Apres l'Ondee

The Verdict

Guerlain's Apres l'Ondee is one of the most celebrated fragrances in perfumery history, and for good reason. Created by Jacques Guerlain in 1906, its name meaning "After the Rain Shower" perfectly captures the tender, rain-washed atmosphere it evokes. With an overall rating of 8.2 out of 10 across nearly 600 community ratings, this is a fragrance that has maintained its reputation for over a century.

Yet Apres l'Ondee is also a fragrance that divides opinion on practical grounds. Its beauty is universally acknowledged, but its fleeting nature frustrates many who wish they could hold onto its magic longer. It has been called French Impressionism in a bottle and harmony in a bottle, descriptions that capture both its artistic achievement and its ephemeral quality.

The community consensus is clear: this is one of the most beautiful fragrances ever created, but you must accept its nature as a fleeting experience rather than an all-day companion.

What It Smells Like

The opening presents a gentle cascade of citrus and anise that creates an almost aldehydic shimmer, evoking the first moments after rain has cleared. Violet emerges almost immediately, but this is not a conventional sweet violet fragrance. The violet here is cold and damp, reminiscent of actual violets after a rain shower, with a fresh early spring day quality that sets it apart from every other violet composition.

The heart is a complex interplay of orris root, mimosa, carnation, jasmine, and rose, supported by sandalwood and vetiver that add depth without heaviness. Reviewers describe a duet between iris and carnation that becomes softer yet more spicy as the fragrance develops. The base of heliotrope, musk, vanilla, benzoin, and styrax creates a powdery, balsamic cushion that some describe as having a marshmallow quality.

Vintage versions, particularly the extrait, reveal additional complexity with earthy, vegetal notes and a chypre-like resinous quality that the modern EDT simplifies into a more delicate, impressionistic rendering.

When to Wear It

Apres l'Ondee is a spring fragrance par excellence, though its quiet character also suits cool autumn days. It works beautifully for intimate gatherings, quiet romantic moments, and personal wear where you want to surround yourself with something beautiful without projecting it into a room.

This is a fragrance for close encounters rather than grand entrances. It rewards the wearer who leans in rather than standing back.

Longevity & Projection

Here lies the fragrance's Achilles heel. Longevity is rated at just 6.4 out of 10 and sillage at 5.9 out of 10, and many reviewers report even worse performance. Typical wear time on skin is 2 to 3 hours before it becomes barely perceptible, though spraying on clothes can extend this significantly.

The vintage extrait offered substantially better performance, with approximately 9.5 hours of total wear time, but this concentration is extremely rare. The current EDT, while still beautiful, is a more intimate experience that requires acceptance of its transient nature.

The Community Says

The fragrance community treats Apres l'Ondee with something approaching reverence. Reviewers consistently use words like ethereal, meditative, and quiet to describe the experience. One reviewer called it one of the earliest masterclasses in modern perfumery, while another described it as utterly beautiful, iconic, and unlike any other scent.

Not everyone is converted, however. Some find it just a nice, sweet, gently and somewhat boring scent, and the issue of skin chemistry means some wearers never experience the rain-drenched magic that others describe. The modern version also draws criticism for lacking the trippy, otherworldly purple quality of vintage formulations.

Who Should Buy This

Apres l'Ondee is essential for anyone with a serious interest in perfumery as an art form. If you appreciate delicate, nuanced compositions that reward attention and if you can accept a fragrance that prioritizes beauty over performance, this is a masterwork that deserves a place in your collection.

It is also ideal for those who prefer subtle, close-to-skin fragrances that feel personal rather than performative. If you want something you can smell on yourself throughout a long day, however, look elsewhere.

The Bottom Line

Apres l'Ondee remains, after more than a century, one of the most beautiful and unique fragrances in existence. It captures a specific moment in nature with such precision and artistry that it transcends mere perfumery. Its fleeting longevity is both its greatest weakness and, perhaps, part of its poetry: like the moment after rain, it is beautiful precisely because it does not last.