Description
Soft violet complemented by iris, cedar, vetiver, violet leaf, a touch of rose, myrrh, and tonka bean. A unique and unconventional violet fragrance with fresh aspects from the green violet leaf and woodsy additions from the cedar, vetiver, and tonka.
Perfumer’s Comments: One of my earliest perfumes as a girl was a violet soliflore housed in a pretty little ceramic bottle hand-painted with violets. It was an intense violet scent with a hint of green. I’d often remove the stopper, perched above a pretty lavender satin ribbon, just to sniff the contents. Now and then I’d dab it on my hand and sniff on and off for hours. I didn’t grow scented violets until many years later (I’d only seen the scentless varieties when I was young), but I loved my early bottled introduction to violet fragrance. I wanted Voile de Violette to be a soft violet with a touch of green, similar to my memory of that long-ago scent but softened with gentle woods.
Fragrance Notes: violet, iris, hint of rose, cedar, vetiver, violet leaf, tonka bean, hay, myrrh.
The nose behind the fragrance is Laurie Erickson. The perfume was launched in December 2007.
bo3-53 – :
A dense blanket of violets growing out of a slightly damp and decaying bale of hay.
The hay note is very strong. It took me awhile to figure out what the note was. It strikes me as animalistic, a bit ‘kitty tinkle’, to my nose.
This is not a sweet doe-eyed innocent violet.
This is punk rock violet.
Cool, sharp, metallic.
Cynical.
I have a few different Somona samples and this one I find the most interesting. The others tend to be extremely heavy on the cedar note, becoming the only thing I smell, But SSS used a light hand when blending cedar into Voile de Violette, making it much more agreeable on my skin.
V de V confuses me, challenges me, and most definitely intrigues me. I suggest sampling before buying, as this is not an ‘easy’ scent. Now, having said that, I think I want a fb
Emawaymouff – :
When I first tried The Different Company’s I Miss Violet I immediately thought of this, and I wasn’t wrong; now I have them side by side I can see how similar they are, yet different. I Miss Violet has this slightly off-putting synthetic sweetness (a melony note) that’s not found here, which makes this all the more pleasant! I’ve never smelled fragrant violet before but I bet this is the most realistic one out there! It has just the right amount of everything (green, fruity, powdery, floral); it’s soft and nice but definitely not character-less or pretentiously purple in color while smelling watery.
smeathusase – :
I love violets above all, and this one is gorgeous. It is jammy without being overly sweet, and beautifully mossy green. It isn’t really bright green like Grey Flannel or Verte Violet, nor is it powdery like Misia or Goutal’s La Violette. This one is dark forest green and deep purple. I would say that it is perfectly unisex. It is a dense perfume– a little goes a long way and it holds up all day, which I appreciate. Very special.
sokrat22 – :
Have to be careful with this one. This can easily go from green to toxic radiation if you apply too much. It is very green, threading a line between stems and metal, chemical. Like the green ooze that mutated the Ninja turtles, fortunately for me I appreciate that type of violet, but be easy or you could become mutated yourself with this one. 9/10 in the radiation green department. I am tired of it after 15 hours I’m really ready for it to chill out. I accidentally spilled 1/4 of a ml trying to dab it on. I would guess that’s equal to 4-5 sprays, I never usually top 2.
lien – :
This one smells exactly like the Violet Candy that I would get from my English family when they visited. There is some woodsy and green hints behind the candy but the candy is so dominant on my skin it’s a bit off putting. It’s not a bad perfume but not very memorable either. It’s just “nice”.
edit: Someone mentioned a citrus smell, perhaps it’s the Vetiver? I didn’t get it very srtong but it was in the dry down.
Valerka67_10 – :
Ah, a very nice, refreshing, and retro take on violet. Definitely an ode to a traditional violet perfume of yesteryear. Not overly powdery, which is a nice change from the typical violet-iris powderbombs that seem to be all over these days. I am finally beginning to understand that I do like violet after all–when it’s green. Not when it’s powdered to death. Voile de Violette reminds me of Balenciaga’s L’Essence because of the fresh, green factor, almost like violets housed in a greenhouse.
There is something in this composition that calls to me–and I think it’s vetyver! I smell lots and lots of grassy, dry vetyver in Voile de Violette. I also detect just the slightest bit of bitterness from the myrrh note, but it’s soooo obscure as to be undetectable to many people. I don’t know about cedar, but the vetyver makes this full bottle worthy for me.
stasonheg77 – :
I just ordered several samples from SSS and sent a personal note into their general mailbox and got the sweetest reply from Laurie, the fragrance creator. I was very impressed by her quick and thoughtful reply and cannot wait to try this and several others.
