Aimez - Moi

I can't help but love this perfume, it is the perfume in which I met my husband, and in which I married him a year later. It is the perfume that they confused a little in the new reformulation and that's because they sweetened it and it wasn't the case. It's true that the name leads you to the idea of love, but it is the love of a strong woman for her partner, not of an ordinary woman, is sincere and uninteresting love, it is the passionate love in the shadows but dignified in public, it is the love of soul mates, not a rule of society to marry. It was perfect as it was, slightly sober but enveloping, fine, elegant, a fragrance that freezes and enclosures at the same time.That smell is a mentholated, spicy floral. Quite uniformly, the menthol floral base is a concrete one but during the evolution a spiciness appears, in different quantities, towards the end it feels a note of wet forest.Wonderfull perfume, I even wear it in the new version but unfortunately my husband can't stand the idea of wearing it out of his presence, it seems to him a perfume that it mean to wear only for him If I think about it, it's the only thing that ever aroused my husband's jealousy sooo I can't wear it, for the emotional good of my love, as much as I would like, but I think all the strong women on the planet should try it at least once in their lives, but be careful that you might insert it in some special moments and later your partner will have the same feelings as mine and you won't enjoy it so often either 🙃. It is not entirely an office perfume, but neither one like Cinnabar Estée meant for seduction it's a hybrid, a strong woman cold scent but with something that say: your mine come to me, it's like a love spell which is triggered only by the person who makes your heart beat like a runaway horse.

A fragrance fit for the Fairy queen herself. This is such a jewel of a perfume. It is a diamond in the rough. The smell is sparkly and bright. It goes through a continuous evolution for hours and hours of wear, constantly evolving into a different variation of the same notes...amazing. A Violet, Anise, Mint & Cardamom flavored gourmet confection. I get lots of slightly sweet and candy like violets. Anise and Mint make this as sparkly as diamond dust. Amber, Cardamom, Heliotrope and Tonka in the drydown sweeten this tea time dessert up. It is the most refreshing sweet smell I have ever smelled, yet it is not citrus-y, nor is it like powdery, or soapy. It truly makes me feel like I am covered in jewels and diamonds. It is so refreshing, juicy, and sensually edible. It dries down to this Magical, Enchanting scent of amber and heliotrope, all the while the anise, mint and violet are peaking through, and it constantly feels like you are smelling a new scent. I swear every hour or so, I say to myself "what IS that beautiful smell?" and realize...that it is Moi, evolving yet again. Truly Magical Summer night and Spring day scent. This is mysterious, but not in a domineering or intimidating way; it is an inviting mystery, like a hidden secret garden. You get whiffs of it every time there is a light breeze, and every time it is just DELICIOUS. I will always keep this one around for as long as I can.

My bottle does not match the image above. I bought a vintage Aimez-Moi off eBay and my immediate regret is that I didn’t buy a larger size. Several months ago I read a “best of” anise article here on Fragrantica. I read John Biebel’s summary and my interest was piqued. I approached with caution (because John had led me astray in the past) but the price was within my give-it-a-shot range: $30 for one ounce. Anyway, it has taken me a few wearings to figure it out. Anise and mint are a part of the structure, but there’s a creaminess present that pulls Amiez-Moi into an amber direction. There’s so many contrasts in this composition that it feels daring even by todays standards: a wide range of florals mixed with fruit sitting on a layer of musk and vanilla. It’s aromatic, gourmand, and a fruity floral scent all in one perfume. This complicated recipe is not usually my thing. I’ve been wearing this beauty in warm weather and I can’t wait for the temps to lower as we approach Fall. It’s the perfect perfume to cozy up with a warm beverage next to a fireplace. I think this is an acquired taste, but if you get a chance to sample don’t pass it up. Or, take a chance on a vintage sealed bottle like I did (I have no idea if the newer version is good).

A beautiful violet, unveiling a spiciness I attribute to the anise, and given a refreshing lift by the mint. Mine is a splash on in the bottle pictured above. I like it more than Caron's other big violet, Violette Precieuse, which has leans slightly vegetal on my skin. I have never sampled Apres l'Ondee so I can't compare, but AlO has often been described as melancholic and Aimez Moi is joyful. There is a similarity to Lolita Lempicka due to the anise, but this is more delicate. The Caron catalog is so vast that I hesitate to say that I find it boring and underwhelming, because there are so many classics I have never experienced, but based on what I own, this one ranks among my favorites. It is also one of my favorite violets period. It has a subtle but noticeable projection, and though I can see it being easily worn in the springtime, it is deep enough that I think it can be worn in any season. All in all, a successful blind buy. I have no idea how the reformulation compares, but given Caron's disastrous handling of many of their classic reformulations, I would suggest seeking out the older version. Bonus points for the bottle! EDIT - Put some in an atomizer and sprayed on lavishly!! I am in violet heaven!!

If anyone is familiar with Anis de Flavigny violet-flavored pastilles, coated with the delicate flavor of violet with an anise center, the opening here is its olfactory equivalent (agreeing with smellylorenny's observation). Soon thereafter, there is a sheer current of mint leaves, not dissimilar to that of the beautiful Annick Goutal Nuit Etoilee, that contrasts with the peachy-powdered vanillic amber core, allowing a good amount of "levitation" and sillage to Aimez-Moi. Also contributing to this lift is a camphorous, warm cardamom that melds famously into this sweeter, resinous base. The resulting effect is a kaleidoscope, slowly rotating so that it isn't dizzying, just mesmerizing. The elements play this delightful game of 'round robin' through the heart, with moments where changing hands reveal interesting contrasts. I love fragrances that are capable of this: monolithic fragrances can be lovely too, but ones with choreography can captivate throughout their development. Dominique Ropion seems to have a knack for this, and Aimez-Moi wouldn't have been out of place as an early Frederic Malle release in the turn of the 21st century.