Perfumes with strong violet notes, do you find them cloying or appealing?

[LooseSeal]

I went shopping with my mum today, in Lush I tried a perfume that I really liked, I think it was called "Curbside Violet", obviously had it strong notes of violet. However my DM said that she really really disliked the smell of violets, finding it sickly and cloying and an "old lady" smell.

I can still smell the perfume on my wrist, which in itself makes me want it as few scents last on me. I'm very tempted to buy it, but I don't want to be that women who wears the perfume everybody else hates.

So violet, yes or no?

[penny13610]

Jean Paul Gaultier's Madame, smells like it should be called JPG's great aunt, but once the top notes wear off, it is really nice.
If it smells good, get it. Most people get to smell you a few hours after you apply perfume. Anyone sniffing you in the bathroom, shouldn't care how yo smell.

[CherryBonBon]

Depends on what it's blended with. It has to be mixed with something dark and sexy for it to appeal to me.

I adore violet and permanently smell of them thanks to Lush Daddy-O shampoo. I have also recently fallen in love with Nirvana Black by Elizabeth & James which has three notes - Violet, Sandalwood and Vanilla. It's pretty close to my dream scent.

Paul Smith Woman is a lovely daytime violet perfume.

On the flip side I recently tested Armani Diamonds Violet and it's rancid.

[kiwigirl42]

I adore the smell of violets but have never quite bought myself to buy a violet scent - I do like Bvlgari Pour Femme, nice powdery violet

www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Bvlgari/Bvlgari-Pour-Femme-142.html

[OttiliaVonBCup]

Try Guerlain Après L'Ondeé and you might reconsider.

[thecatfromjapan]

I'm fond of 'Violet Blonde' and 'Insolence', I think they manage to smell contemporary. I like violet generally, though. I'll try and think of a few more.

[thecatfromjapan]

Back to your OP:

There are cycles of fashion in perfume notes, just as there are with clothes. Violet smells 'old' to your mother because it was popular a generation or so before her own. I'll bet she is of the 'green chypre' generation.
Now, Lush appeal to a far younger demographic than your mother. I think if they have a violet, then it's a 'young' scent.

For myself, I think carnation and violet are long overdue a revival. Though we do seem caught (still) in the coils of lots of gourmande (chocolates, caramels, edible) scents.

Go have fun with your violet, you young thing you.

[thecatfromjapan]

I LOVE green chypres. It's the scent of alluring, unattainable adulthood to me. All the films I saw on Saturday morning television as a chd, depicting a world I longed to grow into, I think that world smelled of green chypres.
But gone by the time I was old enough to reach it: pulled away down time's river.
And the stupid bloody legislation banning oakmoss!!!

[Nonnainglese]

YSL Paris is lovely, violets without being sickly. Dd loves it as much as I do.

[OttiliaVonBCup]

Balenciaga Paris is green violet.

Might be worth a try.

[NoisyOyster]

Adore them. My favourite is Violetta from Penhaligans. The most sensuous musky deep velvety-ness... That then fades into a Parma violets sweets scent! adore it

[Nettletheelf]

D squared 2's She Wood is lovely and violet-y.

I wonder whether you can still get that Devon Violets stuff in the little round bottle? I bet everybody's grandma got that as a present from Butlins in Minehead in the 70s. Mine did.

[Bavmorda]

Bulgari pour femme is one of my top three. Also Guerlain Insolence is quite violetty.

[MsBojangles]

I used to wear Kenzo Flowers, that was quite viotely but smelled quite almondy on me.

[canny1234]

I'm another one that adores the musky,woody Violet of Penhaligons Violetta.Lipstick Rose by Frederick Malle is my all-time favorite violet and rose.Its the stunning flirtatious glamorous youngerr sister of Paris,This rather sadly seems to have a changed its formulation these days(compared to the 70's/80's)..Violet perfumes are currently modern and very much on-trend.

[RonaldMcDonald]

I find violet notes grim

[cuntyMcCunterson]

My insolence is my absolute favourite and to my it smells of Parma violets. I love it but my sister hates it.

[WaggleBee]

I adore the smell of violet. I have the Guerlain meteorite pearls just to sniff them.

[EBearhug]

They make me want to scoff those parma violet sweets. Crred's Love in Black is bad for that.

I used to wear YSL Paris at uni, but I smelt it recently and couldn't imagine it in me. Maybe it's because I was on the pill back then and am not now. Or they reformulated it.

You can still get Devon Violets. It's the sort of thing Yardley woukd do, too.

[MyFriendsCallMeOh]

I love annick goutal's La Violette, I'm on my third bottle. It's fairly simple but fresh and not powdery like lots of old fashioned florals. Always get comments when I wear it.

[SilverNightFairy]

I do love a violet scent but for whatever reason it triggers a rather bad headache. I wonder why this is.

[IJustLostTheGame]

I love it and was going to mention penhaligon, but I've been pipped to the post!

I like smelling like at old lady though
I also like rose, lavender and bergamot (that old perfume with the blue and gold label)

[echt]

Grey Flannel by Geoffrey Beene, a man's perfume, and lovely.

[MissBattleaxe]

Thecatfromjapan- I agree with you so much- I was reading your posts and thinking yes! That's me!

Violets- I love them, and green chypres too, and I'm sick of the caramel tidal wave.

[LooseSeal]

Thanks for all the replies, I love reading about other people's favorite perfumes. I think I might get the Lush perfume now, I can actually still smell it faintly on me and it's at least sixteen hours since squirted it on (I am off for a shower in a minute though, before anyone thinks I'm a dirty slattern).

And thecatfromjapan, I'm quite chuffed at being called a "young thing", I'm 43 and my DM is 60. My DM is a bit obsessed, in the nicest way, with not being an old lady before her time like her mother was, which is probably why she feels as she does about violet perfumes. She won't even buy clothes in M&S because she's convinced it's only for old ladies.

[MissBattleaxe]

My Mum is 68 and won't wear perfume if its "old lady". I think she's mad as I wear L'Aimant and violets and old chypres and I reckon these mythical old ladies had great taste. In fact one person's "Old Lady" is my "Classic"