Violet Ray

[Leopard403]

Though the doctor continued to assure her that the treatment was therapeutic, her anxiety increased. Ignoring her feeble protestations, the doctor produced a pair of glass wands, and set to work.

As the machine hummed to life, her misgivings were dissolved in a haze of unexpected pleasure. Warmth, contrasted sharply with a million white-hot pinpricks and a strangely cooling blast of electricity, surged through her thighs. The metal electrodes secured beneath her corset flared as the electrical current swelled through her nerve endings.

White mint, purple musk, violet, lilac, ylang ylang, lavender moss, and sandalwood.

I am a bit disappointed in Violet Ray: To my (admittedly, rather unsophisticated) nose, it smells identical to Faith, though the sweet top note in VR burns off quickly on my skin.

This is a lovely scent, just not as distinguished and distinguishable as I hoped it would be.

[lmaunu]

I'm not familiar with Faith, so I'm not sure how close VR is to it (as the previous reviewer mentioned), but I really do love Violet Ray. The violet is much more subtle than it is in something like Le Serpent Qui Danse, and my skin is not picking up on any mint. Instead, I'm getting a light floral scent, with notes of violet (which dominate), lilac, and musk. It's a much lighter scent than I imagined, and the ylang ylang and sandalwood are barely noticeable on me.

 

After a few hours, this turns a bit soft and powdery, but in a lovely way. It also has nice throw to it, although it's a bit on the softer side.

 

If you're on the fence about this one because you're worried that the "electric" nature of it might be too much for you but you like the other notes, then definitely get it. At this point, it's not one of my favorites, but I think it's a beautiful scent that is perfect for warmer weather and I'm glad I got it.

Edited May 2, 2008 by BookGirl

[hlrigaud]

Violet Lovers Rejoice!

 

This has made it's way quickly up my favorites list and it should be tried by any violet fan.

 

The Ray is icey, the way numb wasn't. It's a cold, clear violet. It's sweet, but not sugary and it dries down to a pleasant, powder note that never get's 'old lady-ish'. Excellent violet smell, and while I can see the comparisons to Faith, the Ray holds it's own.

 

I can see why it's part of the Streamworks. There's an electricity in this, but it's cold, like a peltier device (a circuit that throws off cold). This isn't a cold found in nature.

 

Moderate throw and listing power. I don't know if non-violet people will like this. It's strange and wonderful, but perhaps not for everyone.

[hellomoonglow]

While I liked the idea of this scent, the first hour was brutal. Really strongly overpowering, like all the notes were at war on my arm. After an hour, it was standable. It's been 2.5 hrs., and it has dried and faded quite a bit. It is now quite interesting - where is that winey/grapey-ness coming from? I love violet. Adore it! But this is not a blend for me. Perhaps if it ages a bit.....fingers crossed.....

 

ADDED March 22:

 

Mature womanly scent with an undertone of sterile, cold metal. This reminds me of one of my aunts when I was little. I know that's not a great review, but it's Aunt Sharon all the way.

[quigza]

I love violet. Violet plays well on my skin. I didn't take into account that lilac turns into baby powder on my skin. Everything else in this should work on me. I had such high hopes.

 

In the bottle: Violets and the tang of electricity

 

Wet: Violets in a thunder storm. Strong violet, musky sweat, electricity, and a little bit of breathmints

 

Dry down: Baby powder with a tang of minty ozone.

 

I'm so dissapointed. I'm sure that, if you love violets, and that musk and lilacs play well on your skin, this will be gorgeous. My skin chemistry just doesn't work with this.

[hipslike___cinderella]

Aside from the fact that I wanted to try nearly every Steamworks scent, I picked Violet Ray because I have a violet fascination, even though I am so picky about it as a note. Reading "white mint" and "violet" together really caught my eye because Ultraviolet is one of my top favorite blends, ever of ever. Before touching my skin, Violet Ray seems innocent enough; medium-sweet, the violet note reminding me vaguely of Sybaris.

 

Then... maybe it's because I'm spoiled with the system-shocking ice beauty that is Ultraviolet, but I don't find this to be cold, chilly, even coolish. I would've never guessed in a million years that it has mint. In fact, I'll tell you what I get: Violet, a breath of lilac, and YLANG YLANG. Hello, 'ylang, you brute. I should've known better. Ylang ylang is my fate-given floral death note. I have very cooperative skin, but ylang ylang destroys any blend it comes near. Thus, to me, Violet Ray is a dusty, somewhat strong floral blend, and it's oddly fuzzy and maroon in color to my mind. Not at all what I wanted, but what I feared it would be. The first time around it didn't seem too bad. Now that I've touched up my application after several hours, it's kind of making me ill. No good. So if ylang ylang runs rampant on you too, but you still want to try this blend, heed my warning.

[Brianne]

This does remind me of Ultraviolet in that this is a violet scent with a refreshing sort of tang to it. Almost a green background - it makes me think of grass. It does dry down to a sort of sweet and powdery scent though - but I DO still get violets in there. It's a pretty violet scent, perhaps a little too much green in this one for me though.

