Viola

[Gwydion]

Gentle tea rose, lilac, Calla Lily, and Somalian Rose layered over golden Peruvian amber, Spanish moss, red sandalwood, rosewood, and myrrh, with the lightest touch of Mandarin.

 

In bottle: Rose and orange mostly, with the incenses pleasantly mingling. Given what my skin does to rose and citrus, this is not a good thing to skin test, but it’s okay as such things go in the bottle, though way not my thing.

[Venneh]

Why hello thar, rose and lily! You're pretty much the same on my skin! And I'm not expecting too much difference in the drydown, either! Ends up being a soft powdery floral, generic, and not what I'm into. Pass.

Edited March 29, 2010 by Venneh

[Caerphilly]

I was really expecting to like this one, but alas! This one is really heavy in the imp and on me. Very sweet, slightly incensy. Darker than I thought it would be, I get jasmine, or something else really heavy from this, and not enough rose. I couldn't even wait for the dry down, I had to wash this off.

[Ryokumuji]

I actually found this imp laying around the other day while I was organizing and I'm surprised I never reviewed it! Like it a lot, but not enough to buy a bottle. Maybe just another imp. It's creamy, warm, sort of woody, and floral. I don't get much rose, but I can definitely tell the lilac is there! It's staying power is pretty good, lasts about 3-4 hours on my skin.

 

Edit: I've been wearing this for several days now, and it's really grown on me. Definitely want a bottle of it now.

 

Edit2: I've gotten a new bottle of this, I'm pretty sure the imp I tested was a couple of years old, and the bottle is different than the imp. I'm getting a much more incensey/woody feel and less floral. It's not a radical change and it's still really nice. I'm glad I got my bottle, but I didn't want to mislead anyone with my review! I'm guessing aging this would calm the incense/woody notes down though.

Edited November 4, 2010 by Ryokumuji

[hkhm]

imp: pretty heavy on the rose and lily.

 

wet: yep, soapy rose. alas.

 

dry: this is just straight soapy rose for hours and hours.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Green, watery florals upon mandarin and light woods.

 

On skin: Viola is initially a promising green floral deepened by base notes: gentle lily and rose, and uplifting mandarin, over a base of sandalwood, rosewood and moss. It's a fascinating contrast of feminine florals and more masculine woods (albeit light ones) and moss. Unfortunately, the moss amps up after drydown and pushes the other notes into the background. Now it's just damp mossy-green with hints of woods and florals -- a disappointing end to what began so promisingly.

 

Verdict: Sigh, if only Viola didn't end up mostly mossy after drydown! All the other notes were beautiful and I was very tantalized by how the florals and woods contrasted with each other, and how it evoked the Shakespearean character. But I'm afraid this was not meant to be.

[Chanter]

In the bottle: Hmm, where's the--oh, there it is! I smell a very, very light floral with something faintly duskier just barely peeping through. That's lilac, I think.

 

On skin: This turns into a very, very light, mild floral on me. It sticks extremely close to my skin, and even then I can barely smell it. What I'm getting is a light, faintly powdery floral, mainly very gentle lilac and what could almost be violet. Rereading the description, I bet that's lilac and myrrh combining I'm smelling.

 

On drydown: I wore this when running errands, and for the most part I could barely detect it. Darn! Once in a while I'd get a whiff of what I think was mainly gentle lilac, amber and whatever's similar to violets in here (lilac and myrrh?) if violets aren't included. Darn darn darn. I was hoping this would be stronger on the tea rose, lilac and rosewood. I like this fine - it's like Prague in that it's a very gentle scent that I can wear to work when I want to have something on but don't want to run the risk of bothering anyone. But crud, I was hoping this would be stronger on me. Ah well. I'll wear this to work.

 

Update: Ooh! I tried this after what couldn't have been more than a month of letting it age. I initially offered my sister a sniff of it, she didn't like it, and when I got a whiff of the imp as I was closing the cap, I said ooh, I need to retry this. In a surprisingly short time in my drawer, Viola has turned into a perfectly lovely, gentle floral instead of a barely-there hint of the same. The rose and a couple of the other flowers - lilac I think? show up the strongest, but they're not at all overpowering. I take back what I said earlier about it being hardly detectable, and happily so. Yay! :happy:

Edited July 11, 2011 by Chanter

[lilyliza]

In the imp: Very soapy. I'm kinda concerned. I smell a tiny bit of rose but mostly lily.

 

Wet: Lily. I can smell hints of sandalwood and moss trying to come out, but lily is just overpowering everything. And this particular lily note is doing something pretty weird. It turns into something very soapy and amazingly bland. It's like the mild soap I use when I don't want to smell like anything. It's as non-offensive as they come, but this is not what I want in a perfume.

 

Drydown: So much better. Once the soapy blandness gets out of the way, there's a really pleasant mix of mandarin, moss, and sandalwood. And then the rose finally gets a chance to shine, and it's such a nice, subtle woodsy floral. The lilac kicks in a little later on as well. It reminds me of relaxing in a nice forest.

