Etat Libre D'Orange - True Lust Rayon Violet De Ses Yeux

Picture: True Lust
Photo: PR Etat Libre dOrange (c)

True Lust Rayon Violet De Ses Yeux  (in the following called True Lust) is a creation that unites two earlier editions from Etat Libre dOrange, Putain des Palaces (my favorite powdery violet) and Dangerous Complicity. 

From the very beginning True Lust makes me think of a diluted version of Putain des Palaces with violet, rose, lipstick, ricepowder. Further on there are also notes similar to boozy blond tobacco, probably the rhum and even later hints of leather paired with a coconutnote. As I havn't tested Dangerous Complicity I can't refer to that fragance, only to Putain des Palaces. True Lust to me is like a clean and light version, a bit sweeter and without the intriguing altered character and dirty shades of PdP. True Lust is like a safe and comforting version of the demanding PdP, pale but sort of nice. The nature of the fragrance though, doesn't correspond to its name. It also feels a bit uninspired and messy in character, as it doesn't know which path to choose for its developement. A fragrance that comes to my mind in this sort of airy style of lipstick powder is Histoires de Parfums 1889 Moulin Rouge but that one is a far better interpretation on the theme.

Picture: True Lust
Photo: PR Etat Libre d'Orange (c)

Positive is that True Lust is more versatile than PdP as it's lighter, cleaner and could be worn in most tempratures (not the hottest) and for most occasions. To me, as it  derives from the ultra feminine Pdp, True Lust is a feminine fragrance even if marked as unisex. Sillage is close and longevity not so good, it doesn't last for a day on me. 

As a whole: I don't understand the purpose with True Lust (expect squeezing money out of a proven formula) as ELDO already has the outstanding PdP in their range. To me True Lust is perfectly nice and wearable but forgettable.

Rating: 3

Notes: Rum, ginger, rose, violet, coconut, osmanthus, lily of the valley, jasmine, ylang-ylang, tangerine, rice powder, ambergris, leather, animal notes, sandalwood

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Maison Nicolas de Barry - L'impératrice Sissi

Picture: Emperess Elisabet of Austria (1837-1898)
Painting by Amanda Bergstedt (1841-1918)
Wikimedia commons

L'impératrice Sissi from the historic line of Maison Nicolas de Barry is inspired of the Empress of  Austria-Hugary the beautiful  redhead Elisabeth of Bavaria. L'impératrice Sissi is create by Nicolas de Barry and Eddie Blanchet.

L'impératrice Sissi starts sparkling, flowery where natural smelling violets blended with iris, the flowery irisinterpretation are featured. Later on the fragrance goes more cosmetic, like the smell of lipstick, a bit putty- powdery, and this impression deepens as the dry down goes further on. The base is slight vanillic, musky powdery in a  pleasant way.

L'impératrice Sissi is a well made, not candy sweet pastille smelling violet, the flowery iris blances the violet in a perfect harmony. Simple in notes but well balanced and with good ingredients, L'impératrice Sissi is pleasant to wear year around, this is not the typical transaprent spring violet. It's a comforting but in the same time casual chic fragrance, wearable in most occasions.

Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose and L'Artisan Drole de Rose are fragrances in the same vein as L'impératrice Sissi in its later stages. The flowery opening is more in the style of Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile and Le Galion Iris.

I don't konw why  Elisabeth inspired to a violet fragrance, maybe because she liked to wandering in the nature or simply because violets where popular in the romantic era in the 19th century.

Rating:4
Rating: 5 (November 2016)

Re-testing Sissi in November 2016 - its a really great fragance, I like it even better now, the natural vanilla together with an almost herbal facet shines through in a much better way this time. 

Notes: Bergamot, violet, iris, vanilla

Thanks to Fragrance and Art for the sample to try

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

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

Mona di Orio - Les Nombres d'Or Violette Fumèe

Picture: Exquisite Pure New Wool fabrics
for traditional tailoring, PR picture stolen from
 Alfred Brown Worsted Mills UK, (c)
And, I want a suit/some suits in one or some of theese beauties :-)

Violette Fumée is a fragrance created by Mona di Orio specially for her businesspartner Jeroen Oude Sogtoen. Violette Fumée is created to feature the person Jeroen, who he is, his memories from the past and things he likes. Almost two years after the great perfumer Mona di Orio:s untimely death, Jeroen has released his personal fragrance in public and I think we could be grateful he did this move, because Violette Fumèe is a great fragrance, a fragrance I appreciate the more I smell it.

Violette Fumée starts with a slight herbal note, a note of a fresh but in the same time dark lavander supported with some bergamot fizz and green, leafy notes. After a while violets both flowers and the leaves appears. The violets are dark and woody-leafy in style, just as they are popping up under big old threes, deep in the forest, breaking through the carpet of old moldering leaves from last year. The violet flower stays during the whole dry down, in the middlenotes supported by subtle green, woody and rosy notes and in the base resins and woody notes together creates a slight sweet and smoky impression. In the middelnotes I can also recognize the typical "dust on a lighted bulb" note from Monas first fragrance Carnation but more subdued in Violette Fumée. Another characteristic for Violette Fumée is the dry, woolen-fabric quality of the fragrance, Violette Fumée evokes the feeling of visting the tailor who's measuring up an extraordinary wool-fabric for a suit. The tailor association is also strenghted by the fact that I can smell similarities with the most classic tailor fragrance ever: Knize Ten. The dry woolen note and the images of tailormade are similar and to me Violette Fumèe is a contemporary violet - dark herbal take on the classic leather Knize Ten. Another dry-woolen-tailor fragrance which comes to my mind when giving attention to the woolen fabricnote, is Penhaligons Sartorial.

Picture: Violette Fumée in its classical Mona di Orio
Champagne inspired bottle
Photo: PR Parfums Mona di Orio (c)

Violette Fumée is a unisex fragrance which in my opinon is leaning more to the masculine side. Maybe it has to do with skinchemistry but from testings in the House of Parfumista the test results is clear: Mr Parfumista wears this much better than myself which could be disappointing but the good news are: He is wearing Violette Fumée extremly well, just as well as Knize Ten, and indeed, I can live with experiencing this beautiful fragrance by proxy :-)

Rating: 5

Notes: Lavender, bergamot, oak moss, violet flowers, violet leaves, rose, vetiver, clary sage opoponax, myrrh, cashmeran

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

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