[penemuel]

This is an amazing scent for violet lovers. It's a little sweet, but all violet. I don't get most of the other notes, although there's a sharp crispness to it that is probably the mint. I think the sandalwood contributes to the sweetness, and possibly the lilac, although I don't smell lilac in the blend at all. It's a gorgeous scent and easily will become one of my top ten. I need to buy another bottle, FAST.

 

And besides, it's a Steampunk Violet Wand! Kinky! How can I resist?

[scarletgenesis]

Musk, violet, and lavender. Those are the three notes I get.

 

In the bottle, it was all super sugary violets. Different and nice, but maybe a bit too sweet.

 

Once on and upon drydown, it becomes much more complex and less sweet. It is turning a little powdery on me, but I definitely get a little sharpness from the violets. So, much like Purple Phoenix, this is a 'purple' scent. But it's very different than Purple Phoenix, so don't think I'm comparing them other than the purpleness!

 

I'm not sure about it yet. I generally like it, but am thinking it may not be 'me'. Time will tell. I'll hang onto the bottle for a while either way.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: A thick, sweet mix of violet candies, lilac, and ylang ylang.

 

Immediately on skin: On my skin this smells a little bitter, and very thick. It’s a heavy scent of powdery violets, lilac, and ylang ylang. Oh, and the musk… it’s heavy, dark, and blends well with the ylang ylang. Even though the violet note is relatively sweet in this, the other notes aren’t, so they really overpower the little bit of sweetness the violet lends to this blend.

 

After a little while: This gets deeper and more earthy as I wear it. Not earthy like dirt, but almost like deep smokiness from the ylang ylang. I would definitely say that that’s the main base of this scent on me, and it’s blended with the sandalwood and purple musk while the violet and a light amount of lilac waft above.

 

Overall Impressions: This is a very complex, deep blend. I don’t get any mint from this, and the ylang ylang and purple musk really weigh this down. The violet and lilac are very pretty, but can’t compete with the ylang ylang. This is almost smoky, but very smooth, and has the lilting sweetness of the powdery violets. It’s sort of bitter on me, so I really think this blend just went a bit wrong on my skin.

[alicia_stardust]

Violet Ray is a cool shot of electric purple. The mint is not minty, but cool, and it adds a nice jolt to the varied shades of purple: purple musk, violets, lilac... There's a sweetness to this blend and also a freshness; it literally smells like violets (with their leaves) and other plants are going to burst forth out of the bottle. The sandalwood sort of fills in the background and it seems like the violets take center stage as the rest of the notes begin to fade first.

 

This is a must try for anyone that likes or loves violets. It's a unique violet that, while compared to Ultraviolet, is still in its own class. I need a full bottle of this one. =)

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: mint and violet

 

Wet: This is totally not a me scent, and I knew it wouldn't be. I don't like mint or violet, but wanted to try a new scent.

It's actually nice in the bottle, but the violet and other florals amp on me too much to enjoy on my skin.

 

Drydown: Too floral, almost generic at this point, sadly.

2.5 outta 5

[Jilara]

Cold violets. Violets under snow.

 

I was expecting something closer to Darkling Thrush, with its chilly violet notes, so I'm not entirely sure how to characterize this. The violet in Darkling Thrush is warmer, somehow, while Violet Ray is chilly and etherial, as if it's a wisp of violet mist on a winter wind.

 

It starts out sweetish with a hint of mintiness, but as it dries down, the mint and ozone qualities really come out behind the violet. The lilac is a vague floral background that never fully manifests, just lending background to the chill violet concoction. Sandalwood? Don't get it. Purple musk? No. A vague waft of ylang-ylang, that I almost mistook for jasmine when it was wet. Unfortunately, it doesn't last for more than an hour---zap and it's gone.

[Iceblink]

Oh, gorgeous BPAL violet note, how I love thee! Violet Ray starts out with a hint of mint, as in Ultraviolet, and also as in Ultraviolet, the mint fades fast. What's left is a lovely lovey violet, with some other florals in the background--I can pick out the lilac but everything else is just nicely blended and keeping this from being Single Note Violet. It's very springy and light, and not sweet like, say, Faith or Sybaris. Beautiful!

[savage_rose]

It starts out as violet and something fizzy and poppy, and turns into violet and nailpolish. My skin is amping this violet WAY too much...I loved how it smelled in the imp, like carbonated electric violet, sweet and sharp at the same time. But now it just smells strange.

[Eemia]

I'm obsessed with violet. So this was my most coveted from the Steamworks.

 

I can smell a slick mellow quality that reminds me of the original Steamworks oil. The violet is the most dominant note though, and it's a beautiful violet. I can't compare it to the violet in any of my other violet fragrances because I honestly don't think it smells similar to those at all. This violet stands out. I have always thought of violets as smelling delicate but sort of thick because of their powdery quality. But this is more like a transparent violet. I was worried that the mint would have a sharp, crispness that might ruin this for me. But I can only smell a vague hint of soft mint here. Sort of cool and alert. The sandalwood is slightly sweet and musky. Surprisingly the ylang ylang is extremely quiet. Everything is playing to the violet.

