,you wont regret it if you are elegant and elegance lady.

Sillage?Ok.

Longevity?Great on my skin.

7.5/10

I've read this perfume divides people into two groups: those who say it's a light floral feminine scent and those who say it's an old lady scent. Unfortunately, I'm in the second group. This perfume makes my stomach churn because to me it smells like soap and cold sweat. I'm sorry but I can't help it. I can get used to the smell but everytime I smell it "unprepaired" the impression is the same. I think I should stay away from hiacynth and incense unless my nose changes.

I used to LOVE this! I don't know why it isn't something I would usually wear. I wore it a lot a few years ago. I was told multiple times I smelled like a grandma so I stopped wearing it. I noticed a lady at work with it recently and I couldn't help but still be attracted to the smell. I would not wear it now, my taste have changed a bit but I can see myself coming back to it in the future.

POWDERY WHITE FLOWERS + INCENSE: Timeless, melancholic, feminine and rather not sexy. Still beautiful-- one of the outstanding Cacharels.

My beautiful, strong, always happy mommy uses this perfume, shes been using it for decades. I love it because its her scent. I always feel like only my mom can smell like this, Ive never even bothered spraying it on, it would lose that specialty it has to it....so dont even try it! Its her scent! lol
Although others say it is common, I really have not smelled this on anyone else. It is flowery, powdery, slightly musky and incensey, really everything in one sort of scent, all the while retaining its integrity.
When I was younger my sister and I studied abroad for two years, and when we would go into our sleeping chamber at night we would hug a scarf my mom would wear that was sprayed with this. We would hug the scarf and smell it all night long until we would eventually stop crying and go to sleep (boarding schools suck, don't send your kids!) :-)
It smells like what a mother should smell like; Honesty, Strength, Kindness, Purity. It truly is your moms perfume in the best way possible.

My mom used this parfum in her single time.. she used to love it.. now not anymore.. me either i never liked.. maybe is my skin.. i dnt know.. !!!

A nice, fresh perfume (at least for me). It reminds me of the of a spring back in Boston, after the rain, when you breathe in the fresh, clean air with floral and woodsy notes in it. But somehow the sweetness starts to annoy me sometimes. And it doesn't last that long. I'd give it 4 out of 5.

i adore this - defiantly a cool fresh smell Anais Anais is like winter with lilys its light, cold, just refreshing to breath in it cools your soul and thoughts I think it’s a very welcoming, soft and just purifying

Smells like the 80s. Smells like mother.
Smells like vague childhood memories trapped in an old musty box.

Slightly sweet. Strong but tender. Powdery and fresh.
It has the same powdery quality that a lot of 80s perfumes have.
This is a simple fragrance that's simple to describe.

But, barely has any impact on me personally.
Longevity - Poor (on my skin anyway)
Projection - O.K.

I smell this in perfume store,because my husbands aunt ask buy for her..i cant imagine this perfume wear young girl.For me its too sharp,strong and old fashion.I be honest first when i smell this perfume in my head i tot - old ladys perfume.Sorry for everyone who like this perfume,i don't mean nothing bad,but this is what ome in my head when i firt smell this perfume.

It's like a big bunch of white flowers. It's powdery and incense is very noticeable. Full of charm, subtle and feminine. I would say for every women because it's an "old" perfume, classic. I like it.

Anais is one of those "in your face" sickenly sweet but safe florals that every woman and girl seemed to be wearing in the early 80's. It was the absolute opposite of perfumes like "Opium" which at the time were deemed as being darkly sensuous and erotic rather in contrast to Anais where women only smelled powdery, floral and sweetly pleasant.I kept receiving Anais every year from well-meaning Aunts for Christmas, as it was presumably a "safe and sweet" and non-erotic perfume to give to another female!! I tried it but disliked it immediately as it stuck to my skin like cheap bubble gum mixed with the scent of cheap flowers that even a long hot shower couldnt shift LOL. I could not understand why any woman would actually enjoy this perfume and ended up giving every bottle away. Dreadful!

My ALL TIME favorite fragrance. Floral has been mentioned but to my way of thinking it is more inclined towards woody/green fragrance with certainly some great floral notes in the background. It is a best female scent made by Cacharel. Its evergreen aroma undoubtedly pleases everyone who comes under its spell. Enchanting and mesmerizing. smell it! and u'll be bewitched. Fresh like a morning dew. It can easily compliment any beautiful lady in the world irrespective to her age.
Wearable in any season but smells great at dawn and at dusk.
I give it 9 out of 10.

I've had this perfume for many years & i've never really liked it. I wanted to, seeing as it was a gift, but it's just really not my taste. It smells *very* strongly of white florals & as with most overly floral perfumes, there's almost a hint of something spicy in there. But luckily that fades away upon the dry-down. It definitely has that "expensive moisturizer" smell. It smells like a lot of high-end moisturizers I have owned. It's a very rich scent. Quite strong. I find it overbearingly floral but upon the dry-down the scent mellows out & becomes slightly creamy, if you know what I mean.

I just checked out the notes & i'm not surprised that it smells overly floral! So many different floral notes! This one definitely smells of jasmine & upon the drydown it almost becomes smoky, which must be the incense. All in all, this is a very French scent to me. Strong, rich & floral.

My husband loves this scent on me and it has marvelous staying power. Downfall is if you spary too much you get an all day headache.

Maybe it has been changed but I've never smelt lavender nor patchouli in Anais Anais. Galbanum shines through from top to bottom. Cedar, sandalwood, vetiver are most prominent in the base, especially in the vintage formula. But no patchouli and NO lavender.

Notes according to Perfume Shrine

Top: Bergamot, galbanum, hyacinth, honeysuckle, orange blossom

Middle: Lily, lily of the valley, rose, ylang-ylang, tuberose, carnation

Base: Cedarwood, sandalwood, amber, oakmoss, incense, vetiver

Please check the notes Fragrantica, the voting for notes makes no sense at all if they are not right.

Aw...I love the scent! It makes me think of my mama. It's her signature scent. It's exquisitely light and airy and very floral. The epitome of femininity...just like my mama.

It smells dated well lets say vintage at first spray, but why do I like this? I just cant stop sniffing my wrist. I am not sure if its too old style or not, but,I like it alot. Maybe I should buy a 30ml. Can I get away with wearing this? Help!

I wanna get it but im not a floral person, i wanna know how strong the EDP if compare to EDT...and is there any difference between the EDp anmd EPT for this perfume? Some could be very different, so im struggling....
advices please :)

I can't explaine what is magical about in this scent but I love it. I feel again like little girl on playground.

Puede oler bien en una persona pero mucho cuidado con las sobre aplicaciones, ya que puede resultar fatal :S Con dos gotas estas mas que lista.. dura.. dura y no deja de durar... no es para mi. Espero que a alguien no se le ocurra la espantosa idea de regalarme este perfume! HE DICHO!

Quite a dated bottle, but I still like it. Once again, the magic of perfume makes us travel in time. Oh the soft pastels from the 80s! If it were not for its final leather kick, one could even say Anaïs Anaïs smells a bit soft pastel too. By the way, it is from 1978, but this does not mean it’s only good for old ladies!! It’s not only for young women either, as the brand implies in their ads. I know women from all age groups who just adore this scent! We seem to be very prejudiced as to the age of Anaïs’s target consumer, but I just think Anaïs is perfect for floral lovers of any age, even though Cacharel decided that girlhood and (loss of) innocence would be the leitmotivs of this fragrance.

