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Oriza L. Legrand Violettes du Czar & Heliotrope Blanc ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Angela on 2 March 2015 18 Comments

Oriza L. Legrand Violettes du Czar & Heliotrope Blanc

Some people might not understand why you’d want to wear a soliflore. After all, why smell like one flower — a flower you’re probably already familiar with — when you could smell like an original blend of notes? Following that logic, there would be no reason to look at paintings of the ocean once you've seen the real thing, even though seascapes vary in styles — think of those by Turner, Homer and Hokusai. If I had to pin a style to the Oriza L. Legrand soliflores Violettes du Czar and Heliotrope Blanc, I’d call them Victorian. 

Oriza L. Legrand is a relatively new niche brand with an old history. According to the perfume house’s website, the house was founded in France in 1720 and originally famed for its creams and powders based on rice. Over the years, the brand grew, winning awards and furnishing products for royalty. During World War II, Oriza L. Legrand closed. In 2012, the house was bought and launched again with the mission of reviving the old fragrances.

Violettes du Czar’s notes include violet leaves, violet, iris, heliotrope, tolu balm, leather, amber and gaïac wood. If you imagine a czar as having mutton chops and a velvet jacket with gold ropes fastened over its front, this fragrance matches that vision. Violettes du Czar kicks off with funky, animalic leather that the violets give an earthy, rain-like scent. The leather dies pretty quickly, and the violets turn slightly medicinal and stemmy. The heliotrope is nearly as present as the violet at this point.

As Violettes du Czar reaches cruising altitude, the leather returns, but only to make the violets smell as if they were stored in a musty boot, and the fragrance is never as distinctly leather-violet as Balmain Jolie Madame, for example. The heliotrope vanishes. Before a few hours are up, I can barely smell the fragrance at all except as a bare violet leaf on skin. 

Overall, Violettes du Czar is dense and telescoped, which is probably why it feels so Victorian to me. It doesn't have the airy, soprano-to-bass feel of a modern fragrance. Violettes du Czar is definitely unisex and might even skew masculine. It never turns overly sweet or face-powdery, like some violet fragrances can. (If you’re in the market for a unisex violet fragrance, be sure to sample Mona di Orio Violette Fumée, too.)

Heliotrope Blanc’s notes include orange blossom, heliotrope, violet leaves, almond, mimosa, iris, musk, rice powder, benzoin and tonka bean. With heliotrope, people seem to either love it or hate it, some calling it “doll’s head” or too powdery. I happen to love it. Heliotrope Blanc’s orange blossom is subdued, and both the almond and mimosa really punch up heliotrope’s powdery gourmand qualities. (Now I’m curious about a heliotrope sorbet.)

Heliotrope Blanc shares Violettes du Czar’s velvet-tight density, but Heliotrope Blanc lasts a lot longer on my skin — nearly all day with quiet sillage. All in all, it’s a classic take on heliotrope, but if you already own and love the lighter and more sparkly Piver Heliotrope Blanc, you might be set with heliotrope. Otherwise, heliotrope lovers still searching for their go-to heliotrope might want to try this one.

Oriza L. Legrand Violettes du Czar is $165 for 100 ml, and Heliotrope Blanc is $125 for 100 ml. Both come in gorgeous, throwback packaging, and Violettes du Czar even gets a tassel. For information on where to buy them, see Oriza L. Legrand under Perfume Houses.

Possibly of interest

Comme des Garcons Eau de Cologne & Oriza L. Legrand Cologne Extra-Vielle ~ fragrance reviews
Oriza L. Legrand Foin Fraichement Coupe ~ fragrance review
Top 10 Summer Fragrances 2016

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: oriza l legrand, violet

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18 Comments

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  1. bardot says:
    2 March 2015 at 3:15 pm

    I happen to be in the camp of liking heliotrope (and I am not opposed to wearing solifleurs…lavender, violet, orange blossom……fine by me!) and the bottles are beautiful!

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    • Angela says:
      2 March 2015 at 3:58 pm

      They really are! I saw some photos online of the boutique, and it has a real romance about it, too.

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  2. floragal says:
    2 March 2015 at 3:49 pm

    I just love those old perfume labels!

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    • Angela says:
      2 March 2015 at 3:58 pm

      And put a tassel on anything, and I’m there!

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  3. Omega says:
    2 March 2015 at 6:42 pm

    I definitely want to ck out more from this line. I love Oeillet XV. I am not big into violets but I do seem to like violets+leather some, as in the Mona. Many said that they didn’t like the Mona for whatever reason but I like it. These scents definitely sound worth trying.

    Thanks for the reviews!

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    • Angela says:
      2 March 2015 at 7:14 pm

      These are the only two of the line I’ve tried, so I can’t comment on the others, but I’m glad to have your recommendation not the Oeillet!

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  4. Brooke says:
    2 March 2015 at 7:20 pm

    This line is very intriguing! I have tried and really liked both Relique d’ Amour and Reve D’Ossian. Both are old fashioned in feel. I can’t imagine anything dethroning my favorite violet SL Bois de Violette, but I’m open to a new heliotrope. I love Caron Farnesiana and PDN Kiss me tender, and Mona Di Orio Musc (which smells more like heliotrope than musc to me) so perhaps this will be a new love

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    • Angela says:
      2 March 2015 at 7:34 pm

      Bois de Violette is a tough one to dethrone! Violet is such an interesting note, though. It can have so many personalities, from candy to Grande Dame (as in Patou 1000).

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    • mals86 says:
      2 March 2015 at 9:50 pm

      Relique d’Amours and Reve d’Ossian were the only two of the original seven Orizas that I liked. The others weren’t just meh, they were all scrubbers – I rarely have that poor a success rate with one house.

      I have high hopes for Heliotrope Blanc, though.

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      • Angela says:
        2 March 2015 at 11:23 pm

        I’ve only smelled these two, so I’m way behind you!

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  5. ceebee_eebee says:
    2 March 2015 at 7:39 pm

    Violette Fumee is one of the most beautiful perfumes I’ve ever smelled. Does this mean there is a good chance Violettes du Czar would work for me?

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    • Angela says:
      2 March 2015 at 7:52 pm

      Violette Fumee is a “masculine” violet like Violettes du Czar, but it’s definitely different with its slightly sweeter take, more modern feel, and hint of tobacco (just writing about it makes me want to put some on!). So, I don’t know how V du Czar would work for you. But it’s certainly worth sampling–I’m sure it’s less expensive that Violette Fumee, too, should you love it.

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      • ceebee_eebee says:
        2 March 2015 at 8:14 pm

        SOLD! I’ll definitely pick up a sample. Thank you!

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        • Angela says:
          2 March 2015 at 8:28 pm

          I should be clear that I was talking about Violette Fumee with the modern feel, tobacco, etc. But I hope you’ll let me know how you like Violettes du Czar if you try it!

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  6. ponpiri says:
    4 March 2015 at 10:42 pm

    This sounds gorgeous. Helotropine is one of my favorite crystals along with yara yara and veramoss. I’m going to check this out.

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    • Angela says:
      4 March 2015 at 11:05 pm

      I hope you enjoy it!

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  7. annunziata says:
    2 May 2015 at 11:05 pm

    I’m so glad I stumbled on this post. I’ve just been wishing I could find a heliotrope fragrance, because I’ve been missing one that I wore when I was in college. I used to buy it at Caswell Massey, but they no longer seem to have it. Thanks for this charming review.

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    • Angela says:
      3 May 2015 at 2:45 am

      I hope the heliotrope is just what you want. If not, I hope you find it eventually!

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