Ani Nishane 2019 Extrait de Parfum

Nishane Ani is an important fragrance. For those of Armenian descent like me, many boycott all Turkish products. They believe that all Turks are to blame for continuing to deny the genocide committed against the Armenian people in 1915. So how much more rare that a perfumer of Armenian descent, Cécile Zarokian, has collaborated with a Turkish brand based in Istanbul, Nishane, to create a perfume?

Ani represents unity in a substantial way. Part of Nishane’s “No Boundaries” collection, Ani attempts to mend one of the most contentious borders in the world, the one between Turkey and Armenia. In ancient times, the town of Ani was a hub of culture and religion in the Ararat plains. The “City of 1000 churches” was home to over 100,000 people and was one of the most important cities in the Kingdom of Armenia. Today, it is little more than ruins, and is located well within the borders of Turkey. A few hollow churches with their crosses removed stand as a testament to the invasion of this city by Ottoman forces.

Today, Armenians consider Ani as part of our heritage, even though it has not been in our borders for hundreds of years. It is little more than a memory. “Ani” in Turkish also happens to mean “memory,” and this scent was created in memory of one of the founders’ friends who had recently passed away. The memory of cities like Ani and the memory of the Armenian Genocide still scars relations between Turkey and Armenia. This scent, a coming together between Armenians and Turks, gives me hope that scars can be healed, and that forgiveness can begin and denial can end.

Well, with all that out of the way, let's talk about the actual fragrance. At its core, Ani is sweet creamy vanilla, and that is apparent from first spray — the other notes are there as modifiers or just decorative. There is a substantial citrus component in the opening, which Ani X takes even further, but here it simply leads into the spicy heart of the fragrance, which features cardamom and ginger. The few hours you get of this spicy accord resting on a bed of creamy woody vanilla makes this fragrance hard to beat as my favorite vanilla scent of all time. Despite the large number of base notes in the pyramid, the drydown is not complex: a cedarwood/sandalwood-vanilla that just lasts and lasts, slowly fading away, like the monument frozen in time that is the city of Ani.

It just so happens that today, 17th of October, marks one year since I've been on Parfumo. And quite conveniently, it just so happens that "Ani" in my language (Romanian) means "Years". Looking back at where I was last year, glorifying Lattafa's crap juice and dreaming about owning JPG or anything influencers glazed without remorse, I must say I never though I'd reach the point where I would be reviewing niche fragrances from Amouage and Nishane. And I only got here thanks to the community here on Parfumo. Otherwise, who knows in what unrecoverable state I would've been, collection full of Armaf and Lattafa; a stranger to true perfumery...

Regardless, let's now focus on Ani Extrait de Parfum itself. Being one of the most hyped niche fragrances on social media, portrayed as one of the best vanilla fragrances there is, I did come with a little bit of hope. But as we all know (or should know), when a fragrance starts making waves on the social media scene, it's best to stay away. And as for Ani Extrait de Parfum, it's nice, but not as nice as influencers make it seem.

The opening strikes with a squeeze of citric bergamot, followed by a dosage of pink pepper, which is less actually peppery and more sweet-spicy. Some green crispness, reminiscent a bit of galbanum but fresher, take a seat further back. But the real deal here is the blue ginger, which is arguably the best and most unique part of the whole composition. It brings the typical ginger warmth and spice, but it is not overpowering or too sharp, as it is accompanied by a smooth floral sweetness and some clean muskiness. This pairs nicely with the other top notes, but unfortunately, it doesn't last too long, mostly gone 20-30 minutes into the wearing.

But until that happens, the heart notes accompany it to its grave, with a sweet and dark fruity blackcurrant, slightly tart and even aromatic. The cardamom keeps the warm spice alive with mild minty undertones, while also sweetening things up. The Turkish rose appears briefly and just as quickly it dissipates, adding a mild creamy-honeyed rose aroma which is not too strong, but undeniably smooth and well-incorporated.

But now, this is acclaimed as a top-level vanilla fragrance, so the base really must hit the spot. Well... not at all. Sure, vanilla is the main protagonist once things dry down, but it doesn't strike me as impressive in any way. Frankly, there's a very noticeable lemony undertone present too, which in combination with the vanilla here evoke a clear picture in my mind: Dr. Oetker vanilla/lemon pudding powder. Can't really un-smell it once you make this connection. As for the rest of the notes, the benzoin adds a nice dose of ambery sweetness, while the musk and ambergris strongly convey musky warmth. There's not much woodiness to talk of, at best a creamy sandalwood creeping through. And the patchouli, you can tell it's there, but things are so well-integrated and blended that it's hard to pinpoint things on their own. And that's probably Ani Extrait de Parfum's highlight - the blending and balance of the notes. It all comes off as very smooth and well-put together, but the scent itself just fails to stir any emotions in me. It's just a nice, sweet fragrance.

