The violet may be a spring flower, but I seem to enjoy violet-scented products most in the summer. A few years ago I even wrote a round-up of violet-fraganced body products and Robin titled it "A summer of violets." Now that time has become weirder and more fluid than ever in 2020, why not enjoy any flower whenever we choose — via perfume? Since violet fragrances often make me feel a little more serene and pulled-together than I really am, I've been wearing them often these days.
Netherlands-based indie perfumer Hiram Green has just launched a new natural fragrance named Vivacious, with notes of bergamot, violet, carnation, orris and amber, that promises to "zing your life" as it shifts from "bright and joyful" to "warm and luxurious." Green says he started working on a violet-centered perfume about seven years ago, then set it aside and only recently returned to the idea. I'm glad he did.
Vivacious is described as a violet fragrance "updated for the 21st century," the kind of phrase that often makes me nervous. However, violet-lovers need not fear. Vivacious preserves violet's green and soft aspects, situating them within a streamlined composition that doesn't dumb anything down (or fruit-berry it up). It opens with a sunny, outdoorsy impression of violet, in which notes of grass and hay make me imagine a field of the tiny purple flowers. The violet note goes more candied in Vivacious's heart, but never sweet enough to turn this into a "girlish" scent. Instead, the violet's powderiness is balanced by a lightly spicy carnation note. If you're someone (like me) who loves Guerlain Après l'ondée, you'll smile during this phase of Vivacious.
An hour or so after I've applied it, Vivacious smells less like a violet-and-carnation bouquet with green leaves and more like a scattering of violets in a wooden trinket box. Its base is a very gentle amber; like the rest of Vivacious, it has no hard edges or corners. The violets linger, turning duskier and a little waxy. Although Vivacious smells more conventionally feminine in its introduction and heart, its dry down is more gender-neutral. This fragrance has low sillage and lasts four to five hours on my skin.
I've enjoyed sniffing Hiram Green's Slowdive and Arbolé Arbolé before, and I know that Kevin and Angela (respectively) have enjoyed reviewing them and others from this line. Vivacious feels more "me" than any previous Hiram Green fragrance I've tried so far (Lustre is still on my to-sniff list) and I'm craving a full bottle. It makes me feel calmed and quietly cheered rather than vivified (if that's a word), which is exactly what I need right now.
Hiram Green Vivacious is available as 50 ml Eau de Parfum ($165) at Indigo Perfumery, Luckyscent and First in Fragrance.
Yay! Happy to learn you’re now craving a bottle of Vivacious, Jessica!
So do I!
It’s such a lovely, serene perfume. The candied, powdery aspect of violet reminds me of violet-flavored powder candy. Iris in it really has some of Apres l’Ondee charm.
I love violet-flavored candies, too!!
I asked Hiram whether he’d had Après l’Ondée in the back of his mind when he was composing Vivacious, and he says he isn’t even familiar with it…so this similarity is a happy accident and I’m *there* for it!
Even louder bravo for him for having created an evocation of a perfume he wasn’t even familiar with!
Second that!
Vivacious is lovely stuff!
Yes!! A beautiful modern violet that doesn’t feel the need to “apologize” for violet’s old-fashioned appeal by clobbering it with harsh woods or big red fruits!
Great review. I didn’t buy anything from the Swapmeet but almost caved on this…will seek some out…I do love violets.
If HG still offered travel sizes, I would have bought one by now! I’m savoring the rest of my sample vial for now. 🙂
Vivacious is indeed a beautiful scent! It reminds me of L’Heure Bleue/ Apres L’ondee in the opening. The carnation is more prominent on my skin than violet. I agree that it is full bottle worthy.
I love the carnation note! It does sing out for me, too, about halfway thought. I asked HG whether he was thinking of Apres l’Ondee and he says he’s not familiar with it, but I do crush on any good violet-iris pairing!
Vivacious sounds like such a beautiful perfume and just up my alley..I feel like it could a perfume that would make me smile all year around 🙂
I think you would like it too, knowing some of our shared tastes! I bet it’s available in your part of the world…? I hope you can try it soon! 🙂
My sample is on its way from Luckyscent! It will probably take a while to get to New Zealand in current times, and your review increases the anticipation 🙂
Yay! Agree, shipping can be a little wonky right now…hope you’ll enjoy it!!
Thanks for the review! Different noses or skin or whatever causes it, but I get much more carnation and a clay like orris than I do violets, alas, as I love violet and violet leaf. It’s a like rather than a love for me.
