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.

I have tested it in a perfume store, very nice way to recognize how seems to be the pure violet fragrance, this fragrance is very elegant, classy suitable to very feminine, calm lady, do more than talk, this is my feelings when I had test it, the fragrance depends on violet in clear way mixed with sweety powdrey notes in the backgound. If you didn't smell this perfume before, I advise that you can blind buy if you interest violet flower or searching on perfume contains the violet in very essential clear pure way. This fragrance suitable to wear it during the day or night in all seasons, It lasts more than 6 hours on the leather and more than one day on the clothes. لقد جربته في متجر للعطور، إنها طريقة لطيفة للغاية للتعرف على كيف تبدو رائحة البنفسج النقية، هذه الرائحة أنيقة ومنمقة للغاية، راقية ومناسبة لسيدة هادئة كلها أنوثة، تفعل أكثر من مجرد الثرثرة، هذه هي مشاعري عندما اختبرته، يعتمد العطر على نوتة البنفسج بطريقة واضحة ممزوجة بنوتات بودرية حلوة في الخلفية. إذا لم تشمِ هذا العطر من قبل، أنصحك بإمكانك شرائه شراءً أعمى، إذا كنتي مهتمة بزهرة البنفسج أو تبحثين عن عطر يحتوي على البنفسج بطريقة نقية جدًا وواضحة. هذا العطر مناسب لارتدائه أثناء النهار أو الليل في جميع الفصول، يدوم أكثر من 6 ساعات على الجلد وأكثر من يوم على الملابس.

This gem is pretty much 1:1 on how I remember it being! There's some veeeeery subtle differences in the base notes yet it doesn't detract from the originals sugared and candied florals, its absolutely bonkers 'room filling silage' nor from being that PERFECT balance of sugary sweet and naturally sweet. Violet is the captain of this liquid through and through, even in the dry down it still lingers. Candied, powdery, sweet - the fruit in this isn't really discernable to me, yet you know it's there, almost like what a fairytale fruit would smell like. There's never a fresh violet, it too is dripping with syrup and dusted with sugar. The iris in this really stands out as being the only earthy floral, not by any means going against the theme, in fact I think it works on favour of it! It adds some purple depth to the otherwise almost overwhelming symphonic sweet notes. I understand why some people would automatically call this an "old lady scent", it has all of the stereotypical aspects of the vintage fragrances. Anyone who thinks that about this fragrance, at this point, really doesn't understand just how insolent this fragrance REALLY is 😉

So funny story- this perfume was actually a gift from my mom to my sister. My sister is very much a vanilla girl (not gourmand necessarily- just a vanilla lover), and when she smelt it- she HATED it. And so, it landed into my greedy hands. Except- I HATED it too at first. Omg it truly smelt like an old lady. But then, after some time- I realized, this is not just any old lady. It's an old lady with CLASS. The best kind of old lady. And old lady who is also a big shot surgeon in a high end suit speaking at a research symposium. My mom and I are huge fans of powdery scents- and this is by far the most unique powdery perfume we've owned. That's likely because of the violet. We usually buy white florals- and this was a very pleasant change from that. Overall, I wouldn't call this a safe blind buy. It's elegant, delicate, clean, and undeniably classy. It's not loud or overpowering, but it has a quiet confidence that makes it stand out. I think it's the perfect fragrance for the office or any professional setting because it feels polished without smelling generic. I'll absolutely be repurchasing this and saving it for all of my big days.

I reviewed Insolence a while ago, but instead of updating my review, as I usually do, I'm just going to write a new one because I don't think I really got it before. I thought the name of this EDP was inappropriate. I didn't realize exactly how aggressive and tenacious Insolence actually is, because on the surface, just looking at the notes, you'd think it was a demure little powder-bomb, and it's not really that. Well, it's pretty powdery, thanks to the generous dose of iris, but it's also fruity, thanks to the strawberry note. The vanilla-tonka-sandalwood notes get more prominent on my skin as the drydown progresses, but holy shit! do those violets and orange blossoms linger in the air. I'd say this leaves a trail and then some. My perfume-hating neighbor has got to be cursing my name. I only used 2.5 sprays (one on each inner elbow, a half-spray on the chest), but even so I probably oversprayed. My husband noted that it was strong but that he didn't dislike it at all, so maybe if I just used a single spray or 1.5 sprays it would be slightly less insolent, projection-wise.

