Description
Violetta di Parma is the legendary perfume, popular at the end of the 19th century. For the first time, the violet was distilled by the Duchess of Parma, the second wife of Napoleon I, Marie Louise with the monks at the Monastery of the Annunciata. She used these natural violet essences as her personal perfume. Ludovico Borsari kept this formula and launched his perfume in 1970.
Violetta di Parma is a violet scent, naturally sweet and mildly powdery, too simple surrounded by the modern fragrances. But this elemental modesty is certainly its great virtue for all those who appreciate natural scents and who are curious to explore the fragrances of the past centuries. Violet scent is surrounded by rose, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth, heliotrope and musky and woody notes. See Violetta di Parma – hit of the past century. Violetta di Parma can be purchased online at PerfumeEmporium.com
pro100cykuh – :
I’m sorting clutter this week, and just ran across a vial from the company of this scent. It is 10-15 years old. First sniff is off-putting, but that’s due to age. It is now wearing so beautifully! Too bad the ratings for longevity are bad; I’d love a full bottle of this.
Basta1991 – :
Just a quick tip: apply on a piece of clothing (or bedding if you like) and the scent will last.
A classic violet scent; fresh, comforting and a bit sweet. Perfect after shower and/or going to bed.
Sherbakoff – :
Review No. 2. Just an observation. In 1972 in Sydney, Helena Rubenstein was quite a popular brand. Completely forgot about that brand and those products because they were not available in Sydney since the ‘80’s.
That is, I had forgotten about them until now. Had a quick freshen up this evening after farewelling our dinner guests, and after a quick spritz of this fragrance, it immediately brought to mind that this is exactly what Helena Rubenstein foundation smelled like. Exactly.
Fascinating how things come back to you, most unexpectedly.
Looking for that vintage make up fragrance? This is it.
FriniaRaw – :
Reserved for bedtime after a shower, it’s gorgeous and really smells like the old Lancôme lipsticks from the ‘70s…sadly, much as I would like to wear this during the day, there’s very poor sillage and zero longevity. I guess you could saturate a scarf or your clothing with it. I am not sure how this can be called EDP, it’s too light for that classification in my opinion.
krocus9 – :
I am in the vintage, and there is nothing powdery about it. This is a rich, deep violet that has some sharpness, greenness, maybe a bit of oakmoss, musk and aldehyde that gets a tad soapy.
tepdriern – :
Beautiful clean powdery violet and not as sweet as I expected it to be. But probably not for the very young ladies, it is a more mature scent in my opinion.
calian – :
This is a perfect violet cachou scent. As a kid I adored the little scented cachous only available at the chemist’s shop. I ate them like sweets although they were sold as a ‘cure’ for bad breath. It’s not the smell of a fresh violet flower, that green plant smell but a captured violet crystallised in sugar and left in the little paper bag with the other cachous, the spicy, the rosy until the scents melded together. I love it. The only trouble being the lack of staying power but that’s part of its charm. It’s not heavy or bogged down with a thick base that would overpower its sweetness. I cannot wear Yardley’s April Violets. Top notes are a real violet small but on my skin it dries down with a sickening smell of blood? Raw meat? The smell at the butchery counter. Horrible!
LV_Vic – :
As the name suggests, – parma violets. Exactly like the sweets you had as a child. Very violetty, woody, crisp, sweet and simple.
VTLS – :
Soft violet, almost but not quite sweet, some greens, and a pleasing hint of new wool, like a merino sweater but it was knitted by your Rive Gauche-wearing aunt. In the office, it’s classic and graceful. Great price. I love this as an everyday scent. Now I want more violet scents!
GENYAV – :
The very first frag I owned, I was 11 or 12 yrs old and and a friend of mine gave a small bottle to me as present for my birthday.
nd_ispu – :
* (one star)
I knew it. I should have quit while I was ahead.
I was on a violet spree for a while. I had first got Yardley’s April Violets a few months ago. Nice natural liner violet frag in a large 4 oz bottle for about $20.00. Perfect.
For some reason I felt the need to hunt more violet frags down. I next purchased Geoffrey Beane’s Grey Flannel because of the high violet content. Again, under $20.00 for a 3.4 oz bottle. Again- perfect!
