Oriza L.Legrand - Violette du Czar

Picture: Violette du Czar
Photo: PR Oriza L.Legrand (c)

Violette du Czar is another re-construction of an old formula from the early 20th century released by venerable perfumehouse Oriza L.Legrand, a which was brought back to business a few years ago.

Violette du Czar starts with a true smell of violet, not artifical, candy sweet, but fresh and natural, as the newly sprung flower in the moisty soil a sunny early day in spring. The violet in this stage reminds me of the violet in Annick Goutal La Violette but without any sweetness. After a while the violetnote steps backwards and the smell of hay contrasted with some light stablenotes appears. In this stage one almost belive the violet has surrendered but soon it steps forward once again together with a flowery irisnote, similar but not quite as vivid to the one in Le Galion Iris. There is also a tangy oldschool soapy Accord,as if there are som citric notes as bergamot present. The soap is very light handed, it's just a touch. The basenotes is balsamic, light woody and with a transparent leathernote, like elegant, long, cream-colored glace gloves accompanying a ball gown. There is something in the overall impression in the this stage thar reminds me of Ramón Monegal Impossible Iris even if the latter is sort of denser and stronger in apperance. When it comes to the transparancy and overall impression of the fragrance, it reminds me of  the texure of Jardins d'Ecrivains La Dame aux Camélias whereas the violet is more present in Violette du Czar, in La Dame... the violet is not as prominent, the orangeblossom is the more distinct flower in the latter.

 Violette du Czar is transparent and light fragrance, the notes  (even the dirty one) are carefully handled and there is a compoistion in the higher octaves of the fragrance notescale. It's refreshing and a perfect elegant daytime fragrance particularly for spring but it's suitable for all seasons when one want something light, refreshing and natural smelling, there is no chemical vibes in this Beautiful fragrance. As Violette du Czar is light it demands generous application. The silage is somewhere betweeen close to medim and longevity for about a day.


Rating: 4
Notes: Violetleaf, violet, violet, iris, heliotrope, tolu balm, russian leather, amber, guaiacwood

L'Artisan Parfumeur - Quick impressions of some classic L'AP:s 2(2)

More impressions from my random L'Artisan samples sniffing. Today from the lighter fragrances department:

Picture: Thé pour un Été,
refreshing, retro jasmine
Photo: PR L'Artisan Parfumeur (c)

Coeur de Vetiver Sacré: A creation of Karine Vinchon Spehner from as late as 2010 which seems to have flopped as it would be discontinued if I have understand i right. Despite the name that indicate this is a vetiver dominated fragrance, the said note is discrete and interacting in a subtle and wellbalanced way with incense, spices, light fruity and woody notes. Calming and relaxing and a bit misunderstod IMO.

Thé pour un Été: A creation from the era of fresh perfumes, the 90s (1995), by Olivia Giacobetti. A refreshing jasminetea blend with some lemony sparkle and contrasted with a very light spicyness. TpuE has a certain retro feeling, when I smell it I immediately come to think of Catherine Deneuve in the movie Indochine from the colonial French Indochina. TpuE is gentler and doesn't get the smell as much of wet wipe that is common in many tea fragrances form the era, for example the iconic Bulgari Eau Parfumeé au Thé Vert. TpuE seems also to be a gentler forerunner to another jasmine-tea-spicy fragrance Dior Escale à Pondichéry.

Verte Violette: A bit strange 2001 violet creation by Anne Flipo. Starts smelling like Yves Saint Laurent Paris and after a while a note of water melon appears and adds an aquatic but also vegetal impression.When it alls calms down, a beautiful, sleek, violet flower note remains. In the same group as Annick Goutal La Violette which is (despite the name) greener and with a crispy candy feeling and Parfums de Nicolaï Violette in Love which is more fruity/sparkling.

To summon up: In the flood of all new releases, don't forget to look back and revaluate the old gems from the fragrance houses which has stood the test of time.

Van Cleef & Arpèls - Feerie Edt

Picture: April Love
Painting by Arthur Hughes ca 1855
Wikimedia Commons

Today a fragrance on the other side of the violet-scale compared to Mona di Orio Violette Fumée reviewed in the latest entry. Feerie Edt is a follower to the first violet-candy installement of Van Cleef & Arpèls Feerie Edp. Have not tested the Edp so I can't compare the two versions. Feerie Edt is created by Olivier Pescheaux, the first Edp Feerie by Antoine Maisondieu. Just as the Edp, the Edt also has a beautiful cap with a Feerie, here sitting down, flying on the Edp-cap. Also the glasssection of the bottle is a little gem.

