Guerlain Après L'Ondée vs Insolence EDP

[NabiE]

Hi!

I’ve been a BN member for years, but only recently started to participate more actively in the forums.

I’ve recently been re-discovering some of the Guerlain classics and, among others, I fell in love with Après L'Ondée EDT; however, I’m hesitant to purchase a bottle due to its short longevity. I’ve read that several members share the same experience, and that some have found a sort of “replacement” in Insolence EDP. I’m familiar with it and, despite not really liking it when it was first released, I’ve grown fonder and fonder of the current version. Its vibe is certainly very different than the one of ALO, but I do detect a shared DNA between those (and between those and L’Heure Bleue, which I own in EDP).

How do you personally feel about this? Do you enjoy both ALO and Insolence, or do you only enjoy one of those? Do you think they could fill the same niche/fulfil the same need in one’s collection, or do you just find them too different?

Thanks in advance!

 

[grayspoole]

Hi NabiE--

I'm so glad that you are joining the discussions!

I love vintage Guerlain perfumes, but I have never managed to land a good vintage bottle of Apres L'Ondee (otherwise known as liquid unobtanium). I tested the bee bottle EDT several years ago and found it very shy and evanescent. Lately, I have been thinking of buying the newer Les Legendaires EDT, which has been highly praised by A L'O experts such as Bonnette. See here:

Apres L"Ondée EDT (Legendary Fragrances Collection), 2021

At last, Apres L"Ondée EDT in the inverted heart-capped spray bottle is available in the US as part of Guerlain's Legendary Fragrances collection. My attempts to order direct from the Champs Elysées boutique became so unnerving (translation and credit card issues) that I decided to wait for the...

basenotes.com

My successes and failures buying vintage, esp Apres L'Ondee

I've ended up with way too much vintage Shalimar, a mistake as a beginner. I'll never wear it. I just smell it from time to time. Have a variety of vintage Chanel #5 and L"heure Bleue and Mitsouko, some it smells glorious, and some of it is just "meh". I try to buy really old bottles that...

basenotes.com

I enjoy wearing vintage Insolence EDP, but I fully acknowledge it is a Big Purple Floral. For many, it would not serve as a A L'O replacer, and some might in fact run screaming away from it. In general, I feel that if you really, really want a perfume, you should try to get it in some form that pleases you. Anything else is a compromise of sorts. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[_Nicolas_]

What version of the Apres l'Ondee EDT are you referring to, @NabiE? I seem to remember being lucky to get an hour from the bee bottle version, but the Les Legendaires version gives me at least 4 hours of decent performance.

Looking forward to seeing your contributions to the forum!

 

[ClockworkAlice]

Hello, and a very interesting observation!

However, for me personally these two perfumes are not alike - neither in their smell nor mood nor how they wear or behave, although I really do like both; but I personally could see how Insolence might have taken some inspiration from L'heure Bleue and Apres L'Ondee. They both have some kind of DREAMY quality, and some purple flowers and some powderiness although they achieve that dreaminess differently - maybe there's where the similarities lie?

Insolence is loud, brash, sweet, powdery, a little bit fruity (well, EDP is not fruity, but I own the EDT which is very fruity in the opening), it's dreamy and romantic and fairytale-like, yeah, but in such loud way!
Apres L'Ondee, to me, is first and foremost DELICATE.

However, I personally feel that if someone loves Apres L'Ondee and would like something similar but stronger and more substantial, L'Heure Bleue is where they most probably would find their comfort. To me the two are very similar, but Apres L'Ondee is more delicate and transparent, and quieter, and LHB is more substantial, spicier, breadier and bigger, while giving a similar impression.
Have you tried L'heure bleue?

 

[cazaubon]

I love both and they share a lovely violet note. The new Après l’Ondée version is quite good, I recommend giving it a sniff.

 

[cacio]

I concur with the others that they are not substitute. Insolence, while not entirely true to its name, is definitely more assertive and direct, while Apres l'ondee is the most delicate and hazy thing.