Yes, definitely carnation and orris — I don’t get violet leaf, but do get some just-a-little-candied violet. 🙂
Nice review, Jessica. Like Amy just said, it’s a like rather than love for me. It’s a perfectly nice perfume, it just doesn’t do it for me.
In fact, as long as Robin doesn’t object, I’d like to swap away my 5ml decant from hajusuuri’s split. It’s been sprayed about 6x. Let me know here if interested. I’ll post it on a SOTD post too if there is no interest here.
There are very few lines that have fragrances that pull in Kevin *and* Angie *and* me — but we all have Hiram Green favorites now. It’s Vivacious for me, but I wonder what they’d think of this one! Some other HGreens are “like” rather than “love” for me.
Dilettante is my big love from the line with Moon Bloom right behind it. I also really like Hyde and Slowdive. I’m glad you love Vivacious!
I was very responsible and ordered a sample of this before ordering, then love at first sniff! Violet candies were a treat I’d always get as a kid when we went to the States as they never showed up in Canada and I love even the memory of them. I get that vibe here & also get iris & subtle amber. Interesting to read others getting carnation; on me none I can pick up.
I can’t wait to get more if this one.
Being from a more French part of Canada, Flavigny Violet Pastilles were occasionally available. Very curious to sniff Vivacious sometime, and wonder whether it will beat “I Miss Violet”.
I still haven’t tried I Miss Violet!
Nothing beats I Miss Violet for me!
I love CHowards candies — they’re not even that delicious, objectively speaking, but they’re a fun old-fashioned NYC thing and I love the vintage-y label design!
Interesting. I’m in Australia and violet candy has never been a thing at all. My idea of violets is based entirely on the violets my mother grew, and Yardley April Violets which was her signature scent. April Violets emphasises the damp green and earthy aspects of violets, and there is a note of geranium in there as well. Consequently I am always at sea with reviews of violet fragrances that discuss the degree of candy/not candy. Candied violet is just not part of my ‘smell culture’.
That *is* interesting! The candies aren’t all that common here, just something that pops up at random newsstands in NYC. I’ve purchased imported violet candies from France and Italy…but I don’t know where else it might be a thing!
So happy to read this review Jessica, it’s spot on. Just registered after years of silent reading. I love many of HG perfumes and could not wait to try this.. quickly went through my sample and have now bought a full bottle!
Have also just sampled Lustre and it has very pleasantly surprised me. I think it would be safe for true rose lovers and it gave me Sa Majeste la Rose vibes (that very type of green realistic clear rose) but less high pitched and evolving into a resinous base with supporting olibanum that I am enjoying a lot. Was not expecting to like as much as I do.
That sounds like a beautiful rose!
It really is! Can’t stop smelling my sample.
Welcome!
Thank you Lizzie! 🙂
Second that — welcome, Cicely! Hope to “see” you here often!! and thanks for sharing your experience with Lustre!
Thanks so much Jessica! I have loved reading your reviews and articles all this time and it’s great to participate in the community.
Would love to know your opinion of Lustre if you ever get around to sniffing it!
After reading your lovely review this morning I’m now craving violets! so will have a rummage around, perhaps Heeley’s Iris de Nuit, for my SOTD which is a rather elegant Iris/Violet, I get more Violet than Iris in that one, although green rather than candied.
Hooray for violet cravings! I have a few in rotation right now…I used up my sample of Regime des Fleurs Willows. Also really into Alchemologie’s Nethermead!
Great review Jessica. I didn’t get much (if any) violet OR carnation from this one (and I’m passionately devoted to both notes). There’s something “off” about what this does on my skin – – that and/or my smeller’s broken. I’ll stay with Bellodgia or Oeillet Sauvage for my carnation addiction & TDC’s I miss Violet for my violet cravings, and if anyone wants a tester of this, let me know. Hope everybody’s staying safe & healthy!
You stay safe, too, ElleBe!
I’ll always love Bellodgia…and Oeillet Sauvage, and some of DSH’s carnation perfumes…!
Thank you, Jessica, you’re very sweet. Pop me an email at ellebe333 in the hamlet of gee-mayle if you want a decant of Bertrand Duchafour’s I miss Violet. I am wild for it and have two FBs (1 working bottle & 1 BUB), so there’s plenty to share and I’d love to read what you think of it! ??