Annayake / アナヤケ
Annayake / アナヤケ
131 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
A sharp aniseed-citrus jolt, almost savoury and medicinal, cuts through the initial spray. The blood orange adds complexity—slightly pithy and dark—whilst the unnamed citrus notes round the edges, preventing the opening from feeling one-dimensional.
The spice accord gradually overtakes the citrus brightness, with cardamom becoming the dominant voice by the ninety-minute mark. Clove and nutmeg weave through like warm amber resin, whilst the tonka bean emerges gently, adding an almost creamy undertone that softens the spice's bite without sweetening aggressively.
The woody-vanilla base becomes increasingly prominent, with sandalwood contributing a papery, slightly astringent quality that prevents the vanilla from becoming saccharine. White musk provides skin-scent intimacy, fading steadily. By the fourth hour, only traces remain—a whisper of warm vanilla and woody undertones rather than a lasting presence.
Miyabi Man Annayake announces itself with a peculiar confidence: aniseed and blood orange colliding in the opening moments, creating something between a spiced confectionery and a sun-warmed citrus grove. This isn't the tart, squeaky-clean citrus of contemporary fragrances. The blood orange carries an almost licorice-tinged opacity, darkened by the aniseed's liquorice-root character, which immediately sets a questioning tone—is this fresh or sweet? The fragrance refuses easy categorisation.
What emerges is decidedly spiced-warm territory. The cardamom-nutmeg-clove triumvirate transforms the opening's ambiguity into something almost comforting, though decidedly masculine in its approach. Here lies the fragrance's core tension: it oscillates between brightness and spice-driven warmth without ever fully committing to either. The tonka bean lurks beneath, adding a subtle almond-like sweetness that doesn't dominate but rather softens the spice's sharper edges.
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4.0/5 (267)