Feerie starts fruity and sweet, too sweet to my taste, but on the other hand, my seven years old daughter likes it :-). When the topnotes fades, the whole creation calms down and the violet flower takes the centerstage, supported by its faithful companion: The Rose. The fruitiness is still there but is not as dominating as in the first stage of Feerie, here it's balanced with the flowers and the result is an enjoyable candy-floral which is airy and subtle in structure even if I also can smell some faint, cool, earthy whiffs when reaching the soft musky, woody base. Compared to the sweetness of Violette Fumée, Feerie interprets a sweetness from the violet flower leaves whereas Violette Fumées sweetness seems to appear from the resins in the base. Feerie is an example of a light, cheering and happy fragrance whereas Violette Fumée is a dark, contemplative and introspective fragrance.

Picture: The charming Feerie Edt bottle
Photo: PR Van Cleef & Arpels (c)

Feerie is balmy and chic and suits all seasons exempt from the coldest winter and this fragrance is one of those hidden gems among the "mainstream" offerings.  The sillage is medium as a average, even if the the opening is grand, (applying sparingly is to recommend) and so is also the longevity, traces are still there after 24 h.

Feerie is the perfect fragrance for those who want a fruitier take on light violetscents such as Annick Goutal La Violette and Parfums de Nicolaï Violette in Love. Those who likes Historiae Violette Imperiale will probably also appreciate Feerie.

Rating: 3

Notes: Violet leaves, lemon, grapefruit, violet, rose, jasmin, sandelwood, benzoin, musk

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

Springfragrances 2013

Picture: Violets
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

The winter has been staying for an exceptional long time this year so the real inspiration of wearing springfragrances has not really appeared. Instead I have been much into fragrances which are suitable year around and  with a renewed appreciation of some of the great classics, particulary the Guerlains. Regardless of this, but of course also with some inspiration from it, here comes a list of fragrances inspiring me this spring:

Rose Splendide (Annick Goutal): The tough, rough and wild pink rose, just as a not trimmed rosebush. Rose Splendide smells as the flowers, leaves and steams are all crushed and extracted into the fragrance.

La Violette (Annick Goutal): This leafy,crispy green perfectly just a bit candided sweet violet is not of the lipsticky-powdery cosmetic styled type. This is the small violet struggeling in the old grass just before the new fresh and green appears.

Violette in Love (Parfums de Nicolaï): Also a non-cosmetic violet, this time supported by citrus, peppery and slight berry notes. In the same style as AG La Violette but different when it comes to the details. Pretty, feminine and chic.

Vie de Chateau (Parfums de Nicolaï): This citrus-topped, hay-ish, slight leathery chypre is the  quintessential of casual chic. Like a stroll on the fields a sunny, day in the late spring/early summer.

I think that Annick Goutal and Parfums de Nicolaï are my ulitmate houses when it comes to springfragrances. Both have several light, sparkling, natural fresh fragrances which are very suitable for spring. And when spring approaches, the craving of fragrances from these houses arises.

As I have been in some sort of Guerlain obsession the latest months there is of course some gems from this house in different facets of blue.

Apres l'Ondee (Guerlain): More iris than violet, some soft spices warms it up a bit but in hte same time there is a moisty cleanness as the smell of earth, grass and fragile springflowers just after a rain.

L'Heure Bleue (Guerlain): After decades of testing, I finally get this more complicated follower to Apres l'Ondee (or have become totally exhausted and have capitulated :-) and also have been almost addicted. I often long for wearing L'Heure Bleue.

Last but not least, the house with the always so wearable, casual chic classics, Hermès.

Amazone (Hermès): My all time favourite fresh flowery fragrance. I have so much appreciated the fresh leaves and bulb- and other crisp flowers of the wild but chic Amazone since we met for the first time twenty years ago. A signature of younger days.

Jour d'Hermès (Hermès): Hermès latest will probably be a floral classic. This green floral is, to my nose, a paler and more polite variation of the extroverted great narcissus, mossy, green Le Temps d'une Fête from (here is the fabulous Patricia again:) Parfums de Nicolaï.

The Midsummer Fragrance

Picture: Midsummer Dance (Midsommardans).

Oil on canvas by Anders Zorn, 1897, Wikimedia Commons

Tomorrow it's midsummer eve and today it's the lightest day of the year, tomorow it turns to be darker. Every year I write an entry about proper (or maybe improper) midsummer fragrances. Last year was midsummer in Chanel Cristalle Edt as I was in a Chanel mood. This year I'm in no particular mood (except maybe Annick Goutal as I'm so appreciate Nuit Etoileé and also La Violette) so I havn't got the slightest idea of what to wear.

Today I'm wearing Etat Libre d'Orange Tom of Finland and it's leathery, coconutty smell is not especially midsummerlike. The only association to midsummer I get from ToF is Finland as Finland is our neighbour country and also celebrates the midsummer eve. I received the Tom of Finland sample from my friend Fragrantfanatic yesterday during our pleasant, monthly perfumelunch. FF then told about a perfume that has supported her in the grief of her grandfather, see her touching entry here . FF also let me test from her sample of the new, not yet released, Mito from Vero Kern. Pure, sparkling, wonderful greenness, a must have. Can't place the fragrance already, but it reminds me of some other green beauty.

I wish you a merry Midsummer weekend!