10 Best Violet Perfumes for Women – Ranking

What is violet in perfume?

Violet in perfume is a note that adds a powdery, slightly green and elegant depth to a composition. In women’s scents it sounds like a violet sweet from an old-fashioned sweet shop or powder in a gold compact, and in modern compositions it often gets a slightly metallic or mineral accent.

It’s worth distinguishing two faces of this note. Violet flower is powdery and soft, while violet leaf is green, fresh and slightly bitter. Both work beautifully in women’s compositions, where they balance fruity, floral or sweet notes and give them class. That’s why violet appears in scents as different as Lolita Lempicka and Marc Jacobs Daisy.

Quick pick: which violet perfumes for which occasion

Each of these 10 violet perfumes suits a different situation. Here are 6 picks that narrow your choice down to one scent.

• Best violet perfume overall: Lolita Lempicka, violet with liquorice and cherry in the top and heart
• Powdery violet for every day: Kenzo Flower by Kenzo, Parma violet like powder in a compact
• Green violet leaf for spring: Marc Jacobs Daisy and DKNY Be Delicious
• Violet perfume for evenings: Calvin Klein Euphoria, black violet in a warm base
• For a celebration and a gift for Mum: Dior J’adore and Calvin Klein Eternity
• For a woman who prefers powdery iris: Lancôme Trésor and Chanel No 5

1. Lolita Lempicka

Lolita Lempicka is the best violet perfume in this ranking: an oriental gourmand scent with violet, liquorice and amarena cherry that lasts 8–10 hours and suits a woman who wants to smell violet from the first spray until evening. The 1997 composition was created by Annick Menardo. Violet appears twice here, in the top and the heart, which is why it’s one of the few scents in which this note doesn’t vanish after a quarter of an hour.

The opening is anise, ivy and violet: green, slightly herbal, like a posy of violets bought at the market, with dewdrops on the leaves. After 30 minutes the violet joins liquorice, iris and amarena cherry in the heart and turns sweet like a violet sweet from a French confectioner. The base of vanilla, tonka, praline and vetiver wraps this violet for the rest of the day. Lolita Lempicka suits an autumn walk, dinner at a café and any day when you want to smell like a fairy tale, but grown-up.

The bottle is shaped like a purple glass apple, with embossed ivy leaves and gold lace at the cap.

Don’t want to overpay? We have made a Lolita Lempicka perfume dupe for you, an alternative inspired by the original, with the same composition and a lower price.

2. Kenzo Flower by Kenzo

Kenzo Flower is a powdery floral scent with Parma violet, rose and vanilla that lasts 6–8 hours and is a violet perfume for every day, work and spring. The 2000 scent was composed by Alberto Morillas. Its hero is the poppy, a flower that has no scent in nature, so Morillas gave it the scent he felt it should have: powdery violet.

The top is Bulgarian rose, hawthorn and blackcurrant, cool and slightly fruity. Parma violet sits in the heart, alongside jasmine and opoponax, and it gives Flower its character: soft and powdery, like the powder puff in Mum’s handbag. The base of vanilla, white musk and incense is clean and delicate, clinging to your blouse until evening. Flower suits the office, shopping and a May afternoon in the garden.

The bottle is tall, slim and slightly curved, like a blade of grass in the wind, with a red poppy painted on the glass.

Don’t want to overpay? We have made a Kenzo Flower by Kenzo perfume dupe for you, an alternative inspired by the original, with the same composition and a lower price.

3. Marc Jacobs Daisy

Marc Jacobs Daisy is a fruity floral scent with violet leaf, strawberry and jasmine that lasts 5–7 hours and is a perfume with a violet note for spring and summer. Alberto Morillas composed it in 2007. Violet appears twice here: the green leaf in the top and delicate petals in the heart, so the scent smells like a meadow, not like powder.

At the start you smell violet leaf, strawberry and red grapefruit: fresh and green, like a basket of strawberries set down on the grass. The heart of gardenia, violet petals and jasmine is light and radiant. The base of musk, vanilla and white woods stays on the skin softly and cleanly. Daisy suits a spring weekend, a picnic and days when the temperature tops 20°C, because it doesn’t tire you in the warmth.

