Violet Empire

Review for the water perfume not the Perfume Absolute: This water perfume reminds me of the oil infusers that used to be popular. You would put a ring around your light bulb and drop in a bit of essential oil to make the house smell nice, once the oil heated up. This juice is thick and oily, and at first I would get a hint of pencil shavings and then, poof gone. So I reapplied thinking it was weak and just needed a much heavier application. The smell of pencil shavings was more persistent but very close to the skin. After about an hour or so, I guess it had "warmed up" and I began getting hints of violet leaf. The pencil shaving scent was gone. After about two hours I was getting more of the violet leaf and the resin. The woody scent was in the background but not very noticeable. It was a pleasant violet/resin scent. Lasted a good bit once it warmed up, and the sillage increased too. I was worried that I over applied once it had fully warmed up. No one complained so maybe not. I thought I hated it at first but by the time it had fully blossomed and heated up I really enjoyed it. I might even consider buying it if I could get it on sale or in a smaller bottle than the 100ml.

Stems, pistons and all. This had a bit of a spice quality to it like cinnamon, or cumin or something familiar but none of those. More spice and green than purple scent you might expect. I always enjoy putting this on for the novelty if nothing else, definitely in the vein of all CB Perfumes, literal.

I do not usually like 'powdery' scents at all. I'd begun avoiding violet/iris as notes entirely for a while because I couldn't escape that powder drydown I disliked. However THIS... this is beautiful. I don't get powder any more than from a real soft velvet petal! Fascinatingly realistic. Feels unlike any other style of perfume physically on the skin as well as in the way it hits the nose. I get no leather, just a lush dark green smell of real violet leaf. (Which I can understand the similarity to but my nose is still interpreting it as a flower part vs leather.) Just beautiful. And I didn't think I liked violets..! I do start getting warm wood and resin as it soaks in more, making it even more convincing that I'm outdoors smelling a flower with trees nearby. Thanks Christopher Brosius. I'm beginning to think you have the nose of Jean Baptiste Grenouille what with all these ultra realistic but still artistic perfumes ;)

A dusty, tea-like violet with some bitter aspects. The violet is split between the “purple” effect that you might expect from petals and the slightly axrid note that you'd find in the leaves and stem. Brosius is up to something with this though as I’m not sure if he’s doing a violet bouquet or a violet bouquet on a hat in a thrift store. It’s powdery, yet not in a bad way, but I’m finding it hard to articulate exactly what he’s created. If it’s photorealism, I don’t think he’s captured the flower itself, but perhaps an extraction of it. It also smells a little bit like those chalky violet candies. Overall, a polite, subdued ultra-violet that’s shaded a tad grey rendering it more melancholy than vibrant.

I had a very nice tea bag opening with soft violet and quietness that is good. I was hoping more in my face, but this is nice and elegant.