Living in the South of France, I am surrounded by so many incredible perfume stores as Grasse, which is literally just one hour away from me is known as the perfume capital of the world, so I couldn't be in a better place for perfume. Most of the perfumes we love today are all french; Chanel, Dior, YSL, Lacoste etc Fragrance is one of the most personal beauty products a person can own and we often identify people in our lives by their scent. Smell is one of the most powerful triggers that instantly transports you back to a time, a place or to a person in your life, making it also one of the hardest things to describe and write about. I can only do my best to tell you about a brand that you may not yet know of, but is one that has truly stolen my heart. 

When it comes to scents, I prefer non-commercial fragrances so I always look for a fragrance that not many people have so I can really be individual and claim it as my scent, so that it reminds you of me and me alone. Don't get me wrong, I still love popular classics such as Chanel and Tom Ford which are very high end, it's the whole 'celebrity endorsed scents' that don't appeal to me. I like real perfumers that have been doing it since forever and know a thing or two about individuality. In fact I love going into perfume stores and chatting with the consultants because I have had fragrance training over my career so I really love to know all about the products and basically, have a good old chat. 

Some of my favourite brands to date are Byredo (especially Black Saffron, Bal' de Afrique and the Unnamed) Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Frederic Malle, Serge Lutens, Chanel, Tom Ford to name a few. I love notes that are powdery, rich and oriental with my favourite note of all being Violet. I am obsessed with anything Violet scented to say the least, so when I saw the brand in question here was named MAISON VIOLET (meaning 'House of Purple') I felt we already had a connection. 
Maison Violet, Autumn Purple, edp
Maison Violet, Autumn Purple, edp
It was in fact Octoly (a company that brings brands and bloggers together) who introduced us and got to speak to the brand direct and I have to say Octoly may just seem like 'bloggers getting free stuff' to some people but it has in fact been solely responsible for this amazing brand discovery hence why you are reading this post right now.

In short, VIOLET are a traditional French Perfumery that was founded way back in 1827. After a 50 year sleep, the House was resurrected by three young men Anthony, Paul and Victorien (as below) to embark on a project of putting this historic house back on the scene. Their love for fragrance drives them to get Maison Violet on the shelves once again. The team kindly sent over a beautiful collection of pages including Violet's history which is so interesting to see all the old images and learn all about how it was all those years ago,  which added to the authenticity of the brand. Touches like this are so rare in today's world yet is a touch I think most of us would appreciate. 
Maison Violet, Autumn Purple, edp
Maison Violet, Autumn Purple, edp
Maison Violet, Autumn Purple, edp
The VIOLET collection consists of 3 rich scents, Un Air d'Apogee, Sketch and Pourpre d' Autumne or translated means Autumn Purple. Although I wanted them all, I finally decided upon Autumn Purple because the notes in this were so simple yet jumped out at me. 

Maison Violet, Autumn Purple, edp
Maison Violet, Autumn Purple, edp

First and foremost, the packaging is divine. The bottle is super elegant with velvet lining inside the box and an engraved 'V' logo detailed on the silver lid. The main thing you will notice is how weighty the bottle is as this is a bottle designed to be showcased on a dresser, not thrown into a handbag. There is indeed a travel size version for that!

Maison Violet, Autumn Purple, edp
Maison Violet, Autumn Purple, edp
• Autumn Purple is a mix of powdery, fruity, mossy, musky notes (€145 for 75ml).
Top Notes: Violet - Heart Notes: Rose, Iris - Base Notes; Orris, White Musk, Moss.

As I already said, scents are very hard to describe but this one is based on Rose and Violet and consists of very simple notes yet with a modern twist that feels elegant, Parisan and old fashioned which I feel represents it's history. For me, it reminds me of being a child and remembering my mum and my nan smelling 'expensive' knowing that one day I would be able to wear the same or at least steal a spray!

 Violet describe this as "Orris notes bringing a powdery texture, Peach and Plum notes join to give a wet/juicy feel and then the mossy, leathery notes accentuate the Autumn feel - like being wrapped up in a musky coat". Reading through my pages, I do love how the name Autumn Purple was created to be an image of silk chiffon, a rose stinging  porcelain skin, a crunchy musk in a juicy peach .... such beautiful visions that really do fit the scent well! Autumn Purple was the first scent from the whole collection to become a 'must have' and I can see just why. 
I cannot think of any other fragrance that smells like this one making it very individual and a scent that you could happily wear over any season. I imagine the other two scents in the collection smell just as amazing too (see here)! 

Maison Violet, Autumn Purple, edp
VISIT!
Maison Violet have opened the doors to their house where you can go behind the scenes to discover even more! From books to raw materials to being advised on your signature scent this makes for a wonderful experience; all by appointment only at 31 Rue Etienne Marcel, Paris, Tuesday - Sunday (10h to 20h)  ... something I would indeed love to do myself! 

This is why the brand for me stand out so much as you can tell the three creators have a real passion for the brand and I think this is so refreshing in today's beauty world as it is the smaller brands like this that deserve the most rewards in my book as they deliver something extra special. 

Maison Violet, Autumn Purple, edp
Maison Violet, Autumn Purple, edp
Maison Violet fragrances are a luxury buy at €145 each (here!) but Maison Violet are just that, a true luxury that is worth all the years of hard work gone into the age old Parisian brand. You can however purchase travel sizes 7.5ml for €15 (here!) that are ideal for on the go or a way of getting to know each scent. This is definitely a scent to go and smell if you get the chance too, or a gift for someone special that appreciates a good brand. 

Maison Violet, Autumn Purple, edp
I hope you enjoyed this little introduction to Maison Violet as they really do ignite a passion for fragrance and I would love to thank them for gifting me the chance of getting to know them better. I for one hope that they get back on top once again where they belong. 

 Let us not stress too much about detox, diets and being good like we are all programmed to feel at this time of year and take on the french approach to life by creating some bliss and stress free living. A new fragrance for a new year! 


There is no doubt, the french know Fragrance. 
What are some of your favourites? Like the sound of Violet?