 

The feeling I get from this is elevated, light, and modern. I have to put this in with my favorite violet fragrances because it's breathtaking. I love it.

[Reaver]

VIOLET RAY

Sticky, sweet violet with a boost of mint. Almost electric mint which, given the name, is not surprising! It’s pink static. I should have gone with my impulses and bought a bottle of this, but went for Bruised Violet Compound instead. They are VERY different. This is, as someone else has mentioned, more akin to Faith from Carnavale Diabolique - sweet and light.

 

Staying power is fantastic. I slathered a few hours before bed due to the mention of lavender moss in the notes and this scent helped me relax and sleep, and then was bright to wake me up this morning. A good summer booster shot! The lavender and sandalwood are only background, and only play a very small part.

 

Conclusion - Bottle onto the wishlist!

9/10. Simple, bright and delicious.

[slave1]

VIOLET RAY

 

In Bottle: Light purple floral

 

On Skin: Lots of florals today! This one is very unique though. It has a very sweet overall effect. I small all the purple florals… the violet, lilac, lavender… and without a doubt this is a purple scent. It’s a nice light violet, not deep purple. It’s soft and velvety thanks to the purple musk. The mint gives it a very nice clean feel and the sandalwood is the perfect base which also adds to the softness. This isn’t candy sweet like Faith, it’s much more fresh and adult.To me this is a nice fluffy purple towel at a spa. Relaxing, comforting and clean. It is a bit cloying if I breathe in too hard so apply sparingly. I’d also love to use it as a room scent. Average throw and long wearlength.

[sparkybish]

In the imp: vague violets with an ozone hanging in there

Wet: Airy violets

Drying down: It tickles my nose in a good way. It's like a well rounded violet and I smell like candy. But in the best way.

Dry: Soft, lovely, complex violet with a hint of sweetness. I am so glad I bought this!!

 

Sidenote: What a lovely label! This is my second bottle with a special label and I love it. I would keep it for that even if I hated it, which I don't!

[lainevierge]

I love violet scents so getting an imp of this was a no brainer for me, especially since the concept totally turns me on too.

 

Violet Ray starts out as the same powdery violet as Nocturne with a soft mint in the background and slowly morphs into...sweat. Yup. This is like minty, powdery, candied violet sweat. I'm blaming the lavender moss for the sweat since almost anything moss goes bad on my skin, but I'll keep away from ylang ylang and weird colored musks from now on too.

 

Sigh.

[mooncityminx]

In the vial: I smell the lilacs and violet. Smells good!

 

Wet: The violet amps, I am getting the musk, and the mint is balancing it out. I love how this is reminding me ever-so-slightly of purple phoenix. They don't actually smell the same at all, but there must be one common note that is making me think "purple." Now it is almost delicately spiced lillies. To me the lilac and everything else are so balanced that is reminding me of exactly what a really fresh lilly smells like. I know there is no lilly in this, but it's still quite amazing.

 

Drydown: Okay, so this is not the type of fragrance that I usually wear, because I rarely wear white florals, but this is the first time I've ever had a white-ish floral smell so unlike soap on my chemistry. This is very classic though. I could see giving a bottle of this to someone who is unfamiliar with bpal. In fact, I may get a bottle for someone I've been trying to enable for a while, she loves lillies. Hell, I might get a bottle of it myself, even if I don't wear it very often. It is gorgeous!

 

Comparisons: I expected to compare this to other violet scents, but the violet does not take over the way I expected it to. I have to say it is somewhat similar to White Moon, although not the same scent. It's the same type of scent, only this one is more complex on me and fresher.

Edited May 22, 2008 by Tempest

[edenssixthday]

Violet Ray – Oh, now this is pretty! It’s soft and powdery, quite subtle, and the dominant note is violet. However, the white mint and musk back it up gorgeously. The white mint lends a sense of “coldness” to the blend and the purple musk keeps it from being a “winter” blend with the cool, sweet violet and mint. I don’t smell the other notes, which is kind of good, as lilac can amp a lot on me, and considering how I dislike ylang and lavender. I don’t smell the sandalwood, either, but I can tell it’s there deepening and grounding the scent. This is really pretty and feminine, although it doesn’t seem to have much staying power.

[zankoku_zen]

This blends reminds me to Ultraviolet. The violet begins pretty strongly, and definitely with a chilly aspect. After a while, it burns off and I get a sweet minty-like floral.

 

Unfortunately, this blend fades pretty fast on my skin and has almost no throw. Damn skin chemistry.

 

I'll pass this along to someone who will love it more.

[theseagrows]

first off, i have to say that i love violet! i definitely get the violet and other white florals, especially the lilac (i think.) the lavender moss adds a slight herbalness to the background. i'm not getting much musk or mint though. to me this is a violet-moss/white floral. i think i'd like it better with more musk, less white florals. i'll have to swap this one, because there are other violet scents i like much better.

[tereshkova2001]

The first thing I get is the mint, and the purple florals right behind it. Violet doesn't dominate at all, at least to me. Musk, as usual, wraps everything together and grounds it beautifully on my skin. This might be a distant cousin of Whitechapel, with the lilac and musk, but it's much sweeter and more feminine.