Après L'ondée (1906)
by Guerlain

This is a very light, beautiful and transparent fragrance. It opens with a gentle anise among bright citrus and soft florals which opens up to heart notes of heliotrope and violet melding seamlessly into a base of orris, gentle tonka, and light musk. This is not a skin scent per se, but the projection is minimal. The longevity is typical of an EDT (moderate). Apres l'Ondee is one of the most beautiful and redolent perfumes in history: the sweet, soft fragrance of a garden in the morning after a night's rainfall.

A lady-friend of mine smelled it on me and bought herself a bottle. She loved it. Unfortunatelly after getting a few "smells old" comments from family and coworkers she stopped wearing it. Frankly, when you are 40 and single you really don't want to hear any associations with the word OLD, so I understand her reaction entirely. Not a first date scent either I guess. LOL

It's rather old fashioned. Most people won't get the "vintage" thing. Wear it for yourself and forget the "mortals" around you.

Some men can really pull it off.
Better on dandies than on "old"spinsters! : )

The anise, iris root and violet opening of Après l'Ondée is a thing of simple beauty: faintly melancholy, wistful, yet paradoxically bright and transparent. The composition soon turns very powdery, and with that more conventional and "perfumey." This is the stage at which my wife says Aprés l'Ondée smells like her mother, though not in a bad way. The scent never gets too heavy, and a light, clean musk and vanilla show themselves in the delicate drydown.

The whole olfactory experience vividly evokes another time and place: sophisticated, civilized, and ever so slightly ironic. Perhaps a certain age in Paris, or old Vienna just before its empire fell. I can see how it might not appeal to many modern women, but Après l'Ondée is a monument to classical perfumery.

A cool, wet and creamy white floral scent (I smell ylang ylang and iris above all) that dries down to what smells like the best vanillic talcum powder ever created (ie. Guerlinade). Named so exquisitely in french, the name translates to "After the Rain Shower." Other than Tokyo by Kenzo, I just can't think of any other fragrance that smells so much like the air after a cool rain shower. Don't get me wrong though, Tokyo and Apres l'Ondee are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of the way the smell. While Tokyo is electric, synthetic and upbeat like Tokyo city after a drizzle, Apres l'Ondee is a natural, fresh and damp garden of ylang ylang and iris after a rain storm.

Totally unisex, understated and appropriate for any occasion.

If you tried L'Heure Bleue and liked it, but thought it was too strong or perfumey, this is for you.

10/10

Luca Turin has said this perfume is 'exquisite' and also Apres L'Ondee has been described as an impressionist painting. It's like an olfactory watercolour ,fresh ,vivid but it leaves much to the imagination. Sweet violets and anise - these may seem to be the old fashioned elements to it but I prefer to say classic and timeless. Familiar ,comforting and yet rare.
The scent is not powdery on my skin in any way, just lightly sweet, enchanting and haunting . The parfum has been discontinued which is heartbreaking but EDT seems to last for a couple of hours before I need to spritz again.
I get nice wafts for some time even though the EDT is not as tenacious as we all would like it to be. Things of beauty are often fleeting ,elusive and perhaps this is part of the scent's charm and beauty . Frankly I don't mind spritzing again- I will take every opportunity to do so !
Related to L'Heure Bleue , it is softer and very enigmatic. I thought I could use this forever but I can't, it makes me sad at times and it's too beautiful ...if that makes any sense.

This is one of the nicest early Guerlain exhibiting a light citric opening, a floral heart, and Guerlainade base of vanilla and musk. This is a perfect assemblage of a rainy spring day or whatever the name means.