Reviews of Après L'ondée (1906)
by Guerlain

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.

Iris and violet, with a light element of earthy spice. I'll trust the universal consensus that this is anise, but it smells a little more complex than that to my nose, as well as having a slight tinge of something animalic. For a violet perfume, this is very warm and earthy, only becoming more so as it develops, and the warm, vanillic base emerges. There is a touch of wet, floral drama in the top notes, but the melancholy evades me here, and I find Apres L'Ondee to be a comfort-blanket type of soft violet.

This review is for the now-discontinued parfum, which, despite being a parfum, has mild sillage and short longevity. It's probably my favorite Guerlain though, despite its ephemeral nature.

The anise 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.

This review is under revision...

Words cannot describe how much I love this scent. Being a newbie to more refined (read:niche and higher end) I will not attempt to describe the subtle nuances and notes. What I can tell you is it is a little sweet and powdery without being overwhelming. It is gentle and refined. It is soothing with a flawless transition between the top mid and base notes. Many fragrances give me a headache and make me nauseous so I was so relieved that this wonderful scent did not. I'm in love and will get a FB as soon as is humanly possible.

like walking into a Manet painting. sweet, candied violet on my skin with herbal nuances. A masterpiece

Apres L'Ondee is indeed melancholy for this simple reason: it is a heartbreaking truth that things of great beauty last only a moment. I would say it's ephemeral, but that would suggest Apres L'Ondee lasts a day, which it does not. On my skin, the EDT lasts no more than an hour, on fabric a bit longer. Too bad the parfum is impossible to find. Not sure if it's even in production anymore. If you want your Guerlain to last, try L'Heure Bleu parfum. There's some heliotropin too, and it wears like iron.

Wonderful, wonderful scent. Like an impressionist painting of a country landscape after a shower.
It is luminous and poignant, soft and memorable. I normally like rich, ambery perfumes but this is
like a breath of fresh air and surprisingly modern, despite it's age. Can't believe anyone wouldn't fall
in love with this!

Soft and soothing, ice creamy violet smell... fresh and lovely

This is so gentle, refined, mysterious, uncommon - and so beautifully blended. I initially thought that it was not something I would want to wear, though I could immediately sense its quality. But there is something strange and haunting about it that keeps me coming back to it - I think it is the aniseed, which I can detect throughout, though no one note ever really dominates. Although subtle on application it lasts for ages on my skin - one good spray in the morning and I can still clearly detect it when I go to bed. I would recommend sampling this one on its own, so it is not overwhelmed by other coarser and more powerful scents, to be able to appreciate its subtlety and beauty.

I will not attempt to describe the notes of Apres L'ondee because my perfume vocabulary is simply not sufficient. All I know is that this it is a beyond beautiful fragrance that is both delicate yet resolute at the same time. It is a shame that someone who themselves admit to be unknowledgeable in perfumery would rate this negatively. The chutzpah necessary for anyone but an expert to even try to rate a work of art such as this is astounding.

I received a sample and immediately went to the one online site I knew to carry it. Sold out. My father was visiting NYC and called me from Guerlain to surprise me. He offered me one bottle as a gift, and without hesitation I asked for Apres L'ondee.

All I can say is that I urge anyone reading this to seek out a sample and marvel at its beauty.

Lovely, delicate creamy violet. Woody and clear, it dries down to an almost ice-cream smoothness. Unfortunately, the EDT fades very quickly.

I feel bad rating this one low, given its reputation and my relative lack of experience with fragrance. But I like to think it is not merely let-down after reading the myriad glowing reviews. It certainly sounds for all the world like something I would like. But my nose does not tell me "melancholy" when I smell this cloying, powdery foo foo. It absolutely does not tell me "rain showers," nor "twilight."

My nose tells me "Pampers."

Apres l'Ondee is anything but "the sunshine after the rain". It is painfully beautiful and whispers ominous news to anyone who will listen. This is the only Guerlain fragrance that should be sold in the EDT only (a disturbing trend in fragrances such as Vol de Nuit). I am not a huge fan of florals, but this one should not be missed. It is such a mystery...it relays the impression of Spring that will never become Summer. It's cool aloofness makes it unusual for a Guerlain. A truly unique experience!

I cannot say it any better than JaimeB! To his eloquent review I can only add how perfectly the aniseed note is presented ~ breathtaking! A timeless masterpiece that any perfume lover should seek out, sniff, marvel and appreciate!

