Excellence
Excellence by Alexander is a spicy, sweet, anisic oriental floral built around anise and licorice. It opens with anise and clove, rounded by violet and ylang ylang, then turns richer with fennel, patchouli, jasmine, rose, and sandalwood. The base is warm and long wearing, blending vanilla, tonka, and benzoin with a noticeable licorice and leather finish that can be polarizing.
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Performance Metrics
21 VOTESOpen Performance Breakdown 1 TAKE
Wear tends to be moderate to long lasting, with a presence that often starts moderate to strong and then settles closer to the skin while staying noticeable. It generally suits cooler weather best, where the sweet resin and spice feel smoother and less heavy than they can in heat.
Notes Pyramid
Search these notesChoose where each note belongs.
A bold, spicy-sweet anisic scent that moves from anise and clove into fennel, patchouli, and soft florals, then settles into a warm licorice-vanilla base with tonka, benzoin, and a light leather edge. The overall feel is soft spicy, warm spicy, sweet, and vanilla, with violet adding a subtle powdery haze and patchouli adding depth.
Main Accords
11 MAPPEDThe soft spicy and warm spicy facets lead the experience, driven by anise, clove, and fennel. Sweetness comes later and feels richer than sugary, with vanilla, tonka, and benzoin creating a resinous cushion. Leather sits as a dry outline around the base, and violet can add a lightly powdery, cosmetic softness that keeps the spices from feeling too sharp.
Community Data
45 TOTAL VOTESCOMMUNITY SENTIMENT
OWNERSHIP STATS
GENDER APPEAL
REVIEW SENTIMENT
When to Wear
TAP TO VOTETIME OF DAY · TAP TO VOTE
OCCASIONS · TAP TO VOTE
It looks easiest to wear in fall and winter. The vote picture leans most toward daytime.
Pros & Cons
Quick take before you sampleWHY PEOPLE MAY LIKE IT
Distinct anise and licorice signature for fans of anisic perfumes
Spicy opening feels bold and immediately recognisable
Vanilla, tonka, and benzoin add warm, resinous comfort in the dry down
Leather adds edge without turning fully smoky or harsh
Violet can soften the spice with a gentle powdery touch
Often works best as a cool-weather statement scent
Moderate to strong presence early on, easy to notice
Unisex styling, can lean either way depending on wearer
Interesting mix of florals and spice, not a standard vanilla scent
Good choice if you want something polarising and different
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
Anise and licorice can be polarising, not a safe blind buy
Can feel heavy or intense in hot weather
Florals may read secondary if you want a true floral focus
Leather note can clash if you prefer clean gourmand sweetness
Projection can feel a bit much with overspraying
The sweet base can turn dense on some skin
Not the easiest daily office scent in close quarters
If you dislike fennel, the heart may be challenging
Can come across medicinal to anise-sensitive noses
Value may feel questionable if you only wear anisic scents occasionally
Fragranxe Review
EDITORIAL“Excellence by Alexander Review, Anise, Licorice, Vanilla, Leather”
Excellence by Alexander is for people who like their sweetness unusual. The core idea here is anise and licorice, wrapped in soft spice and florals, then grounded by vanilla, resin, and a touch of leather. If anise is a comfort note for you, this can feel addictive. If you find licorice notes sharp or medicinal, this is the kind of scent that can turn quickly from intriguing to too much, so it is a smart sample-first fragrance.
The opening pushes anise and clove forward right away. It is not a delicate, airy start, it reads bold and aromatic, with a warm spicy lift. Violet and ylang ylang help smooth the edges, giving the top a slightly plush, almost cosmetic softness around the spice. That violet facet can add a faint powdery veil, which keeps the first impression from feeling purely kitchen-spice.
