Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Violets & Rainwater, revisted

An open letter to Musette:

Dear Musette,

I so respect your thoughts on scent, whenever you go ga-ga for something, I automatically activate search->sniff->prepare to purchase neurons.  (Unless it's going your preferred skank path, which I continue to leave free and clear for you.  I've got my issues, as you know.  ;)  )  So, when you started waxing beautiful about Liz Zorn's Violets & Rainwater, I knew I'd better get sniffing.

Which I did, and found a lovely--beautiful in a quiet way--little true violet scent.  I tried it a couple of times over the winter, even bought a share, feeling that perhaps I would eventually use it to replace my decant of Norma Kamali Violette and use it for layering opportunities.  Simple.  Light.  

I was wrong.

I tried it on this morning, and BLAM, greenery!  And then, not very long until this creamy element enters the dry down.  Oh, my goodness.  I think that this is what some people find/love in the Guerlain violets, this nuanced but sweet violet.  (Vanillic sweet, not the mouse sex of Caron.)  And because I entered through the happy green door, I don't resent it for being some sort of pastille.  I'm still early on, and will be happy if the green returns head on, or if it continues down this creamy violet path.  I have my memory of the green...

Is this what happens with you?  You had mentioned dirt in the past, which I never got until today.  Just in the 5-10 minute opening, mind you, but there.

That's a whole other bottle in that cute but stylish canister on my shelf.  Not the watery violet I experienced in the winter.  Who knows--I've certainly been finding a lot of shift in my sniffer as spring entered this year.  Could be seasonal; could be evolutionary; could be I was just daft.  All I know is, I'm suddenly feeling VERY clever for shadowing you.

Your friend in scent,
SS

P.S. I know that shadowing can lead to big disappointments; I won't hold any bum lemmings against you.  (OTOH, I'll be sure to hang on to them for a while, in case what was bum becomes ba-dum!)

5 comments:

Musette said...

Hey, cutie!

So glad I got a hot minute to check on my blog feeds! Imagine my stunned, delighted surprise to find this letter!!!

Violets and Rainwater is a weird shape-shifter, I think. When I first sniffed it, in its little sample tube, I got the wateries, which I loved (I also get them in Apre l'Ondee but that also has something else that keeps it this side of Debussy, imo) but then it morphed into something else........anyway, I think our experiences are somewhat similar, though I amp the dirt in there a bit more than you do, perhaps? And yes, I'm thinking DIRT. For awhile I thought it might be yeast but no, it smells like wet dirt. Lovely.

The greens are not quite as pronounced on me, I don't think. In fact, on PP today we are discussing layering and I talk about layering with L'Artisan Verte Violette. VV is a bit lean - the green overshadows the violet and thins it out just a tad too much - a hit of V&R seems to amp up the violet in VV and the VV amps up the lagging green in V&R (whew! hope that made sense).

Both are lovely though I suspect I find V&R to be the quieter, more grounded, elegant of the two.
I'm so glad you're coming 'round to serious V&R love. I think Liz did an incredible job with this one - it's a perfect scent for a cold spring day.

And thank you for the nod. I think you are way more knowledgeable about scent but I do know what I like, LOL!

Let's do some more exploring!!!

xoxoxo your friend in much more than scent, bay-bee!

Musette

ps. have you read Diane Ackerman's take on violets and the human nez? If not, check it out in her Natural History of the Senses book - great stuff!

xo

ScentScelf said...

Interesting...from the sample vial is where I got a more watery read, too. Hmm, hmmm, and hmmmm.

I lost the green after the opening. But I am still digging the main act...and talk about lasting...it's what, ten hours later, and it still haunts my wrists?

Incidentally, I dabbed some Tobacco and Tulle on the inside elbow a couple of hours after V&R...I'm feeling some more love coming on.

Need to seek out DAckerman on violets...have that lying around someplace...

<<>>>

chayaruchama said...

I was very pleasantly surprised by the beauty and tenacity of this one.

It just feels like home...

Musette said...

My dear! How nice to see you - hope you are feeling more the thing!

It is tenacious in a very good way. I wore it yesterday and it left my skin but stayed on my jacket. Even beat out the L'eau d'Hiver I'd just spritzed on my wrist!

xo

ScentScelf said...

Chaya,
Isn't something, that neither loud not trick keeps it going? So nice--and I don't mean that in a twee way.