What does violet smell like? The powdery flower made by chemistry

Violet is one of the most charming notes in perfume, and one of the most misunderstood. The sweet, powdery violet smell in most perfumes does not come from violet flowers at all. It comes from a discovery made in a laboratory in the 1890s, which changed perfume for ever.

What does it smell like?

Sweet, soft and powdery, with a hint of berries and a green, leafy side. Violet can show several faces:

• Powder and make-up: a soft, cosmetic, lipstick-like smell
• Sweets: like old-fashioned violet sweets or pastilles
• Raspberry: a light, fruity, berry note
• Woods: a dry, slightly woody undertone
• Green leaf and cucumber: a fresh, watery note from violet leaves

There is a curious thing about violet: it can seem to vanish and come back. The main violet molecule can temporarily tire out your sense of smell, so the scent fades after a few sniffs, then returns a moment later.

Not everyone smells violet the same way. Research suggests that some people are much less sensitive to beta-ionone, the key violet molecule, because of a common genetic variation. To them, violet perfumes may smell weak or more woody than floral.

Where it comes from

The violet used in perfume is the sweet violet, Viola odorata, a small woodland plant with purple flowers and heart-shaped leaves. It grows wild across Europe and parts of Asia.

The Parma violet, a strongly scented double-flowered type, became famous in Italy and France in the 1800s. The French city of Toulouse became known for growing violets, and they are still a local symbol there.

How violet is made

Violets give two possible materials, and only one is widely used.

1. Violet flower absolute. The flowers can be extracted with solvents, but they are tiny, delicate and give very little material. It takes a vast number of flowers to produce a small amount, so violet flower absolute is now rare and very costly. Most perfumes do not contain any.
2. Violet leaf absolute. The leaves are extracted with solvents to give a dark green absolute. Surprisingly, it smells nothing like the sweet flower. It is green, watery and sharp, a little like cucumber peel, cut grass or wet earth. It is mostly produced in France and Egypt and is used widely in perfume, especially in men's fragrances.

So when you see "violet" on a perfume's list of notes, it usually means synthetic ionones. When you see "violet leaf", it usually means the natural leaf absolute.

A short history of violet

• Ancient Greece and Rome: Violets were linked to love and fertility and were worn as garlands. Ancient poets even called Athens "violet-crowned".
• Napoleon and Joséphine: Violets were famously associated with Napoleon and Empress Joséphine. His supporters used the flower as a secret symbol.
• The 1800s: Violet became one of the most fashionable scents of the century. Real violet perfumes were costly, so they were a mark of luxury.
• The ionone revolution (1893): The German chemists Ferdinand Tiemann and Paul Krüger created ionones, molecules with a strong violet smell. The name comes from the Greek word for violet. Suddenly, the scent of violets was affordable for everyone.

Violet in modern perfume

Ionones quickly became one of the most important tools in perfume. Within a few years they appeared in landmark perfumes.

• Après l'Ondée by Guerlain (1906) used violet and iris effects to create a soft, misty, rain-washed mood.
• L'Heure Bleue by Guerlain (1912) wrapped violet-like powder in vanilla, iris and orange blossom.
• Paris by Yves Saint Laurent (1983) was a big, sweet blend of rose and violet.

Violet leaf took a different path. Fahrenheit by Dior (1988) used violet leaf to create a famous, almost petrol-like, leathery freshness. Grey Flannel by Geoffrey Beene (1975) is another classic built around green violet leaf.

Real vs synthetic violet

Violet is a good example of a note that is mostly synthetic, and that is nothing to be ashamed of.

• Alpha-ionone smells woody, powdery and a little like raspberry.
• Beta-ionone smells sweeter and more like violet petals.
• Methyl ionones are softer and more powdery and are often used to create iris effects too.

Ionones are also found naturally in small amounts in roses, raspberries, tea and other plants. But all ionones used in perfume today are made synthetically. Some related materials, such as certain methyl ionones, have use limits set by IFRA, the perfume industry's safety body.

Violet and iris are close cousins in perfume because they share similar molecules. Iris root contains irones, which are closely related to ionones. That is why many iris perfumes have a violet glow, and many violet perfumes feel like iris.

What violet pairs well with

• Iris: the classic powdery pairing.
• Rose: a romantic, lipstick-like combination.
• Leather and suede: violet softens leather and makes it elegant.
• Woods and vetiver: turn violet dry and grown-up.
• Green notes and citrus: with violet leaf, give a fresh, crisp effect.

Perfumes to try

From sweet to green:

• Insolence by Guerlain (2006): bright, sweet violet with berries. Playful and bold.
• La Violette by Goutal: a realistic, soft violet flower.
• Bois de Violette by Serge Lutens: violet with cedar. Dry, woody and unusual.
• Grey Flannel by Geoffrey Beene (1975): green violet leaf with iris. Affordable and classic.
• Fahrenheit by Dior (1988): violet leaf at its most daring.

How to wear violet

• Sweet violets are lovely in spring and on cool days.
• Violet leaf scents suit people who want something fresh but unusual.
• Because violet can seem to fade and return, don't keep re-spraying. Trust that it is still there.
• Violet is unisex. Some of the best-known violet leaf perfumes are marketed to men.

Who will love it

Fans of powdery, vintage-style scents, anyone who loves the smell of old-fashioned sweets, and people looking for a green, unusual freshness. If you like iris, you will very likely enjoy violet too.