I tried the newest Apres l'ondee edt recently in store in italy. It smelled good, but I didn't get that much longevity, though it's hard to judge based on a spray while walking around a city. I need to smell again. In any case, it was worth buying.

 

[donna255]

When Apres was reformulated, it turned from a rich Guerlainaide to a lovely iris like fragrance. I own the older versions in EDT and parfum. Also own Insolence and not do not find them similar. The older version EDT lasts a good 5 hours on me now I will not say it is blasting out, but I can smell it. Some years back the bank teller behind the glass asked what I was wearing as it smelt lovely? So she must have been able to smell it.

 

[NabiE]

Thanks all for your kind and thorough replies!

Please forgive me for replying in a collective post rather than addressing each of you separately.

I should have mentioned that the version I've been sampling is indeed the one from the new Les Légendaires line, which I can detect for about 3 hours on my skin. I know it's not too bad, but perfume usually lasts well on me so I guess I'm a bit spoiled!

I do agree with you all that Après L'Ondée and Insolence EDP are probably more different than they are alike, but I also feel that they do share something: a romantic, dreamy, otherworldly vibe (as nicely put by @ClockworkAlice), which is indeed partially shared by LHB as well. I do own LHB in EDP and love it, but I find it a bit more serious and somehow less innocent than the other two. Moreover, for me LHB is more of an abstract composition, with less focus on the violet note, which is what is currently attracting me to ALO and Insolence. (I wonder: is the EDT of LHB any different in this respect?)

On the other hand... I guess what attracts me to ALO the most is also what makes it the most different from Insolence: its airy, delicate, transparent quality (again, I'm stealing ClockworkAlice's words) and its endearing timidity.

I totally agree with @grayspoole that "replacements", in the perfume world, often turn out to be disappointments. I wanted to know how others felt about this and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your experiences. As for my own answer, maybe, just maybe, I've known since the beginning...

Thanks for indulging me!

​

 

[grayspoole]

Moreover, for me LHB is more of an abstract composition, with less focus on the violet note, which is what is currently attracting me to ALO and Insolence. (I wonder: is the EDT of LHB any different in this respect?)

Hello again NabiE—

It’s very enjoyable to search for a perfume that is “just right.”

To answer your specific question about L’HB EDT, I do not find violets to be especially prominent in either the vintage or relatively recent EDT that I have, where I get heliotrope (lots) and iris.

Speaking of violets, have you ever tried Jolie Madame?

 

[_Nicolas_]

All this talk of violets reminds me of Soir de Paris. My grandmother often had little bottles of it, but only wore it very occasionally. Shame, because it somehow captured the softness of her personality perfectly. After she died, I found a mini of it with only about 1ml left. When I sat and smelled it 'properly', I thought it was wonderful! There's lots of subtlety there that I had never detected before! Never realised it was an Ernest Beaux composition, should have known it was by a highly skilled perfumer like him!

 

[Ken_Russell]

From a personal viewpoint alone, while a fan of most if not all Guerlain fragrances, even more inclined to recommend Insolence EDP-without ever discrediting or minimizing ALO in any way- as a wonderful scent worth at least (re) testing.

 

[grayspoole]

All this talk of violets reminds me of Soir de Paris. My grandmother often had little bottles of it, but only wore it very occasionally. Shame, because it somehow captured the softness of her personality perfectly. After she died, I found a mini of it with only about 1ml left. When I sat and smelled it 'properly', I thought it was wonderful! There's lots of subtlety there that I had never detected before! Never realised it was an Ernest Beaux composition, should have known it was by a highly skilled perfumer like him!

What a lovely story! The blue glass bottles are so appealing. Since you mentioned it, I thought I would ramble on about vintage Soir de Paris/Evening in Paris. I agree that it’s lovely. It has a juicy bergamot opening that leads to a complex and romantic floral bouquet with lilac, heliotrope, with plush peach lactone and a lingering sweetness.

