E. M. Forster's A Room with a View (1908) is one of my favorite novels, and its Merchant-Ivory film adaptation (1985) is one of my favorite movies. I'm also a longtime admirer of CB I Hate Perfume, so it's strange that I only recently realized that this niche perfumery offers a scent inspired by a scene from the novel. Christopher Brosius created M4, or A Room with a View, for CB I Hate Perfume's Metamorphosis Series and designed it to evoke "the moment when one simple beautiful gesture can transform an entire life."
In the passage that gave Brosius the idea for this fragrance, the young heroine of A Room with a View, Lucy Honeychurch, is picnicking with several other proper English tourists in the Tuscan countryside. She strays from her prim chaperone and, after passing through a wooded area, finds herself looking down a hillside blooming with violets; the only other person enjoying the view is George Emerson, an enigmatic and free-thinking fellow traveler. George impulsively steps forward and kisses Lucy, thus opening her mind and her senses to new possibilities (in romance and in life) and setting the rest of the novel's plot in motion. (This book really is worth reading or rereading!)
The CB I Hate Perfume website tells us that its own Room with a View "captures the scent of the hills above Florence — the vineyards, the wild grass, the finocchio, the hot dusty Florentine earth. And of course a torrent of Violets..." The fragrance's opening phase evokes (for me, at least) a field of damp grass being warmed by the sun and a breath of humid air, followed by a clear green note of fennel (finocchio) stalks and leaves. The mysterious heart of A Room with a View is a dark, satiny cluster of violets (far from the candied, face-powder violet of fragrances like Lipstick Rose).
Those violets remain a bit elusive against a background of fresh soil (Brosius has made expert use of "dirt" accords since his early Demeter days), and this soil smells shady and moist to me, rather than hot and dusty. The later dry down of the fragrance is warmer on the skin, even — dare I say — sensual, with a sweetish patchouli note that lingers. This earthy phase of the fragrance reminds me of L'Artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Roses, with violet instead of rose and plum.
I've been trying the "perfume absolute" of A Room with a View, which has a low level of sillage and average staying power. This fragrance could be worn by men or women, thanks to its emphasis on the grassy and earthy aspects of the Florentine landscape. I wish it had a little more violet, of course, but I could always try layering it with one of CB I Hate Perfume's individual Accords, like Empress Violet or Wild Violet. This idea may require me to make my own summer journey, just to the CB I Hate Perfume boutique in Brooklyn.
(One last note on fragrance and A Room with a View: in an earlier chapter of the novel, the officious, novel-writing character of Miss Eleanor Lavish, guiding Lucy through the streets of Florence, exclaims, "A smell! a true Florentine smell! Every city, let me teach you, has its own smell." Despite all her aggravating qualities, Miss Lavish is quite correct about that. I bet Forster had a sharp nose of his own.)
CB I Hate Perfume M4 (A Room with a View) is available as perfume absolute (20 ml for $115) and "water perfume" (100 ml for $100). (A 2 ml sample of perfume absolute is also available, for $17.) For buying information, see the listing for CB I Hate Perfume under Perfume Houses.
Note: image of A Room with a View movie poster (1985) via Wikipedia.
What a wonderful post, Jessica! I can’t stop smiling after reading it.
“A Room With a View” is one of most beloved films and books as well — never knew there was a scent inspired by it. Will definitely have to try it.
And that amazing kiss in the poppy field has got to be one of the top movie kisses of all time. Thanks!!
I’m posting a link to this scene in the movie, for anyone who hasn’t seen it or anyone who would like to refresh her/his memory!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVNDBda6MgI
(Hope it won’t be deleted, since the movie must be protected by copyright…)
Oops, that should be “one of my most beloved films and books.”
And when I said poppies, I was thinking of the movie, even though the flower featured in the book was violets. Maybe they couldn’t find a convenient field of violets when filming?
Thank you, Ann! I think I’ll be rereading the novel (again) soon. It’s one of my favorite film kisses, too. (The one at the very end of the movie is also wonderful.) And you’re right: in the film, Lucy and George meet in a field of wheat (?) and red poppies. Maybe violets weren’t quite in season… but Merchant-Ivory certainly made the best of what they had!