A classical ambery floral from the hand of Jacques Guerlain, the master himself! This one is quite a voyage, in a couple of ways.

First, it is definitely a trip down memory lane. Just over a hundred, this lady is still remarkably fresh and not at all out of style. She is gentle and unobtrusive, but makes a strong statement for subtlety in the best sense of the word. Even though Après l'Ondée wears remarkably well today, it does hearken back to an earlier time. This is the time of no-time, when time didn't matter, and leisurely life was a given; before the mad rush and stress of modern life, there was a still center that can even now be touched in wearing this scent.

Second, it is an olfactory journey of elegant, gentle turns and subtle surprises. Right at the beginning, the gentle clove-scented hint of carnation begins to appear, even as the top notes are still unfolding. The violet and cassie are subtly piquant, prefiguring and blending with the carnation, a prolepsis of future charm. The white florals, jasmine, ylang, and neroli, form a chord, broken across the top and middle notes. The mimosa in the heart echoes the cassie-acacia in the head. Heliotrope in the base picks up from the headier florals above and anchors them along with it in a sweet bed of amber, vanilla, and musk. The journey is smooth, a stately development and interlacing of themes: hesperides, acacias, white florals, rose, oriental notes, and the gentlest animalic touch of musk.

The subtle melding of accords wafts the gentle breath of spring; this is the perfect time of year for a scent such as this.

It can be a pleasure to renew acquaintance with the lost art of a true master, as was Jacques Guerlain. This is a perfume for today, but, sadly, I feel it would never have been made today. Yet the secret of a classic is that it, too, lives in the land of no-time, where the passing of hours, days, and years cannot touch it; where it is beyond the reach of decay and loss.

A little known and quite rare fragrance dating back to 1906, Après l'Ondée - meaning 'after the rain shower' - is an oddity known only to the perfume loving elite. A soft, discreet and contemplative scent, quite aloof, even unemotional - it's said to be a 'thinker's classic'. It is a cold scent, from the cold rain water doused on the hawthorn and violet, hence the name, with a stern top note caused by the aniseed and bergamot, but it warms as one wears it. Après L'Ondée is the shivering feeling of summer rain, but behind the chill one senses the glow that will come back when the sun has warmed up the wet garden again. The Parfum-version is less cold - the Eau de Toilette is minutes after the rain, while the Parfum is half an hour later when the raindrops have damped away. Sadly, its Parfum-version is no longer in production due to European health regulations against some of its ingredients.

I'm 40-something and I love it. It makes me feel happy. My mom, in her 60s, does not care for it. She likes "spicier" perfumes. But I think my 90-something grandma wanted to steal it from me at Thanksgiving. I ordered her a bottle for Christmas. I also sprayed some on a 70-something relative. She said, "I can't thank you enough for putting that perfume on me!" So, according to my informal experiment, elder ladies relate to this perfume immediately and profoundly. I am not sure why I love this perfume, as I am not a very "flowery" girl. But I love rain, and I love the idea that this perfume tries to capture the lingering scent of a spring rain.

Boring. A generic kind of powdery floral that wouldn't be out of place at Yardley. Like many a Guerlain, its starts off all promising complexity but dries flat as a pancake. Thin, watery and one dimensional, especially as it is only available in the EDT, from what I can gather. Can't imagine the sort of woman who would want to wear this - its very ageing.

This smells exactly like the skin on the back of my little girl's neck. Gentle, soft, warm, a little sweet, innocent and beautiful.

I found this to scent to be just kind of blah - nothing special, just vaguely floral and powdery, as in the description. It certainly is no match for the older Guerlains, which are so dramatic, whether you like them or not.

The door opens on a greyish- purple car. Its interior emits a rush of violet and wood aromas, sweet and fresh like rain. The anise is exceedingly fine and mellow--nothing syrupy or icorice-like.) The violet is realistic and fruity, natural and cool.
These two notes dominate Après L'Ondée throughout its development--one on either side--pulling right and left on the steering wheel.
The car begins its drive. We pass through tangy, sunny Bergamotville.
We gaze out the windows as we drive through Flower County toward the city of Vanilla, through its outlying towns of Carnation and Iris. We catch a glimpse of the hidden villages of Neroli and Jasmine.
Violet and Anise drive slowly along the wet streets through showers of rain interspersed with sunshine and floral breezes.
Too soon, the trip has ended, and we pull into Vanilla. It is a drive that I would gladly take every morning.

I tried this today and found the anis note too dominant, too strident.. could not get past it. I still think it's the most interesting of the classic Guerlains though and will try it again.