I should have stopped my Violet Trek right there. Why the hell did I feel the need to go on ?
Please– tell me? LOL.
Next blind buy was this: Violette di Parma.
Cheap enough. Pretty box. Pretty (well kinda) bottle–lengthy reputation….Spritz spritz on my hand….lotta alcohol in the first blast (never a good sign) then a very faint violet smell. Totally GONE from my wrist in about a minute. Then I spritzed the crap outta my t-shirt (like 15 sprays) . I am now pushing my nose into my shirt in the said area and can BARELY smell it!
SUMMERY: Smells like a Dollar Tree body spray made in China– except the Dollar Tree body sprays made in China last a lot longer. Frag Graveyard – here tho come !
ADDENDUM: Many posters on here say this smells like Chowards Violet Scented Gum. Yeah it does– for 20 seconds. Then it’s GONE. TRY Yardleys April Violets instead. Same price–lasts much longer. Bottle not as pretty but oh well……
aydan337 – :
I think I must be crazy but I get a very strong Guerlain Vol de Nuit association with this. I bought a new bottle a while ago. It was a splash so I decanted it into a glass atomizer. I’m wondering if it’s gone off. It doesn’t smell bad, just not much like violetes and certainly not candied or powdery. It’s peppery green. Seriously, a great deal like Vol de Nuit. If anyone else has this association, I’d love a PM cause I’m starting to think I’m crazy. I don’t recall it smelling like this when I first got it, but it was a year or so ago so memory could be off. I recall it didn’t smell like I had expected it would.
vector – :
This was a blindbuy, and I can’t smell the violet in this one, it’s not a scent that I like. But my mother loves this one ! She said it reminds her the violet candys she had, when she was a child, so I gave her the bottle and she’s happy with it.
C’était un achat à l’aveugle, et pour moi qui adore la violette, je n’arrive pas à la sentir, même après divers essais, l’odeur ne me plaît pas vraiment. Ma mère par contre l’a adoré dès qu’elle l’a senti, ça lui a fait renaître des souvenirs d’enfance, elle se voyait en train de manger ses bonbons à la violette qu’elle a connue étant enfant. Je lui ai donc donné le flacon et elle en est ravie.
JustyGemsJasy – :
I can see how this could lean towards kinnnndaaaa smelling plastic-y; just like a My Little Pony from back in the 80s. But maybe those ponies smell like Violetta di Parma. It’s a soft scent and very dainty. But I enjoy the violet scent very much and with the musky notes, it’s just so pretty.
FamnAmath – :
Violetta di Parma also smells like old burnt industrial rubber on my skin. After 10 minutes, it quiets down but still smells like soft rubber.
I love violet perfumes, and I’ve never had a problem with them before. I cannot believe so many people love this. It just reaffirms my resolve to test, test, test.
dashef – :
I’ve been cursed by the Perfume Gods, I adore the violet scent above any other smell on Earth, but just a few violet perfumes suit me well, Violetta di Parma is not one of them, this little perfume smells on my skin like cloying industrial rubber. Very sad.
paxa28 – :
This is a lovely violet scent with equally lovely woody and powder notes added in. To me, it’s one of those classic “less is more” type of scents where there may not be a wide range of notes but the richness of the notes that are there is quite splendid. On my skin the silage is soft and the longevity is moderate. I may have to buys full size of this one! If you love florals give this one a spritz and you won’t be disappointed!
HAYSUR – :
What a beautiful powdery violet! Just a little sweet, a little woody and the other flowers complement it perfectly. Spring in a bottle! Very true violet, just like picking them from the yard, with fresh dew still on them.
jaco47 – :
This is one of my all time favorite violet scents. Definitely in my top 3 (and the most affordable of the three). It’s simple but not boring.
It’s a warm violet. Not candied and not powdery. Behind the violet is a nice mixed bouquet with hyacinth, lily and helitrope among others. The heart has more of the Iris in the bouquet than the opening and there is also some vetiver and cedar in the heart too. the violet is still the star though. The drydown still has violet as the main star but the mixed bouquet gives way to the cedar and vetiver more.
