The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Céline Barel created Vanilla & Anise in 2009 for Jo Malone London, and the concept is deceptively simple: what happens when a cool, aromatic spice meets warm, enveloping sweetness? Star anise opens with a sharp, slightly medicinal character, green, faintly woody, unmistakably present. It announces itself and doesn't apologize. The vanilla follows, unhurried, taking its time to build into the composition like someone settling into a chair they intend to stay in.
The real interest lies in the contrast. Anise and vanilla shouldn't work together on paper, one is cool and assertive, the other is warm and yielding. But in Barel's composition, the tension becomes the point. The star anise opens bright and green, almost bracing, then gradually yields to a bourbon vanilla that deepens and softens everything around it. The result feels neither purely gourmand nor purely spicy, it occupies the middle ground where those categories blur, which is exactly why it rewards wearing over time.
The evolution
The opening is star anise in its most literal form, cold, green, almost camphoraceous. Ten minutes in, the vanilla orchid begins to bloom, tempering the sharpness with something rounder and sweeter. By the heart phase, the composition has shifted entirely: creamy, vanillic, with a subtle warmth that feels like fabric in afternoon light. The drydown strips back to bourbon vanilla and something faintly powdery, probably the tonka working underneath. This is a quiet presence, not a room-filler, but a scent that someone close to you will notice before you do. The interplay between the initial green, almost medicinal quality of the anise and the later honeyed sweetness of the vanilla creates a fragrance that feels both grounded and ethereal, as if the two notes are in constant conversation, each softening the other's edges.
Cultural impact
Vanilla & Anise arrived with a distinctive character that set it apart from more conventional sweet fragrances. The combination pairs the comforting warmth of vanilla with the unexpected herbal brightness of anise, creating something that appeals to those who appreciate complexity in their scent. The star anise note provides an aromatic lift that prevents the composition from becoming overly saccharine, while the vanilla lends a creamy depth that softens the anise's edge. This balance makes the fragrance intriguing without being challenging, approachable yet far from ordinary.
The House
Jo Malone LondonJo Malone London is a British fragrance house founded by Jo Malone in 1990 and now owned by Estée Lauder Companies. The brand built its reputation on a signature layering concept that lets wearers combine colognes into personal signature scents. Each fragrance begins with a story, whether drawn from childhood memories, British traditions, or sensory moments. The collection spans delicate florals like Peony & Blush Suede alongside richer compositions such as Velvet Rose & Oud. Known for understated bottles finished with black script lettering and a colored ink matching each scent, the brand maintains a refined British aesthetic across over 30 countries. The house continues releasing new fragrances under Estée Lauder while preserving the creative philosophy Jo Malone established.
The Creator
Céline BarelBarel favors a restrained, mineral freshness that appears most clearly in her work for Aesop, particularly Tacit and Aurner, where citrus and wood build something both spare and lasting. Her zoological work for Zoologist, including Squid and Dragonfly, shows a different regist…
