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House of Cherry Bomb Iris Oud, Alchemologie Nethermead, Regime des Fleurs Willows ~ short fragrance reviews

Posted by Jessica on 20 February 2020 9 Comments

Although I tend to wear rose fragrances of all kinds when I'm "off-duty" and not testing something to review here, I also keep an eye and a nose out for interesting violet perfumes. Some of my violet-y favorites over the years have been soliflores (e.g., Annick Goutal Violette) but others are more complex or quirky. I also enjoy encountering violet when I don't necessarily expect it, or when it's included way down in a list of notes but turns out to be one of the stars of the composition.

House of Cherry Bomb Iris Oud is a recent example of the "stealth violet" experience for me. HOCB tends to give its fragrances two-note names (Cardamom Rose, Tobacco Cognac, etc.), perhaps underscoring its collaboration between two New York-based independent perfumers, Maria McElroy (of Aroma M) and Alexis Karl (of Scent by Alexis). Iris Oud's composition includes iris, violet, jasmine, oud, vanilla and beeswax. When I first apply Iris Oud to my skin, I'm a little uncomfortable with its jasmine note, which is simultaneously sweetened with honey and sharpened by oud. (Note: I'm not really a jasmine-lover.) But the rest of the composition woos me with its powdery violet and dusky iris, and then I'm able to settle into Iris Oud as though it were a velvet cushion. I'm not necessarily an iris-lover, either, but when it's combined with violet it's often irresistible to me. 

Alchemologie, another brand with Brooklyn origins, is the creation of independent perfumer Julianne Zaleta. Alchemologie's Nethermead — an all-natural fragrance, like all Alchemologie's offerings — is named for a meadow located at the heart of Brooklyn's Prospect Park and is inspired by the scents of the meadow's grasses and other flora, as well as the adjacent forest and the nearby Lullwater waterway. Its composition includes petitgrain sur fleurs, ho wood, anisaldehyde natural isolate, alpha ionone natural isolate, boronia, coffee flower, nutmeg, amber, atlas cedar, vanilla, fossilized amber and violet leaf. Nethermead is a woody violet that feels gender-neutral. It gives off almost as much greenish violet leaf as soft violet, plus a background of cedar, earth, and an almost leathery note that grounds everything. Nethermead stays close to the skin and has above-average tenacity for a natural fragrance, lasting for a solid five hours on my wrist. If you're a fan of Sonoma Scent Studio Voile de Violette or Balenciaga Paris, you may love this fragrance as well. 

Lastly, I've finally gotten around to trying Régime des Fleurs Willows, a "cool, dignified" blend of white pepper, carrot seed, mimosa, orris root butter, rye, violet and tonka bean absolute developed by perfumer Mathieu Nardin. Its name reminds me of the line "Willows whiten, aspens quiver, / Little breezes dusk and shiver" from Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shalott," and this scent does have a wistful, ethereal quality that would suit the Lady herself — yet it's more floral than leafy. And it's nicely calibrated: there's something of a nod to the classic Après l'Ondée in its powdery violet heart shaded with pepper and sheer musk, while its slightly synthetic sheen makes it feel more contemporary. If Willows were available in a smaller bottle, I'd add one to my wishlist.

Have you ever had a "stealth violet" moment with a fragrance that didn't necessarily include the word "violet" in its name or description? Feel free to share in the comments!

House of Cherry Bomb Iris Oud is available as 30 ml Eau de Parfum ($100) via American Perfumer and the House of Cherry Bomb Etsy shop. Alchemologie Nethermead is available as 15 ml Perfume ($90) or a 1 ml Perfume sample ($10) via the Alchemologie website. Régime des Fleurs Willows is available as 100 ml Eau de Parfum ($200) via Luckyscent and the Régime des Fleurs website.

Note: top image is violets [cropped] by liz west at flickr; some rights reserved.

Possibly of interest

Aftelier Violet Ambrosia & Olfactive Studio Violet Shot ~ fragrance reviews
Hiram Green Vivacious ~ fragrance review
A Lab on Fire Hallucinogenic Pearl ~ fragrance review

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: alchemologie, house of cherry bomb, mathieu nardin, regime des fleurs, violet

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9 Comments

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  1. monkeytoe says:
    20 February 2020 at 2:19 pm

    What lovely reviews.

    I love the anise seed center violet candy re-imagined as an artisan Necco wafer of Sous le toit de Paris.

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    • Jessica says:
      20 February 2020 at 2:51 pm

      Ohh, yes!! That was a good one from Atelier…probably my favorite thing they’ve ever done, and I love your description of it!!

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  2. littlecooling says:
    20 February 2020 at 4:40 pm

    Thanks for the review Jessica :)
    I think they all 3 sounds lovely, but Régime des Fleurs Willow is the one I am mostly gravitating to :)
    I don’t have a solid violet perfume I wear, but at the moment, I do enjoy Diptyque’s Violette candle, it seems perfect for this time of the year.

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    • Jessica says:
      20 February 2020 at 10:41 pm

      I think you would like Willows!! :)

      Oh, Diptyque’s Violette is one of my favorites. I like burning it in the bedroom before I go to sleep. I used up my last one a while ago, though… maybe I’ll splurge on one for spring.

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      • littlecooling says:
        21 February 2020 at 5:46 am

        Sounds like a great plan :)
        I have it burning now and I love that it has a wonderful lingering smell and the throw is amazing.

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  3. Mary Carol says:
    20 February 2020 at 5:03 pm

    I’ve got some Willows, so I put it on, as I haven’t worn it all winter and it is smelling good. I think maybe I like it more in colder weather. I’m not sure what notes I smell first. Maybe they’re all there at once. Some do fade in the dry down on me.

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    • Jessica says:
      20 February 2020 at 10:43 pm

      I think this one is perfect for winter or early spring, when things are still grey and a little damp! It’s like the buds of flowers, or the first crocus. :)

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  4. Laila says:
    20 February 2020 at 5:28 pm

    Thank you for the lovely reviews. I am intrigued!

    Perhaps it’s not really a ‘stealth’ violet, and it is so much more than just violet, but Balenciaga Le Dix was my introduction to and the beginning of my love for violet as a fragrance note.

    Long ago I was gifted a set of perfume minis that I put up on a high bedroom closet shelf (not into fragrances at that time) where it sat forgotten, literally, for many years! One day, finally cleaning that shelf, I rediscovered that set and tried Le Dix for the first time. This was how I fell down the rabbit hole, so I guess, in a way, it was a ‘stealth’ fragrance for me! Since then, there have been other violet loves but none so dear as Le Dix, especially my treasured parfum mini.

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    • Jessica says:
      20 February 2020 at 10:43 pm

      Ahhhh, Le Dix! I haven’t tried that one in so long. I need to “acquire” a mini for my own collection. Plus, hooray for rabbit hole fragrances!

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