Nicole Kidman as John Singer Sargent's “Lady Agnew” – Vogue 06.99 by Steven Meisel
The last few years has seen the revival of a number of venerable French houses, including Houbigant, Jacques Fath Parfums, Le Galion, J. Lesquendieu, and Volnay. With an emphasis on high-quality ingredients, elegance and classical structure, these brands are producing beautiful modern perfumes with a vintage heart. Now the wonderful Maison Violet joins them with a collection of three perfumes based on original formulas – Un Air Apogee, Pourpre D’Automne and Sketch – all reworked by Firmenich perfumer Nathalie Lorson with great elegance and style.
Nicole Kidman as John Singer Sargent Izme Ickers by Stephen Meisel
Maison Violet Tanagra, the newest addition to the Legacy Collection, is a near skin scent shot through with silver lamé florals. With its silky grace and classical structure, this lovely fragrance feels as though it could have sprung from the chased silver tray of a John Singer Sargent aristocrat onto my dresser. While the perfume’s execution and emphasis on natural-smelling flowers hearkens back to gilded age beauties, Tanagra’s freshness and wistful charm feel as though it was mixed this morning.
Photo Maison Violet
As its first notes settle on my skin, an uncharacteristically warm iris mixes with mandarin and a juicy, fragrant drip of pear that is utterly charming; the pastry, bready richness of iris playing off the tangy perfumed juice of the fruit. Ethereal ingenue blossoms follow: freesia, with its fruity, piercing sweetness; delicate young jasmine; an unusually translucent peony. But before Tanagra becomes just another pretty face, the iris circles back to the center, this time accompanied by deeper, less elevated garden smells. Damp green vetiver adds a touch of loam and ground vine, followed by a mournful note of cedarwood that perfectly complements the forlorn grey-purple beauty of iris.
Gardens at Florence, 1910 by John Singer Sargent
As Maison Violet Tanagra dries down, the sweetness of the florals recede in favour of a light, satiny musk. But the flowers and the cedar remain in watercolour, smudgy and gossamer, but still very much present. Joined with the central iris-pear theme, these notes give an impressionist portrait of mid-spring, with its evanescent sweet drizzly, chilly air breaking into warmth like a smile when the sun hits just so.
Notes: Mandarin, pear, freesia, peony, iris, jasmine, cedarwood, vetiver, musk.
Disclaimer: Sample of Tanagra generously provided by Maison Violet. My opinions are my own.
— Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor
Art Director: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief
Editor’s note: Tanagra was launched on November 25, 2018 which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. 20% of every sale will be donated to the charity Solidarite Femmes.
Maison Violet Travel Sprays, photo by Senior Editor Despina Veneti (if you missed the introduction to Maison Violet please read her article here
Thanks to the generosity of Maison Violet, we have a reader’s choice of either a 75 ml of Maison Violet Tanagra or the set of 7.5 ml travel sprays of all four Legacy Collection perfumes for readers in the EU and USA only.
or
photo via Maison Violet
one 75 ml bottle of Maison Violet Tanagra for one registered reader. If you are not a registered reader your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Maison Violet Tanagra based on Lauryn’s review, where you live and if you prefer the bottle of Tanagra or the set of four travel sprays in your comment. Draw closes 3/23/2019.
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