• About
  • Login to comment
    • Bluesky
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
  • Perfume Reviews
  • New Perfumes
  • Archives

A summer of violets

Posted by Jessica on 14 July 2016 30 Comments

Violet beauty products, 1

After writing last week's review of Fabergé Straw Hat, I took a look around and realized that my violet obsession isn't restricted to perfumes. I'm applying and ingesting and inhaling other violet-perfumed products on a regular basis, too. Here's a quick round-up of some favorites.

Lush Daddy-O shampoo (top center image) is anything but a "shrinking violet" —its floral aroma is rich and vibrant, with added notes of ylang ylang and violet leaf to add complexity. The scent will linger in your hair all day. ($9.95-$30.95 at Lush)

For something much quieter, you could try Perfumeria Gal Violet Lip Balm (below right image). It's a slick, slightly glossy balm with a sweet and simple violet fragrance, packaged in a lovely little Art Nouveau-style tin. ($6.50 for 1.5 oz at Kalastyle and Smallflower)

Ever since I first read that Virginie Gautreau, the subject of John Singer Sargent's Madame X, wore a violet-tinted face powder, I've wanted to follow her decadent example. Bésame Brightening Violet Powder (below left image) is much more wearable and discreet than Gautreau's choice of cosmetics, with a light candied-violet scent to match its color. ($22 at Bésame and Sephora)

Violet beauty products, 2

The first violet-flavored treat I ever tried, back in my college days, was Chowards Violet Mints (bottom image). Their silver-and-white purple foil wrappers still sparkle discreetly at newsstands around New York City, like a confectionary analogue to the classic blue-and-white "Anthora" coffee cup. Basically, Chowards Violet Mints are chalky-sweet little squares of nostalgia. (About $1 at newsstands and drugstores)

If I'm feeling a little fancier, I might open my tin of Les Anis de Flavigny Violette Pastilles (top left image). These candies are sugary little orbs with real anise seeds at their centers; if you ever wore and loved Caron Aimez-Moi, you should try these someday. The container is a nice keepsake (and it holds a few perfume sample vials perfectly).  ($4.25 for a 1.75 oz. tin at Smallflower)

If you'd rather drink your violets, Kusmi Violet Tea (not shown) is an elegant option. It's a black tea infused with a sophisticated violet essence that complements the tea's flavor without dominating it. (about $18 for a 4.4 oz. tin at Kusmi Tea)

And let's not forget home fragrance, although violet candles aren't all that easy to find. Diptyque Violette (top right image) is the ultimate, a powdery violet with hints of iris. It's a delicate scent that somehow still fills a room. ($62 for a 6.5-oz. candle at Diptyque and Aedes) And, for something more affordable and casual, The Lucky Honeybee Apothecary Violet Lime Candle (not shown) blends its cool floral note with a crisp green edge. ($10 for a 6-oz. candle at The Lucky Honeybee)

Chowards Violet Mints

Do you have any favorite violet-fragranced items beyond the realm of perfume? Feel free to share in the comments!

More violets...

Lush Sunny Day Anti-Static Hair Detangler ~ scented hair product review
Oriza L. Legrand Violettes du Czar & Heliotrope Blanc ~ fragrance reviews
Atelier Cologne Sous le toit de Paris ~ fragrance review
Penhaligon’s Violetta Talcum Powder and Colonial Williamsburg Powder of Violets ~ scented body products

Filed Under: home fragrance, scented body products
Tagged With: anis de flavigny, besame, candle, diptyque, food, hand cream, kusmi, lip balm, lucky honeybee apothecary, lush, perfumeria-gal, shampoo, tea, violet

Advertisement


30 Comments

Leave a comment, or read more about commenting at Now Smell This. Here's our privacy policy, and a handy emoticon chart.

  1. hannahmom says:
    14 July 2016 at 2:30 pm

    I share almost all of your auxiliary violet obsessions, except for the candle, which I have never sampled. I enjoy the bright, powdery taste of Parma Violet candies too.

    Log in to Reply
    • Jessica says:
      14 July 2016 at 9:35 pm

      We are united in our violet love!! 🙂

      Log in to Reply
  2. Kevin says:
    14 July 2016 at 3:11 pm

    Creme Yvette! A violet to drink….