 

[mikeperez23]

I love Apres L'Ondee and have owned a vintage EdT; a vintage Parfum and two bottles of 'new' juice (one a bee bottle and one the brand new one linked above that the OP owns). I adore it and I don't mind that it is fleeting. Even the Parfum is fleeting (but for the first 30 mins it's intense heliotrope!).

I never liked Insolence. So for me this is not a substitute - but it sounds like the OP loves that scent, so I say 'go for it!'

If someone asked me what a 'substitute' for Apres l'Ondee is I'd recommend these two: Dans Tes Bras by Frederic Malle and L'Eau d'Hiver by Frederic Malle. Please try those, OP, if you haven't already. There are tons of reviews of both on BN.

 

[NabiE]

To answer your specific question about L’HB EDT, I do not find violets to be especially prominent in either the vintage or relatively recent EDT that I have, where I get heliotrope (lots) and iris.

Speaking of violets, have you ever tried Jolie Madame?

Thanks for your confirmation about LHB EDT!
I did try Jolie Madame a long time ago from a vintage decant received as an extra in a swap, and I enjoyed it a lot! Too bad it's so hard to find, at least where I live -- I've never seen it around, or even on local websites.

All this talk of violets reminds me of Soir de Paris. My grandmother often had little bottles of it, but only wore it very occasionally. Shame, because it somehow captured the softness of her personality perfectly. After she died, I found a mini of it with only about 1ml left. When I sat and smelled it 'properly', I thought it was wonderful! There's lots of subtlety there that I had never detected before! Never realised it was an Ernest Beaux composition, should have known it was by a highly skilled perfumer like him!

I've never heard of this one -- I'll look it up and read more about it, thanks! Violets remind me of my own grandmother too

I love Apres L'Ondee and have owned a vintage EdT; a vintage Parfum and two bottles of 'new' juice (one a bee bottle and one the brand new one linked above that the OP owns). I adore it and I don't mind that it is fleeting. Even the Parfum is fleeting (but for the first 30 mins it's intense heliotrope!).

I never liked Insolence. So for me this is not a substitute - but it sounds like the OP loves that scent, so I say 'go for it!'

If someone asked me what a 'substitute' for Apres l'Ondee is I'd recommend these two: Dans Tes Bras by Frederic Malle and L'Eau d'Hiver by Frederic Malle. Please try those, OP, if you haven't already. There are tons of reviews of both on BN.

Thanks for sharing your experience with ALO. I can see why you adore it! The parfum sounds amazing, too -- I wish I could have been able to experience it. As for Insolence, the relationship I have with it is a bit of a love-hate one. I've grown to greatly enjoy it, at least when I'm in the right mood... but it's BIG, a bit too big for me perhaps to really be comfortable with/in it.
Thanks also for mentioning other perfumes for me to try! Funnily enough, I recently ordered samples of both Dans Tes Bras and L'Eau d'Hiver. The latter is a little too watery, crystal-clear and fresh for me to enjoy -- I tend to do better with more powdery textures. DTB intrigues me very much, but I still have to really spend time with it!

 

[Dane]

You are correct to compare them - but I'd argue l'Heure Bleue (Apres l'Ondee's ambered sister, to me) is easier to compare to Insolence, due to the volume. As everyone else said, they're for co.pletely different moods, even if they're share some elements in common.

I've owned Apres l'Ondee in parfum and found it underwhelming. It's like Diorella or Jicky - the lightness is what I love about them.

I used to like layering Apres l'Ondee with Guerlain's now defunct cheapie, Meteorites, which was basically plain violets. I'm sure any other simple violet would do the trick.

For what it's worth - my choice between lHB and Insolence - is Sacrebleu by Nicolai.

 

[mikeperez23]

Thanks for your confirmation about LHB EDT!...

