Cacharel is relaunching its 1978 classic Anaïs Anaïs. It will now be called Anaïs Anaïs L’Original, and it will be joined by Anaïs Anaïs Premier Délice, a fresh fruity-floral variation. Anaïs Anaïs Premier Délice was created by perfumers Olivier Cresp and Dora Baghriche, and it includes notes of galbanum, bergamot, orange, pear, hyacinth, peony, cocoa, and cedar.
The original Anaïs Anaïs is a legendary fragrance that set many trends with its tender, romantic character. It blends hyacinth, orange blossom, green notes, carnation, iris, jasmine, lily, lily of the valley, rose, tuberose, ylang-ylang, honeysuckle, cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver, amber, musk, and incense. Despite all of its rich notes, Anaïs Anaïs feels breezy and radiant.
Anaïs Anaïs Premier Délice will be available in 30 and 50ml Eau de Toilette starting April 1st, 2014. Via vogue.fr.
85 Comments
rosarita: Wonder how it compares to the actual original? My mother wore this all through the 80s. March 25, 2014 at 7:16am
Victoria: I haven’t compared them side by side, but I smelled L’Original at the local perfumery and it’s very good. My aunt used to wear Anais Anais, so I have such great memories of it. March 25, 2014 at 9:52am
Anne of Green Gables: There’s something innocent yet sensual about the original Anais Anais – like a girl who has just come out of shower with the smell of soap lingering on her skin. I like that it’s not so sweet (it actually verges on being slightly bitter) but I found it to be very soapy. I didn’t know that there was a flanker called Anais Anais Eau Legere released in 2006 with “chocolate flower” note. Has anyone tried it? March 25, 2014 at 7:49am
Victoria: I also find it soapy, but I still like it. As for that flanker, I haven’t tried it, since it’s impossible to keep up with them all. Who knows what this chocolate flower is! It could be a base or a fantasy accord or something totally made up. March 25, 2014 at 9:54am
Anne of Green Gables: Appearantly there is a flower called Chocolate Daisy or Lyreleaf Greeneyes(Berlandiera lyrata) that smells of cocoa. I doubt that they used any essence from the plant in the composition but it’s so fascinating that such flowers exist and I’d love to smell them. March 25, 2014 at 11:51am
Victoria: Have you smelled chocolate mint? It’s a type of mint with a hint of cocoa. I’m not sure if I would have picked up the cocoa if I weren’t told it’s there, but this mint really smells very different from either spearmint or peppermint. March 25, 2014 at 11:59am
Anne of Green Gables: No, I haven’t. In fact, I’ve never heard of it. I absolutely love mint and chocolate pairing (I also love them own their own, of course) so I’ll have to search for this plant. 🙂 March 25, 2014 at 4:02pm
Victoria: Mint is very easy to grow in a pot, so I had some chocolate mint growing indoors. Rubbing a few leaves between fingers was enough to chase away the stress or light headache. I should replant my mint again, now that I have some space on the balcony. March 25, 2014 at 4:36pm
annemariec: Love chocolate mint. I drop a sprig of it into boiling water as a herbal ‘tea’. It is certainly not as sharp as the other mints. March 25, 2014 at 5:59pm
Victoria: Yes, that’s what I like about it too. It has a refreshing flavor like other mints, but it doesn’t seem as pungent. March 26, 2014 at 6:39am
Tourmaline: There is a variety of Cosmos flower that many people say smells like chocolate. It is Cosmos atrosanguineus (Chocolate Cosmos), which is native to Mexico. The flowers are a dark, red-brown colour, and, according to Wikipedia, they have “a light vanillin fragrance (like many chocolates), which becomes more noticeable as the summer day wears on”.
The BBC gardening website says that the plant is now fashionable “as much for its scent of vanilla and hot chocolate” as for its colour.
