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.

This bursts out of the bottle, it comes out strong and hot. Almost medicinal and burning, as if it has some potent herbs inside. Floral Green....could almost be a Woody Spicy..Unisex...The turkish rose is nice, but not to strong. This seems to be purley violets, and as the notes denote, leaves included. This scent never becomes dainty, powdery, or "youthful and balmy" as the description says. Balmy? It's biting. I would say mature, fresh, and brave. As it fades, at the very end of wear, it does become sweetened. It lasted much longer on me than any other Annick Goutal, it lasted two and a half hours. Ah, a divine breeze! Seems to be an antique scent!

This is a review of the bottle with the pink packaging and pink ribbon. When I first smelled this fragrance, I was expecting a sweet, candy-like violet scent, as is so often the case for violet fragrances. I was surprised that this is not what this fragrance is about, What I got was a beautiful, natural, powdery violet note and a tart, woody violet leaf note. I couldn’t make out the rose note. At first, the violet leaf came across quite strong and almost too much. But then it settled and allowed the natural violet note to take the stage. I feel like I’m smelling a bouquet of violets. This is a very classy and wearable fragrance.

My absolute favorite from Annick Goutal. This is a true soliflore and a photorealistic violet. There's no real powderiness here. No leaf of the violet, only flower. I do agree with the comments comparing it to Chowards mints and Abbaye pastilles. It is slightly candied, but not in an artificial or overpowering way. Just perfect. It's my favorite springtime scent. ETA - I've read the newer bottles seem reformulated. My reviews are based on the older version - I have/had bottles with a slender gold string to the neck and the one with the purple organza ribbon. I have not repurchased/sampled the newer bottle yet. Just FYI.

Generally I'm not a great fan of Annick Goutal's perfumes. Not because they don't smell good, but because they just don't smell good on me... This perfume is THE exception. I adore this smell. To me, it's the perfect "welcome, Spring" scent, pampering and lively. It doesn't smell too complicated, just fresh, sweet, powdery violet, the hint of rose not too prominent on my skin. My mom used to grow violets in our front yard, and this scent is an extremly close olfactory reminder. Longevity is quite good, lasting an entire workday, and sillage is moderate. This scent just makes me happy :) Hello, lovely April and May :)

Beautiful, realistic, violet rose floral that melts me. The opening is infused with the Annick Goutal signature floral "twang" that she magically fits in to most of her florals. I think even if someone was blindfolded and had never smelled this before they would immediately think AG. I usually am not a big fan of violet type fragrances but I absolutely love this. It makes me feel more girly. Just smelling it makes me feel like I need to get a manicure or sit up straight or something. It just smells feminine and polished. Something I usually am not. Maybe if I wear it more often my back won't hurt quite so bad.

Very lovely and unexpectedly longer lasting than I thought. I have experienced short lasting from Annick and have been quite disappointed with that, but La Violette is a nice surprise. Of course do not expect it to be heavy or last a day, it would not be in line with the philosophy of this scent (and the other soliflores in this line), but the lasting power and the scent development is very very nice. At the beginning straight violet, very similar to Violetta di Parma but softer and with less woods. Then it develops with leaves and a very delicate earthy tone that gives strength to the composition. Excellent!!

Any lady could wear this charming soliflore. On my skin, the violets smell sweet and realistic, balanced by the greeny earthiness of the violet leaf and the freshness from the roses. It's quite loud before the dry-down of a soft, powdery violet. I would wear this to cheer me up on a rainy summer's day, on a picnic or to welcome the beginning of spring. It also reminded me of a scent that Mary Lennox might smell in The Secret Garden. UPDATE: The downside with this scent was that it was too fleeting! Only lasted for about 2-3 hours and the sillage was moderate, how upsetting.

Tres, tres French! I worried this would be a copy of the thick violet syrup I bought in Paris a few years ago (meant for pancakes and baking) but it doesn't. Not sweet at all, even though there is the "memory" of the syrup somewhere in the background. It is just as described - Spring bouquets, candied violets in patisserie shop windows, it is green and powdery and complex, yet still a soliflore. I love it. But unfortunately I probably won't get it because I'm going to buy Misia, by Chanel. They're very similar.

To me this is an incredible, yet simpel fragrance. Two of my favourite florals together in a bottle: rose and violet. It is very much a romantic fragrance. Romantic and slightly melancholic, to me. Imagine a quiet walk alone in a garden late at night in late may / early june. Probably not a fragrance for everyone, but if you are a floral lover like me it is worth checking out. The lastingpower is decent, and my only complaint is that they only sell it as EDT, would Love having this as an EDP.

This is so sweet and comforting. Generally, I stay away from any fruity notes as my skin amplifies them, and I am not fond of them, but oh my, the mix of raspberry and violet is heaven. it's sweet but not sugary and very intimate. I can't imagine wearing this to work or even for an outing. But as I put it on and relax after a shower, it's heaven.

Its a quite a rosy violet and its a little bit fresh green. It is NOT too juicy or sweet or powdery or soapy, and like all Annick Goutal, it is not heavy at all. Rather it stays close and feels natural. I like this very much; my husband also likes it also, but not as much as me.

Love love love this but wish it lasted longer. Fades so fast. It goes on STRONG. A serious green dry violet that has powdery and sharp notes. So perfect. I adore this and am glad that I blind bought a full bottle. A lovely violet that is more complex than most.

This is my signature fragrance because it works so well in both warm and cold weather. It is a fresh violet with red fruits. It also has a mentholated feel to it. I love the opening which smells exactly like violet candy.

I feel a lot violets and leaves. Additionally I feel some fruit and the tea ealy grey. The pleasant scent but in start intensive. Now I like it .Try in Your skin :)

Ultra feminine, delicate, light and fresh. It's gorgeous. A beautiful powdery floral perfume. The violet is an absolutely heavenly dream. Perfection.