Maybe Anaïs’s unique personality could be related to the changes in the concept of femininity in the 70s. When this fragrance hit the market, this concept had been changing considerably for 20 years. The Western woman from the late 1970s had conquered rights like birth control, but was still struggling (alas, we still are) against the traditional cliché of feminine innocence, which needed to be revised because of the emergence of new female approaches to sex, motherhood, adolescence, etc. Anaïs Nin had died in 1977, during the fragrance’s creative process, and so the brand decided to name it after that great author, not surprisingly: from her early writing, we can see her evolve from child to young woman, to become one of the first women writers to explore the new relationship between womanhood and desire. So Anaïs Anaïs, which is not altogether the innocent fragrance it is supposed to be (its white lily note, more conspicuously carnal than “pure”, and the bluntness of its final animalic leather note don’t seem naïve at all) took its name from that great woman that embodied the two sides of the new female adolescent in her two facets: the naïve girl from her candid early journals and the outspoken vindicator of women’s right to pleasure.

Like many of us, now Anaïs Anaïs is no longer the beauty it was back in 1978, but it retains its essentially alluring powdery sweetness and discreet but outstanding sensuality. It’s not surprising that we girls from the 80s keep coming back to this juice, to check that, even if we have changed in all those years, we are still essentially the same young women we were back then, only the passing of time has somehow “reformulated” us too…

I can see why people like it. It´s very delicate. But it´s just not for me. I think it has too many flower notes and it´s very powdery too. FLOWER POWDER.

sweet 16!!!! I loved it!!!! It was perfect for young me:) I'm experienced now (the other way to say that I'm not young any more:))and I like more sofisticated and oriental sents:)

I see why many like it so much. It has this powdery touch to it that at the moment seems to be very modern. It's a clean floral for younger girls.

Far too strong for my tastes - overpowering, a little like being punched in the face by a flower garden. It seems to wear well on other people, but I find it makes my eyes water and my head hurt, even when used sparingly.

I think this scent was made keeping in mind romantic porcelain Greek Goddesses, dressed in sheer (see through) white flowing gowns laced with pastel shades of green and blush red... White from the florals, pastel green from the mild citrus... Blush from a touch of light soft leather (maybe the Goddesses own skin from the see-through garment)... The final result is somethin you will never forget in your lifetime...nor will your guy ever forget it.. one of the most unique scents... I find it to be fresh clean delicate Opal-like if opal had a scent when you hold it up against the light and see shades of pink and green.

Anais Anais is such a lovely, light, somewhat shy-in-a-classic-novel-way perfume.
I didn’t like it much when I first smelt it and thought it’s purely weird because I’m a gene-Y and the perfumes which got me to know the perfume world are those commercially sweet fruity floral.
However, even tho I ‘disliked’ it, there was something really intriguing in this perfume which kept me going back to smell it.

About the scent, if a type of carefree, relaxed, innocent nothingness had a smell, it would be Anais Anais, it’s like a breeze, not with the conventional grassy or fruity notes (I’m thinking about Daisy, which is an overly artificial nightmare to me); it smells artificial, but in a really good way, it doesn’t really smell like anything from nature, but like an artificial manmade white chiffon dress in nature, which makes me feel nature is closer than ever—the feel is captured quite lovely by the commercial here.

A little bit later, the scent becomes slightly less cold, and slightly more powdery and sweeter in a light floral-woody way, along the line of Iris and other similar flowers.

The final dry down is just warmer, and more powdery, but not like the soapy powdery, it’s just simple floral powdery feeling here. Good news to me, I can’t smell any animalist or leather notes here.

Generally speaking Anais Anais is quite linear with slight nuance. It last quite long on my skin, more than 12 hours. However, only the first 3-4 hours, it has some sillage, after that, it stays quite close to the skin.

Lovely perfume, a totally lovable floral perfume which doesn't scream, everyone should have some in her/his the wardrobe :-) and there will be a day when you feel like some Anais Anais.

HI,

this makes me smile quite much now... I like a lot Anais Anais. Another where commercial is for Young girls. And I am not "that" Young anymore.
For me this scent brings more mind something about 1930-1940`s Short curly hair women with long dresses, red lipstick and long cigaret ;) nothing to do with innocent young ladies ;D.. mm or maby yes with innocence but with strong carachter and knowing what lady wants and gets it. I saw a movie about Anais Anais. And maby this scent is highly connected in my mind to that movie. ;) You should see it. It was good. ;)

This was my mom's perfume throughout most of my grade school years. It always smelled great on her, like the colors on the bottle, a subtle blush and green. It never quite worked on me--it was a bit irritating and synthetic, and the florals weren't sweet enough, somehow. I may not have liked the perfume, but I loved the bottle I had. Mom let me have her EdT with a silver screw-top bottle--it wasn't a spray. I loved those flowers on the bottle and it was fun trying to get the right amount of EdT on myself. I never really wore it out--just at home when I was playing dress-up.

mom bought it for me and i simply love it, it smells great on her too, i love it when i smell a perfume and recognize it right away, uniqueness ^^ even if it was a light perfume and i normally go for strong ones; but if it's unique then it's a keeper

The first perfume ever given to me (by my first love, as it happens! Never had the heart to tell him I didn't like it!!) Very heady, crisp white floral that subsides to be sharply grassy. I don't detect any of the base notes, ever. Somehow it never gets beyond the sharpness on my skin.

I love to smell it on other people, however.

The first perfume I ever purchased, and this beautiful floral is so entwined with memories of my late teens and early 20s that I'm loathe to say anything negative about it. This is a bright and slightly brash floral, with a heady mix of flowers. The white lily was always the most predominant on me. I always felt that this fragrance showed class and intelligence. Full-on sillage and good durability all felt like part of the confident statement this perfume made.

I don't buy this perfume now, proving perhaps that you can have too much of a good thing?

I agree with ladymom59. I would never turn down a fragrance based on the era it is from or because it's "dated" or "old lady". "Dated" to you might be "classic" to me, and I know a lot of classy "old ladies". Many of these gorgeous perfumes were special in a young lady's or beautiful woman's life. Who am I to look down upon that? And why miss a treasure because of prejudice? Ridiculous! Many things considered beautiful now, and rightfully so, will one day be considered "dated" to some, but will still be considered beautiful to those who love them. I will always love this perfume because it reminds me of my mother. It is a very pretty scent, and I consider it floral and somewhat spicy. And the bottle is gorgeous.

This is one of my all time favorite scents! I first got this when I was about 17 or 18 years old, and now, many years later, I still love this scent and would buy it again and again.

There is something so delicate, lush, and sweet about this perfume, it just totally captures my idea of femininity. It's perfect for daytime, and not too strong or bold.

It just makes me totally happy when I wear it. :)

I have a long term love relationship with AnaisAnais. Great for summer with a bright flowery dress! I remember getting tons of compliments when wearing it. They key is not to overdo it.
Couldn't agree more with Ladymom59 on the "old lady" stuff. Indeed, this phrase expresses nothing but close-mindedness.Better say that you just don't like it, clear and simple. By the way, i purchased many of those fragrances that are branded "old lady" and they turned out to be the most exquisite and beautiful in my collection.

I like Anais Anais. It's a beautiful powdery floral. There is something familiar about it -like deodarant spray, but in a good way. I'm a 80's baby so this fragrance was so common that I assumed it was deodarant as a child. lol. Not in love with this, but I like it.

