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BPAL Madness!
lorajc

The search for the perfect Violet....

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There is a violet SN up on ebay though--fresh from the lab!

 

 

Oh yes, have you seen the current bidding price - it is around $US 56, I think - no way I could justify bidding on that :D , but I am sure it is divine!

 

I just read the latest reviews of Sybaris and most people say it is a straight forward violet, like you guys just said - oh, dear, now I want some Sybaris :P .

 

(Edited, because I can't spell)

Edited by Dark Sparkle

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Nine Mysteries (unreleased) smells on me exactly like the old fashioned Parma Violet Candies.

It's not a natural violet scent, but I like it.

However I just can't wait to try Ultraviolet coming in my first actual Lab order :P

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I just tried Morgause today - it is primarily violets on the drydown with berries and a touch of incense, at least on my skin. It is the loveliest violet scent I have tried so far :P .

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I just tried Morgause today - it is primarily violets on the drydown with berries and a touch of incense, at least on my skin. It is the loveliest violet scent I have tried so far  :P .

 

I adore Morgause. Back in the mid 70s when I was first getting into incense, about the only brand you could find with any real ease ws Spirtual Sky. I remember being really disappointed that their violet incense didn't smell nearly as good burning as it did in the package.

 

Morgause on me smells just like that incense did in the package. Violety and resiny and just lovely. It's on my big bottle list for sure.

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I think that The Darkling Thrush has taken over as my favorite violet scent. All the violet lovers out there should take a chance on this one before it disappears! It's different from any other BPAL violet blend I have tried and I love the spicy amber/sweet violet combination.

 

The Bearded Lady is still close to my heart, as is Le Serpent Qui Danse... I think I may like my violet blends a little more over the top and feminine than some of my buds. :P

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I think that The Darkling Thrush has taken over as my favorite violet scent. All the violet lovers out there should take a chance on this one before it disappears! It's different from any other BPAL violet blend I have tried and I love the spicy amber/sweet violet combination.

 

The Bearded Lady is still close to my heart, as is Le Serpent Qui Danse... I think I may like my violet blends a little more over the top and feminine than some of my buds. :P

 

Before Thrush, I was all Nocturne and Sybaris. Heh, I used up my first bottles of both, smearing them on my A/C filter every day in the morning and afternoon. I couldn't get enough.

 

But..oh, Darkling Thrush!!! It's so perfect and sweet and vibrant. If I had only that and Bastet it would be enough forever.

 

I'm excited about Hope/Faith, or I would have ordered still another backup bottle of DT.

 

I still haven't tried Bearded Lady but I'm gonna.

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Lo these many years ago, I got a pure violet perfume oil when I was in France, and it's the most wonderful floral scent I have (even, dare I say, beating out my BPAL florals :D ).

 

And then I got Purple Phoenix (a regal, majestic, and somber blend of myrrh, plum blossom, African violet, cognac, fig, orris, lilac, wisteria, black plum, and Burgundy wine grapes). Its violet note is exactly like my beloved violet from France. And none of the other notes that usually go bad on me do in this blend.

:P

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Giving this thread a gentle bump because I just tried an imp of Le Serpent Qui Danse and LOVE it! Before I had discounted violet as just another floral, but it isn't!

 

Can anybody compare Posset's Silver Violets to Faith?

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I really love Lush's Bathos, but hated the scent of a sample of Gratuitous Violets soap I got in my order so much I threw it out, and then complained the GARBAGE smelled of it! :P

 

I had such a mixed reaction to the only two violet-scented products I've ever tried, I just HAVE to give it a go to figure out if I like it or not! I'd like to order an imp containing some violet in my next order. I was leaning toward Morgause, Nocturne or Marie but I'd love some suggestions!

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... I was leaning toward Morgause, Nocturne or Marie but I'd love some suggestions!

 

Of those three, Marie is my favorite because the violet really stands out. I really can't smell it in Nocturne, I think the other florals in that one overwhelm the violet on me - Morgause is lovely but very complex and incense-y, so the violet is a team player but not dominant on me.

 

Veil has lots of violet on my skin (notes: white sandalwood, lilac, gardenia, violet, orris, lavender and ylang ylang) as does Le Serpent Qui Danse (violet with vanilla and gardenia, but on me the violet is in first place and gardenia's in third, which it doesn't often do).

 

Faith is a fantastic violet blend - sugared violets, smells just like it sounds and I love it. It's only available in a bottle set, Hope and Faith, The Siamese Twins (part of Carnaval Diabolique) and since you're on the fence about liking violet, I have a feeling you won't want to make an investment like that (unless you happen to adore rose - Hope is sugared rose). You may be able to find a decant from someone in swaps though. Violet lovers should all try that one, IMO! If you tried Pink Moon 07, which was sugared carnation, it's very similar but of course with violet instead of carnation.

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No one has mentioned La Befana yet. It has a distinct violet note, though there's definitely other stuff mixed in there (notably, ashes).