Great clip, Jessica, thanks for putting it up. It will be a delightful reminder for those who’ve seen the film and might bring a few new fans into the fold.
I must admit, rather shamefully, that I have neither read the book nor seen the film but I’ll have to do both. How could I possibly resist Maggie Smith *and* Judi Dench together? As for the perfume, it sounds lovely – except for the price. It makes me mad when the lease expensive size, except for a sample, is $100. I suppose we should be glad that at least a sample is available for purchase. Sigh!
Faylene, it’s never too late to enjoy the classics! But yes, indie fragrance is rarely cheap…
Faylene – don’t miss this movie! It’s a must see. Another great Dench/Smith pairing is the indie film (directed by Charles Dance!), Ladies in Lavender.
Thanks for the recommendation, Rapp. Is that the one where they find the German soldier? Or am I confusing it with something else? I don’t get to the movies very often and supplies are limited at the video store. I think it’s time to join Netflix.
You’re right! They find the young boy and nurse him back to health. Have you already seen it, or did you just have an idea about the plot?
Nope. I haven’t seen it. I just have a vague recollection of having seen a clip from it on TV. Now that I’m digging around in my brain, I think Maggie Smith was on Charlie Rose, which I watch very occasionally, but I think it was quite a few years ago.
I was on this huuuuge violet sample kick (I go in and out of them, in spring and in fall) when I tried this last October. I can’t quite say I didn’t like it, but perhaps I was expecting too much. It seemed sort of choppy and disconnected, not a proper perfume at all, more just a collection of smells.
I should say, though, that CBIHP scents always seem that way to me: factual, correct, every smell present and accounted for, but they never tell me stories. And I think that bothers me because I *want* the story. It could be that CB knows his own stories, and the fragrances – at least the M series – are enough to remind him. But they sort of just… sit there on my skin, not saying anything.
Mals86, That’s an interesting reaction… I have a few favorites from CBIHP (At the Beach 1966 and Winter 1972 among them), but you’re right, these scents aren’t designed as classic Perfumes, do they do feel a bit raw-edged. I like that effect, but I can see how it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
Yes, I’m totally down with this. Green grass and violet, sounds like a dream!
CarrieMeredith, if you love grass and violet (and dirt!) notes, you should try to sample this at some point!
Now that you mention the prominence of grass, violet, and dirt, it makes me wonder how similar this is to Wild Pansy, of which I recently bought a bottle of water perfume. I do like CB’s work, but now I’m wondering how similar much of his oeuvre is. In my mind, I remembered Wild Pansy having more violet and less dirt, but it’s definitely enjoyable and brings to mind a beautiful, grassy spring. I don’t think I’ve sampled A Room with A View.
You know I’m not very good at this, but I’ll take a stab at it anyway. Wild Pansy is more about the violet… it’s a dewy, grassy spring morning, somewhere shadowy and cool, with damp earth and new flowers. ARWAV, on the other hand, is mostly drying grasses, dusty earth, just dotted w/violets… late summer vs early spring. Of course, that’s just to my uneducated nose, and YMMV.
I do need to try ARWAV. As I mentioned, the water perfume of Pansy didn’t have as much violet as it did in my memory — but yes, it’s definitely about “damp” earth and grass, and I could see ARWAV being more about dry grasses.
I’m wracking my brain to remember the music that went with that particular moment. An operatic aria, and the singer was Kiri te Kanawa? She was the soprano of THE 80s, as I recall. But what was the aria and the opera?? Damn. It became very popular after the movie because it was such a great match with the key moment. You describe it beautifully Jessica. Years since I’ve seen the movie or read the book.
I’ve always been a bit irritated by the ‘I Hate Perfume’ tag. I read it as ‘We are so superior here at CBIHP … ‘, but M4 may just lure me in.
I always find the name jarring, but I love the manifesto on the CBIH website, which begins, “I hate perfume. Perfume is too often an ethereal corset trapping everyone in the same unnatural shape” and also beautifully describes what perfume can be, “Perfume is an adventure” and more.
