Violet Eyes by Elizabeth Taylor (2010)

by: Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison

This is another in a series of fragrance reviews that asks, “Can a guy pull off a women’s perfume?” Leave a comment below for your chance to receive a sample, shipped anywhere in the world, free!

Summary: Light Blue goes violet, or Liz Taylor’s perfume label responds to current trends in fragrance, a few years late to the party but a heck of a lot more affordable and with surprising longevity.

Perfumer: Carlos Benaim

Try this if you like: Fruity, fresh, aquatic aromas; Peach blossoms or hints of peach fruit; cedar wood.

Pros & Cons: I kept seeing this one in my regular Ebay searches for fragrances in the $7-$10 USD range, and as such it is absolutely affordable; not at all unique or original but to those faithful to the Liz line and now turned off by D&G, Violet Eyes is the perfect alternative to the summer, fruity aquatic.

Notes: “Top note is composed of fresh white peach, followed by the floral heart of jasmine and purple rose. Wonderful peony, amber and cedar form the long-lasting base of the fragrance.”—Fragrantica.com

Reminds me of: D&G Light Blue, Lanvin Eclat d’Arpege, J del Pozo Esencia Duende,Moschino I Love Love.

Designer’s Description: N/A

Number of times tested: Three times over the last month.

Number of sprays applied for this review: Two sprays to the back of my hand from a bottle I purchased in 2015.

Fragrance strength: Eau de Parfum.

Development: (Linear / Average / Complex) A straightforward composition with no surprises.

Longevity: (Short / Average / Long-lasting) Violet Eyes has been a surprise; where I Love Love or Eclat d’Arpege quickly disappears, VE just keeps on going. ~6-8 hrs.

Sillage: (A Little / Average / A Lot) A quiet skinscent; should work well in both warm and cool weather and likely office-safe.

Note about the packaging: The bottle and packaging for Violet Eyes is that of White Diamonds, but this time in violet.

Where can I buy it? 30 ml EDP sprays are as low as $9 USD on Ebay.

The Bottom Line: When D&G Light Blue appeared on the market I had been living in Japan. I remember walking past a seated student and admiring his fragrance. When I asked about it, he responded that he was wearing Light Blue. I thought to myself, “What a cool and liberated guy, not concerned about gender norms in a country where gender seems hugely important.” Little had I known that Japanese stores had been showcasing Light Blue at the men’s fragrance counters as well as the women’s. How interesting that in one country it is a women’s scent and yet in another it is unisex. It didn’t take long before I had my own bottle and regularly received compliments. Fast forward to 2007 and you can imagine my surprise when I learned of Light Blue pour Homme! I had a similar WTF!? moment when I learned of CDG #2 for Men. All I could think of was “Why?”

After Light Blue became all the rage, other sniffalikes followed such as Eclat d’Arpege and I Love Love, both of which I owned and both of which I enjoyed but both of which, like Light Blue, were passed on to Mom who enjoyed them during Florida summers. Interestingly, although these all have varying olfactory pyramids, I suspect some new aromamolecule had been patented and was de rigeur for use in scents of the noughties (2000’s).

So the big question is why is this theme back, and this time in the Liz Taylor brand? True, there aren’t many fresh fruity options in the lineup aside from, arguably, Forever Elizabeth. Is this an attempt to appeal to a younger market?  The name, Violet Eyes, is fantastic and truly one that seemed inevitable but why is violet not employed in the scent? And on a sidenote, Violet Eyes was composed by Benaim, also the composer of the original White Diamonds.

Even though all of my other fruity summer aquatics were passed on to Mom, I think I might just hang on to Violet Eyes and test it out in the sultry heat of a DC summer. I love the softness of the fruit here and the barely there cedar; overall it feels more like an emotion or attitude than a full-blown perfume. If you’ve been turned off by previous scents from the brand, want a less expensive alternative toLight Blue, or are just looking for something affordable for the summertime, this just might be your way to wear a little Liz and channel those timeless violet eyes.
 

photo from elizabethtaylor.com