 

I second the recommendations of Faith and Marie.

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I agree with i&p that the violet notes in Nocturne and Morgause aren't necessarily that strong. My favorite violets in the gc are Le Serpent Qui Danse (the violet surprisingly blasts the gardenia right out of the picture in my opinion), Queen Gertrude (rich and regal) and Ephemera (wispy and gentle).

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I LOVE violets! My fave violet BPALs are Le Serpent Qui Danse and Wings of Azrael. Wings is pretty rich and ages amazingly. I think you need to save your pennies and buy ALL of the suggested scents! Evil enabler I!

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I have to agree with Czarina and suggest La Befana - it's still up for a few more days and it is absolutely my favourite BPAL scent ever. Delicious and sweet, but dry and dusty at the same time. The violet is very much present, but it's made grown up and sophisticated by the other notes.

 

I am very wary of florals and rarely seek them out, but violet is so much more than a powdery, grandmotherly floral; it's damp and sugary and complex!

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Thanks for the great suggestions! I think I'll probably go with Marie, because it has so few notes. I know and love rose, so it'll help ease me into the violet, lol. If that goes well, I'll definitely be trying more of your suggestions! :P

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I found an imp of Marie and to me it seems more rosey than violety. Le Serpent Qui Danse is the most "pure" violet in my opinion ( reminds me of Devon Violets from England). I also found some Sybaris. This is violet and clove and it is unbelievably rich and amazing but it is best applied one drop at a time because it is really intense.

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I found an imp of Marie and to me it seems more rosey than violety. Le Serpent Qui Danse is the most "pure" violet in my opinion ( reminds me of Devon Violets from England). I also found some Sybaris. This is violet and clove and it is unbelievably rich and amazing but it is best applied one drop at a time because it is really intense.

 

Oh really? I was thinking that might be a problem, maybe I'll give Le Serpent Qui Danse another look...

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La Befana has violets?? :D I so should have tried it while it was available :D

 

But on the upside, I tried The Raven yesterday and it is violet :P

I would recommend it to anyone who can do the black musk, it is mainly black musk with a very rich violet note on top.

 

Wings of Azrael, Bluebeard and Ultraviolet are favourites too.

I got an older imp of Bluebeard in a swap and the vetiver seems to have aged away a bit, so after the lavender fades away it is mainly violet and white musk, which I love.

Ultraviolet dries down to a light and sweet violet note that stays very long, that is the purest violet blend in my opinion, at least after the mint has faded away.

Wings of Azrael is complex and lovely, woody evergreen notes with violet.

 

Saturnalia, Le Serpent qui danse, Veil, Sybaris, Faustus, Fallen and Purple Phoenix either did not work for me or I did not get a lot of violet from them.

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my favourite violet is the raven. it's also one of the few violet scents that really, really works on me.

 

also adore la befana, it's a different sort of violet but it still really works on my skin.

 

(woo! this is my 1000th post! i'm a super member now!)

Edited by hkhm

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FAITH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you tell its my favorite violet. I also love Viola, La Belfana, and of course, ULTRAviolet!

Edited by marlena

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i recently discovered my love for violets because of a frimp of Sybaris. its so sweet and rich and the clove never gets too spicey. since then ive been on the hunt for more violets and found a couple...

 

Ultraviolet - eucalyptus and mint made this too strong and headachey.

 

Queen Gertrude - the wisteria in combination with violet is really nice, neither get too strong, just a soft sweet purple floral. a bit old lady-ish.. but thats okay with me.

 

Faith - soft lightly sweet violet. maybe a little too light, but very pretty.

 

Morgause - i get a little violet, but this is more incense, white floral with some fruits.

 

Antique Lace - violet isn't listed, but i definitely smell them. its like a sweeter more feminine version of Dorian with a good amount of violets! love it!

 

I'm really wanting to try the Raven, Le Serpent Qui Danse, Marie, Nocturne, Ephemera and Melisande the Puppet Mistress and Purple Phoenix and the Darkling Thrush.

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If you can get hold of any..

 

NUMB is way violet. Like a chilly wet violet!

 

 

Good luck!

 

x

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Antique Lace - violet isn't listed, but i definitely smell them. its like a sweeter more feminine version of Dorian with a good amount of violets! love it!

 

You know, I would never have thought of violets in relationship to Antique Lace (and Antique Lace is one of my all time favorites, pure comfort and delight)--but I just put some on and--hey, you are kind of right. There is a sweet powdery scent that is kind of like the wafting of white violet perfume.

 

Sybaris is by far the most violet I've encountered.

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I can't wait for Bruised Violet Compound and Violet Ray! I have imps of both on order.

 

is patchouli root similar to regular patchouli (leaf?). it's scaring me away from Bruised Violet Compound a little bit.. but the red currant and spanish moss sounds nice.

 

and i'm hoping that Violet Ray doesn't end up like Ultraviolet with the mint. ultraviolet was instant headache on me.

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