Violetta di Parma (1870)
by Borsari

Violetta di Parma is not too sweet and therefore not cloying. I wear it to work as it is not loud. To me, the longevity is there as after 8 hours, I can still smell it, albeit on my clothes. Like some perfume blogs had mentioned, the scent seems to disappear and miraculously reappear. It is a simple, elegant scent. Not loud and not cheap-smelling. It has an 'old' air note about it but I interpret this note as elegance and unique. I don't smell this on anyone so far here in Singapore. It is suitable for hot, humid weather.

This used to be a regular fragrance for me about 25 years ago when I was going through my "violet phase". I've grown the petite violetta di Parma and the Borsari does something quite interesting; it makes no attempt to replicate the isolated scent of the bloom. It instead captures the plant in its native environment, shady, damp, green and earthy. It also bursts forth upon application much as the violet does at the end of winter, calmly defiant of the cold. There must be orris root in it which adds a lovely powdery drydown. For those looking for a violet blossom fragrance, Violette di Parma is not a good match. But for a more earthy and green experience with a hint of blossom, this relatively inexpensive perfume is a lovely choice.

Very green and earthy. It has an almondy bitterness. i can get non of these flowers other than violet and a bit iris (which can violet easily makes an illusion of. Same way gardenias makes illusion of honeysuckles). It is not a bad scent but not favourable either. But i will give it thumbs up in respect to its age.

Perhaps “violet” is often denoted as the scent of fairies, unicorns and other magical critters of nature, as a result of its ability to elusively avoid being continuously registered by cilia---i.e. “now you smell it, now you don’t”. Upon first sniff, “Violetta de Parma”, a blend of violet and iris essences, seems deceptively simple and lovely; so much so, that the velvety, complex development that follows, could nearly shock a wearer with the surprise it inspires. “What is this stuff?” you’ll wonder. “Violetta de Parma” opens with a soft, clear sweetness made more vivid with the crisp tartness that follows; beautiful, if not modern, but unlikely to be placed as a scent that began development in 1815. It feels fresh, avant garde in its simplicity, like something yet to be released. The violet is not candied and while there is a slight powdery kick upon opening, it's not dry. It will feel distinctly floral, but not remotely cloying or particularly definable as a blend. There is a brisk earthiness to it, like that of clean clothes that have hung to dry in the wind. As it dries down, you’ll smell a salty/sweet mineral kick of iris. It will smell, in paradox, delicately clean but “worn in”---sensual. Most fragrances conjure up specific places, times, characters or experiences; there is a place to hang most fragrance memories. “Violetta de Parma”, however, is the strange stuff of dreams; a scent that has no home. Once you’re certain that you’ve placed it, another possibility presents itself and “VdeP” seems to fit that scenario, as well. From infancy to old, old age…hyper-femininity to virile masculinity…soft, then almost violent in its audacity…a mother’s hug, a lover’s breath…dawn, dusk, midnight…oceans, desert dunes…classically French or Italian…but, then, where doesn’t a violet grow? Couldn’t Moroccan candies also smell like this? “VdeP” is exceptional for what it does achieve in “not really getting anywhere”: It is indefinable. Why wouldn’t fairies choose to smell like this?

Violetta di Parma is one of the few Borsari fragrances I don’t enjoy. It lists a lot of florals in its pyramid, but I get little of them: the most dominant accord is green to my nose, and since it’s a violet leaf green, I don’t like it at all. There’s little or no movement in the run of the fragrance, and the dry down is a totally unspectacular musk – vanilla combination. This one’s a negative…

Divine. Violet is one of the best smells in the universe. Borsari's is a more complicated fragrance than Yardley's April Violets which is more one-dimensional and pure (and, for the price, a fantastic violet perfrume).. Borsari's is subtle, smooth but strong and soft - it must be the rose, jasmine and orris gives the powdery overlay.. But it is predominatly violet and you can smell the violet and its an absolutely gorgeous perfume and, unlike Bulgari's Viole de Jasmine, it lasts and lasts.