The mystery and allure of chypre perfumes is unmistakable. Known by perfumers to be one of the more difficult perfumes to achieve excellence in, chypres, when well made, carry the flair of a woman who refuses to apologize. Historically considered a representation of high fashion and class, chypres represent an era of dynamic natural perfume that has sadly been replaced by more commercial, soapy scents, as the term 'musky' can imply dirty or dank smelling in some minds, and the notion of 'old lady perfume' can be a hard imprint to replace.
The idea of the chypre perfume embodying a musky base note accord touches the heart of perfumery, where it has been said that each perfume must contain a hint of the feral or indolic - something that smells of flesh and human pheromones, something animalic, even slightly of feces. That hint of animalic that is easily smelled in a jasmine grandiflorum absolute, when blended, diluted, and applied to the points where the blood pulses beneath the skin, opens like a first kiss and sings the songs of human longing. This is an alchemical note in the opera of perfume.
My favorite of the chypres in my fleeting affair with commercial perfumes was Mitsuko (Guerlain, 1919). I can still smell it when I say the word. I had a beautiful soft suede jacket that my now husband had purchased for me our first Christmas together. I wore it with a satin red scarf and if I could find them today somewhere lost in the boxes of one of our moves, it would no doubt still smell sweet and musky of Mitsuko and feel the sparks of new love all over again.
There is something really special about a chypre that is hard to put a finger on, but in Vintage Violet I humbly attempt to capture the uniqueness, the boldness, and that sexy something that a chypre can evoke. Vintage Violet features a slightly modern edge, with grassy green notes of violet leaf, and artisan tinctured orris root which gives this the necessary ionones that give the perfume the elements of a violet fragrance, while drying down into a complex seduction of woods, florals, and secret ingredients of root and leaf.
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100% Natural Botanical Artisanal Fragrance by GATHER perfume
A NOTE FROM THE PERFUMER
** Due to the fact that I - Gather perfume - use exclusively 100% natural materials, batch variance is to be expected. This is the same in any luxury, handcrafted art medium ( such as dance and opera) and agriculturally dependent arts such as viticulture, honey, or microbrewery. Gather perfumes are often limited editions for this reason, as well as the fact that some materials can only be obtained for small windows of time or no longer available at all. If you prefer uniformity in your fragrances, you may want to consider a more commercially available or mixed media brand.
With Love, Ananda
Listen to Yana's review of Vintage Violet!
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No refunds or exchanges. Please see policies before purchasing. Samples are always recommended. Perfume is subjective.
I received a sample of this a good while back and my husband decided it was masculine and he wore the sample. There is a little left in that sample and I keep coming back to it for myself. I agree it is a perfume that we can share but I can't get over how unusual it is and how sensual. There is a dirty quality to it that is quite feral. So many fragrances claim to be unisex. There are 2 schools of thought in my mind about the term unisex. First all fragrance is unisex because wear what you like right?! But second most people associate sharp, herbal, dark or smoky scents w/ men and floral, delicate, or lightly spicy scents for women. But this one is hard to define. There is just something about it that seduces you in the end and it has to be part of a collection.
L
Linda
Woody deep violet
I just received my samples from Gather and was impressed. This one was my favorite of the bunch. What was sad for me is that all of the samples I received leaned very masculine, including this one so my husband took them all. This fragrance is a very dark, sexy violet that really has lasting power. I think a woman can wear this but I love it for a man who wants to add a bit of mystery to his personality. I just ordered a few more samples that I think will lean more feminine (hopefully my husband will think so, so he doesn't steal them LOL!) I am impressed w/ the natural quality and feel of these perfumes and can't wait to get my next batch of samples so I can decide which to purchase in a larger size.
J
James
Really Great, Deep, Nature Vintage Vibe
I couldn't find this listing on Fragrantica, so I'll comment here:
I not a lavender fan unless it's blended just right; and not to say this is lavender heavy at all, just saying it is detectable, and in the best way, and yet the scent goes far beyond that.
I love quality natural fragrances, and this is definitely one. As a man, I would wear this. I have a sample and will buy a bottle.
The vintage feel is of the best kind, that natural chypre theme with an old cozy comfort to it. Not at all a heavy girlie floral, and with a distinct dirty to it (perhaps the jasmine?) but again only in the best way, another part of scent profiles that I'm extremely fussy about (their "dirty-ness."). This is only the most pleasing dirtyness, and lends a hint of sex appeal to it.
This is my first test sample from this company, having tried many other naturals from other companies. It is absolutely terrific, a truly quality offering that I will be incorporating into my collection.
If we can get a Fragrantica listing for it, I'd be happy to share my opinion again.
T
TJ
Amazing!
This is the best chypre perfume that I have ever smelled!
A
Aislinn
The Perfect Sophisticated Floral
I absolutely loved this perfume! Still deciding if it will be an every day scent for me but I greatly enjoy how I feel wearing it, it makes you feel like a delightful mystery. This isn't a girlish floral but a sophisticated full grown violet. The first thought to enter my mind when I first smelled it was "how is this possible?" I was unexpectedly swept away to a world in my head (and my nose) where everything exists in shades of green and violet and where everything is wild but delicate and wise. This perfume and all of the others I have tried so far unfold their stories so beautifully on your skin throughout the day. It is true that there is a hint of something feral like human pheromones (in a good way) in this one. The warming and maybe even slight perspiration of the skin can give this perfume an enticing twist. You can catch the floral and the green as well but it is wrapped in something difficult to describe. The product description captured this "something" very well for sure.