This perfume was a favourite of mine in about 2011 I snapped up as many bottles (Old Design bottles) as I could as the lady at the Guerlain counter misinformed me that this was being permanently discontinued. Fast forward to 2024 and I'm surprised to find that it wasn't discontinued, they just changed the bottle! I picked this up in January and I'm pleased to say that the fragrance hasn't changed a bit from what I remember. If you love parma violet sweets or those violet creams (Without the chocolate) this is for you, people think it's an ''Older lady'' smell... I really couldn't care less, to me it's a beautiful sweet powdery violet scent that lasts for a long time. I'm not sure I can detect the wild strawberry but definitely the vanilla dry down, though it predominantly stays violet-heavy on my skin. I've had multiple people ask me what I'm wearing and I'm happy to tell them. Sillage - 8/10 Longevity - 8/10 Id like to try a few more Guerlain perfumes in this range, but ill always re-purchase this one.

I think I’m legit turning into a Guerlain Girlie. Insolence is my 7th purchase from them. Not gonna lie, when you first apply Insolence, you’re gonna think it’s awful. To me, it almost smells like that that liquid amoxicillin I took as a kid mixed with grape Koolaide. It’s sickly. But wait about 10 minutes for the most beautiful, unique experience. It turns into something so whimsically special that I don’t know quite how to describe it. I heard someone on TikTok say it’s like how a Sugar Plum Fairy would smell, and I guess that’s as close as I can come to explaining this fragrance. It’s sweet, but not overly so. It’s a bit powdery, but not in the old fashioned aldehydic little old lady kind of way. It straddles both gourmand and floral territories in a genius kind of way. It’s youthful, but not childish. I think it’s a perfect springtime scent. It might get a little too sweet in really hot weather, but I bet it would shine on a rainy summer night. In a word: OBSESSED

Absolutely MAGICAL. The scent of fairies, magic in the air, the feeling of unexpected nostalgia and a hug from someone who you can no longer hug in this life. It evokes every impossible thought and magical feeling. This is one of the fragrances that sent me down the rabbit hole. I heard that it smells like Disney land, often described as the “happiest place on earth” and I HAD to have it. One of the best blind buys I’ve ever had! It recently became hard to find after gifting my mom my bottle and it seemed like it was being discontinued, which should be a crime! Luckily it looks as though they are producing it again! The longevity was never that great on me, unfortunately. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll add it back to my collection, anything can happen. I know it’s just candied violets but I just can’t explain why I smell a fairy dust accord lol kidding but there really is some kinda strange magic in this. One of my all time favorites EVER.

I generally despise violet perfumes — I find them to be cloying and stuffy. Insolence is the sole, glorious exception to that. I sprayed this on myself, by chance, at a department store and could not stop smelling my arm all day. I was mesmerized. For nearly three months, I went back to the Guerlain counter every single week, just to smell Insolence. When they started to recognize me there, I knew the time had come. I had to pull the trigger. I have no regrets, whatsoever. In a word, Insolence is delicious. This is a sweet, romantic violent scent that is, in my opinion, made more youthful than most violet perfumes by its fruity, strawberry notes. The vanilla and tonka add warmth. Insolence is incredibly feminine. Its wear-time is impressive — I can perfume myself with three sprays one morning (one on each wrist, one at the neck), and when I wake up the next day, I’ll find the scent still lingers close to the skin on my wrists.

Sugared violets. Powdery iris, a tease of orange blossom, a subtly woody vanilla dry down. It retains that delicious, syrupy parma violet scent from first spritz to final lingering whiff. Imagine a 1950s cheesecake pinup - sweet, coy, seductive in a coquettish way. Not too risqué, charmingly playful, confident, the kind of girl to infatuate men with a wink and a smile. This is not old lady scent, it's vintage young woman scent. Far too sweet to be old ladyish, and even then I don't understand the bandwagon disdain of classic perfumes people under 25 have. The other vibe this gives is: sugarplum fairy innocence. Pastel floral dresses, lace lingerie, ballet slippers, twirling barefoot in a cottage garden. This is nymphette/coquette in a bottle. I often have people compliment me when I wear it, though mostly men. I think men tend to appreciate sweet scents on women because it is so quintessentially girlish.

