What does Black Violet smell like?
Classic violet smells of powdery sweets and lipstick. Black violet keeps that base and darkens it. You get dark berries, a hint of plum and sometimes a woody or leathery side. It is less sweet and more mysterious. On skin it melts into patchouli and amber, giving the heart of a perfume a velvety depth.
Origin and production
Violet flowers are hardly ever extracted today. The violet smell relies on ionones, molecules discovered in the late 19th century. Black violet is an accord built on that base, with dark fruit, woods or spices added to deepen it. The word black describes a colour and a mood, not a variety.
How perfumers use it
Black violet dresses up an oriental or a woody scent. It pairs with patchouli, rose, red fruit and cacao. Paco Rabanne Black XS for Her (2007) sets it in the heart with rose, before a cacao and patchouli base. Calvin Klein Euphoria (2005) uses it in the base with mahogany and amber in a fruity oriental. Yves Saint Laurent Tuxedo (2015) teams it with patchouli and spices for a floral take on evening wear.
How to wear it
Black violet is an autumn and evening note. Euphoria is strong: one spray on the neck and one on the wrist, no more.