Every time I want to see reviews of a perfume, there are tons of people saying that is for old ladies, or simple too 80,s, 70's of 50's, blah, blah, blah...What's a matter with people?. I think a smell is not old or new...it is only a success or a failure; besides, all the smells are created equal, with different intentions, and ingredients, thanks to the fantasy, love and creativity of perfumists and designers...thanks God for them! If a perfume is from 1926, and still in the stores, good for the House that sells it! That is not a perfume but a treasure!
Remember this: The women that still wear all those old perfumes were also girls in their times... the girls of this time will be old too (with luck and good care of themselves,of course).
Grandma used to wear Chantecleer of Caron, never more in the markets (what a shame!)I was a little girl and still remember the smell and the people giving her lots of compliments...
My mom used to wear Chanel No 5, which is not a perfume, but THE PERFUME (for me, of course)...still a sign of good taste and distinction (sorry for the people that reject all that is old)...Both fragrances are exquisite and classic... A person can like or dislike a fragrance but labeling a fragrance is just not fear.

The first edition was awesome, I had it in the early eighties (80's), flowery, divine, and I recall some men asked me "umm, nice, what perfume is that?" .."I want to buy it for my sister..."..well...in the nineties (90's) it changed, it wasn't the same, it became too strong, with an intoxicating after smell. I miss the original edition.

Used sparingly is a light powdery floral that somehow if different from others.But can be very over powering if sprayed too much.

I won a bottle of this about 4 years ago and still havent used it all-

Is a scent i will wear from time to time since i have it- but will not buy .

Love the smell, but so strong. It literally "stings the nostrils." I think it's because it's so powdery and utterly creamy that it goes straight to the depth of it- I love smelling it on other people though (probably because it gives it some distance). Beautiful beautiful from a far.

This is the ultimate floral fragrance. I wish I could get a hold of a vintage sample to compare to the currnet version as I can't detect any other notes in here but lots of jasmine and lily.I would reccomend this for any young woman's first foray into the world of perfume.

I think this was the first perfume I ever owned, back when I was a teenager just beginning my hunt for my signature fragrance (one that hasn't been completed yet, sadly).
Lovely but I couldn't wear it anymore.

This is suitable for very feminine, delicate ladies. My roommate in college used to own this and talks more about her personality. It is quite romantic, no wonder why her boyfriend is head over heels with her.

I didn't find Anais Anais neither clean nor refreshing. Considering the reviews and advertisings, I was expecting something very girly, soft and romantic.
It's not a bad fragrance, is very floral, long lasting, feminine and beatiful. But I find it maybe a little bit too '80s for my taste. I also think that the incense note is very strong and a bit overpowering.
Wouldn't buy it for myself but, if someone ever gives me a bottle of Anais Anais, I would certainly use it!
Good, but not my cup of tea.

The reason I bought this perfume is because I love the name. Unfortunately I can't say the the same about the scent. I really wanted to love it but it's just too "old-lady-ish" for me. I can't say that I hate it because the sweetness is pure but I can't say that I like it either. On the plus side the scent does last. Even so, glad I only bought the mini version. :|

the fourth picture (the ad) describes exactly what gives me this perfume. A magnificent floral powdery, sophisticated and profound that makes you travel to elegant and refined young ladies toilets dreamy. However I can not take it, is a beautiful fragrance but I feels like a costume, so save this for dreaming:)

Le fleuri par excellence : une belle brassée de fleurs blanches emmenées par la belle jacinthe. On le qualifie trop injustement de parfum pour ado. Non non et non, ce parfum est juste SUBLIME! et dans l'air du temps, toujours...

Fresh, floral, clean, perfect for Spring. Very bright & refreshing. I enjoy the EDT a great deal better than the EDP, which is heavier & a bit mustier. I like the lightness & freshness of EDT better. This has been a lifelong favorite perfume for me (since I was 14).

I bought this in a moment of weakness from a very persuasive SA (never buy anything unless it haunts you enough to make you go back to get it). It's not a bad scent and I do like it, but I don't love it. It's a sweet floral, suitable for spring and summer, especially when you need something inoffensive for a wedding or something. Unfortunately, sweet florals really aren't my thing and my bottle will last me forever.

one of the first scents of my life, I remember when I was a teen ager! I gave it to a classmate's birthday!

I went to test this and thought going in that it would more "old lady" smelling but much to my surprise I actually loved it. The initial first couple of sprays were pretty strong but once the dry down occurs it is pure bliss. Love it love it! Clean and nice!

Anais Anais has a surprising amount of depth..

A light white floral which reminds me of green apples soaps. It's so elegant and innocent, with beautiful sillage and is very longlasting.

Reminds me of the goddesses in Greek mythology

I love Anais.. very feminine and floral.Love the way intoxicating hyacinth balances the citruses in the opening tones.

Used to love it before the reedition, but now i can´t stand it! It became very harsh and too bitter! Too much orange again in it, makes me sick! If i get lucky i will find some old version of this in EDP, then i can be happy again.

Timeless, one of the best perfumes.
Everyone likes this one,it's just subtle but everytime I wear it, it's a suprise. I love it!

one of my favorite romance perfumes. from the strongish first spicy/floral spray to the lighter flowery/amber/lavender dry down. still a classic.

In my early twenties all the young ladies and teens in Spain wore this. My best friend was completely hooked on it. I still love it. It brings back lovely memories and I use it at weekends when I want to remember the glorious old days.

I’ve always loved Anais Anais, from the first harsh white floral spray, then on to the dreamlike lavender and incense that just blossoms into pure magic on my skin. Anais Anais never leaves until I decide to take a long bath, creates mysterious sillage, and smells beautiful on my scarf. For some reason I’ve never once related this perfume to innocence at all. To my nose this is a very Goddess of love perfume, all woman, very French, very sophisticated, lovely, and even sexy in that librarian sort of way. I adore the warm leathery dry down almost as much as I do the smoky incense with hyacinth in the heart. I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone, and easily misunderstood in today’s bubble gum and vanillic culture, but perhaps best reserved for the old school romantic at heart. I could smell this one all day and not grow tired of it.
The bottle is a true work of art as well...( at least to me!)

The smell of the eighties!! Light fresh flowery transparent. Typical for young girls. Still like it, but would not wear it anymore. Loved the dreamy commercial. When I smell this I am right back at school...

Wow! Such a "love it or hate it" fragrance based upon the reviews. I share the same basic story as all the other lovers of Anais Anais...I started wearing it in the late 80's in high school (I was captivated by the fashion magazine advertising) and fell completely in love with the fragrance upon smelling it in the department store. It was much too expensive for me at the time, but my friend's mother had a bottle that she graciously gave to me...and I made that large dab-on bottle last an eternity. To this day (I'm almost 40 years old) I still wear it, but I much prefer the dab on bottle, not the spray; the spray doesn't give of the initial impression that I fell in love with years ago. My husband loves this scent on me so I continue to wear it. It is so unique and different from anything new out there today. I'm so glad it's still around!

I only knew of a few women's perfumes when I was growing up. I can clearly remember LouLou, Anais Anais, Poison, No.5 and Opium. I think there was a trade embargo on all other frags at that time but don't quote me on that! Of course, as a young man, I found all women's perfumes alluring, but Anais Anais is the one which really captured my imagination.

I remember it as being more heady than it is now; more of an intoxicating knock-out, but the basic character is still intact. AA appears to be a study in concealment and disguise, a warm and sensual heart of mystery and feminine passion lurking beneath the veneer of respectability.

