Insolence Eau de Parfum

A breath of violet fresh air! I have many violet perfumes in my perfume wardrobe. A few years back I was on a quest to find the best violet perfume. First I bought Guerlain’s Apres L’Ondee EDT, Goutal’s La Violette EDT and Frederic Malle’s Lipstick Rose. Since then I have added Chanel No. 19 EDT, EDP and Poudre, Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleue EDT & EDP, Guerlain’s L’Heure De Nuit, YSL Paris EDP, Serge Luten’s Un Bois Violette and most recently Insolence EDP. What strikes me foremost about Insolence EDP is that it has its own place in my collection. Maybe it leans towards violet confection but it does not scream violet candy to me like Goutal’s La Violette which btw I like a lot. It may conjure up memories of scented lipstick but it does not have the plastic lipstick case smell that I get with Lipstick Rose. I grew tired of Lipstick Rose and did not repurchase. Insolence doesn't have the large dose of rose that accompanies the violet in YSL Paris. It does not have any of the spicy carnation that adds uniqueness to L’Heure Bleue and in smaller measure to Apres L’Ondee. It lacks the Heliotrope I find in L’Heure De Nuit which has been discontinued and probably really isn’t considered a violet perfume. It is not woody like Un Bois Violette and cannot of course be compared to the incomparable Chanel No. 19. Except for Lipstick Rose, Insolence doesn't replace any of these beautiful and legendary perfumes in my collection but it sits nicely alongside them. Guerlain describes Insolence EDP as an overdose of violet embellished by Iris and Orange Blossom. That pretty much sums it up. Then there are the berries. I think the addition of the berries is what truly adds the uniqueness. After the initial burst of bright jammy violet, I'm in a fragrance cloud that revolves around berries, violet, iris and orange blossom. They are all there. After about an hour it settles into a more candy like fragrance with the vanilla, tonka and sandalwood starting to break through. These are just my initial impressions and that is what Insolence EDP uniquely does. It creates its own impression. I might not wear it several days in succession as it can be a bit of a silage bomb and tends to be opaque in the heat of summer. Still, it is a fast favorite and I am enjoying getting to know it better in all of its peculiarities. I am very glad to welcome it into my collection. Guerlain does violet proud yet again!

Damn, this gorgeous perfume name perfectly matches my experience with it ;) First, it is loud, attention keeping, with a beast performance. But second - it won’t allow you to forget about it easily... I blind bought a full bottle and initially got disappointed. Or rather - intimidated. Because Insolence violet is really strong. It shines like a brightest star, it paints your life purple and is totally dominating you. I got scared, considered it as too much for me, so I sold it. But...not so long after, I still had it in my mind. Memory of it was almost as intense as the scent itself and I kept questioning myself whether it was a good decision to sell it. I’ve never had such doubts with any other perfume, and I tend to blind buy quite often... so I took it as a sign and got myself a bigger decant. And guess what - Haha, it tricked me well and after giving it another week of everyday wear I...completely and passionately fell in love, reordered a bottle and won’t part my way with it ever again! :) As for the scent itself - as I mentioned, violet is obviously the main character, it also has a bit of a violet candy-like sweetness to it, but it’s not cloying at all, nor synthetic. It’s a high quality perfume and it smells that way as well. On paper it might look linear, but on my skin it develops pretty interesting. I can also smell iris, a bit of vanilla and strawberry mix, and a creamy hint of orange blossom. Insolence also gives me vintage vibes and I love it. What’s also funny is that while it still dominates me, I started to enjoy it ;) Moreover - it makes me smile, like we are flirting with each other. Like we built actual bond together. I know it sounds weird, but that’s my impression and I haven’t experienced it with any other perfume. And that’s also a reason why I think it’s special :) I love powdery perfumes (and consider Insolence as one) and most in my collection share similarities. Insolence is different, in a good way. Flirty, feminine and very original, like some beautiful perfume from another planet. Maybe it’s a signature scent of a goddess from different universe? I bet she rules them all ;) Might be yours as well - it’s definitely worth it!

The violet note is one of my favorites in perfumery, and it is so well-executed here! I had an old sample of the original Insolence EDP from the late Aughts... And it's so hard to believe that it is close to 20 years ago now. I found the sample again when I moved and had to smell it one more time. It was still incredible! I had to try the new reformulation despite my reservations. I received my bottle and tried her... PERFECTION! 🤩 This is the beautiful, almost grape-like violet and iris combination that reminded me so much of the irises my grandparents kept, except less stringent and more sweet. It is indulgent, syrupy, and cool, like a refreshing nectar for my skin. And unlike some fragrances, this one does not go sour nor bitter on me. She is perfectly blended, but not exactly perfectly linear, as others suggest. For my part, the violets seem to stay for hours, but once they dissipate, the neroli and wild strawberries really shine on my skin. On my velvet sleeve that I also sprayed, though, the violets are still there somewhat, but the neroli and iris are really intoxicating. She is like a decadent dessert— I bury my nose in her and inhale thinking she is so sweet and heady and I'll never get enough... But then I have to stop because she is too much to take in all at once. But I know I'll be back for more in a few minutes or hours. Now I must reevaluate my top fragrances... Easily a perfect 10/10 for me. Not even the most scathing review of it could change my mind. This is the story of star-crossed lovers who beat the odds to be together 💜

Guerlain had a crazy famous makeup product, face powder in pearl form, that had a heavenly scent. When asked if that scent came in a fragrance form, they said "yes!" and introduced us to this miracle. The first time I ever smelled this, I said "I have to hold onto buying this one day, the only day when I become a bride". it has the heavenliness and the class of old time royalty bride vibe to it. always made me think this would be the scent an actual royalty, a princess bride would wear. alternatively, if heaven existed and it had its own scent, it would be this. almost a decade later, I took the plunge and bought a 75ml bottle for myself. used it with joy and love. but towards the end of the bottle, I got tired of it. I like sexy and yummy scents, this was too royal for me. Too heavenly. To this day, I still admire the potent violet note in this. it hits you right away and it mesmerizes you. but we still live in a 3d world, and not everyday you get to wear your wedding gown and walk down the aisle. so, it truly is that elegant and heavenly, but after sometime, I missed my other fragrances. and sold the bottle I had with that tiny amount left in it. All in all, I still admire this. but it's been a while since I had it. and I never desired to have it again. the time I had it was enough for me.

Such beautiful powdery violet floral perfume. The vanilla and tonka bean are perfectly blended to give the violets a touch of depth and creaminess. Very feminine. Fantastic longevity and great sillage. A modern perfume inspired by Guerlain vintages done in the most perfect way. Insolence (edt) from the original "flying saucer" bottle was one of my favourite perfumes back then when they were still made. It was similar to the edp, but with a sharper raspberry note. I ran out and nearly bought the edp, which I regretted not doing because shortly after it was discontinued. Then came the bee bottle versions. I'm no reformulation snob, but I could not recognize my beloved Insolence anywhere in those. They smelt like a very diluted, extremely weak version of violet candies. A homeopathic version of violet candies I would add. I accepted that I'd bid farewell to Insolence as I knew it. Then this new bottle version has arrived, and I bought the edp when I had the chance. I can say these are just like the original except with maybe just a tiny bit less sillage, which mind you is probably a good thing as the originals were potent and could choke bystanders. Thank you Guerlain for releasing this new bottle version and bringing us back the stunning Insolence.