I truly love this scent. The longevity is about 9-10 hours and it’s sillage is personal but someone standing next to you will smell it. Definitely something every girl should have in her wardrobe.
whb912speagoessenda – :
Violetta di Parma is a sweet candied violet when it first goes on your skin. As it dries down it develops many subtle notes of iris, woods, and vetiver that ground it very well and keep it from being too sweet overall. After an hour or so the waxy heliotrope and hyacinth come through in lovely little wafts as well. The musk is used perfectly to keep the scent going but not overwhelming it. This is so cool and refreshing- great for summer.
If you want an even better violet, try out Parfums Berdoues Violettes de Toulouse, which is a lovely fruity floral violet with some depth and not quite so sweet as this one. Both are great for violet lovers, though.
german1041976 – :
Borsari VIOLETTA DI PARMA is a gorgeous fragrance. It is basically a violet “soliflore” fragrance, meaning that one flower is really all it’s about, even though that violet note is quietly supported by orris, hyacinth, sweet hay, subtle green notes and perhaps vetiver. Light, evanescent, introspective, nostalgic, this is not a candied violet, smelling like a CHOWARD’S lozenge… it never gets that sweet; the supporting notes give it a more silvestral, country aura. The scent of true forest violets has never been captured via the traditional enfleurage process; so perfumers have recreated it as a “fantasy note”, woven of jasmin and the important perfume synthetics called Ionones. This is called an eau de parfum, even though the sillage and tenacity is delicate indeed… after two hours, it will be all but gone from the skin. This version of VIOLETTA DI PARMA was released in 1970, the nose being Ludovico Borsari of an old Italian perfuming family; the scent is reportedly based upon an earlier formula first released in 1870. Let’s face it, at this price point, you are not going to get Jean Patou JOY. Rather, this is a charming, soothing “tous les jours” fragrance that will put your head in a gorgeous space. Little girls will adore it, too. It must be appreciated for what it is, and it does that thing wonderfully. Highly recommended.
Leonard – :
Oh I so wanted this to work for me. Alas!
I bought this blind based on reviews and recommendations as I am currently in love with violets. On paper this sounded absolutely perfect for me and it was with great anticipation that I awaited the delivery of my parcel.
When it arrived I was thrilled with the look, a pretty purple decorated box, with a square bottle inside, and a proper old fasioned atomiser puff thingy (I am using techincal jargon here!) and I was very excited about trying it. I unscrewed the top and there was a plastic stopper in place – I sniffed at this before opening and it smelled divine – a light, slightly green violet, not quite like parma violet sweets, more green than that and quite lively.
I then spent about 10 minutes trying to prise open the stopper to insert the spray puff thingy. In the end, admitting defeat I handed it to my partner to do!
With great anticipation I sprayed onto my forearm waited a few seconds and inhaled. Oh. Wax. Wax, and those old plastic my little pony toys that were so popular when I was young. I felt confused, cheated. In the bottle this was enchanting, in the air it was pretty, on my skin – waxy plastic kids toys. What happened?!
So I decided to wait a few days and try again. Same response. I so wanted this to work that I decided to put it away for a couple of week before trying again – how I smell perfumes, and how they smell on me differs drastically at different times.
A few days later I entered my bedroom and was surprised at the beautiful violet scent in the room. I decided to try this perfume again. Imagine my horror when I picked up the box to find it wet and the perfume cupboard full of violet scent. My newly opened 100ml bottle had only about 20mls left in!! It had been stored upright, in the box, with the atomising puff removed and screw cap firmly in place. How had this happened?! The metal of the cap was corroded and the box, bottle, and everything adjacent coated in the stuff. In a mild panic I set about cleaning up and popped the atomiser back in the bottle and put it on my dresser. Once the headache from inhaling about 80mls worth of perfume in a confined space subsided I had one more go with this on my skin – still the same, waxy my little pony models.
So for me this is a no. Shame as it smelled nice in the bottle, and actually as a room spray is fairly pleasant but I cannot wear this and if it leaks so bad is a waste of money. Such a shame.
I would recommend Molinard’s Violette over this any day.