This is not for me, too light, powdery, plasticky, fruity/floral. Not natural-smelling enough to smell lika a garden after the rain, I think it should be more green with perhaps a hint of soil to really do that. This is just vintage-styled perfumey florals. The scent has a certain "cool" and "watery" quality, but not in a fresh and outdoorsy way that reminds me of rain, more in a musty and perfumey way.

another great scent for all times-if you smell this scent you can feel what is meant.....after the storm,the sun shines again, the wet grass, the wind brings all different kind of smells-all this and much more has been captured by the perfumeur.Amazing how all the different feelings and emotions after a storm have been transferred - you can really feel the smell after the storm-what an intelligent scent.What an incredible work -perfect!I remember on a flight from Hongkong to frankfurt an amazing looking lady in her 50ties-the purserette-walking by-i never ever will forget the way she walked, thick,long curly hair, beautiful legs and the way she looked-and the smell of her perfume....it will always be on my mind and at the end of the flight i asked her and the way she glanced at me and replied....apres l´ondee.....unbelievable!she was this scent!this is perfume making on the highest level!as all the old guerlain scents.....

Another very versatile classic Guerlain suitable for women and men. The combination of aniseed in the top with hawthorne in the heart creates a cool, relaxed atmosphere; the warm iris basenote retains it from being too airy or fresh. Subtle, yet long-lasting. Pure class.

If you do not like anise/fennel/black licorice, then walk on by. I gave AL a reasonable try, but I couldn't get past that repugnant note. The Guerlinade quality is there, so if you feel differently about that black/green note, sampling will be worth your while.

My brother said this smelled like "wet dog ass", which almost made me cry. I love this scent and I don't care.
Most Guerlains are easily recognizable, this is not. The top notes are a bit "confectionary", but the base is warm and sexy. Also, I never quite understood why people say it's a wistful scent. Take the little test on the Guerlain site and it pops up under the emotion/mood "happy" or "smile" (sourire).

To me, it's not an "after the rain" scent with a Puccini-esque -level of gray, dank misery before sunshiney days to come. It is an "Anglophile" scent, its image the lushness of a Gainsborough painting. Happy, no?

Après L'ondée is my second best, of course, after magical L'Heure Bleue.
I use both alternatively, they marry wonderfully, and both create on my skin a unique smell, MINE, that nobody can trace to a well-known perfume !
That is my way of life ! A sort of bigamia in perfuming... Of course, you have to decide on which rythm to alternate them, so as to create the best harmony. It is up to you to discover !

This reminds me of L'Heure Bleue (which I also adore), but without the heavy oriental basenotes. It has the same quality of wistfulness, of a memory half evaporated. One of the gems of the old Guerlain line.

Apres L’Ondee (“After the Rain Shower”) is another abstract offering from the House of Guerlain. First released in 1906, Apres L’Ondee is a rare and hard to find fragrance, one which Guerlain has done little to promote, even though the juice has a distinguished following. It’s a thinking woman’s fragrance and not for the Paris Hilton wannabes. Apres L'Ondee is almost like the release you feel after a good cry or a hearty laugh. It's an amazing fragrance. Difficult to classify, because even though this is a floral, it has a chypre base which contributes to its unique charm. Top notes of bergamot and aniseed give way to cool violet, hawthorn, and almond-scented heliotrope, all of which are enveloped by the base notes of orris, musk, amber. Another skin scent with a cerebral quality. Think Garbo.

I finally bought Apres l'Ondee EdT and I love it. It begins rather bitterly with anise seeds and has almost liquorice-like quality. Very old-fashoned, reminded me greatly of my Grandma (I think she must have worn this when I was little). Then appear the violets, still very old-style but cool and not overwhelming yet still a bit bitter. The heart is absolutely gorgeous: bitter-almond heliotrope played against sensuality of orris that warms it up on the skin. Ambrette seeds finish with lingerings of orris, this is my favourite part.

I will never know why Guerlain killed this one off. It is absolutely ravishing. Feminine? Yes, but I like it too. Confession: Sometimes on a summer evening where I know I will be outdoors, I layer a mist of Après L'ondée over a generous spritz of either Marc Jacobs for Men or Jo Malone Fig and Cassis. The added note of fig in each seems to transmute and subdue the potent powder of Après L'ondée into something mysterious and masculine. Men AND women have asked what I was wearing and where they could get some. I just smile and say, "It's my own concoction..."