Star anise

Star anise, the fennel of China, also known as badiane

Star anise, the fruit of the star anise tree native to China, was brought back from its Asian homeland by the famous Marco Polo. However, its use only intensified several centuries later, as star anise was expensive and dogged by the poor reputation of attracting rodents in times of plague. Yet star anise, or badiane, had a famous admirer who lost her head over it… Marie-Antoinette! She grew the star anise tree simply for its aesthetic appeal and for the divine scent of its dried fruit.

It was not until the 18th century that this fine spice truly came into use, flavoring beverages and spicing up dishes by lending them a soft anise touch, most pleasant to the palate. The distinctive fragrance of this eight-pointed star would later be harnessed to create essential oils valued for their digestive and stimulating properties. Perfume creators, of course, soon discovered this aromatic spice with its powerful fragrance, weaving it into woody or aromatic compositions. And into many others thereafter…

The passionate love affair between star anise and men’s fragrances

Star anise, like many other olfactory members of the aromatic family, has for several decades scented men who finally decided to move past fougères and other traditional woody compositions in favor of facets that are more invigorating and more original.

Among woody, aromatic and fougère fragrances, star anise appears mainly in top notes paired with other spices or aromatics such as lavender or rosemary. The woody fragrances that use star anise in the top notes are famous ones, to name but a few: Rive Gauche pour Homme by Yves Saint Laurent, L'Eau Bleue by Issey Miyake, and Révélation by Pierre Cardin.

The fougère family paired with star anise as a raw material has, nonetheless, not fallen out of favor with the great names of perfumery! Thus the immensely popular Fuel for Life by Diesel, with its surprising array of olfactory facets, opens on top notes of star anise paired with lavender and mint.

Star anise, then, is one of the star raw materials in men’s fragrances at the moment. Some noses, however, do not hesitate to pair star anise with less traditional components, such as orientals for men or women, or even citrus notes… Star anise thus sets off to explore new olfactory paths, to our great delight!