Anisia Bella was launched in 2004 as part of Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria range of fragrances. It was created by perfumer Aurelien Guichard, and has notes of aniseed, orange, bergamot, basil, star anise, violet, jasmine, liquorice wood, and cedar.
I love anise-based perfumes, and Anisia Bella is one of my favorites for warmer days when Serge Lutens Douce Amere or Caron Aimez Moi are too heavy. Anisia Bella opens with lightly sugared citrus; the anise is pronounced from the start and stays central through the dry down. There is a minty-peppery undertone from the basil and a bit of sweet violet drifts in and out, but for the most part it is all about the anise. The base is musky and woody, with a fair amount of cedar.
It is a simple fragrance, and like most of the Aqua Allegorias, relatively sheer and soft. I find the lasting power to be reasonable for an Eau de Toilette. If you like anise but don't care for Anisia Bella, Anice by Etro is another summery fragrance that is worth trying. It starts out candy-sweet (more so than the Guerlain) but the sweetness dries up nicely as it calms, and the base is much lighter. It is somewhat foodier than the Anisia Bella, perhaps because of the caraway and fennel notes, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a gourmand, and at any rate it is quite sheer. If I remember correctly, the lasting power is about the same for both fragrances, but unfortunately, the Anice has never turned up at any of the online discounters that carry the Etro line so you will pay more for the experience.
Other Aqua Allegoria reviews: Orange Magnifica & Pivoine Magnifica; Herba Fresca & Mentafollia, Tutti Kiwi.
For purchasing information, see listings for Guerlain and Etro under Perfume Houses.
Update 8/06: I neglected to mention that Anisia Bella has been discontinued by Guerlain, although bottles are still widely available as of this writing.
I have thus far failed to fall in love with the AAs… they all sound great and then fail to thrive on my skin 🙂 The Cedrat is my AA, I guess. PS Keep an eye peeled for a little package coming to you!
Sugared citrus?? That sounds wonderful! Lolita and Aimez-Moi scared me away from anise a little but this sounds lovely. 🙂 ~G.
Looking forward to it, thanks M!
Hmmm…it isn't as sweet or heavy as Lolita Lempicka or Aimez Moi, but it is still a lot of anise! Wonder if it will convert you…
Hmmm… I don't know about this one as aniseed notes usually frighten me away. However I really liked Annick Goutal's Mandragore which contained anise and mint, so who knows? The soft citrus sounds nice.
Of the Guerlain AA's I've tried, I think I liked their floral ones the best.
The anise is much heavier here than in Mandragore, so might not be your cup of tea 🙂
Ah, Anice! I love it, especially during very hot, humid summer days. It has a coolness and clean-ness to it, especially in the drydown. It does remind me of Good n Plenty candy at first spray.
I'm not such a big fan of Anisia Bella, LL or Douce Amere (yet to try Aimez Moi), but another anise fragrance I do love is Slatkin's Black Fig and Absinthe (which is very figgy, so maybe not as anise-centric as these other scents).
It is almost astonishing how much the top notes of Etro Anice evoke Good n Plenty. I've been tempted to buy it just for that. I like the Slatkin too 🙂
I have to admit, I bought a bottle right after this review! Thanks Robin, you truly have a gift for words. This sounds lovely, great for summer.
Got Rosine's Une Zeste de Rose yesterday, a decant from ebay. Gorgeous!
I'm so happy to see that someone else loves this! I suprised myself by loving anise notes in perfumes, when I can't stand the taste of licorice.
This one is lovely and fresh. People compliment it, but cringe when I tell them the name. *shrug*
Hope you will love it then! Une Zeste is gorgeous. Have you tried 06130 Yuzu Rouge? You might like that one too.
I don't mind licorice but usually don't love it…but recently a friend bought some “Australian black licorice” in Dean & Deluca and it was actually out of this world wonderful. I might have to go get some next time I'm in NY.
I definitely agree. I love anise notes in fragrances, and for me, Anisia Bella is a perfect example of anise note made wearable and pretty. I think that it is my favourite AA.
V, it might be mine too, although I'm still partial to Herba Fresca as well. Anisia Bella is a better done fragrance though.
I ordered samples of the 06130 Yuzu Rouge yesterday! Thanks for the idea – always looking for new scents. I'll let you know what I think of the Anisia Bella…
Will be interested to hear what you think of the Yuzu Rouge. It is another one of my summer favorites!
Available at some Marshall's in the US for 14.99 for the 4.2 oz size!
So I have heard, and apparently at TJ Maxx too — but of course, not at the one near me 🙁
Got a bottle of this through amazon.com. I really, really enjoy it. What a beautiful scent! It did give me a headache a couple of times, but I think I’m just learning how to wear it. I spray it into the palm of my hand, rub my hands together, and then reach up to neck and shoulders, and rub, rub, rub. Like a man putting on aftershave. That works better for me. I can smell it around my head but it prevents me from sniffing TOO directly, such as I would if it were on my wrist.