Reviews of Insolence (2006)
by Guerlain

Wow... so... I really like this! I was all set to very much snub this one, but I got a mini as a present and it's really fun! I get berries, violets and musk in equal proportions, and because it smells like a scented toy I had as a child, this is really comforting and happy to me. I... could be in love. But let's give it a full day and then decide. If sprayed, I'm sure it could be much too much, quite sweet after all. But certainly fun, and not too young at all, though not sophisticated.

Comments on Insolence emphasize its aggressively fruity topnotes and its resemblance to L’Heure Bleue, and both observations are accurate so far as they go. Yet it would be wrong to characterize Insolence as a more synthetic L’Heure Bleue with berries on top. It actually succeeds on it’s own merits as a stylish, distinctive, and a meaningful modern extension of the Guerlain line for women. The overall structure of insolence leaves no doubt that the reference to L’Heure Bleue, Vol de Nuit and, to a lesser extent, Apres l’Ondee, is a deliberate gesture on the part of parfumeur Maurice Roucel. The anise and vanilla are present in abundance, yet their more aggressively spicy setting and their harder edges mark Insolence as a thoroughly modern composition.

I’ve read complaints that Insolence is overly sweet, but I do not find it so. To my nose the sweet fruit and vanilla are well balanced by the prickly spices and woods that overlay the scent’s heart accord. Insolence is unapologetically loud, with conspicuous sillage, so for me enjoying it requires a light hand in application. Used with appropriate temperance, Insolence is a very gratifying perfume.

Undoubted distinction, very classic and mature style. I just love it on a woman and it's no surprise at all that Luca Turin praised this scent up to the high heavens. Apart from the fact that his opinion means a lot to me, even without his confirmation, i loved to smell this scent on a woman from the day i first smelled it on one. And believe me, for u guys outthere, who enjoy it if ur gf/spouse/significant other/ female friends smell conservatively stylish, not just girly and provocative, this is a real treat.

Insolence is a cheerful L'Heure Bleue with rasberry over, under & sideways notes. It is sweet yet bold...and I like it! My husband gave this to me as a gift and I was a little unsure at first until I wore it for the first time and received lots of compliments. Yes, people can smell you coming, but they seem to like what they smell! The iris and violets tone down the rasberry to a wearable fragrance. This is for those happy, carefree days (or days that you would like to feel carefree).

Sweet and sassy, Insolence smells a bit like grape candy to me (must be the raspberry I'm smelling). The drydown is warm and sweet, and it is surprisingly persistant on my skin for such a sweet scent. this is a daytime scent, and it says "happy" to me.

I actually really like it! It does bring back memories for me- somehow I associate it with summer holidays with my family, being young and happy. Maybe this is why I like it.

I really like Insolence. It is pink because it smells like pink should smell if "pink" had a scent. I love that it has a "youthfulness" about it, but it's not necessarily a youth fragrance. I never really thought I cared much for the smell of violets before (being turned off by cheap men's or kiddie perfumes and Violets candy), but everything I have been buying lately (like Marc Jacob's Daisy) has violet in it so I guess I do like it. Insolence reminds me slightly of Miss Dior Cherie, but much warmer and not as sparkly. There isn't a note listing, but I am picking up on a tinge of muskiness. The drydown is spectacular. Powdery and lush, perfumers are seemingly trying to incorporate violet without the usual "sting" that accompanies it. I think Maurice Roucel did a very nice job of creating a perfume that can be worn by a woman of any age. Quite the fait accompli ...

This stuff is the younger more modern cousin of Apres L'Ondee. People tend to judge scents by their topnotes or by trying them only once. Insolence is beautiful, but sadly it is easy to dismiss quickly. Thankfully it is selling very well in France and the USA, so there are people who see it's worth.

Roucel has never disappointed. Insolence is a scent with both Guerlainade and the Roucel touch-- bravo!

Guerlain Insolence is the scent-embodiment of Hamlet's beautiful but doomed lover, Ophelia; doe-eyed, filled with passion, overcome by madness. Gertrude adorns Ophelia's grave with violets, saying, "Sweets to the sweet"; a simple phrase that, combined with the symbolism of the violets, manages to evoke both love and tragedy. Insolence is a watery, very sweet violet fragrance, with notes of tart raspberry, pink and red roses, very blue iris, and a balsamy drydown. In 2007 I wouldn't expect or want Guerlain to release a L'Heure Bleue or Après l'Ondée, but, dare I say it: Insolence calls both to my mind. There is a romantic, melancholic beauty to Insolence. It's not apparent in the light, fresh topnotes, but give Insolence an hour, and you'll find yourself with an intricate, deeply emotional fragrance. The name and the marketing seem so "off" that I wonder if Guerlain came up with the concept and the "face" before Roucel actually presented this unusual, unique creation. I find the marketing for this fragrance almost hilarious: "The irreverent scent of youth, daring, and freedom..."?? Velvet Rope may fit this description, but the nearly fragile Insolence simply does not. Insolence is more "Mélancolie dans le printemps," or "Féminité aigre-douce". This fragrance is an extremely feminine, graceful scent; delicate, and almost ethereal. If I'd smelled Insolence, and then been told that Hilary Swank was going to be the "face" for this scent, I'd have laughed and thought it was a joke. Nothing against Swank, but her persona is just not the embodiment of this haunting, crystalline perfume. Diana Vishneva as Giselle would have been perfect for the Insolence I know and adore. (I'm no marketer, obviously. I'm just thrilled that I gave this fragrance a chance, because I would have missed out on something truly beautiful if I'd overlooked Insolence based upon its advertising. Plus, it is a Guerlain, after all!) My husband says he loves Insolence on me, which makes it extra special. The color of the jus, and the pretty bottle suit this fragrance well. Insolence is absolutely lovely.

