Violette Fumee

I can't get of enough of this at the moment. Violette Fumee was immediate love from the first time I tested it (2014 or so). I quickly ran through a dabber sample and ordered a third-party 3ml spray. Then for some reason - perhaps wanting to make the 3ml stretch - I became leery of using it and have now been hoarding for almost a decade. That's a pity, because this is gloriously wearable, properly unisex (even though it's clearly indebted to masc classic Grey Flannel - EDIT - and Fahrenheit), salubrious but not sterile, warm but not sugary, with a gorgeous playdough effect balanced by purple creamy smoke (purple but unsweetened and unjuicy, the driest possible violet, and smoky only in the sense of dense almost tactile vapour, not pyrizine barbeque-esque but dry ice, and definitely not trad tobacco). I can see that this has fougere elements, but I'm not usually a fan of fougeres (on myself), and what I like about this particular take is that any brisk fernery is immediately softened by the chewy, playdoughy purpleness. That there's zero patchouli or vanilla, - for once, a non-abrasive, non-metallic yet non-sweet and longlasting base - the excitement! - is just another attraction. Violette Fumee is not an evening or big statement perfume, but it's ideal for wearing at home, at work, in cafes or libraries, and in dank weather (i.e. every season but summer, in Northern Europe), and under the right conditions gives dark-academia-adjacent vibes. After spraying it in the morning typically I can still catch whiffs on the commute home. I've started wearing this again over the last few weeks, spraying relatively lavishly (this benefits from a heavy hand to bring out all the nuances and give staying power), and my 3ml is almost gone. I really want a bottle now, but - as often results from my typically cautious usage, overlarge sample stash and snail's-pace decision-making - I've waited too long and it seems to be on the way out. Violette Fumee also remains very expensive, even bearing in mind the general price-inflation of the last few years. EDIT: the only downside I can think of is that this is quite a serious perfume, i.e. not playful or humorous, and if worn by 'a man in a suit' type, could come off as corporate-luxury.

Violette Fumee is such a lovely, feminine perfume. On the whole it fits the soft and powdery profile, yet it's anything but ordinary. If you take a closer look, there is much going on beneath the surface. At first it smells like violet pastilles. As it develops it takes on an interesting oiliness. I was reminded of the greasy creaminess of mayonaise when it has been sitting out too long and starts to become a bit transparent. At first I struggled to find any "Fumee". Violette Fumee is not obviously smoky as I thought it would be. Instead the smoke is extremely subtle and seems like it's an effect caused by a few of these ingredients when they are combined, rather than, for example, a synthetic smoky ingredient that is blended into the composition. I pick up a lot of vetiver in the heart. Where vetiver can be sour, here is it used with great skill to the point where it really doesn't jump out at you, but it's very obvious if you make an effort to seek it. I really loved the drydown when all of these elements combined and deepened on my skin. This is just an incredibly beautiful and understated fragrance. It's the kind of thing I would wear if I were out shopping in Paris. I feel very impressed with the skill of the nose. Violette Fumee is beautifully composed. Just to compare, I felt there were major similarities with the magnificent Violette Sacre by Au Pays de la Fleur d'Orange. Violette Sacree is more intense, more smoky, much more woody. It smells more natural whereas Violette Fumee feels more like you're wearing something perfumey. But if you like the idea of a smoky, creamy, woody violette, these are both excellent.

Violette Fumée was love at first sniff for me: I originally had a sample so small it didn't even allow for a full day's wear, but that one experience was enough to tell me I need this one in my collection. And now that I've finally acquired a bigger decant, and I've had the chance to test it out properly, that first impression has only been solidified: this scent truly is one of a kind, really very special indeed. Like all unique scents it's hard to describe - it smells only like itself, unlike anything else I've tried. The violet is definitely the main player, and it's wonderfully done: powdery and subtly sweet, but very far from the sugary "parma" kind of violet, and enveloped in a gorgeous cloud of velvet smooth notes that seem more softly leathery than smoky to my nose. It's dark and light at the same time, if that makes sense - dark in theme, light in execution, maybe: it's a mature, elegant kind of fragrance, with lots of depth to it, kind of mysterious and the very opposite of "fresh"...but for all that it's easy to wear, not stuffy or overbearing at all. All in all this is one of those scents I could easily imagine wearing day in, day out if that was still my style: the scent is an absolute delight I can't imagine ever getting tired of, and at the same time it's versatile enough to fit almost any situation in almost any type of weather (with the exception of the very hottest days of summer, I think). My collection is big enough that it will probably take me quite a while to get through my decant anyway, but in this case I think it will eventually happen, and I see a full bottle somewhere in my future.

Violette Fumee opens with a fresh sparkly triumvirate of green violet leaf, a splash of golden effervescent honeyed bergamot and subtle herbal lavender. Towards the heart the violet flower builds, an ultra-fine polished smooth powderiness is present but checked and never overwhelms, as opoponax adds resinous sweetness and a creaminess to the violet, forming the languorous sinuous and slightly shimmering heart of the fragrance. There's also a very subtle tobacco note appearing at the beginning of the drydown, although I noticed this only on the second full wearing. At late drydown the violet flower recedes and watery violet leaf endures with a soft suede musky aspect (must be the cashmeran). As others have noted the 'fumee' aspect is noticeable by its absence. Although I experienced a couple of phantom smokey tendrils that are gone as soon as I noticed then. It lays close and after around 4 hours is really a skin scent, however I experienced +12 hours longevity, on fabric it's also +next day material. Not bad at all. There is a sweetness to VF, but it always retains a freshness and never threatens to become cloying. I’ve worn it now three times in the last four days, it’s got a subtle luxurious allure that keeps me coming back for more, I like it very much. Violette Fumee is smoothly beautiful in its subtleties, its softness and tenderness. It's different from anything in my collection and fills the violet yearnings I had. It would be easy to dismiss it on many levels, however doing so would be to miss the magic contained. It's not a knockout punch, it's a simmering romance...

Violette Fumee opens with a strong alcoholic blast, followed a moment later by the sharp greens of crushed violet leaves, bitter saffron, and sharp lemony opoponax. As the heart opens, a dark rose note joins the sillage, but not the scent on my skin. Floral violet appears in drifts, made light, cool, and airy by the dark and bitter accord surrounding it, like the cool breeze that arrives just before the first raindrops fall. All I can do at this point is sit and smell my wrists, this is magical in its evolution. As the heart develops, the dry bitter orange peel scent of myrrh arrives, complemented by a bergamot made juicy by the contrast with the dry resins. In the dry down, the primary accord forms an elegant, aromatic earthy accord, like soil after a soft summer rain. Cool, clean, slightly mysterious, utterly ravishing. I think this effect is created somehow with damp vetiver and dark, smoky guaiac. Or maybe it's magic. I'm leaning towards magic. Violet Fumee is like something out of a fairy tale, transformative, astonishing, miraculous. This scent will change how you perceive the world around you, making it fresh, washing you clean. This is a must-try scent for any perfume lover! I really, really love my new butterfly wings.