    Log in to Reply
    • eliza says:
      14 July 2016 at 3:28 pm

      Try an Aviation cocktail with Crème De Violette! Amazing – I’ll be glad to recommend my favorite bar in Seattle that makes this 🙂

      Log in to Reply
      • Luna Green says:
        14 July 2016 at 9:30 pm

        So good! We have a place nearby that makes a great Aviation.

        Log in to Reply
        • Jessica says:
          14 July 2016 at 9:36 pm

          The Aviation is one of my very favorite cocktails! I haven’t had one in a while. Must remedy that…

          The Water Lily is a variation the Aviation that a bartender at Little Branch recommended to me once. It was lovely.

          Log in to Reply
  3. eliza says:
    14 July 2016 at 3:31 pm

    I am also a huge fan of the Choward’s violet candies. There is one store in Seattle that occasionally carries them and I am a very happy person when they are in stock. My husband HATES the smell – the candies are so potent that I end up having to keep them in a ziplock bag.

    Log in to Reply
    • Jessica says:
      14 July 2016 at 9:37 pm

      They do have a very distinctive powdery-sweet smell! I think of them as “Victorian Smarties.” I always feel happy when I see them. I’m glad they’re still around; long may the live!!

      Log in to Reply
  4. Ari says:
    14 July 2016 at 3:39 pm

    All aboard the violet express! With Jessica as our conductor, of course! 🙂 This is a very comprehensive list- the only addition I can think of is the lovely rose-violet scent of Guerlain powders and lipsticks.

    Log in to Reply
    • Jessica says:
      14 July 2016 at 9:38 pm

      Whoo hoo!

      Ah, the scent of Guerlain Meteorites facial powder “spheres”… someday, I’m going to splurge on a canister. Years and years ago, I owned a bottle of Guerlain Meteorites fragrance. I swapped it away, like a fool.

      Log in to Reply
    • GingerTea says:
      17 July 2016 at 9:49 pm

      Very late to this party but I also recommend Keiko Mecheri’s Genie des Bois in terms of fragrance and Mariage Frere’s Iskander for tea – it’s a delightful violet green tea that’s delicious iced!

      Log in to Reply
  5. Jalapeno says:
    14 July 2016 at 3:56 pm

    Oooooh, those violet candies are making my mouth water!

    Log in to Reply
    • Jessica says:
      14 July 2016 at 9:39 pm

      They’re a fun change of pace from typical peppermint or spearmint candies!! 🙂

      Log in to Reply
  6. sweetgrass says:
    14 July 2016 at 4:10 pm

    I remember not liking the Choward’s mints, but I really like the Anis de Flavigny candies. I like the violet ones, but the neroli ones are good too. I also enjoy Creme de Violette (haven’t tried Creme Yvette). I’ve wanted to try the Kusmi violette tea, but I’m going to have to order it since the one place around here that carries some Kusmi never seems to have that one.

    Log in to Reply
    • Jessica says:
      14 July 2016 at 9:40 pm

      I had the rose Flavigny pastilles once, and I liked those too!

      Kusmi really is good quality, worth the price. And their tins are nice for storing jewelry or little odds and ends (or other loose tea or teabags), afterwards.

      Log in to Reply
  7. monkeytoe says:
    14 July 2016 at 4:30 pm

    Berdoues Violettes de Toulouse is basically Chowards in perfume form.

    Log in to Reply
    • Jessica says:
      14 July 2016 at 9:41 pm

      Argh, I really need to get my hands on some of that! A classic. Annick Goutal’s La Violette is also very candied-violet.

      Log in to Reply
  8. floragal says:
    14 July 2016 at 4:51 pm

    Great post! I enjoy Violette, but not obsessed about it. The Lush shampoo definitely needs to be tried. On the list it goes!
    I remember seeing Les Anis de Flavigny Violette Pastilles at Bon Marche in Paris. They do packaging well in Paris. I wanted one of every sweet they had there and especially loved their sugar cubes.

    Log in to Reply
    • Jessica says:
      14 July 2016 at 9:42 pm

      Yes! French confectionary and its packaging are so wonderful. Italy does an excellent job in that area, too!

