Historiae - Violette Imperiale

Picture: Empress Eugénie (1826-1920)
Portrait 1853 by Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873)

Violette Imperiale is the only of the five fragrances released so far from Historiae that is not created by the hyperactive Bertrand Duchaufour. Violette Imperiale is created by a perfumer unknown to me, Constant Michaux. Violette Imperiale is said to be inspired by Empress Eugénie, the spanish wife of Emperor Napoleon III of France. The story says her favoriteflower was violet but as the at least two other fragrances is created for her; Creed Jasmin Impératrice Eugénie /inspired of her; Histoires de Parfums 1826 Eugénie de Montijo, focuses on other flowers/herb plants as jasmin respective patchouli she probably, as a well known perfumista of her time, liked many of the scents in the perfumers palette.

Violette Imperiale starts with an airy, transparent blackcurrant note, first the berries and then followed by the tartness of the buds. After a while, the fragrances deepens as also rich, fresh fruity notes appears followed by sweet flowery notes where the violet is evident but not dominating the others. The violet is of the same sweet type as Violtabletter, a swedish jelly candy pastille which tastes as a sweetened violet flower. The berry, fruity floral theme is intensified by the white musky base but the musk is wellbalanced and counterbalanced by the light woody notes. Violette Imperiale newer goes powdery as for example Blanc Violette by Histoires de Parfums nor crisp and green as for example Annick Goutal La Violette, it stays fruity-violet-flowery during the whole dry down

Picture: Violtabletter swedish violet jelly candy
Photo: PR Fazer (c)

Violette Imperiale is a typical easy to wear fragrance, suitable especially for spring and summer, both for work and casual. I think it's contemporary in style and doesn't see some obvious connection to the era of Napoleon III. The sillage is medium and the longevity for about a day.

Rating: 3

Notes: Orange, blackcurrant, peach, violet, iris, raspberry, ylang ylang, vanilla, musk, amber, vetiver, sandalwood

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Puredistance - Opardu

Photo: Opardu by Puredistance, all rights reserved (c)

It's hard to find the right words to describe Opardu, the new creation (will be released in November 2012) by masterperfumer Annie Buzantian for the Austrian/Netherlands nichehouse Puredistance founded by Jan Ewoud Vos. Even if Opardu is classical in it's texture and gives a familiar impression, it's hard to find obvious perfume references. Opardu is one of it's own kind. Opardu is said to be inspired of the vibrant nightlife of Paris in the 1920s. It is classical but not at all dated in style, and it express the feeling of the nostalgic looking back of years gone by.

Opardu starts with soft green floral notes, emphasizing floral. The greenery is more of the violet leaf type, not the rougher (but in a surprisingly gentle way) galbanum that is present in my favourite of this classy line so far, Antonia. Already from the start I percieve the same level of elegance as is present in Antoina, but Antonia is more of a pronounced daytime elegance where Opardu is the contrasting, mysterious and graceful night bird.

The flowery notes confuses me, a note similar to violet is present and something that reminds me of hints of orris but without the famous carrotnote.The mysterious flower is lilac and Opardu in color and texture is just as a bale of exclusive lilac silk velvet. Good lilac scents is not very common, After My Own Heart by Ineke is a well crafted example from the genre but AMOH is fresher and more outdoor in style.

Opardu also presents a pleasent almost slight creamy powdery accord that has some similarities with a subdued lipsticknote. The powder probably emerges from the heliotrophe but I also think aldehydes is included as Opardu (despite differences in flowery notes and scent) has some of the texture and expression of Esprit d'Oscar by Oscar de la Renta but Opardu is more polite and polished in style.

In the basenotes the lilac accompanied by an pleasant slight almondy heliotrophe, supported by a light handed white musk together with a beautiful soft cedarwood that blended with the heliotrophe smells close to sandalwood. Opardu ends as a soft, woody, lilac.

Opardu is an example of a wellcrafted, quality fragrance that unfold it's secrets in different very well blended layers, just as a budding flower.It's a relaxing fragrance that gives a calming almost sad/biitersweet pleasure during the whole drydown. Regarding the vibrant 1920s inspiration of Opardu, my impression is it's a perfume created for the sofisticated nightlife, visiting the Opera and dining at an elegant restaurant instead of dancing wild on a jazz-club. Personally I feel a connction between Opardu and the decade before, the early 1910s and the fashion of Paul Poiret with it's peacock feathers, muted velvet silk, sweeping, comfortable silk dresses with sophisticated oriental patterns, something I think is intermediated by the Puredistance advertesing picture above, just as the original below.

Picture: Poiret model 1914

No known restrictions on publication, Wikimedia commons

Opardu is avaible in perfumeconcentration and therefore it wear close to the skin. The stayingpower is good, Opardu lasts good for a day. To compare, Antonia (also pure perfume) is more radiant and has a 24h+ stayingpower. Opardu is also suitable to wear in daytime and I can image it will be particularly appealing duirng the chilly but bright, early winter-spring days.

I think fans of (among themselves as different scents) Chanel No 5 Parfume, Amouage Gold (in swedish) and Dia, but also Histoire d'Parfums Blanc Violette, and Guerlain L'Heure Bleue will appreciate the beautiful Opardu. And of course; every true admirer of a wellcrafted perfume.

Rating: 5

Notes: Tubereuse, gardenia, rose, lilac, carnation, jasmine, heliotrope, cedarwood, musk

Histoire de Parfums – Blanc Violette

Picture: A Violet, viola sororia. Photo by: Hoodedwarbler12 (cc),

Wikimedia commons, some rights reserved

Blanc Violette is one of the fragrances in the Histoire de Parfums underline Soliloquies based on some of the classical notes. Blanc Violette is created by the HdP founder Gerald Ghislain and Magali Senequier

Blanc Violette starts with a powdery, aldehydic, retro accord that highlights the violets in the the lipstick-like way as seen in Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose and Etat Libre D'Orange Putain the Palace. But in Blanc Violette the violetnote is clearer compared to the other two and supported by other flowery notes of iris and ylang-ylang. In the middlenotes a lot of the powderness is toned down and a light, dry, white-peppery note appears, probably an element of the sandalwood in the base. Blanc Violette will continue as a rather shy but dominating violet supported by the other flowers and with a well-established contrast of anise and rice powder over a musky base with some light traces of vanilla. The anisenote never takes over the scent, as in many cases with this distinctive note, it's well interwoven, balances the other notes and gives the fragrance a special character. In style, not particulary in smell, there is a similarity with the chilly elegance of Jolie Madame by Pierre Balmain.

Blanc Violette is a chilly, yet soft scent that's perfect wearing during daytime in winter-spring and spring. It smells just like I imagine that the color light purple would smell. Both Lipstick Rose and Putain the Palace is warmer and more extrovert in style than the cool, understated elegant, yet comfortable Blanc Violette. Longevity of the day is so-so, just fragments remain in the evening.

Rating: 3 +

Notes: Violet, bergamot, iris, ylang-ylang, anise, sandalwood, ricepowder, musk, vanilla