 

The drydown is lovely, but getting there seriously tries my patience. I'm ambivalent about getting a bottle because of it.

[lavenderfrost]

*sigh* Wanted to love this one, but I dunno.

 

Myrrh and rosewood are 2 approach-with-caution notes and while they don't make it bad, it's not something I'm excited about. It's definitely more complex and grown-up than blends like Juliet and Desdemona - I like that added air of maturity, just don't know if some of the notes in the blend fit me.

[KittyHawk]

Myrrh and I do not get along, but I decided to try this anyway because I love Twelfth Night and most of the other notes in this blend. I should have known better.

 

Imp: Mostly myrhh, but I can detect a bit of wet woods and maybe some of the tea rose? I'm hoping the myrrh will subside once I skin test it.

 

Wet: All myrrh, all the time.

 

Dry: Myrhh. No lilac. No amber. No sandalwood. No moss.

 

I'm not quite willing to give up on this yet, but it definitely didn't work today.

[Ghost of a Rose]

This was a frimp; and it's almost eerie how accurately Elizabeth (or whoever packed my box) zeroed in on my personality. So far this is my favorite perfume in the box. I love it more than the ones I picked out myself and paid for!

 

In the imp: Love at first sniff! Gorgeous lilac and rose. The oil is a medium-light pinkish gold that perfectly duplicates the shade of fine rose-gold jewelry.

 

On me, wet: I could swear I was wearing a wrist corsage of fresh lilacs and pink roses. The scent is so real, so fresh, and so vivid that I can practically see them . . . Yet - even wet - not aggressively strong.

 

On me, drydown: It's become powdery, but in the best possible way, like an expensive, delicate, and highly refined luxury powder for a pampered lady of the century past. Now I'm picturing a soft mink powder puff in a sparkling cut crystal powder jar with a silver lid decorated with pearls . . .

 

On me, 3 hours later: The florals are still around, but they've now taken a supporting role to the spicy incense notes, with the amber and sandalwood in the starring roles.

 

Verdict: Exactly as described. The mandarin is indeed light, so as to be unnoticeable as a specific note (and that's just the way I'd want it), while adding a bit of sparkle. The incense-y oils add depth and longevity while letting the florals shine on their own for a generous span of time.

Some might find this fragrance too old-fashioned, but I've always thought I was born in the wrong era, so for me it's perfect. The innocent elegance of an earlier time. I'm madly in love, and lusting after a full vial.

This is a "must" for those who love rose or lilac scents.

 

My rating: 5+

[vige]

forethought and blah blahs:

always, always, ALWAYS on the hunt for a nice rose scent so i am looking forward to this. the oil in my imp is a nice warm orange color.

 

in the bottle/imp:

mmmmm tea rose!

 

wet:

nice wet and juicy tea rose. starting to smell a bit of the other notes, the amber mostly.

 

dry:

I'm really not picking up any of the other notes now. just tea rose. getting a bit "dusty"

 

overall opinion:

a dry tea rose on me with no other notes.

 

verdict:

feminine

it's not bad, but not a great or interesting rose. it is a very simple scent. while i can't see myself buying a bottle of this i will probably keep the imp since it's a "no brainer" type of a smell.

[cosmoblue]

In the imp, clean fresh soft sandalwood and flowers.

 

Wet, mostly sandalwood and mandarin with tea rose and lilac. Not much amber in this stage

 

Dry, soft clear tea rose with lilac and sandalwood being warmed by the amber and a little edge of myrrh and I definitely am picking up the lilies which makes my throat itch a bit. It actually reminds me a lot of of my beloved Seraglio but softer and more powdery and with lilies.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: Seems to be mostly myrrh and rose, with a hint of orange.

Wet: Quite similar to Belle Epooque, in the combination of citrus and lily/other sweet things.

Dry: A really nice, though faint, mix of rose, myrrh and other pretty notes.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Sweet, delicate green florals

 

Wet on me - Soft, delicate, almost sugared violets

 

Dry on me - A soft musky green floral

 

Overall - Pretty, but really not me

[JazzieCazzie]

Received as a frimp from the Lab.

 

IN THE IMP: Super duper floral but, rather than the rose most people mention on first hit, I get the lilac. It's not cloying at all. Predominantly lilac with some tea rose.

 

Dabbed VERY lightly on my wrist and in the crook of my arm.

 

WET: This is actually really nice when wet. I'm not a big "girly flower" lover (as in, I don't like roses, lilies, etc. but I do like the lusher purple flowers and the white flowers like gardenia, ylang ylang, etc.). This is not at all overpowering despite what I might have expected by the notes, and it's very well balanced.

 

DRYDOWN: The rose amps more on drydown but it never goes lily-soapy.

 

OVERALL: A very pleasant floral. In the end, it goes into the swap pile because I am not a big floral scent wearer and am devoted to the floral scents I DO love already, but I wouldn't wash this off. I would highly recommend it to floral lovers.

