CB I Hate Perfume "Violet Empire"

I swear, it feels almost redundant to test CB perfumes. I suggest you go to his site, read all of his descriptions of his perfumes. They're so spot-on, I can't actually read them until I've already written my own impression, because otherwise I feel like I'm just cheaply parroting him.

Violet Empire is a gentle, airily sweet scent on me. It almost defies its floral moniker -- the feeling I get off of this is much more tactile. The velvet of moss, the warmth of sun. But it's a gentle sensation, not a sleepy one, because I also get a whiff of something sharper and brighter that keeps me awake: mint? Anise? The violet itself is under everything, but definitely underneath, and sometimes totally obscured by the notes on top.

I suspect that there's no sillage to this at all, but purposefully. "Violet Empire" is regal: the scent doesn't come to you, you come to it. Not flashy, not loud, but unlike anything I've smelled so far. No one would smell this on you unless they were close. It's like an aura that swirls around the wearer, full of vague implication but no direct statements. Understated and curiously powerful.

Verdict: You could wear this anywhere, absolutely anywhere. And to me, it smells like an alternate, hidden dimension.

ScentOpera

From the Guggenheim Calendar. Ahem:

"The ScentOpera introduces a new art form created by Stewart Matthew based only on smell and sound. Matthew collaborates with renowned fragrance designer Christophe Laudamiel and composers Nico Muhly and Valgeir Sigurdsson. Original scents and music will be performed in the dark via a customized scent organ for a world premiere unlike any other. The creation of the ScentOpera is supported by Fläkt Woods, Thierry Mugler Parfums, and Arup."

It's been pointed out to me that "customized scent organ" is a dodgy term to use in polite company, so... sorry about that.

I actually was so taken by the concept that I purchased the tickets, and only then really registered the names of the sponsors. If you've been reading the blog, you may very well have had the same reaction to one of the names as I did: specifically, a sudden and vehement exclamation of "MUGLER!". But I don't think that Mugler's had anything to do with the actual scent collection itself, and to be fair I ended up being rather intrigued by "Alien".

I'm totally fascinated by the concept, of course. It's not far off what I do now anyhow; splash on perfume, close my eyes and sniff, usually with music playing somewhere in the background. But the designer of this extravaganza promises that some of the smells are not going to be particularly pleasant, and I'll be surrounded by other people in the dark.... I'm anticipating an experience very close to tripping on LSD, to be honest. Especially since at least one of those composers is Icelandic, and everyone knows that 70% of Icelanders believe in elves.

The event's in about a week, and I promise to report back. Unless Mugler IS participating olfactorily, in which case I will be sadly deceased.