Velvet Violet

I'm not sure why this is being compared to Insolence EDP by Guerlain (and btw Insolence is not discontinued) as Velvet Violet is much deeper and rounder. I love Guerlain but this is not their DNA by any means. It is fuller, deeper and has a layer of what comes off as nutty and musky to my nose. I love that. However, I think what is actually coming through is the starchiness of the Barley and Sesame. This is a very nice surprise and makes the fragrance warm and comforting. Think Autumn... However, I would likely wear this in every season except Summer. V.V. is a true purple flower fragrance and the violet is sweet, soft and powdery. It does sit pretty close to the skin but after a time there is still a strength to this fragrance which may be the vetiver in the base. It lingers much in the same way a "masculine cologne" of the past would and still wafts in the air gloriously as it sticks around. A special violet fragrance.

I have appreciated DVN scents. Let me not get started on the Frederic Malle DVN exclusive that is no longer and literally was THE BEST creamy powdery vanilla sandalwood on the market (my plea to bring it back!). But alas, onto Velvet Violet. It’s sexy, sensual, modern, and clean in the rawest/starchiest and most addictive way. For me this ventures beyond the safe while being totally appealing. Smooth, powdered, deep/dark violet, and iris (I feel you and smell you but don’t see it in the notes). Sesame--I don’t know. But it’s really hard for me to get that sesame note in many perfumes. Regardless, bottle is superb and scent is a welcome addition.

Got a decanted sample from Aromadeus.com if anyone’s looking for some too. Wow! Definitely in my top 3 fragrances from DVN. This is almost identical to the good old (now discontinued Insolence EDP by Guerlain) except it smells more refined, niche and less suffocating but definitely the same dna.

Got to try a sample. Fall in love - sweet, powdery and comfort perfume. Can't wait to get a full bottle.

Spicy opening, almost like hay. (Oh wait... it's the barley. They didn't lie in the notes 😄) Sophisticated and unique. There's something velvety in the background. It feels like I'm rolling through a sunny field. As I twist around, I smell the dry grass. Then, when I finally open my eyes... the sky has turned dark violet and I'm suddenly in a dark forest. Woody drydown. At one point I even asked my boyfriend if he had just sprayed Bois Impériale by Essential Parfums... Nope. It was still Velvet Violet. ✨ S. Is it special, or do I already have something similar? I don't have anything quite like it. Although, out of all the recent fragrances I've tested, I feel like Velvet Violet and Contre Jour by Frédéric Malle would be BFFs. They have a similar vibe. 💞 E. Does it spark an emotion? Does it tell a story? Does it bring back a memory? For me... yes. The dry fields... then waking up in the dark forest. 👑 W. Can I see a time when I'd wear it in my life? No... It doesn't feel like *me* in a bottle. Or like someone I'd want to become. My Verdict: S ✅ E ✅ W ❌ It feels like something is missing. It's not full-bottle worthy for me. At least... not for now.

This is not a fragrance you can make a judgement about based on the first 10 or 15 minutes of wear. The initial spray is a lovely, rich, warm spiced violet. The sesame gives it almost a suede like olfactory texture. I really enjoy the first 20 to 30 minutes of this fragrance, however, after about 45 minutes the dry down turns into a dry, toasted, dense, masculine, peppery aroma that I do not like at all. It reminds me of a dried, smoked peppercorn. The final dry down lasts forever, I'm talking 9 to 10 hours with moderate to aggressive projection. Absolutely do a full wear test before you purchase.

This reminds me of Byredo's Bal d'Afrique in the dry down. I know VV is very new but surprised to not see anyone else smell that similarity yet, especially given how popular Bal d'Afrique is. I blind bought this and it doesnt smell like any of the DVN fragrances I own and I now own 11 of them. To me it doesnt even smell like something DVN would sell. I like it but don't love it yet. Im hoping it grows on me. 🥲

It’s a nice melange of those notes but once I smelled it on my skin I was little bit disappointed because I feel like I smelled this kind of scent profile very often in last year or two. It’s somewhere between Bal d’Afrique and Scarlet Poppy. It’s still a nice scent but for me not full bottle worthy since I find it boring. Also I think it’s safe blind buy since there is nothing repulsive here and even if you don’t like the scent you will have absolutely gorgeous bottle. 😍😄

Beautiful scent. Sadly it sits so close to my skin that I can’t justify the price. Sprayed it and 10 minutes later asked my husband to smell me. I SPRAYED A LOT! He could only smell me if he was hugging me. Same experience with a friend. I’m not spending this amount of money to have to hug everyone in order for them to smell and appreciate this scent on me. Gorgeous, but weak as shit! Also, I do not get the Bal d’Afrique comparison. I have the eau de parfum and the absolue of Bal d’Afrique. I don’t get the comparison. But I’ll take either of the Bal d’Afriques any day over this.