I like the original Anaïs Anaïs and am looking forward to trying the new variation. I see that they have come up with a pretty pink version of the original, dressing-table-worthy bottle. It is hard to tell for sure from the picture, but it appears to be opaque, like the first one, and therefore likely to protect the perfume from light. March 25, 2014 at 6:51pm
Victoria: Thank you so much, Tourmaline! My grandmother grows Cosmos flowers, so when I visit her, I will be sure to smell them carefully. 🙂 March 26, 2014 at 6:43am
Tourmaline: I hope that Chocolate Cosmos does not turn out to be a disappointment for you, Victoria. I have never smelled it; however it is featured in many of my books on flowers, and always looks enticing. For years now it has been on my list of perfumed flowers that I would like to see and smell for myself one day, along with violet, lilac, lily-of-the-valley and heliotrope. March 26, 2014 at 6:08pm
Victoria: I’m sure it won’t, if only because the colors of Chocolate Cosmos are simply stunning. I love many other daisy varieties for their honeyed, musty scent. I know it doesn’t sound conventionally pretty, but it’s surprisingly addictive. 🙂
My grandmother said that there are scented violets blooming all over her garden right now. I wish I could be there to smell them. March 27, 2014 at 6:21am
Henrique Brito: There is also some orchid varieties that smells like chocolate. My mom was gifted a long time ago with one of those and i still remember the smell that lingered on the air around, a very creamy white chocolate aroma. March 26, 2014 at 12:17pm
Tourmaline: That aroma sounds wonderful, Henrique. March 26, 2014 at 7:31pm
Sandra: YAY!
Have you tried this? March 25, 2014 at 9:10am
Victoria: Not the flanker, but I saw L’Original is at stores already. It smells very good. March 25, 2014 at 9:57am
Sandra: I think I may like the “original” one as well.
I remember the last time I was in Rome my friend Lucia was telling me to buy Anais Anais because it smelled good on me when we were spritzing perfumes at a local shop. I wanted to buy it duty free, but then got caught up with this Italian flirt at the airport that bought me an espresso.
OH well! Maybe I can find it here in NYC somewhere. March 25, 2014 at 11:56am
Victoria: Oh la la! There are no flirts like the guys in Rome. 🙂 March 25, 2014 at 12:05pm
Lainie: I loved the original. I hope the new version is as wonderful as I remember it! March 25, 2014 at 9:16am
Victoria: I love the porcelain jar too, which seems so different from the more usual transparent glass containers. March 25, 2014 at 9:58am
Mary: I loved the original but don’t think I’d wear it now. But I would definitely buy it for my daughter. March 25, 2014 at 9:36am
Victoria: It’s such a charming perfume, and I suppose that with these new variations, Cacharel is also trying to appeal to a new audience. March 25, 2014 at 9:59am
Samantha at IScentYouaDay: This is great news. Although fruity floral scents are not my thing, it’s great that they have recognised the thirst for them whilst keeping the original and not reformulating it to modern palates.
Anais Anais L’Original will be my preferred choice though, but kudos for keeping it going Cacharel! March 25, 2014 at 9:40am
Victoria: Cacharel is usually very good about finding a balance between trends and its core character, and their perfumes are also well-crafted. March 25, 2014 at 10:00am
Aisha: YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(That is all. 🙂 ) March 25, 2014 at 10:54am
Victoria: I gather that it’s one of your favorites? 🙂 March 25, 2014 at 11:56am
Aisha: From my early college years. Loved the scent of the original. I’m looking forward to trying the flanker. I’m also curious to see how much the original changed over the years. March 25, 2014 at 12:00pm
Victoria: It’s changed, for sure, but I haven’t compared side by side yet. First, I’ve decided that I will test the current version and enjoy it on its own merits, and only then will I compare. Otherwise, I would immediately see the differences and focus on them. March 25, 2014 at 12:07pm
