Guerlain Après l’Ondée

>It’s rare that I find a floral that is as wearable as Après l’Ondée. My body chemistry makes every scent turn sweet, to the point where my significant other classifies a large portion of scents I’ve tested as “cotton candy. *sniff* More cotton candy. *sniff* Yep, cotton candy.” For that reason, I tend to stick with heavier orientals and chypres, like Guerlain Mitsouko and Shalimar. In fact, when I received a sample of Après l’Ondée, the only reason I even tried it was because it was a Guerlain. I knew it was supposed to be the soft, floral Guerlain, but I figured it had been around for so long (since 1906) for a darn good reason, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

If I had to describe Après l’Ondée in only one word, it would be lovely. The fragrance is rain-drenched carnations and violets, soft vanilla almond with the slight spice of anise to keep it from settling into gentleness. It is the scent of a March morning in the south, when the sun is warm and the grass is still misty. It is what countless powdery-florals have since tried to be and failed.

This, of all the classic Guerlains, is the one that is the most approachable, especially among perfume novices. It is appropriate for any age to wear, including teenagers, although I feel it would be best suited to a quiet, romantic-natured young woman. It is sweet, maybe a little naive, and emotionally vulnerable. Après l’Ondée has a wistful quality about it that stops it from being cloying, and allows it to mellow to perfection. This perfume would be a great alternative for anyone who wants a softer (read: Not Shalimar), beautiful scent and is tired of the fruity, cheap concoctions pervading the market today.