Performance didn't really impress either. On my skin, about 7 hours was the most I got out of it, with projection being decent. The first hour I got a little over 2 feet of projection, mellowing down slowly afterwards but staying consistent up until around hour 4 where it turned into a skin scent.

It's a pretty easy fragrance to wear, overall. Apart from the warmer weather, Ani Extrait de Parfum is quite versatile, and I could see it work from formal events to daily school/office wear (that if you can afford Nishane as a daily). Perfectly unisex too.

Now, you can easily find Ani Extrait de Parfum for $170, so it's not even the most expensive of options from Nishane, and it's one of their nicer compositions too. I can see why it gets all the love it gets online, but when it comes to "endgame vanilla fragrance", I don't think Ani Extrait de Parfum should even be considered. It's just a very easy vanilla fragrance to like (like most, really), and apart from that blue ginger at the opening and the Dr. Oetker products resemblance, nothing else really makes it stand out. It's definitely worth a sniff, more so because of its blending quality rather than its scent structure. But I'm convinced there's better vanilla fragrances out there.

Overall Rating: 6.4/10

Ani, a name that may refer to a ruined Armenian medieval city in Turkey, but also the word memory. No matter what, on my skin and in the air Ani reveals itself as a blend of spicy, fizzy, and zesty ginger and aromatic bergamot, which here takes on the appearance of lemon, sour, so vivid that it seems to suck a candy Bali’s Best Zesty Lemon Ginger Chews. Supporting these two sour ingredients is a lovely pink pepper, very peppery, which is more noticeable on the paper strip, clearer, and more recognizable, like the aroma it releases when we crumble its pink berries between our fingers. In the backdrop, we find resins, spices, and woods that show the way and this wonder's slightly spicy, chypre, and gourmand character. I wrote gourmand because right away its creamy and vanilla accords remind me of a vanilla cake batter with grated lemon zest, a Lemon Vanilla sponge cake with a soft lemon glaze that is not too sweet, without being too edible, cloying, or unbearable. To be clear, despite there being a hefty dose of vanilla and sweetish resins, Ani never approaches the territory occupied by other gourmands such as Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum or Bianco Latte, which have been very popular lately. The opening is so praiseworthy that I would never stop respraying it just to smell this accord.

When the undeniable initial freshness calms down, the balsamic and mentholated hints of cardamom expand and, together with the tart blackcurrant, add a new nuance to the citrus and peppery accord. The cardamom is noticeable but balanced by the other heart notes. Maybe I should wear Ani many more times, but so far I can’t get any clear rose in the middle phase. That means don’t expect or think of Ani as a rosy, jammy, or dewy floral essence. Surely, other notes nicely blend with the subdued rose. There is a subtle sweetness here, balanced by the spicy and herbal notes that make it sophisticated yet approachable. The fragrance is warm without being overly sweet.

It takes several hours to approach the dry-down, when Ani becomes powdery, creamy, spicy, smooth and comforting. The vanilla is smooth and not too sweet. The benzoin sap has a rich, intensely sweet, balsamic, vanilla-like aroma, with a subtle spicy nuance reminiscent of cinnamon. Although I have read many reviews declaring Ani as the best vanilla-based perfume, on my skin, the benzoin is more discernible. There is a sort of sawdust nuance that gradually emerges from the base, I bet courtesy of the cedarwood or the Iso E Super molecule, that slowly makes its presence felt as the fragrance evolves, catches my attention and makes it more enjoyable for me than a purely vanilla-focused essence. A touch of recognizable dirty patchouli, a little musky moss and some blond woods make the scent slightly masculine, earthy, and exciting.

Despite the fresh, tart and sparkling opening, the aftermath is dense and bold, warm and sumptuous. There is a magical fusion in the base that brings you back to the primal instinct. Ani blends elements of citrus, spices, resins and woods into a fragrance that evolves over time. Although there are many aspects to Ani, it is mainly lemon cake and vanilla as the dominant note. So I see Ani as an evening option for events and dinners. But it can be an everyday scent if dosed correctly. It is perfect during the Christmas holidays when it is cold outside. So, any winter month, but in summer, because it could be unpleasant. This fragrance lasts for hours, with the base notes lingering on the skin for a long time without fading and leaves a beautiful and warm trail without being too overwhelming. It may not be for everyone, especially those who prefer strong and sweet vanilla.