In the heart, fennel doubles down on the anisic theme and makes the profile feel more herbal and textured. Patchouli adds darkness and depth rather than a clean woody snap, and the florals (jasmine and rose) sit more as color than as a bouquet. Sandalwood helps knit the middle together, keeping the transition from spicy top to sweet base from feeling abrupt. Overall, the heart stays consistent with the opening, it reinforces the anise direction instead of trying to pivot into something fresh.
The dry down is where Excellence becomes most recognisable. Licorice, vanilla, tonka bean, and benzoin create a warm, sweet, resinous base that can read almost chewy. The leather note adds a slightly rough outline, more like a shadow around the sweetness than a full leather jacket effect. If you enjoy that sweet-and-slightly-tough contrast, the base is the payoff. If you prefer your vanilla clean and simple, the licorice and leather pairing may feel too dark or too specific.
On wear, Excellence tends to suit cooler weather best. The spicy sweetness and resinous base often feel most comfortable in fall and winter, and it can also work for nights out when you want something distinctive. Longevity commonly lands in the moderate to long lasting range, and the trail is often moderate to strong, especially early on. A lighter hand can make it more versatile, while heavier spraying can push the anise and licorice into attention-grabbing territory.
Value is the one area where some wearers may hesitate. If you are paying for a very specific anise and licorice signature, it can feel worth it, especially if you do not already own anything in that lane. If you only like anise as a small accent note, you may feel you are paying for a profile you will not reach for often. The best approach is to test it on skin, in cool weather, and see if the licorice base is a comfort note for you or a deal-breaker.
FAQs
What does Excellence by Alexander smell like?+
It smells like a spicy anise and licorice fragrance with floral touches and a warm vanilla amber base. Expect clove and anise up top, a fennel and patchouli middle with jasmine and rose, then vanilla, tonka, benzoin, leather, and licorice in the dry down.
Is Excellence more sweet or more spicy?+
It usually reads as both, spicy first (anise, clove, warm spices) and then sweeter as vanilla, tonka, and benzoin build. The licorice note can make the sweetness feel darker and more distinctive rather than dessert like.
Does Excellence have a strong licorice note?+
Licorice is listed in the base and the overall profile leans strongly anisic, so if you are sensitive to licorice or anise, sample first. On some skin it can be the main character all the way through the wear.
Is Excellence unisex or does it lean more feminine or masculine?+
It is positioned as unisex. The mix of violet floral tones and leathered sweetness can sit anywhere depending on styling and how the anise and licorice develop on your skin.
When should I wear Excellence?+
It tends to make the most sense in cooler weather, especially fall and winter. The spicy, sweet, resinous base can feel heavier in heat, so it often suits evenings, dinners, and dressed up settings.
How long does Excellence last?+
Longevity is commonly described in the moderate to long lasting range. Expect a solid wear time, with the vanilla, benzoin, and licorice base usually hanging on longer than the opening spices.
How strong is the projection on Excellence?+
Sillage is commonly moderate to strong. It can create a noticeable scent bubble early on, then settle closer while still being present around you.
Is Excellence safe for blind buying?+
Not really, unless you already love anise and licorice in perfume. Those notes are often polarizing, and this fragrance is built around an anisic profile, so sampling first is the safer move.
Does Excellence smell like anise candy or more herbal anise?+
It can read in both directions because it pairs anise and fennel with sweet notes like vanilla and tonka. The candy like impression is more likely as the base sweetens, while the opening can feel more herbal and spicy.
What are the key notes in Excellence?+
Top notes include anise, violet, clove, and ylang ylang. The heart features fennel, patchouli, jasmine, rose, and sandalwood. The base includes licorice, leather, tonka bean, vanilla, and benzoin.
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Dupes & Alternatives
COMMUNITY DUPESCOREThere is not enough reliable comparison evidence here to make confident dupe claims. If you want a similar mood, look for fragrances built around anise or licorice paired with vanilla and resins, then compare on skin for how sweet, herbal, and leathery the dry down feels. If licorice tends to go medicinal on you, try a softer vanilla-amber instead of chasing anise-heavy alternatives.
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