What does Anise smell like?
Anise smells like black licorice sweets or a glass of pastis on ice. The coolness has no sourness to it. It is round, a little sugary, almost creamy. In perfume it rarely stays alone for long. It latches onto powdery notes and heliotrope, which gives old Guerlains their almond and marshmallow feel. In men's fragrances it freshens a fougère without relying on citrus. Anyone who hates licorice spots it instantly.
Origin and production
Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum) is a Mediterranean umbellifer grown for its seeds. Star anise (Illicium verum) comes from a tree in southern China and Vietnam. Both are steam-distilled and are rich in anethole. Fennel, a cousin of aniseed, shares the same molecule. Perfumers also use isolated anethole, which is cleaner and easier to dose.
How perfumers use it
Anise works as a bridge between top and heart. It gets along with lavender, coumarin and powdery florals. Guerlain set it at the top of L'Heure Bleue in 1912 against heliotrope and iris. Dior Poison used it in 1985 among spices and tuberose. Azzaro pour Homme (1978) built an aniseed fougère that became a reference for men. More recently, Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire lets it linger in a base of licorice and cherry.
How to wear it
Anise works year-round, with spring as its best season. One spray of Azzaro pour Homme covers a working day. Save Poison for the evening.