Insolence starts with red fruits (strawberry according to the pyramid), it continues with violet - delicious, imposing and charming at the same time - and it ends with some notes of orange blossom, tonka and sandalwood. I can't say if the bottle changed the juice because - although I have known it very well on others - I have never worn it myself. For me, the smell is still as delicious as before. It's a sweet but not too sweet fragrance, gourmand but not too much, perfectly balanced and pure joy for those who love violets. I don't know many easily accessible perfumes (understand classic perfumeries) that compose something so beautiful around this flower. It’s a shame that the bottle has – like many others – been standardized. I found the original magnificent and original. Now everything looks the same, it's dull and without singularity...

I couldn't agree more with @Tuttoo! This perfume is definitely not the kind of scent that goes viral nowadays. Perhaps that's why many refer to it as a perfume for older ladies. You will not find many YouTubers and influencers raving about it and you will not smell it in every corner. In simple terms it's not a mainstream scent and perhaps it's not a compliment monster. But truly I couldn't care less! This perfume to me is so elegant but not in terms of expensive, rich, old money, new money or any other possible term associated with money and wealth that is used to describe the scent of certain perfumes. It's innocent and sweet but yet mysterious and confident. It talks on behalf of you but not about your social status. It talks about who you are deep inside and that's exactly what in my opinion a perfume should achieve with its scent.

While there are many violet and iris based perfumes in the market, few capture their beauty like Insolence. Drawing inspiration from L’Heure Bleue while being different, Insolence manages to imbue a playfulness to the somber beauty of violets. At the same time reminiscent of candy, lipstick and suede, Insolence smells beautiful and quintessentially Parisian. This is in perfume form the image of Paris; not the city but the picture that lives in our imagination as the city of light. While there is a slight backbone that pays homage to L’Heure Bleue, Insolence is a creature of its own. Powdery, sweet, comforting. I had no interest in a violet scented perfume but I’m smitten by its authentic smell and playful character that smells decidedly Guerlain!

I had done a bit of research on Guerlain and smelled this in an airport...then was unable to get it out of my head until I pulled the trigger on purchasing it a month later. It’s a bold violet smell, so you’re going to have to get on board with that before you spray, but apart from that it’s a weighty concoction of powdery flowers and vanilla. It’s mature but, surprisingly, I feel sassy as shit wearing this, like I’ve summoned the strength of my foremothers and will not take any messing around. It’s taken me wearing it a couple of times to realise why they called it Insolence. I ‘accidentally’ bought 2 bottles during a post-Christmas spending flurry - oh no! What a shame! I’ll have to keep them both, how devastating, I’m so upset, etc... 😈

I was given a sample of the vintage EDT (flying saucer bottle) by a friend I met here. And while I liked it very much I just didn't want to run out and buy one on eBay. Also, as much as I liked the edt I thought it was a little light and a bit heavy on the fruit/berry notes. Now, this EDP is a true violet perfume. More intense violet than the edt. Powdery but not a heavy powder like iris is. That maybe why my husband prefers violet to iris. I would swear that I am wearing parma violet candies on my hand right now. If you love the smell of parma violet candies this is something you should blind buy. Lol. I wish they made bubble bath and body lotion. I could bath in this violet heaven every day!

I adore her and I want a full bottle of her as soon as I'm able to! I have a sample of this and I just love it. This is different than most of my other fragrances, but that could explain why I like it so much. This feels a little more grown-up, a little more dressy. She is very elegant. Somehow she also makes me very nostalgic. I asked my mother if anyone in the family has worn this when I was a child, but she does not recall it. I really adore the violet and powdery notes in this perfume, it really gives what it promises. She feels a bit sharp to me in the opening, but I do not dislike it that much and it does not ruin this fragrance for me at all. I get the fairy vibe from this!