Maloy20 – :
This is beautiful, sweet violet with none of the “licorice” that I sometimes smell with other violet scents (Lush Tuca Tuca for example). I
do not know why the description says this perfume is “too simple compared with modern fragrances,” as I think it is perfect (can a perfume ever be “too simple”? A singular scent done well can many times eclipse more “complex” perfumes in my opinion). Violette di Parma is soft and innocent without being too sweet or overbearing. Though it is an old fragrance, it never feels stuffy, powdery, or out-dated in an “old-lady” sort of way (which is what I feel about Guerlain’s Apres l’ Ondee). Like the other reviewers said, it does not last long, but it’s low price means you can re-apply it often. It is very clean and gentle, exuding femininity without having to resort to a blatant display of sexuality. A winner in my book.
Mewft989bedyWelty – :
This is an absolutely beautiful fragrance one very well respected in Europe. I’ve had a number of bottles of various vintages of this over the years. This fragrance was renamed sometime in the last century. Prior to that it was called Violetta di Borsari. I’ve had vintage bottles of it with various bottle and cap styles that were in use in many different decades.
It’s obvious that this fragrance has undergone a recent reformulation as the older juice was always a vivid spring green color. It was still a green liquid even after they changed the name. I haven’t smelled this recent formula but if it’s even similar to the older ones, it’s a very reasonably priced scent that is well worth trying.
This wears pretty close to the skin and only lasts for a few hours, but those hours are heavenly. This is also true of the Annick Goutal fragrances, but this one is so lovely at about a third of the price. I haven’t tried the Goutal violet fragrance but the Borsari one has all of the ingredients of the Goutal plus more.
The Borsari Violetta is a great fragrance to wear for when you will be in close quarters with others as it is a pretty pleasing scent that will be noticed and complimented but will offend no one. I personally find this fragrance very uplfting and bright. It never fails to make me smile and remember warm sunny post rain spring days of my youth.
buttune – :
Beautiful bottle with pink atomizer puff! Whats inside the bottle is pure magical Parma violet flowers just waiting to be sprayed out. Dries down to a shy violet scent, not one of those perfumes that use violet leaf instead of the real flower. This is the real thing without hunting for elusive scented violet flowers. Springtime in a forest of fragrant violets.
My bottle is pure floral. No green notes I can detect like some of the other reviewers. I know the vetiver is in there but I don’t smell that-I prefer the sweet violets instead!
thevugy – :
I have the EDT version, and the bottle is really ugly,not like this one in the picture above, but the juice inside…mmm sweet violets mixed with some green notes and romantic powdery dry down. I really love it!!!
Foefeseep – :
Violetta dolce e avvolgente, morbida come una carezza!
It’s a delicate, sweet violet essence, makes me think of french violet candies 🙂
Persistent yet soft like a caress, a perfume men would love on a woman
nbvjityrj – :
L’ho acquistata perchè m’incuriosiva ma devo ammettere che sulla mia pelle non si sente proprio, non lo ritengo affatto un profumo eccezionale forse va bene per chi desidera una fragranza molto delicata e quasi impercettibile.
smeagsEmign – :
This is a very natural smelling true violet perfume, maybe it should have been called cologne cause it is quite modest and shy. It is at top surrounded with heliotrope to my nose, almost liquorice smelling at this stage. The iris makes it soft cuddly and-powdery !
The sweetnes comes also from the iris and vanilla of course. I think I like this top note best. The heart is almost a soliflore violet on me… And the base is a musky violet with an old fashioned rose, dusty and powdery not dewy or fresh.
I like this but will be torn on when to use it,
Maybe I will save it and just spray a little every now and then , using the beautiful pink sprayer to get a vibe of ancient times, long time gone..
This is special and different from what a normally use.
But I am lucky having it in my collection.
snake-sn – :
To me, the violet is the most beautiful flower fragrance. When I bought this in Orange County, Calif. the English saleslady teased me saying, “only old English ladies wear this”. Fragrant violets are almost impossible to find here. They have them at the Getty museum in Malubu; I was running around the grounds like a crazy person! In Europe they grow like weeds.
appens – :
This makes my heart sing, it is so special. When I wear it I can imagine I am walking through a forest in the early morning hours. It is just after dawn. There is a thick fog coloring the air in twilight. As I am walking I notice that there is the sweetest fragrance in the air coming from the forest floor. Upon closer inspection, I am enchanted by the lovely tiny purple violets sprinkled with pixie dust. Everyone tries to tell me it’s just dewdrops…but I know better…
Yes, Violetta di Parma is magical…
The rose, heliotrope and iris make lovely appearances, but this is really all about violets, sweet and powdery.