Most of this veneer is created by the opening florals. As others here have mentioned, they are a little cold and maybe even severe. It's as if the hyacinth, lily and citrus have been left out on the porch in the wintertime and caught an icy frosting so it all smells 'white' and slightly monochromatic.

It doesn't take long for this frost to melt, and gradually a warmth infuses the midnotes. There are yet more florals; mostly lily of various types, gardenia, jasmine and a now defrosted hyacinth! I detect a hint of sweetness, but not sweet as in today's frags, this is a seductive 'come closer to me because I'm so very interesting' sweetness.

All the while this scent manages to remain both fresh and uplifting in its own enigmatic way. The base of leather and incense only adds to the mystery until finally, you are completely within her embrace.

I guess I can't find anything wrong with this perfume, except that it does remind me of various wonderful women from my past who have had to give up their creative and artistic dreams for a more humdrum existence. I only hope they haven't given up wearing Anais Anais!

hard to wear if you are over 35, as you will definately have connotations attached to it. It is a bitter-innocent floral with an edge, a flower with a thorn in the slightly soapy 70's style. It reminds me of crushed dandelions after rain and will be the first perfume I will buy for my daughter when she is old enough. I wish more young girls would discover it instead of wearing such sugar soaked rubbish.

This is my No.1 perfume. I have run out (hopefully not for long) but I keep the bottle to smell it's luscious scent from time to time. Floral, warm & with a mature prettiness. It reminds me of happiness. I recieved this perfume as a gift a few Christmas's ago and it takes me back to that joyous annual occasion & seasonal magic. I adore it, nothing else on the market smells quite like this, it's total unique.

Anais Anais was created in 1978 and I was born in 1978, too. It's all about my childhood. So many women wore it then. I can imagine Madonna, singing 'Like a virgin' and dancing and wearing this one... It's not for me - I'm not a big sharp floral frag fan - but it makes me smile and can't hate it. It's unmistakable.

Anais Anais is all about the white flowers on my skin, the first seconds I can smell the lemon, but then its a gourgeous white flowers bouquet that prevails until the woody musky drydown. It was my first perfume, my dad's ex brought me this one from France and for me this perfume was like winnig the jackpot. I used this one everyday, since 6/7 years until I was 13. Great memories. For me its a really nice perfume for kids and for bedtime. I love it. Unfortunatly my dear husband cant stop snizing when Im wearing AA so I dont wear it for a long time. Beautifull fragrance 5*

I had heard so many people rave about this that I thought I might give it a try one day. Powder, powder and more powder. Very dull indeed.

I like to wear it, but my best friend unfortunately says it does smell on me like old woman. Anyway, I don´t care about this!

Anais Anais semlls quite classic-floral, it must be popular in its launch times.

But for me, the first spritz already makes me heady. I've been on the chase of a classic perfume as my signature scent for a long time, but sorry, Anais Anais is not my destiny.

Of course Anais Anais seems old fashioned and too strong , it's an eighties perfume. Everybody wore it to school or to go out to party back in the 80s and now it's had it's day. I like it still but it brings back memories . I still remember that when someone was wearing it that we would ask them if they were had on that anus anus perfume. I hope no one calls it that anymore but that's what I remember about Anais Anais.

Beautiful bottle, big headache. I simply cannot wear this perfume as it makes me physically ill.

Green floral to me, with "old soul" from eighties.
Harsh beginning, heavy flower scent, any citruses noticed to make fresh and a lot of leather which I hate-obviously my chemistry works.
Not for me!

How can such a beautiful, delicate, work-of-art bottle hold such an awful fragrance?! The opening notes are lovely: citrus and lily, light and sparkling. But the dry down turns intense and overwhelming, full of smoke and leather. A jarring ending to a perfume that starts with such feminine promise.

I smell enchanted white heavy bulgarian roses and quince. Wonderful! Very romantic and nostalgic, it smells more vintage than it actually is.

This is a Classic and Timeless fragrance. Its THE ONE fragrance that greeted me in my youth and followed me into adulthood. Its a scent you NEVER grow out of or tire from. Anais Anais is my Neverland.

This was my first 'real' fragrance, and, despite the adolescent connotations it holds for so many people, I believe it is a great fragrance. The proof for me is that I wore it during some of the most difficult and depressing times in my life, yet I can still appreciate the fragrance for what it is... a wonderful clean, peppery floral. If Anais Anais is a teenager, though, she is Nabakov's Lolita...innocent on the outside but a vixen within. I still wear this one occasionally, and I will share it with my daughters too...when they are ready for it.

A true classic. Fresh, floral, feminine and beautiful. Suits all age groups. Can be worn day or night. Always in my perfume collection, It has become a good friend who never lets me down. The secret of this perfume is to spray lightly, too much of a spray can be overwhelming. Sillage excellent, a bottle lasts for a long time depending how often you use it . Good for any season. When I dither in what perfume to wear, I always reach for this one 'my reliable friend'.

The hyacinth is definitely the most accentuated note in this perfume. If you love the flower, you will love the perfume. It's all delicacy and diaphanous lightness. Perfect for early summer. In my view, it perfectly completes the image of a sylphide-like adolescent girl. I imagine it along with a white, transparent chiffon dress.

Too white for me. I had it as a teenager and remember the beautiful, magic advertisements everywhere - but it never really suited me. White flowers are not my thing, although I love floral. But like I can't wear white, I can't wear white flowers. So big disappointment for young Nemia in the early 80s. I would have loved to be Anais Anais compatible but alas, I wasn't.

I do remember though a very long journey on a night train. I had begun the trip to Scandinavia with my brother but on the way, we quarrelled, and I returned home alone. I wore Anais Anais while walking all alone in Copenhagen, buying earrings and feeling all grown up. Then, I took the night train from Copenhagen to my (then) South German home town. Anais Anais accompanied me on that adventure, and I will always have a soft sentimental spot for this perfume that was with me when nobody else was - only if was only one long day and night.

Lovely 80s memory, but so not-for-me...

I tried this on as a EDP, stuck it under my fiance's nose and he said: "Its weird, but nice".

That is the most apt descrisption I have come across for AA. It really is weird - very white, very peppery, very stong - but it is still nice. Even though it almost shouldn't be.

I couldn't wear this very often, it is too strong, but it is different & it does haunt you.

I recently won a vintage Anais Anais edt on ebay. The container is the same white heavy glass bottle, but the print on the lable is a bit different. And the plastic cap is white and shiny, not slightly transparent as on the reissued version.

I must say that even if I adore the newer AA's both in edt and edp version, the vintage one is different in a few but much better ways.

First of all, it opens up wider (yes it can). Suddenly you are in the biggest cloud of all kinds of light and dry flowers. Then, when it calms down a bit, the sweetness is there but it never becomes slightly cloying as in the reissued version. Instead the cloud becomes a half transparent breeze that oozes from your pulsepoints. Also, the flowers are now supported by a prominent cedar and vetiver mix which gives this scent a mote of acridness, like a white smoke, which matures the fragrance. And now add some cream coloured soft leather, and there you have the mix between innocence and maturity that would equal the pre-adolescent girl Persephone refers to further down.

Vintage Anais Anais seems to be forever lasting. Being an edt it surprises me that I can smell it the morning after I wore it. Now the musk/amber combo is more prominent, the flowers that used to sing so loud are just humming in the background. It's just so marvellous. If you love Anais Anais I recommend you to find a vintage. You will love the vintage one even more.