I have been on the quest for my dream violet, and reading the descriptions on the Sonoma Scent Studio website, I’ve realized that I am probably a kindred spirit to the founder.
The thought of a path through the forest with moss covered rocks, ferns, and delightful spring violets along with the green green notes of the trees fills me with joy.
Update: I received my samples today and decided to try Voile de Violette on one wrist and Wood Violet on the other. I tried Voile first. The opening was pure violets and was delightful. It quickly changed into a very soft soapy, clean scent and that lingered quite a while. To my nose the soapy clean scent is the dominant feeling here. It is soft and pretty but not quite my dream violet. I do not detect any woodiness at all. I’ve been sniffing my wrists for hours. See my review on the Wood Violet if interested.
Iriney – :
I love it. It reminds me of Devon Violets (the stuff was emerald green color and came in little tiny glass bottles with a satin bow attached (and little white ceramic bottles with violet decals on them)…. only this is better.
It also reminds me of Geoffrey Beene’s Grey Flannel…. violets and cedar, I think.
nikmen – :
This is most definitely a violet-orris scent, although it starts out with some citrus, cedar, and green leaves in the mix. The notes don’t mention citrus, but I smell something citrusy in the opening. I like the citrus note. As it dries down, it becomes dry and dusty, and I can detect vetiver in the base.
The sillage is huge, dominated by a larger-than-life greenish, slightly sour violet that gradually diminishes over the course of 4-5 hours to become a light, moderately sweet violet skin scent that lasts for another 4 hours or so. I don’t actively dislike violet fragrances, but they’re not my favorite genre. I have to be in the mood for violet in order to appreciate it, and this is one of those violets that I would really have to be in the mood for, since it’s relatively unadorned. However, if you’re a big violet fan, you’re almost guaranteed to love Voile Violette.
dred19833005 – :
Sonoma Scent Studio VOILE DE VIOLETTE is a rich and earthy violet perfume which makes me feel as though I were walking through a slightly damp forest on spongy ground surrounded by tall trees. The path on which I step is strewn with the usual green leaves and pine needles, along with beautiful purple violet petals which don’t really belong here and so must have been left by some nocturnal elves.
VOILE DE VIOLETTE has a forest facet which I have not encountered before in a violet-focused composition. The sweetness is offset by the slightly dirty, dark greenish, woody quality. I am impressed by the longevity and the sillage is big enough to notice without overpowering. I’d love to have a bottle of this!
кириллка – :
I’m beginning to realize that Sonoma Scent has a distinct signature; and I wouldn’t be surprised if I could pick one out of a line up.
I didn’t like Voile the first time around, but now I do. My first experience was too heavy handed with stinky vetiver and parched cedar (and take note, Laurie LOVES cedar). But now that I”m wearing it at the beginning of our rainy season the notes are softened by higher humidity, and I”m having a gentler experience.
James Heeley came out with an iris fragrance that includes carrot. That worked for me, and Voile creates the same effect with voilet leaf. The herbaceous lift keeps the weighty powder notes at bay, which is welcomed. Voile wears ‘loud’, and you’ll want to use a light hand applying. It does have an ‘attic vibe’ going on, common with all cedar scents, and if I’m not careful this can ruin it. Wears best on pulse points (and not the décolleté)
Voile is a solid addition to the iris genre; thumb up
kozak1986 – :
Oh, I like this very much! Voile de Violette is like finding a patch of violets in the middle of sunlit forest.
I like the greenness mixed with violet at the beginning, and the slightly powdery iris and woods in the dry down. This will be perfect for summer where I live, when it’s so sweltering hot that anything too sweet or spicy becomes cloying.
Gypefrure – :
I was really disappointed in this one- it seemed sharp, spicy and dusty, somehow-
Old Spice meets violet dust
probably better for a man than for a woman-
aleksiann – :
Well, I never regarded myself as a violet-fragrance-lover, but after becoming familiar with the Voile de Violette I have to change my mind. Violet flowers, leaves, moss and that nice feeling of sitting in the shadow of big trees – that’s what I can find in it. It’s just extremely beautiful, natural and long-lasting – especially as it’s a fresh summer fragrance! I’m finishing my first bottle and definitely will buy another one.