I love this little violet cloud!
mozgoffnet – :
Next to Volcan d’Amour by DVF, another keeper in my collection. What is it about violets?
Geattaple – :
Is Violetta di Parma avaialeble to order from Sweden ??? Because I don´t find it. Do I seek the wrong words, It´s a long story behind, but is it Borsai that´s the director???
It´s fun but a long way to go when, as I, searching a scence, that´s not modern, klassic, floral and I can certanly feel it´s from another centery, romantic but not heavy. If any of you know anything more abot Violetta di Parma – Borsari perfume, I would be most greatful. This is the first time I write to you, so please have patientience, friends
kved – :
This reminds me so much of Penhaligon’s violetta. It’s soft, fresh, green violets, with a hint of jasmine and dusting of rose petals on a powdery cloud. It stays close to the skin and on clothes I could still smell it albeit faintly after 8 hours. It’s a clean and pretty scent, I would use it more for snooze time than awake time and let it send me away to a pretty countryside on a dewy morning when the sun is still not quite awake from it’s slumber but sending soft rosy rays into the clouds above. Romantic scent, not as a come-hither scent but more Jane Austen. It’s cheaper than Penhaligon’s so I would recommend this if you’re dithering between the two.
Vadim95 – :
Guest_A. Rose’s review actually left me a little breathless. So beautifully written.
Now I must try this scent.
ohimatomuf – :
To me this is the perfect sweet violet perfume. True to the violet scent and can be worn anytime, great for church (not overpowering). This is a simple (how refreshing no fruits in my perfume thank you) yet elegant and femmine.
maks007 – :
Oh, what a beautiful perfume! Violets wafting every so often on a warm spring breeze around 6pm as the days are growing longer. It’s a soft smell, and I don’t get iris here (I’m not fond of iris) though it may contribute to the overall feeling of this gem. I was gifted a nice sample from my lovely friend Trish; it is too wonderful to pass up, and surprisingly budget friendly.
It’s amazing to me that it’s such a vintage formula; it smells so current. Reminds me of what Infusion de Violet should smell like if Prada made one.
RXmonster – :
Violetta di Parma is a well-known familiar smell here.
I still like it a lot after so many years, but I don’t wear it.
It was one of typical grandmother’s scent.
The smell is very pleasant and it smells more or less like natural violets. Not completely so, because violets are a very difficult kind of flower to take.
If you smell real violets you will never be satisfied withj a violet perfume!
This one is very pleasant to wear anyway and still after so many years one of the best out there for a reasonable price.
It’s not complicated, rather one of the best soliflore (as effect).
I actually dislike so many violet-centered perfumes because IMO they don’t catch the real vibe at all!
Most of them smell like violet flavoured sugardrops and candies. Other smells very stiff woody.
Violetta di Parma is exactly what it says to be. Apparently simple, but not meaningless.
Also staying power is very strong but subtle. On my skin it stays for 4 hours with low close to the skin sillage.
This is signature scent for a friend of mine (around 25yo) and she wears it so graciously!
Violet is a very weird flower. Its smell appears and disappears with a pikaboo effect, so be careful! If you don’t smell it anymore after a while don’t overdo!
Also my friend noticed that this effect happens with Violetta di Parma too. When she goes away from a place, after 1 hour or so people smells her perfume again in the air! This is why violets are often said to be the flower of memory 😉
PS. There a few eau de cologne made by Borsari (not listed in database, I think they are 4 alltogether.
They are very faint, very light, but beware! They have a good lasting power! I think they are meant to strictly work together with your chemistry.
My friend bought the orange blossom & ginger one, I bought the Rose&Pepper for 9 euro 100ml and I’m happy with it! Not a cheap perfume at all, rather a light aromatic cologne.
varzari – :
I used this years ago. Delicate, feminine, faintly floral but surprisingly sweet. It fades quickly. I remember once wearing it, and the woman next to me kept saying that she smelled “candy” in the air. It does smell like candied violet pastilles, to a degree. A unique, lovely, and historical fragrance: I think this was beloved of Napoleon and Marie Louise…but on this I may be mistaken.
vaadym – :
I love this!