Finally I have to say something about the excellent quality of the spray mechanism. There I said it.

As far as names go, this one should of earned the name "flowerbomb"! Intense spicy carnation, rose, somethin' else, somethin' else, a wicked soapy sharp note, then a hint of sandalwoody incense. Loved this as a teenager and recently resurrected it after sniffing too many soft, feminine florals. This one could almost be donned a masculine floral. Love it.

I had bought this a few summers ago especially for a trip to Italy. On my skin, it worked amazingly, even in the hottest weather! My 30ml bottle was gone in just a few weeks.

I simply adored this fragrance. It is a huge bouquet of flowers, but not loud, neither cloying nor soapy.
On my skin it was soft and feminine. I loved the slightly bitter note (probably hyacinth or carnation) which makes this scent more sophisticated than your generic pink-rosey-violet scents.
I would buy this again without hesitation, if it wasn't so strongly connected to certain memories, as most perfumes always are :)

Anais Anais is one of those hugely over-rated, boring florals like Estee Lauder Pleasures. I had a bottle when I was a teenager and thought I liked it and that I was very grown up and sophisticated when I wore it. I quickly went off it though as my tastes developed and improved! I now can't stand it. It's just a mish-mash of what seems like a million different flowers which don't necessarily work well together. It's far too floral, too pungent and just lacking in character.

It's a fragrance that takes some courage to wear because it's far from the fruity-floral soup that's like 80% of the perfumes today (and I'm a floral fruity lover but sometimes enough is enough). And it seems I don't have the guts to wear it either, but I like it very much. It's definitely strong and overpowering, yet mellow and sensual. It's as exuberant as a blooming garden in the afternoon sun, the air dense with polen. I could almost hear the bees buzzing on the petals when I sniffed my wrist. Powdery hiacynt, bitter tuberose, sweet lily, honeysuckle, peony,lots of peopny, all you can imagine, on a very creamy soapy base. It's so familiar and somehow distant, like a deja-vu from another life. Like a picnic from another time - wearing linen white clothes and straw hats and riding old bikes...It stays for ages on the skin (and it was just a Les Jellies EDT edition), but still not my frag, not today.

Chemistry, chemistry, chemistry. All I can say is that this smells like bananas on me...sort of rotten bananas, actually. But it smells so lovely on other people - a fresh, green, light floral. Dang it!

I used this way back in the early 90's and I loved it. I bought another in 2004 but the smell is just not the same. Now its lying somewhere and I dont use it any longer....sorry guys but I dont like it anymore..smell is different

Ive recently tried this. I liked it. To me it smells how it would smell if you put your nose to a fresh bouquet of flowers hence a romantic feeling about it. Having said that, my boyfriend did not like it as he thought it smelt 'boring' whatever that means. Anyway its a nice choice for a floral perfume but is very distinctive and so would only suit some women.

"Aaah, I used to know some realy fatal women wearing this, it is so clear and feminine, when it comes to your memory once, it never goes away...", said a friend of mine the other day.

I was born in 72 and have to say that I am having a good time learning about these very poplular classics. I have this perfume. I do like it. I look forward to discovering others as well.

To me it is the mother of all floral scents out there. So many florals and great if you want to smell like a big bouquet. Not in a bad way, it has a nice scent, but very flowery and I get the picture of a woman in a flower dress tending her flowers on a sunny day in front of her traditional home in the country.

Spraying this fragrance just like jumping into a secret garden of flowers! Just like am bathing the flowery flowers everywhere.. N almost faint cuz it.. Trust me, this is good a powerly heavy flowery scents for hard hot sweaty day, it will help u to survive..

Hi all,
My mom gave me a sample when I was a teenager (an adorable little porcelain bottle) and I loved it ever since. However, it seemed that once I owned a big bottle the magic went away.
I still love it... However it'f funny that I ONLY wear it in rainy weather. It doesn't smell as nice in dry weather, in my opinion. Try it and you may see why some people like it better... It may be only a matter of when they wear it.

Wonderfully delicate and complex, with long staying power. A bit chaste though, and for this reason I associate this scent with couture, actually with the very smell of new, off-the-roll fabric, such as taffetas, tweed or silk.
The fragrance opens innocently enough on lavender and hyacinth tones, than broadens into the opulence of white flowers and finally settles with an infusion of powdery incense.
I want to add: enjoyable for me only if I apply very lightly: I spray in the air once and let the mist settle on me.

I agree, it doesn't quite smell the same, it is more of a pale reflection of its' old self. I wore it in the university in the early 90s. Loved it then to pieces, hiacynth, honeysuckle, lemons and subtle leather is what is the most prominent on my skin. I think it is very youthful, very feminine; it's a blonde perfume, in my opinion.
people that like oriental perfumes, will probably not like this one.

I wore this as a teenager in 1979 at 18 or 19 years old lol and I remember its smelling better back than

I found a bottle over Christmas this year , It brought back memories ha ha ! ya just cannot beat an old classic such as Anais Anais
Its still a wonderful scent and unique ,really hard to describe in words , but its just not the same LOL

I have a minni of this just so I could sample it. On my skin its a nice almost soapy floral. Not my thing typically, but I love the scent ofrose and other flowers mixed with slightly soapy sandalwood. Will be getting a fully bottle!

Old perfumes by Cacharel are all very agressive but interesting, a wonderful exploration; I don't like to wear them in public, except from Eden, because they need conviction. I feel that Anais Anais is also a respectable perfume, descriptive of some very beautiful women, but doesn't say anything about me.

I have never smelled another perfume that comes close to Anais Anais. It is simply perfect.

I loved this perfume 20 years ago and it still smells lovely on me today.

When I first smelled Juicy Couture's original fragrance, I was immediately taken back to a scent from my childhood - something very strong and flowery that my mom liked to wear yet gave us all headaches. I couldn't put a finger on what that perfume was until I spotted an empty bottle of this in a drawer. It still smelled as overpowering as it did back in the day! So if you're a fan of JC, you might like this one. Be warned, however, that this is not a floral for the faint of heart!

I just discovered this monument, an ode to Lolita. Well, just like Humbert Humbert, I'm totally and blindly in love with my Dolores. Since this perfume has such a blatantly cheap chemical composition, this is a forbidden love ... which is even sweeter. This scent is not of a woman, but of a pre-adolescent girl who lives deep in all of us. Doe eyed, rosy cheeked, fresh out of the shower in white socks but that skirt is just too dangerously short. And she already knows it. The cedar/leather base gives this seemingly naive white floral perfume such an ooze of sexuality, which wraps you around like the most tender beige suede glove. I can understand the negative reviews however, since this review is for a vintage EDT, and as far as I know the new scent was reformulated to the point of total chemical harshness. I wouldn't bother even trying it in order not to kill my precious little girl.

Surprisingly I do not like this. It is just too much of everything all rolled into one... It isn't like I am heavily repulsed by it - it isn't all that bad, I just do not care for it. I would never ever wear it. I could easily see how people could get headaches from it. Just definitely not a scent at all for me.

I love this perfume! I don't like floral perfumes at all, but this was quit a surprise. I tested it by chance, because I loved the bottle. And a miracle happened: a wonderful bouquet of spring flowers, make you feel young and happy. I can only smell lily and hyacinth, but as a lily lover that's fine.The perfect fragrance for spring and when you want to blossom.

