La Violette

Ahhhhhh! So lovely and reminiscent if my childhood and adolescence. I remember a violet water perfume made by Cubans in Miami and sold to many Latin households which were usually worn by the little girls of a family. These were a deep grape soda purple perfume in plastic bottles with white caps and I always loved the smell! This Annick Goutal Violet is more like CHOWARDS VIOLET MINTS, the candy my Daddy always bought for me and which is still my favorite! There's a drugstore quality to this perfume I actually like ( I know- strange) its an unpretentious Violet. The initial hit is a Bombastic Violet purple haze, the dry down has a cotton candy heart, just a tiny hit of vanilla extract with hints of grain alcohol, I get a ghostly mingling of ylang ylang- not so much as even a hint of rose. This is such a nostalgic fragrance- very little girl- not a seductive fragrance as much as one which conjures images of little girls and grandmas- The last note is powdery and that violet is ever present well into the end. Silage is moderate. 2 sprays are all you need- it's very long lasting- shocker for a A.G. Fragrance. Unpretentious and sweet. A little pricey- but then I am Goutal Girl- wish she was still with us...

La Violette is one of my favorite scents of all time - One I can't see myself living without! The concept is a whimsical fairytale in a bottle. It's mildly melancholic & damp in the very best way, but also very romantic, antiqued, crisp & wonderful. This one gives you the entire violet experience. You get all delicious, candy-like, juicy violets, with a touch of a more bitter, earthy/airy vegetation note to contrast with the sweetness (Violet leaf!). Out of many violet scents in my collection, this one is the least soapy, and most realistic! I also love that the violet isn't paired with a woody note, as many others are done. The subtle rose compliments the focus very well, and it's delightful for casual wear during gloomy, cold days... and also somewhat refreshing in very hot weather! I find the longevity on this scent pretty grand, which I believe is atypical in Annick Goutal standards! It will last 6+ hours, and more like 10-12+ hours on your clothes. Impressed!

Forest sprites wear this! I think this is delightful beyond words. Fresh and nostalgic at the same time. The opening is lushly green with a zesty feel but quickly settles into the most enchanting violet scent. The greenness remains throughout the life of the fragrance, tempering the natural sweetness of the violet without overwhelming it. The rose note is too subtle for my nose to pick out but this isn't exactly what I'd call a purely linear violet so clearly some other note is peeking out somewhere. Maybe a few more wearings and I'll detect it. Very long lasting (over 12 hours later I could still detect gently wafting notes) which really surprised me, given the light, fresh feel of this scent. I think it'd be perfect in spring and summer, but here we are in the middle of a cold snap and I've worn it with great pleasure for several days. A wonderful mood-enhancer at any time of the year.

I now disagree with my earlier review. La Violette and Misia are not the same at all. The beginnings are the only things similar, because both begin with a blast of violet. Both continue with the violet taking centre-stage, but they handle it completely differently. Let's compare: LA VIOLETTE / MISIA Vibrant violet (smell-colour) / Pastel violet (smell-colour) Intense / Demure Slightly sweet (like those candied violets in pattisseries) / Not edible (unless you like the idea of eating makeup) Fresh / Powdery Evokes living flowers / Evokes a preserved time period Slightly green / Slightly musky Pretty / Elegant Just like there are many types of roses, there are many types on violet. Now I want both of them for my collection! (Chanel, you are extorting me...)

This violet is green, fresh, damp violets with just a touch of powdery. while it does has a hint of violet sweet, it is leaning make up-y violets than sweet candied violets. I agree with this being more like violet soap, but a nice one. Really need to try it a few times to appreciate it. each time i sprayed it at different time, seems like the smell changes ever so slightly. being green and being damp violets are the common denominator here. sometimes it feels so soft aquatic, so soft i can barely sniff it even when i bury my nose to my sprayed skin. sometimes it just blooms on its own and i can whiff a beautiful bouquet of fresh violets. as with most violet soliflore fragrances i owned, the scent is close to skin.