 

On a scale of 1-5, a strong 3.

[Veronica]

In the bottle, this is all amber and spicy myrrh with a hint of the sandalwoods. Wet, the roses come out to play, and then the white floral of the lilies. Dry, this is all headache-y white lilies with a soft amber background and a rose accent. I don't get much of the woods anymore.

 

After a few minutes, this is a soft delicate floral blend of primarily lilies and then some rose. Pretty, not sure if I love it though.

Edited February 19, 2015 by delighted

[GoddesShel]

This has been on my wishlist for ages, and a wonderful swap partner sent me an imp of it.

 

Unfortunately, on me, it's all sharp tea rose, all the time. I love rose, but was hoping for something more complex with the amber, mandarin and myrrh. I guess I like my roses a little blunter?

[JuliskaMarie]

In the imp: Exactly as described - this is quite a complicated scent! Warm, woodsy & floral with a little bit of citrus & something almost spicy. Very intriguing - it'll be interesting to see how this goes on my skin!

 

Wet on skin: Sandalwood, myrrh & mandarin are the dominant notes at first - very different to how it smelled in the imp! Much cooler (where's that warmth gone?) & the flowers are almost not even there!

 

Dry on skin: Mandarin is the main note. How does my skin always do this? Tiniest hint of food note = me smelling mostly like that food note! I can pick out most of the other notes in the background (even rose, which disappears on my skin... But that may actually be the rosewood, which usually smells like rose on me), but this is mostly mandarin. I like mandarin though, so while it doesn't smell ANYTHING like I expected it to, it's still a nice scent.

 

After a few hours: It's all blended together now. It's a pretty scent, but it's gone quite soapy on me (& it turned soapy fairly quickly), which is a shame.

 

Verdict: It's nice, but I'm not sure I'll ever end up wearing this. It doesn't work very well with my skin - none of the notes are normally risky with my skin, so it must just be unlucky with this particular combination of notes.

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: I agree with JuliskaMarie - there's a lot going on here! Florals (primarily rose, but I can also detect something creamier) mix well with the citrus, over a strong, smooth, almost masculine/cologne-y base (woods? incense? something else altogether???). This is appropriate, given the character - both masculine and feminine aspects.

 

Wet: Brisk, fresh roses. I can also smell the citrus, but right now it just smells like another facet of the roses, not its own independent scent. There are also some creamy floral overtones that I'm fairly sure is the lily at work, or possibly the lilac. There's a brief flash of...sandalwood? Wood of some kind? Maybe? But it doesn't last long - mostly it's florals, florals, and more florals.

 

Dry: Ah, there's my old friend amber! Along with sandalwood and maybe rosewood, it becomes much more prominent after several hours, even becoming more notable than the florals. Right now, it's exotic in a smooth, creamy way and I LOVE it.

[HighlyBell7]

In Imp: Light amber color. Musky with a hint of flower. Yum.

Wet: Violets? Yum. Sweet grass.

Dry: Violets? Lily? Something sweet and powdery. Like my old Liz Claiborne Vivid body powder. Powder – almost deodorant level, but like the good kind by Dove.

Later: LOVE!!! Surprisingly clean. Baby powder.

Even Later: Fully dries a bit too resiny. A bit of a sweet burning wood smell left.

Notes: I would definitely buy a bottle of this. I want to try it in a scent locket.

 

[LexieBlom]

Viola imp

 

Wet/Bottle - Faintly smells like an indoor pool: warm, stuffy with a touch of chlorine. Then the floral, very rosey. That's about all I get.

 

Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - about the same as in the imp, roses and chlorine.

 

Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Roses and Chlorine.

 

DAMN YOU, ROSE!

[d0gbones]

In the imp: Lovely and rosy!

Wet: It's slightly powdery on, but basically the same as in the imp.

Dry: Sweet tea rose. I'm not getting any myrrh () or mandarin and more importantly NO SANDALWOOD! I'd never have chosen this one for myself based on that, but I'm so pleased with it, I may well buy a full bottle in the future.

[freyasfae]

Lily and rose can easily go grandma on me, but in this case the myrrh (which usually hates me) comes through and keeps the lily and rose from going floral grandma! On the whole, it's just not for me, but I gave it to my mom as she loves florals and the spice of the myrrh added a depth she liked.

[Coldfire]

Imp: holy cheeses all the notes that hate my skin the most right out of the gate. ROSE! LILAC!!! LILY!
Wet on Me: holy mix of spray air freshener from 1960 at my grandmother's house! Plus a good dose of Raid as well. when I said these notes hate my skin and nose...they mean it!
Drying Down: talk about death notes. This is tryingto kill me. death by scent induced headache.
Dry: I feel so bad that I cannot wax rhapsodic about BPAL's rose, lily or lilac notes. What did I do in another life to make rose, lily and lilac hate me so? To trade!