Insolence Eau de Parfum
Guerlain (2008)

Neon violets and grape Kool-Ade! Apres L'Ondee and L'Heure Bleu reincarnated as Rue Paul, Divine, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, flaunting every sequin! Insolence is a Go-Big-or-Go-Home juice, if ever there was one. I do get a dose of tuberose, like violet-based Fracas, even though it is not noted in the pyramid. Insolence is a brilliant and beautiful composition, but it's not 'me'. I fall into the dry, chypre camp - No. 19, etc., so might not be the best judge of this one. Insolence dries down into a tamer, sugared violet with a damp earth undertone like the base of Apres L'Ondee, but still should never be worn in small spaces, or to dinner, or theatre - it is NOT office or blind-buy safe. A single spray will last hours. More than one spritz will clear a room and could be considered an olfactory WMD capable of causing migraines. I'll rate it a big thumbs-up for sheer moxie in the age of tame, dryer-sheet fragrances. Brilliant, beautiful, and cloying, The purple gyroscope bottle is great, too, and perfect for this composition. This review is for the EdP in the spinning-plates bottle. Anyone who loves violet scents should give Insolence a try.

As a violet lover, it took me way too long to try Insolence. I almost blind bought a bottle as I was sure I would love it - I also own and love Apres l'Ondee, and Insolence got a 5-star review in the Guide and is available for a song at discounters, so how could I go wrong?

Thankfully, I ordered a sample first and it turns out it's just not for me. The grape candy opening is too much and on first wear I actually found it nauseating. The EDT is easier to wear but still not something I could wear regularly. I will stick with the violet fragrances I currently own, but I am still giving Insolence a thumbs up as it's a great release from Guerlain.

This is a nuclear, big overflowing floral, that will announce itself before and after you're there if you unleash it. So it's capable (and willing) to be abused. In spite of that I like its fragrance - kind of sultry and pretty. It's a solid perfume, well-built - if it wasn't as well constructed it would be intolerably histrionic. But my question is whether I need another fragrance capable of perfume inappropriateness.

Nowhere in any fragrance pyramid I've seen is tuberose listed, yet I keep getting a really strong tuberose vibe, like it's the main floral component. I take tuberose a fragrance at a time. Depending on the way it's dealt with, I either like it's dense butteriness, or find it unbreathable after a while. The combination of tuberose (if that's what it is), violets and berries is attractive, but ends up being an opaque tuberose on me. I think of tuberose as foundational, when you really want to nail a fragrance to the floor. And perhaps leave it there for a while while you go get a cup of tea, then come back and pick it up again. But full-on commitment to it makes me cringe.

I was looking for a little more insolence than it has, some actual sassiness, though it does have some breezy attitude. Though it matters little for what it is, I'm not certain I want to make this a part of my life. After a day of wearing it I get a little tired of it, as it's just not me and the pretence is too great.

Insolence EDP's opening is a very powdery iris to my nose. And if sprayed heavily, it actually reminded me of iris in Shalimar Parfum Initial.

This extremely powdery phase lasted around 1 hour on me and then the violet becomes more and more clear, finally takes over the whole scent. It's sweet violet decorated by powdery iris and a small amount of red berries to give the flowers a kick.

Some perfumes sit close but maintain an intensity, like a velvet covered on skin, while some are like a fog surrounding the skin, but difficult to discern a shape, for exemple Kenzo Flower, and here, Insolence EDP.

The tonka beans and woodsy notes are subtle and the scent doesn't evolve too much while slowly fading away. The sillage is moderate on me and the longevity is at least 8 hours.

I tried it several times and honestly, during the first time, I liked it but was not impressed. However, the more I try, the more I like it. The name 'Insolence' is so well chosen for this series. The fragrance is sweet and well blended, but the same time it leaves out an unconstrainted confidence of its beauty. Definitely worths a try, though it'd better to prepare for its powdery texture.

Never say never: I'm wearing Insolence EDP. A few years ago, I was laughing at the twirly, twinkly, pinky, purpley line of Insolence bottles. Now, Roucel’'s direct and precise homage to Apres L'Ondee and the Guerlain DNA in this composition makes me very happy indeed since it seems the only Apres L'Ondee I will ever experience is a modern EDT so attenuated that I can barely smell it 15 minutes later. (Shout out to the insightful reviewers who called my attention to this perfume.)

Violet flowers are made modern in Insolence EDP, a sophisticated ("vulgar"? no way!) perfume that I can add to my other violet favorites, including (all in their vintage forms) Coty Paris, Le Dix, Jolie Madame, and YSL Paris. I'll take violets with creamy, powdery aldehydes (Le Dix) and I'll take them with roses (Coty and YSL Paris) but I particularly like violets when they are matched with more sensual, muskier notes, as in Cellier's brilliant combination of violets with castoreum and isobutyl quinoline in Jolie Madame. (Meanwhile, my 50 year old bottle of Violetta di Borsari extrait contains a surprisingly strong and hirsute dose of civet: it's clear that violets were never just for grannies, back in the day.) Insolence EDP is the latest take on this game of contrast, presenting slightly syrupy violets on an ambered, darkly musky base. The perfume in my 2016 bottle lasts all day with a moderate and delightful sillage. Now issued in the (rather boring) bee bottle, but I think Mansau's shiny purple gyroscope is really the only way to go.

It's Palma Violets. Candied violet petals and a sweet puff of sugary talcum powder. Youthful, but not (I don't think) strictly only appropriate for young girls.
I'm 26, and happily wearing it. I think my Mum could pull it off too.
Personally, I'm not keen on the bottle design. It's fine, just not as glam as Guerlain usually is.
I loved it so much, I got a second bottle on spec for my friend as it was on sale. Will definitely buy again.
I'm sitting here in a clean, powdery cloud of violets. Such a happy, pretty smell.

If Shalimar was simply Jicky gone Bollywood, the same can be said of Insolence and it's predecessor of exactly 100 years, Apres L'Ondee. Roucel took the quiet, mournful violet of L'Ondee and gave it sillage of nuclear proportion - adding a healthy dose of red fruit which becomes stronger as the fragrance progresses. The base is a clever, just perceptible mix of sandalwood with the smallest hint of proper Guerlinade. Devotees of Apres L'Ondee will either love it or find it vulgar. I find myself solidly in the former camp.

I layer Insolence EDP (1 spray in cleavage) with Apres L'Ondee EDT. It's my peculiar little fantasy, that this is the closest I will ever get to Apres L'Ondee in extrait, which is a nonsense given that berries abound in Insolence, but it's that strange hawthorn note that I detect in both that my mindset proclaims to be worthy of Apres L'Ondee. Romantic fiddlesticks.

It's usually enough to wear it for a day as I would for the other purple bomb, Cuir Amethyste. Insolence is the only rebuff to the miasma that is Alien. I wear Insolence, purple and proud, with insolence in my soul. Someone send a bottle to Jeff Goldblum, quick.

This stuff deserves its reputation as a monster. A work colleague was given a one-ounce bottle for xmas, and sprayed five (!!!) shots onto her neck as we sat in our staff room. Within one minute, the room had emptied; within three minutes the entire floor of our building smelled as though a giant piece of purple-glitter candy had exploded, depositing a layer of sparkling fruity-violet on every surface. Insolence EDP may not be to everybody's taste, but there's no ignoring it. I think it's wonderful, but I implore you ladies: please, never wear it out to dinner. It's just too, too much to wear when people are eating. And if this is more "reserved" than the EDT, I shudder to think how potent that must be!