When I spray this fragrance, I sometimes regret using it because first spritz smells a bit cheap. When the perfume has settled it will unfold the fresh orange blossoms, the hyacinth and the deep scent of jasmines. It dries down to a creamy green scent with the orange blossoms as the dominating note.
The longevity is extremely good even for the EDT.
It's a very intense and unique scent - by unique I mean that this is probably the most beautiful white flower scent ever made, there's really nothing like it. This is one of my all time favourites.

There are two things I don't like about this perfume though:
It has a big time label screaming: 1980'es! It could almost prevent me from wearing it.
And I simply don't like the bottle.

Be aware that this is not an EDP you can save in ages. I becomes rank rather quickly.

In 3 words: GREEN - CREAMY - ROMANTIC

Purchased relying on reviews and note composition on website only.
What a mistake!!!!
It is the most disgusting frgarance I have ever smelled.
EVER!
It made me sick straight away and I could not get rid of it from my wrists.
I felt sick all day and I don't understand how could anyone intruduce it to the market?
Overall, I am rather tolerant person, I understand different perfume suit different people with different tastes.
So I am careful with any critics regarding fragrances.
But that one - I could not even use it in my toilet or pantry as air freshener.
Just makes me vomit.
Binned the bottle, thank God I only bought a 30ml one :-)

A very cheerful and ultra feminine floral scent. You will notice the best of this fragrance after waiting at least 30 minutes. It is also very long lasting.

For me, it's one of the best floral fragrances,soft and feminine without being overpowering.

Being a lover of florals makes me say this is the best fragrance ever created. It is one of a kind and nobody can dislike it.

Today I have been in Anais Anais heaven. It was -8° celsius outside and white, cold squeeking snow under my boots.

I choose the edp version which is quite uncommon (the flower motif on the bottle and box is pink/lilac instead of pink/green). I got it a year ago and have been a bit hesitant using it in warm weather because it is so much more of everything in the fragrance.

Today was just the perfect day for it. I felt like I was wrapped in the softest cashmere wool shawl, surronded by flower petals. The drydown is amazing: softer and a bit sweeter than the edt but the base still matures the scent by its leathery accord. And the best thing is that it lasts, lasts and lasts...

This is definitely an 80's and a teen smell, but that doesn't stop me wandering back. Feminine and flowery with such a pretty bottle. A slight waft of the bottle and I'm back getting ready for the Disco, hair as big as I could make it!

I dont know why this is an Eau De Toilette - it's pungent and intense scent is more like a heavy perfume.

Anais Anais is much like floral extracts being injected with steroids. Heady and somewhat head-ache inducing.

Here is a note to my mother -
"Mama, I am sooo sorry I stole this from your vanity table, it stinks now and I dont want it anymore PLEASE TAKE IT BAAAAACK!"

It is interesting that some call it sharp. I agree that it is strong but in a very floral way with an underlying soft creaminess. A friend of mine used to wear it so I always recognise it as her scent so don't feel I can 'own' it, which is a pity, because it is one of the few really lasting perfumes on me. Because it is unusually distinctive and so recognisable anywhere, that makes it a little less desirable for me but every now and then when I spray some on and just enjoy the smooth but heady florals it just makes me feel good because it is quite an unashamedly 'yummy' fragrance.

I have this perfume on today, and yes a little goes a long way.Today I dosed my self with this scent, never again, definitely a love hate relationship. It gave me a headache.DEFINITELY A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY.

Woods!, woods after a summer shower,(I'm surrounded by woods, so this is a definite impression) and a
zinger of citruses - this is what hits me first. ( note to self - this is not a wispy little scent, the bottle fooled you! )

Not so shy florals burst in next, settling into a very Dovey soap smell...

This really packed a olfactory wallop,and I admit I wasn't too pleased with this at the first try . (Now I realize I was too liberal applying this the first time.)

Later in the day went this got alot softer, easier ,especially while I was outside in the sunshine, this scent mixing with my sun warmed skin was actualy very pleasant.

A very clean, fresh, sharp , woodsy floral - I really do not get the leather in this, which that's why I got this - love leather, but the sharp woodsy note works out just fine after all .

A lovely scent after all , just has to be applied with a very light hand , this fragrance is very strong so just a very light misting on the skin will diffuse this just fine - and will last pretty much all day ; in my experience.

Before I smelled this, I expected a delicate, feminine fragrance that could be suitable for all occasions, special and everyday alike.

This is where the saying "don't judge the book by its cover" comes in.

My first thought was, INTENSE. I was convinced that the streght of the stench on the paper tester was just the alcohol, so I waited a bit, waving the little cardboard ractangle around, waftig that smell everywhere. However, the intensity didn't fade very much. The fragrance felt overpowering and definitely not what I expeted.

The misguiding, soft pink and white packaging made me imagine an innocent scent suitable for younger wearers. In my opinion, the fragrance doesn't suit the delicate packaging. I'm not sure what colour the bottle should be. Maybe an ornate, heavy, brown glass one would suit it better. I don't know.

The smell is definitely overpowering, and very, very flowery. I'm not a big fan of strictly floral fragrances, which may be why I don't like this perfume. There is too much intensive notes at once, and it feels just like smalling a huge bouquet of artificially scented flowers at once.

I can see why older, mature women see this as appealing. However, I don't understand the widespread fascination people my own age have with this fragrance.

first: leather, smoke and bitter white florals.

later: soft and powdery, yet strong and noticeable. It smells like Dove deodorant, or Downy fabric softener in a good way.

before it dies: Orange blossoms and jasmine, soft white florals. very faintly


*Lasts about 4 hrs min, 8 max

I first bought this when I was in Paris aged 13 - it seemed very grown up and sophisticated to me then, I wore it a lot as a teenager. Now in my middle age I've rediscovered it, and realised what good taste I had as a teen!

Anais Anais is what I'd call a really good old-fashioned powdery floral, soft and delicate but pervasive, warm on the skin, creamy rather than sweet in the dry-down. Ultra-feminine is absolutely right!

I only wish I'd rediscovered it years ago, because I adore it.

I know this is for some reason a hugely popular perfume but personally I find it sickening. I have been given this as a present before and had to give it away, I just couldn't wear it. I have never liked any of Cacharel's perfumes, finding them cheap-smelling, and had a similar reaction to Eden. I thought I liked it when I smelled it on someone else, got some, put it on, and promptly sickened myself and all of my family! So, no, big thumbs down on this one for me, another one where I just don't get what all the fuss about it is.

It's a love hate relationship.This scent can be over powering.When used in small dose,it smells very floral and sexy.Though I am not a fan of this scent I did get a compliment, how nice it smells on me. My skin chemistry agrees with it.

The old classical perfume that i still remember most ladies wore when i was young is always in trend.Wonderful floral ,a bit of spicy woody-the perfect combination.What else can i say...ANAIS

I have tried every expensive fragrance out there and this one gets me all the compliments. My chemistry does not mix well with most fragrances but it loves this combination. I LOVE IT!! It is my guilty pleasure.

This perfume was given to me as a gift from my Father when he went overseas... I got it in a double pack! Unfortunately I really didn't like it... to me it has a cheap overpowering soap smell, the type of perfume one might find in a discount store. I love florals but sadly this one didn't do it for me. Maybe if I smell it again, I will like it? Although I doubt it. I remember it as a strong soapy detergent smell. It is suitable as a 'first' perfume until you develop your own taste of what you like. The bottle is darling though, very feminine.

