Violetta di Bosco

I don't know why nobody saw a resemblance to L'Heure Bleue. Maybe because is only in my imagination? Years ago, in a small perfumery, I smelled an old tester of L'Heure Bleue and I deeply fell in love with it. It felt pricy for me at that time, did not buy it. But it continually haunted me. And strangely enough, I did not have the chance to smell it again, as I haven't found another tester anywhere. 10 years after that I made the purchase, a blind buy in a perfumery where they, of course, did not have the tester. And, you guessed it, my perfume was nothing like what I remembered. Maybe what I smelled was an older formulation? Maybe was an extract or Eau de toilette? What I bought was Eau de Perfume and my disappointment was incredible. I gave it over a year, a lot of chances, colder weather, warmer, humid, dry, nothing. I gave it away during one of my household decluttering. In the end, I thought that what I expected it to smell like was only a fantasy. Nothing real, an old and confused memory. Can you imagine my feelings when I tried Violetta di Bosco this year in Florence and it was like that old tester of L'Heure Bleue I smelled once? The biggest and the most interesting perfume surprise of my life!!! I don't believe it is exactly the same, however very similar. And it's what L'Heure Bleue should be. That warm violet sweet iris. Love it, grabbed a bottle. 45 euros for 50ml Eau de Perfume. At this point, for me doesn't matter it hasn't a huge sillage. What matters the most is that I finally found THAT old memory of L'Heure Bleue.

It opens sharp and green as bruised cut violet stems is represented in the anise and leaves crushed under foot in a meadow. There is the wet chalky/powdery aroma that like a thin trail snakes its way through the green this is the iris leading us into the violet flower - not sweet -very natural delicate. As the sharpness and green recede into the background and the violet flower takes over a delicate dry oiled wood aroma hums behind the violet and iris. This is not just wood it is a polished harpsichord case - refined, dry, aged and a bit oily.. I am in love. This is not candy violet! Somewhere I read a description of this fragrance that said it brings to mind lace and corsets - WHAT? More like bodice ripping 16th C "roll" in the violet fields decadence. This juice has surprising power. I find that with I Profumi di Firenze fragrances it is important to back up the fragrance you are wearing by spraying it on your clothing. Their scents work best along the hair line for the heat and sprayed on the clothing you are wearing...the scent you sprayed on your wrist fades away faster than the layering I just described above. This fragrance has a bit of melancholy in it - as all decadence does.

I received a small bottle of extrait of Violetta di Bosco today in a blind swap and it absolutely blew my mind! This is probably the weirdest violet I have ever smelled, in a very good way! With this name and packaging I expected a slightly touristy, old school granny-violet (nothing wrong with it!) to bring back home from the Italian holidays, something in the vein of Violettes de Toulouse. Boy, I was sooo wrong! I don't think whoever wrote the description in the database ever smelled this perfume! Grandmama's past my foot! Violetta di Bosco is fresh, fruity, tart, edgy, as Italian as it goes, speaks loud and has a lot to say, is bold, confident and choc-a-bloc full of zesty sunshine! On my skin it is also spicy in a piquant way: not Oriental spicy, but herb spicy with a slightly bitter or medicinal edge. Extremely interesting perfume, which kept me smiling all day today! Recommended.

This is one of the most beautiful wild violets ever...a favorite of mine for a long time. Pure, true violets growing wild on a hillside. Magical... I get a lipstick feel in the beginning also, which gives this perfume a wonderful power room boudoir-type of scent too. Yes, this takes me away to that special place... A very special little purple violets perfume, feminine and delicate...violets, violets all the way, like finding a hidden treasure. This is right up there on my top five...

The most natural, fresh-smelling violet I've come across, by far- it attains the perfect balance between the cool, damp green quality and the sweetness of violet blossom. Incredibly good staying power, too, for such a light-bodied fragrance- highly recommended for violet lovers!

Disappointed! I love violet but this had an overwhelming smell of something but not violets until 5-6 hours later. Gave me a headache. Then next morning I can smell violet on my clothes. I’m returning. I can’t wait half a day for the perfume to dry down to the scent I want. I’ll look for another violet.

Violet is my favorite. I have sampled many, I wear several, but Violetta di Bosco is the one that feels the most me. I wouldn't be without it. The notes look simultaneously strange (celery and peach?) and familiar (violet and anise) giving the perfume an overall uniquely beautiful feel. It opens bright and somewhat green, with anise and a sweet violet evident. Eventually the green, bright quality fades and is replaced by, to my nose, primarily benzoin. The violet and anise are consistent throughout, which is not really typical; it seems like the violet in most perfumes fades away leaving only the basenotes. Violetta di Bosco isn't a violet/anise watercolor like Après L'Ondee, and it is not as classically perfume-y and polished as Caron's Aimez-Moi. Rather, Violetta di Bosco is what I had hoped for in CB I Hate Perfume's A Room With A View, (which is definitely worth a try too, but my husband found the dirt/soil note off-putting to the extreme) in that it is romantic, maybe a little rustic, and evocative of an Italian countryside. As much as I love it now, VdB was not love at first smell for me. I tried it many times before it clicked. I immediately loved the brightness of the opening, the violet note is the very best, but the anise was so strong on me-- that took a lot of getting used to. Also, on me, the sillage smells much better than the scent right on my skin, which again, took some getting used to. But I would do a camel walk for the violet note in VdB, so I kept at it! I think all perfumes are unisex (if you like it, wear it!) but I get that not everyone feels that way. This is one that I can't see drawing any negative attention at all if worn by a man. I envision this as a primarily purple perfume, with good sillage, and good longevity. I highly recommend sampling before buying. Edit: After some years of wearing this, I finally realized that it wasn't the anise that I struggled with, but the iris. More often than not, to my nose iris is rubbery and/or carrot-y. It is both in this one. So if iris tends to ruin scents for you sample first. .

This was no coup de foundre...but after a couple carefull and get to know eachother sniffs and Violetta; I'm in love!! This is such a beautiful perfume made by a beautiful house. It's pure violets, the real thing! It's powder, no babypowder, but chalky? It's very natural smelling and very unique! Soft sillage and long lasting power. I wish i lived closer to Florence so i could sniff all their perfumes. And, Jenga below reffered to Guerlain Meteorites.. i smelled them yesterday in store and it is indeed the same. Edit 18-02-2016 IN LOVE!

Initial spray, I got violet and something sharp almost medicinal. The violet is close to over powering, but not of the same ilk as Creed Love in black. It does have silage and strength though. It settles down to this Sen-Sen candy note. (Violet and the anise) and has a bit of something a little sandy woody to me. It becomes this dainty thing. Very pleasant, it won't knock your socks off.

Wow! This is a strong ultraviolet scent to me! Guerlain Meteorites scent turned up to 10! Very violetty, I would say candied, with some background green & powder supporting it. One walk through spray will last most of the day. More than that is too cloying for me. Also similar to Creed's Love in Black without the currant. Highly recommend for violet lovers!

Great violet scent, I typically prefer green sharp violets and this has both the sharp green and the powdery violet as well. What was perfect is that as my body heat changed up and down throughout the day the scent would bounce from green to soft powdery violet, far from standard violet. Very nicely done. Huge violet fan and this is one I would like to own