Folie Bleue

I became curious about Godet after reading a wonderful article on here about the house's history and most famous scent, Petite Fleur Bleue. I ordered samples of all their perfumes off their website, which also afforded me the pleasure of corresponding with Sonia Godet, the fourth-generation house perfumer responsible for reviving the brand. Although I did love Petite Fleur Bleue, I found it a bit too fleeting for my taste. Folie Bleue, though, is incredible. I think of it as one of my most vibrant "cheerful" scents: it never fails to put a smile on my face and lighten my mood. All the notes come through clearly, singing in perfect harmony: a very realistic, fuzzy oakmoss; musty, ozonic, violet leaf; a truly juicy, almost tangy bergamot; fresh, powdery iris; spicy cardamom; dusty cedar. The citrus, moss, and violet are the most prominent, creating a sort of shimmering zing grounded by grassy earth. The original Folie Bleue was created for Matisse's mistress, but this is far from an exclusively feminine perfume. Like the the south of France, where Matisse's house and Godet's perfumery are located, this perfume is verdant, sparkling, and full of life. "Folie" here should not be translated directly as "craziness" or "madness", but as its English cognate: "folly". It is a sky-blue whimsy, a sapphire extravagance, a carefree frolic in the fragrant summer air of early afternoon. The ingredients are local and very high quality, and the bottle is one of the most gorgeous I own. My only qualm is with the sprayer. All of Godet's perfumes can be purchased in one of two formats: with a proprietary cap equipped with a special hollow stem allowing for the fragrance to be dispensed through capillary action, or in a "couture" edition, with a locking atomizer connected to a long tube ending in a tasseled bulb that you have to squeeze vigorously to dispense the fragrance (also, the couture version only comes in 100ml). Since I tend to spray pretty heavily, especially with fresh scents that have to withstand the summer heat, I opted for the bulb atomizer, even though it is more expensive. Though visually stunning, it's not a terribly efficient way to apply the fragrance, and I'm worried the mechanism is going to give out before the bottle is empty. Ideally, I would have liked to purchase Folie Bleue in the same bottle with the gorgeous cap sans capillary applicator but equipped with a traditional finger-push atomizer. This would make things so much more user-friendly and efficient, not to mention easier to travel with. Weird atomizer notwithstanding, Folie Bleue is a marvel. Totally genderless, and very versatile. Slightly better for spring, summer, and fall, but I worry that it will clam up in cold weather; I may add an update on this. Suitable for any age bracket as well. My favorite new chypre! Thank you so much, Sonia!

There is a lucid beauty to Folie Bleue: no haze, no brume, no stormy weather. It is a blue sky and the dewy softness of violet: both flower and leaf. The bergamot and cardamom begins this spell, legible and with a pétillant quality, leading into the heart which manages to take violet to a place where its unfettered and verdant, with just the right dose of ozone to aerate the accord. This is a flash of cool brilliance among the tranquility, to render the sensation atmospheric in such a careful manner. A sheer iris and measured, somewhat damp cedar only slightly recalls that of SL Bois de Violette, yet here, it feels more luminous, like foxfire at twilight. This is one of those fragrances where there is space in between the passages, the olfactory equivalent to listening to the music of Harold Budd—chords are simple, but arresting, and time slows down as I wear it. The sillage is tender yet ravishing all at once. It's absolutely dazzling.

I have to agree with the previous reviewer @alphairone. This is such a beautiful deep midnight blue on a summer's evening type of fragrance that completely mystifies me in its simplicity, depth and enchantment. The clarity of the violet flowers that seemingly stretch endlessly to a dark blue horizon as a cool breeze blows through your skin is absolutely bewildering. I must say for music afficionados, the Harold Budd reference and specifically the magnificent "Avalon Sutra" record as mentioned by the previous reviewer is so spot on. This is a beautiful, piano-led ambient composition that with a few notes manages to create incredible depth. I love wearing this at home on a cool spring or summer's evening whilst writing or reading. What Sonia Godet has done to revive the Godet house is simply amazing and deserves more recognition.

Violet perfection. Sometimes, when we are lucky, we stumble upon perfection. Trying to describe it is difficult because words seem inadequate. After months of wearing this, I'm still failing to find them. I love violets and everything in this composition is there to make two aspects of violets shine; flower and leaf. It appears simple, ethereal and timeless. That takes serious skill. Miss Godet resurrected this historical house with some of the original compositions and is working hard to keep them as faithful as possible. And it shows, the quality of ingredients and execution are flawless. Simply stunning.

violet and iris midare so good. It's not complex in terms of amount of ingredients but it's stunning the way it comes across from the skin. I'm almost alway very bad buddy to violet in perfumery but in here it's framed so well that it's close to violet perfection in my head. Totally unisex and easy to pull off by anyone.

Chypre... Enjoyable 1920's chypre with that oakmoss, mingled with cardamom, violet leaves, & bergamot. Mildly sour with Kaffir Lime. The doses of bergamot, cardamom, & oakmoss are quite equal to each other as you can feel the balance in this blend. The vintage bottle of "Folie Bleue" is just pure joy to my eyes, so is "Divinité" vintage bottle. Cute.