The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
In 1997, Annick Menardo created a fragrance unlike anything else running at the time, a licorice-forward composition wrapped in violet and vanilla that became the Lolita Lempicka house signature. When the original was discontinued in 2010, Le Premier Parfum arrived as its successor and refinement. The apple-shaped bottle, designed by Sylvie de France, remained unchanged. The composition was recalibrated but the spirit stayed intact. Annick Menardo, who had built the original, returned to guide this rebirth, ensuring Le Premier Parfum carried the same DNA that had made the house famous.
The anise note is what sets this apart. It's not a common choice in perfumery, which means it demands something from the wearer, and gives something back in return. Combined with violet and vanilla, the anise creates a tension between sweet and sharp that keeps the fragrance from becoming just another gourmand. It's the unconventional pairing that makes this work: the licorice and anise together feel almost contradictory, then the powdery iris and violet arrive to smooth everything out. It's not a safe composition, but it's a memorable one. Menardo built something that uses ordinary materials in unusual proportions, and that asymmetry is exactly what people keep coming back to.
The evolution
The first minutes belong to bright cherry and the green lift of ivy, the sweetness hits first, approachable and juicy. Then the anise arrives and everything shifts. The black licorice edge cuts through the fruit, turning sweet into something more interesting, more demanding. The transition isn't gentle. The heart opens with licorice taking over completely, but the violet and iris soften it into something powdery and romantic rather than harsh. The base settles slowly into vanilla and praline warmth, with vetiver keeping things grounded and a cloud of musk that stays close to the skin. On fabric, the vanilla and anise linger for days, a faint trace that arrives unexpectedly in the laundry.
Cultural impact
Lolita Lempicka Le Premier Parfum arrived in 2010 as the refined successor to the 1997 original, which itself had been a landmark in niche perfumery for its bold licorice-violet-anise combination. The original fragrance helped establish the licorice note as a viable mainstream perfumery ingredient, paving the way for other licorice-forward compositions that followed in subsequent decades. Its iconic apple-shaped bottle became a collector's item and status symbol in the early 2000s, appearing in fashion magazines and beauty publications as a symbol of alternative luxury.
The House
Lolita LempickaLolita Lempicka is a French fashion house that expanded into perfumery in 1997, founded by designer Josiane Maryse Pividal in Paris. The brand is named after Vladimir Nabokov's novel and Polish Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka, reflecting a romantic and literary sensibility that permeates both its fashion and fragrance collections. The house gained international recognition through its signature apple-shaped perfume bottle, introduced with the debut fragrance Lolita Lempicka. Known for whimsical, fairy-tale inspired aesthetics, the brand creates fragrances with a distinctive gourmand character, particularly anchored by notes of anise, licorice, and vanilla. The label has collaborated with multiple notable perfumers including Annick Menardo, Francis Kurkdjian, and Christine Nagel across its collection of over seventy perfumes.
The Creator
Annick MenardoDark, smoky, and beautifully resolved. Menardo has built her reputation on bold contrasts: leather against sweetness, wood against air, shadow against light.