Since I’ve wailed about the state of modern perfumery as much as I’ve raved about the scents I love, it makes sense to me!
Annemarie, see the comments below for a nice identification of the music!
Noz, that ‘Manifesto’ makes it all clear to me too. He’s not against *fragrance*!
Lovely review and the movie is a personal favorite – I saw it as a young girl and it had a huge impact on me. The theme embracing love vs. convention is not new but I really identified with Lucy and her passionate piano playing which was deemed the only acceptable outlet for her strong emotions.
Just a quick question – should I assume the “water perfume” is an edt?
The music from this is just so lovely to me as well. My favorite
aria in it is “O mio babbino caro” from Puccini’s opera
“Gianni Schicchi”. The music accompanying the beautiful kiss in the poppy field scene was “Chi il bel sogno di Doretta”
from “La Rondine,” also by Puccini. And Annemarie was right, they were performed by the amazing Kiri Te Kanawa. My husband’s a bit of an opera buff and after I saw the movie I was grilling him on the music.
I can never hear either of these without thinking of this gorgeous film.
Thanks Ann! La Rondine. Yes, the music, the story, the setting, the acting – all fitted together seamlessly.
Thank you, Ann! I didn’t know the titles of the music either.
Ruth, I’ve always assumed it meant eau de toilette, more or less, too.
Nice review. I wonder how the water perfume would compare to the absolute version. I’ve just tried my first CBIHP absolute which is crushed green fig and find the longevity and sillage quite poor. I know they’re meant to be layered but for the price I’m disappointed. I wonder if this is typical for their absolutes and wonder what the carrier oil is. Fractionated coconut? Does anyone know?
According to their website, the ingredients in all CB Absolutes are Diisopropyl Adipate (extracted from beet juice) and fragrance. Apparently, Diisopropyl Adipate is an emollient commonly used in cosmetics.
Thea, I haven’t tried any of the water perfumes, so I’m wondering about that too. I do wish the absolutes were a bit more intense, although I understand it’s part of the CBIHP aesthetic to keep the fragrance subtle and close to the wearer, as a personal experience.
Jessica, I’ve found that the water perfume I have in smoky tobacco is more intense has greater sillage. I find that my crushed fig absolute is merely a skin scent within 20 minutes of wear. Maybe that’s just fig vs. tobacco or that the water perfume bottles pack a generous wallop of a spray which anchors the scent. I don’t know. I’m loving the water perfume though. The way it wears is perfect.
I hope you will get to investigate this at his boutique and you will report back to us with your findings. 🙂
I’m due for a visit… I don’t think I’ve been there since last summer!
Lovely review, Jessica, if for no other reason than it reminded me to watch one of my favorite movies again! I’ve never delved into this line – I think I’m put off by the name! – but Voleur de Roses with violets instead of rose sounds very tempting! Thanks, and have a good weekend.
Glad you enjoyed it! Hope your weekend has been delightful so far!
I think this might be one of those rare scents where we agree. 😀 Let me know if you ever test it!
Nice review, Jessica! I really should watch the movie again… it’s been ages, though I did just re-read the book a couple of months ago. I absolutely love this scent. To me, it smells like late August/early September in the upper midwest, with grasses drying in the late summer heat, dust kicking up from a gravel driveway, and bees buzzing around clover. I probably wouldn’t wear it often, but it does really hit the happy childhood scent memory button for me: back to school, with all the anticipation that brought. The only thing that has kept me from buying this is that I haven’t been able to find a sample of the water perfume to see how the two compare.
The “happy childhood scent memory button” is very important!!
I think this has been my favorite movie since I first saw it at age 16, and I’ve often wondered what the perfume smells like. Voleur des roses with violets sounds really sweet to me. For me, Bois de violette evokes Forster’s Edwardian era best…Though it’s not very Florentine…
Oh, Bois de Violette is a beauty. This is very different… no wood or spice, and much less dramatic, but also beautiful.
Thanks for the interesting review, Jessica. I’m intrigued!
Hello, H! Thank you. 🙂
I have never tried CBs..almost don’t want to get pulled underwater!
That is always a risk!!