As a child, being named Violet came with some baggage. Chewing gum tended to be met with, “You’re turning violet, Violet!”, and special occasions meant being presented with themed gifts that, though kind and well-intentioned, were never really to my taste.
I long ago resigned myself to a lifetime of regifting migraine-inducingly soapy fragrances – until this year, when I happened upon Dries Van Noten’s new Velvet Violet perfume on a cursory stroll through the Liberty fragrance hall. Intrigued, I tried it, and, instead of the powdery, senior citizen-coded bouquet I’d come to associate with my namesake fragrance, I discovered a violet that had been punched up with pepper and woody vetiver.
This was a long way from the cloying violet scent I remembered from my childhood Christmas stockings – here was a modern take I could get on board with. And it isn’t limited to Dries. “Old violet was sweet, powdery and quite make-up-like,” agrees fragrance expert Eudora Nwasike. “The new version leans on the leaf, which is green and watery, then grounds it with woods or toasty notes. It’s less ladylike and more of a skin scent.”
Since then, I’ve discovered Burberry’s Garden Rain, a new fragrance from the British house that freshens violet accord with zingy spearmint and driftwood, and Le Labo’s Violette 30, which is sexed up with warming spices and incense. I even keep a bottle of The Lab Co’s Violet Riot, a clean skin scent, at my office desk for a midday spritz now.
“After years of heavy gourmands, I presume people want something softer,” is how Nwasike explains this fragrance hall theme. “Violet still has a bit of sweetness, so it feels comforting, but it’s fresher and more interesting. Celeste Giardini Di Toscana is one of my favourites, and a great example of how modern violet can feel,” she says, adding that these launches, mostly positioned as genderless, are targeted at a younger customer. The shift also chimes with Gen Z’s surging interest in reviving old-school products, like Kylie Jenner’s recent return to cold cream.
Next in line for a 21st-century revamp? “Iris,” Nwasike predicts. “It’s traditionally very powdery and lipstick-like, but it’s already being reworked in really interesting ways. Creed’s Iris Debonair and Bon Parfumeur's 502 Iris Cartagena are both great examples of how it’s being used today.”
In the meantime, shop ’s pick of the best modern violet perfumes to try now.
The Lab Co. Violet Riot Eau de Parfum
Le Labo Violette 30 Eau De Parfum
Garden Rain Eau de Parfum