Thanks for sharing your experience with ALO. I can see why you adore it! The parfum sounds amazing, too -- I wish I could have been able to experience it. As for Insolence, the relationship I have with it is a bit of a love-hate one. I've grown to greatly enjoy it, at least when I'm in the right mood... but it's BIG, a bit too big for me perhaps to really be comfortable with/in it.
Thanks also for mentioning other perfumes for me to try! Funnily enough, I recently ordered samples of both Dans Tes Bras and L'Eau d'Hiver. The latter is a little too watery, crystal-clear and fresh for me to enjoy -- I tend to do better with more powdery textures. DTB intrigues me very much, but I still have to really spend time with it!

If you can get your hands on it, try L'Heure Bleue Eau de Cologne (disco'd). It's very iris and violet and heliotrope prominent but also simmering with those spices. I loved it when I owned it. Drained it so quick.

You're welcome NabiE and I agree about your assesments on those Malle scents. Dans Tes Bras is just weird but it grew on me and I think Maurice Roucel said his inspiration was Apres l'Ondee, so there's that.

ALSO, I totally forgot another disco'd Guerlain to try (and I do agree with Dane that Meteorites is sample worthy if you can find some): Please try Quand Vient la Pluie. It's like a gourmand version of Apres l'Ondee. It was made in EdP and Parfum and both are sooooo good. I miss my decants of those. Used them up in no time at all. Good stuff...if you can find it.

 

[CeeTee]

Hi!

Thanks in advance!

Truly a quandary…I bought Insolence EDT as one of my early Guerlain purchases. I got the EDT based on recommendation, given that it had a divine berry note. I’d say the EDT differs considerably from ALO. However, Guerlain scents share a LOT of similarities. They even state so on their site.

There’s nothing that fills the ALO place in my heart (for it’s profile of scent.) I don’t find it too similar to Insolence EDP. You may not want to hear this, but….You kind of need both to scratch the itch. If you compromise, you may not be happy with either choice. (In which case, you could buy the other later, resources permitting.

ALO performance is shy, no doubt about it. Its beauty and soul puts me in a contemplative, cathartic emotional state of mind. Insolence is very “present” in its performance, but it feels, to me, like fairy dust. I find that there aren’t as many places to wear it. But then again, I wear ALO at home. Granted, I spend a lot of time at home.

All of this to say, I don’t think you’ll get the two-for-one payoff, here. Sorry. I‘m also struggling with the decision to buy a FB of ALO for its subtlety. But it holds a special place in my heart and I’ll probably have to get it..😇

I hope to see you in the threads!

 

[NabiE]

Thanks all for chiming in with your experience and/or for sharing new suggestions! I greatly appreciate your input!

 

[david]

I love both. Apres l'Ondee is very delicate and always reminds me of the smell of those white hawthorn hedges on many british country lanes, especially after rain !
I also love Insolence and don't understand the bashing it gets from Luca Turin and co. (?)

 

[NabiE]

Thanks for sharing your experience with both, @david! I'm still pondering which one I should go for

 

[david]

Thanks for sharing your experience with both, @david! I'm still pondering which one I should go for

You're very welcome. I would suggest buying a miniature of Insolence. Either edt or edp. Both are good. I think it will be impossible to find a miniature for Apres, so try to buy a decant from someone in your country, (basenoter ?). Then you can decide about investing in a full bottle.

 

[_Nicolas_]

Apres l'Ondee is very delicate and always reminds me of the smell of those white hawthorn hedges on many british country lanes, especially after rain !

Yes, the hawthorn note smells exactly like the flowers of the Crataegus monogyna (Common Hawthorn) tree in my back garden, particularly after the rain! As a keen gardener, it blew my mind that a fragrance could capture such a specific moment in time! I love the fact that the hawthorn note is so prominent in the Les Legendaires version, it's almost as strong as the orris note in the dry down.

 

[cazaubon]

I bought a bottle of Quand Vient la Pluie a year or two ago from the Brussels, Belgium Guerlain boutique, it was an exclusive to them. You could try contacting them to see if it’s still available.