Aisha: You’re right about trying to enjoy the new one on its own merits first. Who knows? Maybe I’ll enjoy the new one as much as I do the original (still have some left in my bottle). 🙂 March 26, 2014 at 12:19pm
Victoria: 🙂 I’m going to wait for your observations, Aisha! March 26, 2014 at 2:02pm
Susiebelle: So funny to read this. Subbed at my former school last week and the teacher I was working with smelled awesome. It smelled very familiar and it was Anais Anais. I’ve been thinking about this fragrance for the last year or so because I had a girl in my class named Anais. I really loved this fragrance back in the day and am thrilled you are giving this return version a thumbs up. March 25, 2014 at 10:58am
Victoria: I’m going to return to the store and smell it again properly, but I really liked it. I remember the original too, which was a creamy, soft floral. March 25, 2014 at 11:57am
Jillie: I used to have the whole line in this, including body oil and parfum. People would ask me what I was wearing and get close up to sniff! It was beautiful – long-lasting but not overpowering, delicate and innocent but not sweet. I nearly chose it as my wedding perfume, but it lost out to Cristalle. It sounds like they have done a good job in re-creating it and I look forward to trying it. March 25, 2014 at 11:45am
Victoria: My aunt says that she received lots of nice comments on Anais Anais when she wore it. I also remember seeing body oil at the discount stores, but I never tried it. March 25, 2014 at 11:58am
Jillie: It was great – a dry body oil that didn’t leave me greasy, just gave my legs a nice sheen. I have a vague recollection that some of the products, including the extrait, came in frosted bottles (possibly engraved), which was quite different to the white porcelain bottles. The other memory I have is that the juice could turn quite quickly – I wonder if this has changed now? March 25, 2014 at 12:22pm
Andy: I think I remember reading that Anais at one point contained quite a generous amount of jasmine absolute and other natural ingredients. And I’ve seen old bottles at thrift stores that have turned—I wonder if perhaps the naturals have something to do with why the formula wasn’t the most stable? March 25, 2014 at 1:32pm
Jillie: I think you are right, Andy. I am absolutely certain they won’t be quite so generous with jasmine absolute nowadays! March 25, 2014 at 2:49pm
Victoria: I don’t remember the frosted bottles, but when I saw the photos online, they seemed familiar. Maybe, my aunt did have a frosted bottle, after all. It was in the 80s when she wore Anais Anais. March 25, 2014 at 4:32pm
Austenfan: The EDP also came in a frosted bottle. Also the colours on the label were different to the ones on the EDT. March 25, 2014 at 4:55pm
behemot: Original Anais Anais was my first ever fragrance in the eighties. As a high school student, I felt very mature (and sexy, but the modest girls did not use this word then :).
It was my signature scent for a long time and even today a may old friends associate me with Anais Anais. I don’t wear it anymore …
I am so curious about the flanker! March 25, 2014 at 12:47pm
Victoria: It sounds like a sexy perfume for a schoolgirl, but then again, Anais Anais was famous for its blend of innocent and sultry. I’m sure you smelled wonderful! 🙂 March 25, 2014 at 4:33pm
Austenfan: My first proper perfume. Lovely that they are reissuing it. I’ve still got a bottle of EDT that I bought about 5-10 years ago.
I remember I actually liking the EDP more than the EDT. It seemed a bit more rounded. March 25, 2014 at 1:00pm
Victoria: I would love to hear how it compares to the new one. I didn’t pay attention when I smelled whether I tested the EDT or the EDP. I helped a friend to look for a new perfume, and she fell for Anais Anais almost immediately. March 25, 2014 at 4:34pm
Miruna: Great news! Anais Anais EdP was my first perfume, back in junior high. About a year ago, I saw the Edt at the mall, and bought a bottle. Unfortunately, it`s less creamy than the EdP and the drydown smells really synthetic; so I gave it away to one of my nieces, who adores both the fragrance and the bottle.