Do you know how cinema and fashion from the late 70's--early 80's seemed so drenched in hazy sunshine or fog; natural and as if dusted over in powdery pastels? Maybe it was the lenses used, maybe the popular artistic sensiblity, but everyone's hair seemed to shimmer in natural sunshine and the soft browns, pinks, gray-taupes, blues and creams of the era, seemed to glow in soft focus; that's how my nose reads "Anais Anais". It opens on a burst of dewy hyacinth, fresh with the inclusion of a soapy lavender but already turning into something skintone warm and creamy. It then simmers and roars into a white-floral, fleshiness that reminds me of sebum on clean but languid bodies; maybe you've been lounging on a Sunday morning or laying in an open field and the sun warms your shampooed head. Maybe you're lingering in a spring garden on as lazy afternoon; maybe you're sitting beside a fire and watching snow fall, feeling the carnal sweetness of cashmere warm against your skin. It finally dries down into a creamy but woody sweetness, reminding me of dried, grassy fields, saddles and kid gloves treated with perfume. "Anais Anais" does smell "vintage" but only in an ancien regime way, evoking Trianon, Victorian picnics at Hanging Rock and nostalgic seaside vacations, where the days were painted in beige sands and hay-like grasses and skies were soft blue or peachy, golden sunsets. Warm, hazy, powdery-clean, but with a distinctly carnal edge. "Anais Anais" is the elusive, dreamily distant scent of memories.

It's surprising how this fragrance stood the test of time. I have yet to find a fragrance similar to this one, that's equally fresh - powdery and slightly soapy, discreet but definitely noticeable. What's alluring about is the leather - skin note, that makes it just a tad 'dirty', in a good way. It reminds me of Anais Nin and her 'erotica'. She was self-assured in the world, but in the bedroom, she wanted to be a woman, and wanted to be dominated.

Anais is timeless, because it's versatile and has a schoolgirl but sexy woman charm as well. I think you must have the right chemistry for it and for others it may not get past the 'innocent girl dressed in white' image. As Anais warms on my skin and mixes with my chemistry, it becomes a gentle floral that's equally like freshly washed skin (lemon + oakmoss) and sun-drenched skin (leather + sandalwood). I rarely wear it and mostly in early autumn but it has a steady place in my collection.

I have fond memories of Anais-Anais as it was the fragrance I wore it on my wedding day- and Anais Nin is one of my all-time favorite writers-

all the same, as much as I love florals, I would now have to say that it's almost TOO floral- very frilly and a little fussy, somehow- it needs something sharp to give it more definition-

My uncle from Holland sent this to my mother years ago when I was 13, and I kept this in my room. Being too young to appreciate perfumes, I carelessly used it all up.

My guilty shame is that till this day I still cannot tolerate it's fragrance as I had hoped my tastes would change as I got older.
This still gives me the impression of having a bouquet of flowers being shoved up my nostrils.
A potentially lethal perfume not to be used by those who are allergic or sensitive

este perfume me trae muchos recuerdos muy buenos mi madre lo utilizaba era uno de sus perfumes favoritos siempre se lo ponia para algun evento nocturno y me recuerdo que cuando se lo ponia toda su habitacion quedaba con el olor tan agradable de anais anais me encanta esa fragancia.

I find it lovely and soapy. However, this soapiness reminds me so much of a regular deodorant! Because of this, I've never felt comfortable to wear it. I like it on other people but my 100ml bottle stands on my wardrobe untouched..

One of the best fragrances ever created for someone as I for whom many fragrances are overwhelming to my chemical sensitivites. Devinely delicate, yet lasting. I constantly recieve compliments with this fragrance (as well as any delicate rose-scented fragrance). My first compliment which I received while wearing this beautiful fragrance was in 1987. I must have had dozens of compliments from both genders over the years while wearing Anais, Anais. The name is as elegant as its scent.

I love this youth-associated scent, and even though I'm an "old dog on the road," I wear it for any season, any reason!

Clean, fresh, and timeless. Great silage. Lasts, too!

You just can't go wrong with this.

This scent to me is the eptiome of childhood innocence combined with delicate feminimity. It opens up as a very gentle and floral scent. Then it remains light and floral but it soon becomes much more sweeter and less citrusy than in the opening. But then the sweetness disappears and turns into a musky smell. Abit like the journey from girl too woman you start out light and innocent and come out as a grown up woman on the other side. Very complex and beautiful.

this was my very first perfume!! i love it!!! so sweet and innocent! it brings a lot of memories!

I found it awful!! It makes me want to sneeze. The bottle distract u with its soft look but its notes like candy sprayed with pepper.
I honestly found it weir... Teenage girl may like it. I some how smell rubber in it.......!!

I get nostalgic everytime i wear this.Reminds me of my " single" days when a boyfriend would sit for hours with me in the library complimenting on how pretty i smelled.
The drydown is better than the first notes,gets milder but sophisticated. The merge of the florals is simply delightful! I'd love to buy a second bottle anytime.

It smells just like a fresh bouquet of flowers with a little bit of musk in it and I think it perfectly fits with women who are feminine, gentle and elegant. This perfume is a matter of style, that's why many people love and many hate.

i feel like anais anais lacks in ingredients...(even though i was suprised by the amount of notes in it!!!!) the scent is so plain that you get bored of it after a while. i believe that it doesnt differ from plain low cost colognes(see body shop frangrance line)what i mean is that this particular perfume could easily be part of a low cost frangrance line.you can smell this on a woman and tell its "anais anais" even if its not! but of course thats a plus only for the cheap frangrances...not for a brand like cacharel.

I had it as a teenager and I always remember it as a romantic ans sweet fragrance. I tried it lately however and I just don't like it anymore, I find it too childish somehow, and I would not wear it anymore, however it brings me back good memories from those years.

Excuse me for being blunt, but this fragrance disgusts me completely. It smells like old lady floral and is certainly much too strong for anyone under the age of 60 to wear. I had a massive headache the entire day I wore this.

Wear this if you want everyone around you to gag a little.

This is one of my mother's staple and as every of her staples is not mine.
She says it's so fresh and delicate! I think it's very harsh and offensive. Many Cacharel scents are so. They look so innocent and becomes offensive when worn. I can't stand the smell of Anais Anais on my skin. It smellslike a mix between funerals and a pretending to be naive girl. For sure this has to do with schooltime memories, but the fragrance itself is harsh, pungent and cloying, all at the same time.

although i see a lot of "ingredients" in this perfume, all i can smell is tuberose and lilly-of-the-valley. i don't dislike it, but at some point i just don't feel confortable wearing it.

Anais Anais was one of my first "good" perfumes. I purchased a bottle in 1985 and used it throughout high school, and I absolutely loved it then. I hadn't sniffed it in 20+ years until recently, and upon revisiting, I find it has lost its charm. It smells a bit simple and dated now, all heavy florals and bitter greens. I find it actually has an unpleasant sour undertone, like rotting flowers in a vase. Or perhaps it just brings up too many bad memories from high school for me. Anais Anais had its time and place, but I've moved on with life and with my perfume choices as well.

I don't like this perfume at all it smells good when first sprayed but after it dries down it smells like flowers and leather a nasty combination and it made me feel nauseated I couldn't wash it off it has good lasting power.And the bottle is strange looking doesn't even look like a perfume.

Flowers and powder is always a lovely combination for me, it isn´t oldfashioned it was just created in different era, rich, flowery, beautiful, so much better than many modern so called floral perfumes.