I am looking for the HOLLY GRAIL OF VIOLET. Can anyone tell me If this Is a true VIOLET only perfume out there please thanks??? Also would like to find a ROSE only too.
WERIDIUM – :
The most beautiful dark violets in a deep green forest. Soft, quiet and comforting. I cannot judge its lasting power; I apply VdP at bedtime and then sleep like a baby.
dimon1986 – :
This is the best and truest violet scent there is. It reminds me of candied violets, or violet gum — very sweet and innocent. It does not last however, and for this reason it is best (and will last longer) if applied to clothing rather than skin. It is great for layering with other fragrances.
serqei1407 – :
This and John Galliano edp are twins.Both awsome!
gela12345 – :
I applied this. Waited for around 10 seconds for it to settle down a tiny bit and put my nose upon my wrist. Then it went like this – what? where is it? I applied again. Ok, here it is, something “green and sugary”, but can’t actually understand what. After 10 painful minutes with me trying to feel this perfume it’s gone forever. Oh well. Okay.
zona74 – :
I love this scent, its like the violet candys you find in europe. twice now i have gotten this scent from amazon in the large size with the automizer that leaks when ever up side down, and i lost half of this perfume both times I’ve ordered it from leaking. As i used the last couple drops i found another great deal on amazon for the same bottle and happily purchased this. I love how this layers, it is simple and lovely. From now on i will just get the smaller version, without the leaky pretty pink puff!
Gusareiazm – :
Speaking of violets, I picked up an adorable bottle of Borsari VIOLETTA DI PARMA recently, scent unsniffed, on the strength of the descriptive name alone, as I of course adore violets and rarely reject any perfume in which they play a central role.
VIOLETTA DI PARMA pretty much says it all: this is a very light, low-key presentation of violets. E tutto! This fragrance could almost be called “violet water”, on analogy to rose water, for it is as simple as a big bowl of violet petals and leaves floating in water. Unfortunately, though claiming to be an edp, this composition is so airy that even after liberally spritzing all over using the über-feminine pink bulb atomizer (which I love!), the scent of violets remains quite faint.
Once the bottle has been drained, I intend to re-fill it with JOLIE MADAME (this must be why most nice bottles do not have screw tops!!!)… Don’t get me wrong: I like VIOLETTA DI PARMA a lot. I only wish that it were double this strength!
tschurka – :
When I was really little my mum used to wear this perfume, and just recently i had a sudden desire to smell it again, so i bought it – violets would probably have to be one of my very favourite scents, it’s so fresh, and i know this is a very simple and old fashioned fragrance, but it kind of makes it unique – nobody else i know wears it, its pure and elegant, and it reminds me of being a little kid! I do wish it lasted a little longer, but i seem to be able to get a couple of hours out of it, which is better than a lot of others who have tried it from the sounds of it. I don’t think i could ever fall out of love with this one.
ALeek – :
I was really looking forward to trying this one just by reviewing the notes. When I tried it as a splash sampler, I could barely smell anything but the softest of violets. It’s pretty, but probably too faint for me to justify buying a whole bottle.
ninakias19 – :
Lovely. Fresh, fragrant garden flowers… but so faint that it’s gone within half an hour.
qtq691JeomiWogkig – :
Straight up, fresh and strong violets with a touch of vibrant green. Surprising though, after it’s first flash of powerful violets, it quickly softens right down with a soft flower mixing, my nose can’t pick them, but others have..lilac? Whatever they are, they’re gorgeous! But, strangely, and unfortunately it becomes too soft, so soft I can barely smell it on me…and others (my mum and sis) can’t seem to either, even though my arm was pressed into their faces! Still, I love it and I wear it with Pandora Products Violetta Body Lotion (which is a kind of candied violet). I feel feminine, but not too flowery feminine(!), when I wear this. And, as an extra bonus, it gets my man going too…ahem!
IgorEXE – :
Bursting with gently sugared violets, a spritz of green, and a dollop of creamy soap, this is a perfect after-bath or before-slumber scent: calming, clean, and wonderful.