I didn`t know there`s so many notes in AA, I always thought of it as a bouquet of white flowers and hyacinth and never dug deeper than that. I must smell L`original! March 25, 2014 at 2:16pm
Victoria: I’ll have to see if the EDP and the EDT both are still around. My memory of Anais Anais is similar to yours, a creamy white floral with a crunchy green layer. March 25, 2014 at 4:35pm
Andy: I’m a big admirer of Anaïs Anaïs, so I’m glad to see that Cacharel is maintaining the line. It hadn’t been discontinued, to my knowledge (or I could be mistaken), so is it safe to assume that L’Original is a slight tweak on the current formula, or simply a case of rebranding? In any case, I think Anais is one fragrance from the past that never smells dated, so a re-launch perhaps makes a lot of sense. March 25, 2014 at 5:42pm
Victoria: I’m sure that it was tweaked, since Anais Anais was made in 1978 and so many ingredients have been restricted since then. But I don’t know how it was changed, since I haven’t compared. March 26, 2014 at 6:38am
Hannah: It’s always funny to me that everyone seems to have fond memories attached to this perfume, because I really have no idea what it smells like. March 25, 2014 at 5:45pm
Victoria: It should be easy to find at any European perfumery, so if you have a chance, give it a try. March 26, 2014 at 6:39am
Hannah: I’m a bit scared because it seems so mythological to me. It probably would be at Rossmann so I’ll check for it. Btw, I moved from Hamburg and I’m in Bonn now (just thought I’d mention that since I already mentioned Hamburg a million times. I live 100 meters from the Rhine!). March 26, 2014 at 3:19pm
Victoria: Hope that you’re enjoying Bonn. What are your impressions so far? March 26, 2014 at 3:23pm
Hannah: I didn’t see Anais Anais at Douglas or Rossmann but the Douglas nearby is small. I’ll probably go into the city center Douglas someday.
Bonn is pretty small….which has positive and negative aspects. I’m a big walker so I can take the metro to Hauptbahnhof and then just walk from there.
When I send my friends pictures they usually say ”It looks beautiful!” but I don’t really think so; I’d say it is more quaint. March 28, 2014 at 9:28am
Anne of Green Gables: Hannah, is there a Müller nearby? The Müller in my village isn’t that big and has limited number of perfumes but it still carries Anais Anais and other Cacharel perfumes. Rossmann or dm aren’t so great for perfumes, I think. I hope you settle well in Bonn. March 28, 2014 at 9:40am
Victoria: It takes a while to get used to a new place, and I understand that you’ve moved around a lot. I hope that you will find some charming corners in Bonn and more things to like about it. March 28, 2014 at 3:08pm
Hannah: I went to the city center Douglas and again couldn’t find it, but then today I found out there’s a big Douglas in the city center and it was there. Anais Anais is what I thought/hoped Bluebell would smell like.
I went through a phase in which I really wanted a floral and I thought Bluebell would really be the one for me (sometimes I come up with stylistic concepts for myself that I don’t even actually understand). Then I got a sample from a friend and didn’t like it at all. Anais Anais is basically what I wanted during that phase but I’m still a flower hater at my core so I only enjoy it on an objective level.
I don’t dislike Bonn but it is a pretty unexceptional place. It’s better than being home, at least. April 5, 2014 at 12:36pm
Victoria: Interesting that you mention Bluebell, because today we visited a nearby bluebell forest, and when walking around, I was really reminded of fresh green hyacinth. When I returned home, I tried Cristalle Eau de Parfum and Anais Anais, of which AA was the closest. April 6, 2014 at 4:27pm
Maren: I just dug out an old bottle of Anais Anais EdT that came from my parents house when it was sold a few years ago. I’m sure it was my Mom’s, most likely from the 80’s but I think it smells like nail polish remover. Would you say it has turned bad? I don’t know how to tell, but I’m guessing it is! March 25, 2014 at 7:23pm
Victoria: Yep, sounds like it has turned. The nail polish remover smell is a sure sign that the juice has deteriorated. March 26, 2014 at 6:46am
Maren: Hah, makes sense, because I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to wear it! But from your description of the relaunch I can sort of imagine how it might have been. It will be fun to see what the new relaunch is like. March 26, 2014 at 8:12pm
Victoria: It’s easy to tell a turned perfume–if it doesn’t smell good, then it’s bad. 🙂 Of course, all of us have different ideas of what smells bad, but anything obviously unpleasant–rancid notes, nail polish remover, etc. are a sign of things gone wrong. March 27, 2014 at 6:26am
