Violet Empire (2006)
by CB I Hate Perfume

To me, Violet Empire starts out as warm straw and hay, with no violet evident. Don't smell dill or mint, either. As the scent evolves, the violet peeps out, powdery, slightly sweet and moody without veering into morbid, coming and going. The straw and hay disappear. At this point, VE is lasting, though subtle (a very good thing, IMO) and equally pretty as but less pat than many other violets.

10th May, 2010.

I feel I don't understand this scent at all. At first sniff I get a strong and a little bit funky dill note. Like dill a little bit past it prime. That notes then fades and the scents starts to feel a bit more integrated with earthy and woody notes. It's not in any way a typical floral, but the floral notes that are in there are heavy and a bit sweet but not recembling any violets I've sniffed in real life. It's a very unique scent and I'm sure it might work fine on other people but on me it's just strange and a bit cloying.

23rd October, 2009. (Last Edited: 26th October, 2009.)

My favorite of all the CB's I've tried so far. A rich, spicy, no-too-sweet violet from it's cool minty top to it's earthy leather base. So beautiful I find it hard to describe. Lovely, deep, and dark, at home on either sex.

3rd September, 2009.

A dark, wet, earthy green violet and violet leaf. It smells at first like the scent is too concentrated. As Violet Empire warms on the skin, it mellows and brightens a bit. Wet earth & a sprig of mint 'root' is detectable as well. It would make an excellent masculine violet!

21st July, 2009.

Violet "Empire" is described on the CB I Hate Perfume website as:
"Blended from CB Violet Empress [Christopher Brosius's own accord], Elemi, Violet Leaf Absolute, Rosewood, Mahogany, and Russian Leather. Violet Empire is an unusual yet very elegant perfume. The violet scent perpetually peeps out from behind a shining green veil."

At first it disappointed me. It was darker and earthier than i had expected. I like dark and earthy scents, but i was hoping for a bit more Violet. As i wore it, however, it changed, as layer after layer of scent was revealed, and in the end i was captivated by it, dark, leather, wood, hiding a shy hint of sweet violet. I'm sure it will smell very different on everyone who wears it.

22nd January, 2009.

Cool, green violets, much less sweet than the actual violets I smelled the other day. The cool greens are almost minty, but more like birch. I also get some very dry, almost papery, russian leather. In the drydown the violets get a little sweeter and the leather richer and spicier - it's probably the woods.

9th April, 2007.