I love everything about this scent. It's almost as though it was designed just for me, from the name to the warm, sticky sweetness. It's definitely a girly scent, but not for the girl who wears pink and acts sweet. This is for the little brats with smirks on their faces and lollipop bits on their chins. When I wear it I can't stop smelling my wrists.

I'm a sucker for violets, and I loved this straight away. It does last well, and it's now on my 'want' list.

Some people have said that it’s a love it or hate it scent. I agree. And I love it.
Why? It’s simple really: I am a sucker for scents with raspberries or any other kind of “red round small fruits” and I am looking for the perfect raspberry scent (aren’t we all looking for the “perfect” something?). The base becomes more about iris and vanilla than something else. Is there violet here? As it is with violet notes, it’s here now -gone 10 seconds later.
Anyways, this scent has good sillage and good longevity but not Guerlain-longevity. On my skin that is.
It’s sweet and a tad girly but I like it like it is.
Wrong name, “uncomfortable” ads and cool but kind of ugly bottle, makes for a scent that some people seem to care more about the other non-scent qualities of the frag instead of caring (or debating) about the scent per se.
There is something a bit strange about the frag, I think it might reside on the way the sugars meet and that may appear a tad tacky, maybe I would have liked more bergamot or even some green tea on the top notes, but I’ll leave it at that.
For a classier and softer berry scent, you might want to try Carolina Herrera’s Carolina.

I love Insolence. I love the name, and I love the sticky-sweetness of the fragrance. It lasts and lasts, making me feel sweet all day long. It is such a girly perfume. I put a spritz of it in my lingerie drawer because it is so fem.

I actually like this. I wore it 3 days in a row and that is unusual for me.
It's kind of addictive.
It doesn't rank in my top 5 but I enjoy it! IT's a GREAT compliment getter!

Finally a perfume that stands out from all the rest! Insolence is subtle, smooth and sensually laid back. (My brother associated the scent with that of smelly erasers which we used as kids; it was meant in a positive way.) I agree that there are no surprises on the dry down and it needs to be renewed
quite often. Wonderful!

Guerlain always delivers as far as I'm concerned:

Sweet & romantic, deliciously sprawled on a bed of candied violets, attractive, youthful at any age, classy in a very contemporary way... She is beautiful & sophisticated, friendly & approachable... but honestly, insolent she's not; and that's okay with me.

Insolence is so very much Guerlain!!! It speaks with the same voice as the old Guerlain-classics, but sings in a new, joyfull and happy tone. Insolence is best compared to L´Heure Bleu from 1919, IMO. On my skin, these two fragances are very much alike. Insolence is also as longlasting as L´Heure Bleu.

My compliments to Guerlain, for making a modern fragance in the same concept as their oldest classics! I would give Insolence two thumbs up, if it was possible!

I had very bad luck with sampling Insolence. Every store seemed to be giving out lotion samples, and they were so bland. I read positive reviews here, and tried sampling again, and finally found a store that would allow me to spray from a tester. I thought from the ititial blast that it was too strong and too sweet, but it did smell good. An hour later it smelled much better and it made me feel really happy. I bought a bottle and did comparison tests with Les Meteorites. Insolence is fresher and sexier.
It also lasts longer. It just works with my chemistry and is keeps changing, it gets warmer as the hours go along, just like a lot of Guerlain scents do on my skin.It is subtle, but it lasts. I can't compare this scent-wise to L'Heure Bleue or Apres L'Ondee, For me they have such different character, it is worth owning all three. I was doubtful of the berries in the topnotes, but Mr. Roucel, I am sorry I doubted you, and I'm glad I really gave this one the time and testing it deserved. With so much sugar and fruit out there, it is getting easier for me to dismiss scents without really living with them and giving them a fair sampling. The body lotion on this fragrance is not something I can recommend, but the fragrance gets a thumbs up. I have to add that the topnotes seem to revisit the scent, in a milder form, many hours later. This may not make sense, but even during drydown I felt some of the initial blast come back in a haunting way.

This is my favourite scent of 2006, it has a longlasting smokey elegance to it. An original and sexy fragrance. There are no surprises on the dry down, it holds its impact. Love the bottle too.

This description was taken from amazon.com: Created by Maurice Roucel, creator of L'Instant by Guerlain, this unconventional fragrance sweeps you straight into its heart: a new interpretation of violet. Exuberant notes of violet are accompanied by jubilant red berries like raspberry. A hint of orange blossom and rose impart a striking intensity, while sensual iris and tonka bean resins finish the scent, making Insolence the ultimate luxury fragrance.
I actually like this fragrance despite all of the bad reviews. It's very sweet, which I seem to prefer anyway. I really like the violet in this, and the berries are quite cheery. It dries down to a sweet powder, but it has a sort of synthetic quality to it. I might like it more if it had a softer finish, but overall I like this quite a bit!

I absolutely love this scent. It's a very fun fragrance that once worn smells more like fresh laundry than sugarary sweet. It is not overpowering yet lasted me through a 10 hour work day & is still leaves a slight trace.This may be my new signature scent.

Powdery notes of iris and sugary sweet berries bring a new twist to the old "violet" fragrance. Tonka bean in the base brings a slightly sophisticated feel to this bright youthful violet scent. I do like it; won't wear it though. Too sweet for my taste. Kind of reminds me of the 1980's Loreal lipstick taste! All in all, another quality creation from this remarkable fragrance house!