NISHANE
Ani X

2023

PERFUMER
Cecile Zarokian

Bergamot
Lemon
Water Notes
Melon
Cardamom
Ginger
Pink Pepper

Lavender
Sage
Green Apple
blackcurrant
Rose
Patchouli

Cedarwood
Cashmeran
Sandalwood
Vanilla
Ambergris
White Musk

‘ANI was the first reference launched in 2019 under the new theme “NO BOUNDARIES” that aimed to eliminate all emotional boundaries between people. The fragrance immediately became a global hit being often mentioned as the best vanilla scent ever. With ANI X, NISHANE wanted to enhance this mystical journey through time that the fans had with ANI, a fragrance that pays homage to an ancient metropolis that now stands as a monument to the might of empires and the inevitability of time. Just like the original bestseller, ANI X aims to break down boundaries and to empower the wearers to build their own empire from the ruins. In an attempt to reach the perfume lovers who specifically seek for the refreshening aspect of the scent, ANI X was designed to open with a richer burst of juicy citrus than the original formula of ANI. The freshness that the wearer will feel with the new ANI X on top of the well-known vanilla excellence of the original ANI will be a nice surprise for the perfume lovers. ANI X is a fragrance with true heritage to its name, and invites you to explore how to eliminate the boundaries of time and space, to create your own empire even when all that remains is nothing but the ruins. So spray on ANI X, let the fragrance take you on a journey through the ages, and embrace the power of history in a bottle.’ – Nishane

Ani X is one of the ‘X’ flankers that I was most curious about, as Ani is probably my favorite Nishane release (alongside Nefs). I wore it side by side with the original Ani to see how different they wear.

For context; I love Ani, but I’m always a bit surprised at how popular it is. Especially for a ‘vanilla’ scent and also amongst women. To me Ani has a lot of custardy vanilla, but it also has a sharper, spicier, aromatic and sort of traditionaly masculine leaning element. It felt like a natural, more comforting continuation of Cecile’s Bijon Aura Sublime. In the same vein Ani X feels like another step further towards coziness and losing the slight masculine leaning touches within the DNA.

Ani X opens a lot more citrussy to me than the original. I never thought of the original as ‘dry’ and it already had a strong citrus presence, but having it side by side, Ani X feels a lot ‘wetter’ and citrussy compared to the more spicy, bitter tinge of the original.

This opening is more conventional, more unisex and also shorter lived based on my first wear. Whereas in the original, it takes a while for the vanilla to really overpower the composition, I feel Ani X dives into the vanilla quicker. And that aspect smells similar to the original.

Looking at Fragrantica; I see a lot of comparisons to Casamorati Lira, which I can definitely see in the opening. There are a lot of votes for and against it being similar to Ani; to me, after the opening, they wear very similar on skin.

Ani X is more custardy, muddied (cashmeran is definitely more prominent here) and overall a bit more generic than it’s older brother. More versatile and suitable perhaps for higher temperatures, but it ultimately it’s clearly the same DNA. Performance seems to be good, but not as outlandish as with my bottle of Ani.

I think the original Ani is more interesting and eccentric, Ani X is more cozy and very pleasant. For a wider audience, Ani X could easily be seen as a better choice. For me personally, it lost a bit of the magic and I see no urge to add it to my collection alongside the original.