ANAIS ANAIS is the scent of my childhood. My mother & several other relatives all swore by it for years.

It is a strong white floral. I tried it again recently for the memories & it is still pleasant to wear & is affordable. However, it is quite overpowering & headache inducing, so I wouldn’t buy it again.

The lasting power is excellent & the simple bottle is sophisticated.

I had a bottle of it when I was in college, and I really wanted to like it when I tested it again recently.

BUT...

The delicate floral I remembered, turned into roadkill under a rubber tire on my skin. The leather base note is VERY strong.

I can appreciate it, it's a beautiful classic fragrance, but unfortunately I can't wear it.

Such an exceptional feminine scent! Elegant and attractive, reminds me of a different era ,while being seasonable.

Brings out a feeling of cleanliness and peace. And no it's not boring. It's absolutely a lively ,vibrant perfume.

I just wish this fragrance suited my skin...The wonderful floral notes last very little on me, and after a while all i get is leather... I'm so jealous when I smell it on other women! The only solution for that problem is using it on my clothes which is pure delight!

I finally have it and honestly, I almost have forgotten all about how good it really is! A sharp flowery scent, unmistakeable and unique...What I really love in this wonder of the Great Eighties is the hyacinth, feminine, powerful, fascinating scent! The other note I treasure in Anais Anais is a breath of lavender that blends in so nicely and gives it just the right pinch of witchcraft.
And, of course, leather. White, soft, slightly oily , tiny-size leather glove.

I think, those 3 components are the stars in this timeless scent.

When I look sometimes at the endless clones that are massively produced nowadays, I feel pleasure in knowing that this perfume is nothing but.

Not a fragrance I could wear by any means. The floral along with the leather and citrus are all tooo overpowering for my paticular chemistry. I find it a bit touche to "label" a fragrance by age, because I am a firm believer that you are as young as you feel and belive! But I must say that I was very very very young when I saw this addition on my mothers vanity table and I tried it and was immediately offended by the harshnes!!! LOL, years later I have tried it again, only to find the same harshness and offense rests within the bottle.

The ingrediants alone convey a very complex fragrance, and almost makes me wonder what is NOT in it!

As stated before, not everything works for everyone, and I have experimented with many fragrances throughout the years in search of my signature one.

Anais Anais is NOT the one for me.

I thought this was a little too overpowering and powdery for my liking. Not something that I can imagine appealing to me at any age. I wouldn't describe Anais Anais as being powdery and heavy like Chanel No.5, but rather a sourish floral scent. This however has great lasting power. I'm also not a fan of the bottle. They should have made a new bottle design since the original has been around for nearly 40 years.

Update:
I decided to give this another try to see whether my opinions might have changed. At first spray I realised why I didn't like it, it smelt rather like the weeds that are so common in Australian fields. It was greenish and sour. However, the drydown of this fragrance which I'd previously missed was rather likable. It wasn't unique in any way, but was rather soapy, powdery and fresh. Still not my cup of tea but not as bad as I previously thought.

I wore this fragrance my whole teenage years, and collected the makeup bags which were included in the gift with purchase. Still put all my lipsticks in the box the perfume and body lotion came in.

This is a very classic cent. my mom has been using it for years and I started using it recently as well! =) I love it

floral,yes,but a little oriental.love the powdery note

This was one of my first perfumes when I was very young. This is the perfect perfume to wear when you want no vanilla or fruit in your scent. There is no heavy musk to this. I think that the galbamun is the unique part of Anais Anais. You know when you smell this on someone. Very clean and has flowers without being flowery? It gives you the picture of a exotic country,earl greay steeping on the table, dancing in dried flowers with incense burning in the next room. I love it!

A very heady floral with just a hint of sparkle (citrus?)that dries down to a slightly spicy scent that reminds me of warm wind. I like "Anais Anais", though it does hit you over the head a bit with its topnotes. The unfortunate bottle in no way fits this flowery scent.

THis perfume makes me think of a romantic garden party. IT is fresh and floral and sweet, a ftrgrance for a youthful girl or teen.

Not very long ago, me and my best friend made fun about Anais Anais as we found it harsh as teens. And my cheeks did always blush a bit when I year after year saw the old dusty bottle that I gave to my mother some 20 years ago. "How could I", I thought then. HOW COULD I I think now! How could I ever think anything disparaging about this marvellous fragrance. I can understand that I found it a bit heady when I was a teenager: The hyacint is very powerful in the beginning, that's true, but soon the scent opens up to a beautiful bouquet of roses, lilys and jasmine flowers and you can really experience the richness of this fragrance. Eventhough the endnotes contanins a few darker elements like amber and incence, the perfume is not heavy. It is light and dry I think this perfume is one of the most sexiest scents Ive ever had. Just because it doesnt intends to be sexy with obvious notes. It is just light, dry and extremely floral and thats what makes it. I'm in love again!

A true classic. My mother has worn it for years now.
I think this perfume brings back memories for many people.

I hear ya elgab89! well said! I wore this in my 20's and it's a flowerful wonder! I have not owned it for awhile but now I'm in the mood to re-live this blast from the past! Thanks for the reminder.

OK, I had to get back to this thread and defend this perfume.
It really bothers me when I hear people saying it smells old. WHAT?!?
And musky? Where? How?
Pleaaaase... this perfume is a floral light scent: it has flowers that bloom mostly in May and June - therefore I associate this with young, not with old!!!!! If it was spicy, oriental.... I would understand, but - HELLO! it is a light floral!
And OMG! a funeral parlor?!?!?!?!?!? How can you see it this way - again - it is a light floral! This is not a heavy scent, it is not Fracas or A la Nuit (which I adore, by the way). There are no lilies in it, which are the flowers most associated with funeral, and it has lemon, moss- which means fresh! I have not been yet to a fresh funeral!
I find that most people hating this perfume are either too young and unexperienced, or too stuck with the new awfully boring sweet gourmand scents that all the new actresses / singers (which I would not trust anyway when it comes to my fragrances) advertise.
Also, there is a trend nowadays to turn your nose to everything that was made before 1990 - just check the opinions on those perfumes - you will always find a young girl saying it smells like her grandma. Well, grandma had style and you do not, because you judge the quality by how new it is, not by how good it is!
There, I said it! It is off my chest!

The first spritz showed immediate effect of heady jasmine and heavy musk: making me choking and had a big headache.
I wish my chem fitted this, but unfortunately not.

I wish I liked the scent more, because it has such an exquisite bottle, and the whole idea of it is very appealing, but behind all those white flowers and romance there's an underlying note which somehow bothers me, probably leather.

More nostalgic observations from me. The scent of my late girlhood, and the first 'lady's' perfume I ever owned. Extremely evocative of the 1980s. I remember this being immensely popular, and recall my mother and even my grandmother wearing it. Era-defining. Nice to smell again after all this time.

Unusual for me to say, I really love this perfume. As long as it has been around, I've tried it for the first time only a week ago. It's beautiful, and it has an innocence about it that I'm drawn to. It's a floral that isn't soapy or overwhelming, but it isn't light. It's delicate and feminine. Wow! Quite an exception to my dislike of very floral fragrances. :)

A totally '80s fragrance, but one of my all-time favorites. It remindes me of being in a well-manicured flower garden after a spring rain, maybe alone with a good book or at a garden party with close friends and we're all wearing pastel cotton dresses. Ultra-feminine, gentle, and exquisitely beautiful.

I had it in my teens, I still like to go back to it from time to time. Flower Power!