Patty: I do not like the new version at all. It seems Cacharel is targeting the younger shoppers. I started using it decades ago. I always preferred the light, subtle, feminine, powdery, translucent scent which would stay on me for hours (EDT). This new L’Original is louder, bolder, and missing so much of what was the other scent. They are losing me as a dedicated customer unless they bring back the other one. March 19, 2016 at 3:27pm
Jennifer: I totally agree with you, Patty! I have searched the entire web trying to find out why they discontinued the Eau de Toilette. It is far superior. The lady at the drugstore tried to tell me they smell exactly the same. Yeah, no. Not even close! The EDT is so special. Almost iridescent. The L’Original is flat and mundane. I most certainly will never purchase it! WHY did they discontinue EDT???? I need to know! April 30, 2018 at 6:46pm
Kandice: I wore the original in the 80’s and thought it was such a pretty, light fragrance – so different from fragrances like Opium, Coco, and Poison (which I also liked). I’m glad to see it’s returning and that it’s getting positive reviews. I’ll have to try it again and see if it lives up to my memories. March 25, 2014 at 10:40pm
Victoria: You’ve reminded me why Anais Anais stood out so much when it was launched. Many other best-selling perfumes were big and dramatic, and Cacharel went for something so completely different. March 26, 2014 at 6:48am
Henrique Brito: I may be one of the few mans that has Anais Anais to wear himself lol At first i didn’t like it, i remember that when i smell it on strip i found something animalic that i disliked. But i ended ordering a small bottle of it on a sale and started to enjoy the clean floweriness of it. It smells of soap, but to me also of expensive beauty lotion creams too. March 26, 2014 at 12:20pm
Victoria: Oh, I can imagine that it would smell great on anyone. You’re right about the clean, soapy scent of Anais Anais. I’ll ask my husband to try it. March 26, 2014 at 1:51pm
Lynn Morgan: I didn’t know the original Anais Anais had ever gone away! I thought it was one of those perennials like Chanel #5 or Opium that just went on and on… I had an older friend who wore it, and it seemed a lot like her: fresh, yet sexy but not matronly, like some scents of the era that tried too hard to be sexy (Giorgio; which to me, always smelled like a thord divorce). I’ve always wondered if it was named for Anais Nin. March 26, 2014 at 5:36pm
Victoria: No, you’re right, Lynn. It was never discontinued; it just has been given a slight new lift and a new campaign. Cacharel has been selling it for so many years, and time to time they give their brand a boost.
I don’t remember if Anais Nin had anything to do with the name, but I have a copy of Michael Edwards’s Perfume Legends, so I’ll check there if he mentions anything about it. March 27, 2014 at 6:14am
Jennifer: Lynn, you’re right, Victoria, you’re mistaken. L’Orignal and Eau de Toilette are different formulas. It’s not just rebranding. April 30, 2018 at 6:48pm
Victoria: It’s been reformulanted, but it’s the same perfume. They had to reformulate to comply with new perfumery regulations. Unfortunately, this is the reality of today’s perfumery business. People worry about allergies, etc, and want their perfumes to be “safe.”
I still find Anais Anais to be close to the original, and as far as the reformulations go, it’s a good one. But of course, if you wore this perfume for years, you’ll notice differences right away. Our noses are precise mechanisms. May 1, 2018 at 4:12am
noseknows: I never wore the original when I was younger, but last year I bought a 7.5-ml “parfum de toilette concentré” on ebay. I love the unusual little bottle, styled after a Chinese snuff bottle, I think. You can see in the 3/16/2014 comment by Cybernoir in this link:
http://www.fragrantica.com/board/viewtopic.php?id=87695
Although it’s described there as parfum, mine is labeled otherwise, as noted above. The juice must be pink, judging from the pink glow when there is light behind the bottle. It was sealed when I bought it and smells very good. I’m curious to sniff the new L’Original! March 26, 2014 at 6:41pm
Victoria: Jillie sent it a picture of that bottle, and it looks gorgeous. I love the frosted details and the design. March 27, 2014 at 6:24am
Lauren: Will this be sold in the US?! March 27, 2014 at 5:00pm
Victoria: I’m not sure where they distribute it. March 28, 2014 at 5:29am
rickyrebarco: That really sounds lovely. I wore the original Anais Anais a lot in college-l loved it.
By the way I am gold I won a giveaway for something so please let me know what info you need from me. Thanks! March 27, 2014 at 9:46pm
Victoria: After all this talk of Anais Anais, I now really crave some!