      I remember seeing actual candied violets — not violet-shaped candies, but real crystallized flowers — in a shop window in Florence. That moment may have been the root of my entire violet obsession.

      Log in to Reply
  9. annemarie says:
    14 July 2016 at 6:39 pm

    What a fun post, thanks! Most of those products can be had where I live, except for Daddy-O. I have that in the shower rack at the moment. It’s an extraordinary rich, dark, violet scent – almost sinister. It does linger in the hair for hours. I’ve read reviews from people who find it drying but it’s completely fine on me.

    Log in to Reply
    • annemarie says:
      14 July 2016 at 6:40 pm

      Mean’t ‘can’t be had’ 🙁 .

      Log in to Reply
      • Jessica says:
        14 July 2016 at 9:42 pm

        Daddy-O really is intensely fragranced — and not a girly violet, at all. Maybe it also includes some vetiver?

        I should try it as a shower gel. I don’t know why I’ve never thought of that before.

        Log in to Reply
        • annemarie says:
          15 July 2016 at 6:12 am

          Oh good idea! I’ll try that too. Thanks. 🙂

          Log in to Reply
    • Luna Green says:
      14 July 2016 at 9:28 pm

      I love the way Lush treats violets. They’ve had several Violet-based products over the years that I have adored.

      Log in to Reply
      • Jessica says:
        14 July 2016 at 9:43 pm

        Yes! Bathos bubble bar…and there was a great soap called Gratuitous Violets (discontinued, alas)…and now we have Don’t Rain on My Parade shower gel, lots of violet leaf and violet!

        Log in to Reply
        • Luna Green says:
          14 July 2016 at 10:03 pm

          Oh, how I miss Bathos! The Ultraviolet bubble bar scratches the itch pretty well though. I hope they’re still making it. I hear it’s the same scent as Kerbside Violet.

          Log in to Reply
          • annemarie says:
            15 July 2016 at 6:12 am

            Kerbside Violet is pretty nice. 🙂

  10. Glannys says:
    14 July 2016 at 10:11 pm

    I love Violet Tea by Kent & Sussex Tea& Coffee Co. Not only does it smell of violets, but it also contains violet petals. Very pretty.

    Log in to Reply
  11. happy888cat says:
    15 July 2016 at 3:36 am

    Jessica! I was smiling through your post because I am using pretty much everything you mentioned in this post! Violets are just so beautiful 🙂
    Climbing into my bed scented with Guerlain’s Meteorites room spray is so satisfying.
    I would also recommend these tiny Italian candies – Pastiglie Leone’s Violetta – Do give them a taste! The added bonus that they come in these cute little vintage looking boxes just makes me feel so chic when I take them out of my bag. Ha.

    Log in to Reply
  12. leesa says:
    28 September 2016 at 11:49 pm

    Very late to the the thread but in Sweden a couple weeks ago I had violett glass med violett sylt which is violet ice cream with violet jam. Amazing & I can’t get it even in NYC sigh…if you are ever in Ähus…

    Log in to Reply

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Advertisement

Search

Recent reviews

Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus
Moschino Toy Boy
Arquiste Misfit
Diptyque Eau Capitale
Zoologist Bee
Parfum d’Empire Immortelle Corse
Comme des Garcons Series 10 Clash
Frédéric Malle Rose & Cuir
L’Artisan Parfumeur Le Chant de Camargue
Yves Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre
Régime des Fleurs Chloë Sevigny Little Flower
Chanel 1957
Gallivant Los Angeles
Amouage Portrayal Woman

Blogroll

Bois de Jasmin
Grain de Musc
Perfume Posse
The Non-Blonde
More blogs...

Perfumista lists

100 fragrances every perfumista should try
And 25 more fragrances every perfumista should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista should try
26 vintage fragrances every perfumista should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should try
11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love

Favorite posts

The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
New to perfume and want to learn more?
How to make fragrance last through the day
Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn’t smell like it used to
How to get fragrance samples
Perfume for Life: How Long Will Your Fragrance Collection Last?

Upcoming

List of upcoming Friday projects

12 July ~ summer reading poll

 

 

Back to Top

Home
Archives
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Books

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z

Copyright © 2005-2025 Now Smell This. All rights reserved.