Started off like creamy violets, reminiscent of Guerlain’s Insolence EDP. I could detect a bit of nuttiness but think untoasted sesame. Everything was fine until the drydown that revealed this harsh, screechy woodiness that reminds me of gasoline or one of my least favourite Matiere Premiere scents.

This one did not work for me at all. I was able to test this today at the Dries Van Noten counter at Saks Fifth Avenue. From start to dry down this is straight up gasoline. I had to return home earlier than expected to shower and to launder the clothes I was wearing to remove the kerosine-gasoline stench. Even my husband was concerned as soon as I arrived home; he immediately asked if I had accidentally spilled gasoline. For the record, I was nowhere near a filling station or any other source of chemicals. The suffocating odor clearly originated from my wrists where I had place only two sprays from the sample bottle. Baffling! In view of the other reviews, I now wonder about the integrity of the sample bottle. However, it was clearly labeled, and Saks is a very reputable store with a consistently lovely fragrance department. In any event, I will not be retesting. Repulsive odor. Dreadful experience!

I get some violet right from the opening, but a lot of pink pepper—it definitely dominates for me at first. The sesame note in the middle is nice, and I actually really enjoy that part. Unfortunately, I’m not a huge fan of the dry down, and that’s where Velvet Violet loses me. I have other Dries Van Noten fragrances that I think are much better and that I enjoy wearing far more. Overall, this just isn’t something I can see myself reaching for. I was hoping for an immediate love, but instead I found myself trying to convince myself that it was full-bottle worthy—and if I have to work that hard to convince myself, it probably isn’t.

Velvet Violet is a win for me. This is a very modern, contemporary take on violet, nothing like the dated, overly "purple," powdery, or overtly floral interpretations that often define the note. The savory sesame note does an excellent job of cutting through the violet's powderiness. As it dries down, the vetiver and tonka create a woody, papery effect that feels almost bookish. Oddly enough, it reminds me of the smell of a fresh, blank sheet of paper, and I mean that as the highest compliment. If I caught the sillage on someone else, I honestly don't think I would identify it as a violet fragrance at all. Instead, I'd notice a polished clean, slightly sweet contemporary vetiver scent. Excellent work from Gaël Montero, and another strong release from Dries Van Noten.

To me, Velvet Violet opens with a delicate, slightly sweet violet that beautifully combines fresh and subtly spicy facets. As the fragrance develops, I begin to notice a gentle grainy nuance along with the warm aroma of roasted tonka beans. These details reveal themselves only up close, when you bring your nose close to the application spot and really take the time to listen to the scent. Overall, it’s a very pleasant and calming composition. Its overall profile reminds me of Nishane Meant To Be Seen, but Dries Van Noten’s interpretation is far more delicate, softer, and, unfortunately, quieter. This isn’t a fragrance built around a powerful trail, instead, it offers an intimate, comforting aura that is meant to be appreciated primarily by the wearer.

Somewhere inside deep is nice scent hidden under “new era” synthetic woods or even oud... Someone mentioned here that needed to get back home to make shower and gasoline smell... I get it... it has synthetic/molecular base that many use for men fragrances today... and that makes it very masculine kind of perfume... but projection is good and when going around it i can smell also beautiful flowers.. mainly violet... as for me (not fan of masculine leaning scents) it is pitty that it has that synthetic woody base .. otherwise it would be very nice fragrance

Dries can be so hit or miss. I feel they will overdose the scent on sesame. The last release wasn't the best Havana Gold. I really hope this is good. I will probably buy it just to decant. We will see 😃 Of course the bottle is pretty as well. Sesame, barely, Vetiver. It sounds very dry. I can't wait to see how they interpret the notes.

I ordered it from their website, but they just took the money and don't ship anything. Costumer service can't tell me when it will ship, they just sends a loop of non answers :( Thing twice before ordering on their website!

Complete list of notes as per DVN website: Top Note: Pink Pepper, Violet Leaf, Clary Sage Essence Heart Note: Toasted Sesame Absolute, Barley Roasted Base Note: Grilled Tonka Beans, Benzoin Resinoide, Vetiver Essence