This is my experience with a bottle I have owned since December 2024.

-Elysium

This is such a lovely, sweet and soft fragrance that has the freshness and spice to make it versatile enough for almost any season and occasion.

At first spray, it's undeniably fresh with the bergamot, ginger, and green notes. The vanilla is also noticeable from the start and, with the bergamot, has an almost key lime pie-like scent. The vanilla is very smooth and creamy, and not sickeningly sweet. It remains green and sweet for the first few hours with the spices warming it up a bit.

The bergamot begins to fade after about three hours when the rose and blackcurrant emerge and the vanilla becomes slightly powdery. At five hours into the wear, it becomes briefly aromatic when the sandalwood comes out. In the next hour, when the musk and patchouli make their appearance, that aromatic quality becomes less pungent and it returns to a silky, slightly herbaceous vanilla. This lasted for well over ten hours on my skin.

Overall, this is a beautiful extrait that is quite multi-faceted and wonderfully balanced. The vanilla is definitely present throughout the entirety of the wear, but it refrains from becoming cloying with the help of the bergamot, spices and woods.

P.S.: for the Ultimate Vanilla Combo, it layers beautifully with Orchidée Vanille by Van Cleef & Arpels.

Anı: memory, remembrance, recollection.
Ani: ruined medieval city in Kars, Turkey, originally Armenian, ex-capital of the Bagratuni Armenian Kingdom. Raided by the Mongols, foundations cracked by the shifting tectonic plates, and the ruthlessness of time stripping away its essential trade routes, Ani was abandoned in the 1600s and resides merely over 1,000 ft from the modern Turkish-Armenian border.

It's a beautiful, cruel wordplay... to decide, will you pronounce it as Ani, an adjective describing abruptness, sharing the name of the quickly ruined capital of a bygone era, whose land is now owned by another... or Anı, the Turkish word used to describe something to remember?
Or, could both words be describing the same thing?

Another review on here mentions that Cécile Zarokian is Armenian, while working on a perfume commenting on the Armenian city of Ani, created by a Turkish brand out of Instabul. All true. I invite everyone reading this to consider the beauty that Nishane is portraying with this perfume, both in its presentation to the consumer, and the parties involved in its creation. Frankly, this is not something you see too often coming out of a fairly large perfume corporation. I find this the most appealing aspect of Ani, which is saying quite a lot considering I am a big fan of its scent.

Ani opens with a very fresh bergamot-ginger scent followed closely with the emergence of the woody vanilla in the background. I once heard someone compare this to a lemon pie; fair, yet it is not as sweet, and the essence is fresher than a 'lemon pie' would insinuate. I could understand a comparison to something akin to a vanilla-glazed lemon bar, however. The ginger fades from limelight fairly quickly, though still in the background, and in my experience, the citrus follows shortly after. What you are left with is a delicious, slightly sweet, gourmand vanilla-woody scent that, retains that fresh, spritzy opening throughout it's developments as it starts to show off its spicy center.

As the opening slowly dries down, you smell the tartness of the blackcurrant and can definitely make out the slight spice of the cardamom. I honestly can not say that I can completely make the Turkish rose accord out. I would not have assumed rose was present in this fragrance. I wouldn't describe it as floral, overwhelmingly sweet, or anything in that ballpark. It is a sophisticated, intelligent, fresher mix of a delicious zesty filling, something that deserves to go into the finest pâte feuilletée. Its a warm fragrance, but not too strongly, unlike most other gourmands that would tend to fill the same category.

This is a very long lasting perfume, contrary to its name. I find it somewhat masculine due to its basenotes. It's a little dirty, noticably musky, and enticing. However, through its dry down, you can make out the sweetness of some lemon-doused vanilla.

This is something to wear out to eat in a dimly-lit restaurant, out on a walk on a cold winter's day, or windy autumn's night. While it may not be completely seen from the initial sniff, the history, thoughtfulness, and scent development of this perfume are an absolute masterpiece and one of the few in my collection that I will never remove.

I recommend everyone to try this at least once, given that you have the right occasion to wear it. I do not think that I could pull this off every day, but someone in a colder climate may be able to.

Thanks for your time.