The Unicorn Spell (2006)
by LesNez

On paper: bitter green notes and violet for an overall effect that is not very far from Gray Flannel or Fahrenheit (but not as good as).

On skin: mainly violet reminding of those violet candies wrapped in purple tinfoil. Very efemeral, kind of cloying. If you're into straight ahead violet fragrances, go ahead. Not for me, sorry.

Isabelle Doyen is surely a very talented perfumeur but this time she simply didn't hit the target

23rd June, 2011. (Last Edited: 5th August, 2011.)

This is an upfront violet that reminds me of similar takes from niche houses Sonoma Scent Studio (Wood violet), DSH perfumes (violet di Murano), and more recently Ava Luxe's Black Violet.

The spin here is green, and I like that; it keeps it fresh and energetic. This is an interesting scent to me; I'll wear it again a few times to see if my opinion changes, but my frist take is positive.

I put this on before going to the gym to lift weights, and then ran a few shopping errands before taking a shower. Four hours later i still smelled like earthy violet and not stinky Kari, so props for that.

Quality is as good as anything else, longevity is as expected from a niche natural line, and wearability is up there. A must for lovers of African violet!

23rd May, 2010.

If have you ever sat around topping green beans into one of those battered enamel colanders, this is the scent for you. This it what The Unicorn Spell smells like on application. Very odd little thing. Silver tinted and tenacious, it flows over the skin like moonlight and icing sugar. The earthy green vegetal surge fades into stardust. I can just smell the violet shimmering away under the snow, waiting for spring. I admire this, see its cleverness, but i cannot wear it. It just makes part of me shudder, like a hated vegetable from childhood, it looms very large. Thumbs up for execution, neutral for wearability.......

14th April, 2010.

Yes, Bunsen Burners. It seems that in this frosty night-time forest of unicorns and crushed violets we have to use a bunsen burner to light our way. Bunsen Burners are fuelled by Methylated Spirits and it is meths that I smell in the opening of this marvellous fragrance, not green beans, although I do appreciate that view.

So we open with a flare of methylated spirits which evaporates quickly but which somehow sets the scene for this starnge little piece of alchemical magic.

The name of this fragrance and it's description are suggestive of fairy tale and fantasy and I do think that this will be off putting for some people. On the other hand I find that Isabelle Doyens intentions in this excercise; the mysterious unicorn , the frosty forest, are somehow undeniably and very cleverly conveyed in this fragrance.

Having said all of that what we have in the end is a beautiful cool violet aromatic, earthy and strange. I would not have chosen a violet to wear before trying this one but I do enjoy this a great deal.

Note; For anyone who doesn't know what a Bunsen Burner is it is a piece of equipment that produces a naked flame by burning methylated spirits. It was given to us as children in science classes to enable us to experiment with explosive material and stuff that turned to poisonous gas when heated.

13rd April, 2010.

It really does smell like green beans! Fascinating, but not something I'd like to smell of. And I'm not overly fond of the sweet, powdery, candied violet that comes next.

15th September, 2009.

Searing ,fresh ,vivid ,icy green opens this scent - it's like a high. Then the violets come in and stay with all the sweetness and no powder. It is a magical perfume and it lasts for hours. The unicorn has trampled through the high grass and laid down in the violet bed all on a crisp winter's morning. That's The Unicorn Spell.

27th August, 2009.