I received your email and replied. March 28, 2014 at 5:32am
Gillian: I have the Anais Anais eau Legere and I adore it. I much prefer it to the original fragrance. I only have a tiny drop left and I am googling desperately to find a reputable seller/shop that stock it. I have a horrible feeling it is discontinued :o( May 31, 2014 at 10:46pm
Linda: I really don’t like the L’ORIGINAL and would love to find a source for the former version. There is very little fragrance to it and I really miss the former one. Anyone have any idea where to find it? April 8, 2017 at 2:36pm
Tourmaline: Hi Linda,
If you are referring to the genuine original, then perhaps I can help.
About five years ago I found the original Anaïs Anaïs at one of my local pharmacies here in Brisbane (Australia), and I bought a 100ml bottle of the EdT for $65.
Today I did some searching for you and found the website of an Australian company named Your Discount Chemist that appears to sell the same product. The pictures show the 100ml bottle (and box) that I have, and the price is listed as $74.95 in Australian dollars. The company ships items worldwide, however the rates for some regions seem rather steep.
In case you are interested, here is the link:
http://www.yourdiscountchemist.com.au/anais-anais-100ml-edt-by-cacharel-womens-1.html
I hope that you find the fragrance you seek! April 10, 2017 at 1:58pm
Jacqui: I have loved Anais Anais since it was first launched in the late 70s and it was the only perfume I wore for many years. All reports say it was a magical fragrance ….so why did Cacharel discontinue it….and are ANY of the products now sold and called Anais Anais the same as the original. I want to buy it but no longer know where to go. I have bought a few bottles of “Anais Anais” from various suppliers in the last couple of years….fragrance is not quite the same and does not last long on the body. October 8, 2018 at 9:29pm
Wlw: I was told by a representative at the perfume counter in a major department store that the original Anais Anais was discontinued because the way in which the black musk oil was processed rendered it carcinogenic. It was relaunched in 2014 without the carcinogenic properties (supposedly). April 5, 2019 at 4:04am
Gloria: The original EDP is the only perfume I can wear. (soft floral). It doesn’t affect my allergies. The EDP lasted for days on my clothes – with a left over scent like lemon. I wore it since the day it 1st came out – until it was discontinued. The EDT never smelled like the EDP. People used to send their friends over to “sniff” me 🙂 I miss it so much. Bet I have 20 bottles of other perfumes trying to find one that I like – and one that doesn’t make my nose itch, sneezing, and eyes burn. Don’t like the scent of the EDT, and it doesn’t last.
Any suggestions ? I go bare now. November 20, 2021 at 9:46pm
Tourmaline: Hi Gloria,
The original EDP is indeed lovely.
I have looked it up in the “Fragrance Match” section of Michael Edwards’ website (below) and I have found four perfumes for you to try, should you so choose.
https://www.fragrancesoftheworld.com/FragranceWheel/FragranceMatch
I have looked up the scents on Fragrantica, and found three of them, so I have included the descriptions of those three.
Oui Splash by Juicy Couture is a Floral Fruity fragrance for women. This is a new fragrance. Oui Splash was launched in 2021. Top notes are Pineapple, Sorbet, Lemon and Apple; middle notes are Orange Blossom, Magnolia and Jasmine; base notes are Ambroxan, Cedar and White Musk.
Baiser Vole Eau de Parfum Collector Edition by Cartier is a Floral Green fragrance for women. This is a new fragrance. Baiser Vole Eau de Parfum Collector Edition was launched in 2021. The nose behind this fragrance is Mathilde Laurent. Top notes are Lily and Citruses; middle note is Lily; base notes are Green Lily and Green Notes.
Eau de Rocaille by Caron: La Collection Merveilleuse 2021
Nazen by Régalien is a Floral fragrance for women and men. This is a new fragrance. Nazen was launched in 2021. The nose behind this fragrance is Koray Sevinç. Top notes are Peach, Green Notes and Bergamot; middle notes are Tuberose, Jasmine, Gardenia, Ylang-Ylang and Lily; base notes are Coconut, Butter, White Musk and Vanilla.
I hope you find at least one fragrance that you can love and wear without problems.
With kind regards,
Tourmaline November 21, 2021 at 7:58am