The bottle is clear and angular, and the cap is decorated with white and yellow daisies; it’s hard to walk past it without noticing.

Don’t want to overpay? We have made a Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume dupe for you, an alternative inspired by the original, with the same composition and a lower price.

4. Calvin Klein Euphoria

Calvin Klein Euphoria is an oriental floral scent with pomegranate, black orchid and black violet in the base that lasts 8–10 hours and is a violet perfume for evenings and the cooler months. The 2005 scent was created by Dominique Ropion, Carlos Benaim and Loc Dong. The violet is hidden deepest here, in the base, which is why you only smell it after 2–3 hours, once the scent settles on the skin.

The opening is pomegranate, persimmon and green notes, juicy and slightly tart. The heart of black orchid, lotus and champaca is dense and exotic. Then black violet emerges from the base, dark and powdery, intertwined with mahogany, amber and creamy musk, like a plum-coloured velvet dress. Euphoria suits dinner, the theatre and November evenings.

The bottle is a purple-and-silver oval shape resembling a seed or a drop, set in a metal ring.

Don’t want to overpay? We have made a Calvin Klein Euphoria perfume dupe for you, an alternative inspired by the original, with the same composition and a lower price.

5. DKNY Be Delicious

DKNY Be Delicious is a fresh floral scent with green apple, cucumber and violet in the heart that lasts 5–7 hours and is a violet perfume for summer and everyday city life. The 2004 scent was composed by Maurice Roucel. It’s been one of the most popular fruity scents of the last 20 years, and violet gives it a powdery softness you won’t find in ordinary apple perfumes.

The top is green apple, cucumber, grapefruit and magnolia: crisp and cool, like a slice of cucumber in a glass of iced water. In the heart, violet blooms together with tuberose, rose and lily of the valley, softening the tart apple and giving it floral smoothness. The base of sandalwood, amber and white woods is bright and light. Be Delicious suits a hot day at work, a holiday trip and a walk in the park.

The bottle is shaped like a green apple with a metal stalk; a nod to New York, the Big Apple.

Don’t want to overpay? We have made a DKNY Be Delicious perfume dupe for you, an alternative inspired by the original, with the same composition and a lower price.

6. Dior J’adore

Dior J’adore is a fruity floral bouquet with jasmine, tuberose and violet in the heart that lasts 7–9 hours and is a perfume with a violet note for celebrations, weddings and gifts. The 1999 scent was created by Calice Becker. Violet isn’t a soloist here, just one flower in the bouquet, but it gives J’adore’s heart its silky, powdery smoothness.

The opening is pear, melon and mandarin, bright like a glass of champagne on a terrace. The heart is a bouquet: jasmine, tuberose, rose, orchid and violet, which smooths the strong white flowers like powder on your cheeks. The base of musk, vanilla and cedar is warm and discreet. J’adore suits your daughter’s wedding, an anniversary and any day when you want to look and smell elegant.

The bottle is shaped like a slender amphora with a gold necklace at the neck, inspired by the adornments of Maasai women.

Don’t want to overpay? We have made a Dior J’adore perfume dupe for you, an alternative inspired by the original, with the same composition and a lower price.

7. Calvin Klein Eternity

Calvin Klein Eternity is a classic floral scent with freesia, white flowers and violet in the heart that lasts 7–9 hours and is a violet perfume for a woman who loves clean, timeless florals. The 1988 scent was composed by Sophia Grojsman. It has been on sale for over 35 years without major changes and is still one of the most popular classic gifts.

At the start you smell freesia, mandarin and sage, fresh like a white sheet drying in the wind. In the heart, violet intertwines with lily, narcissus, rose and lily of the valley, its powdery note softening this bright bouquet. The base of sandalwood, musk, amber and heliotrope is creamy and lasts until evening. Eternity suits the office, a family lunch and spring celebrations.

The bottle is clear and rectangular, with softly rounded edges and a silver cap.

Don’t want to overpay? We have made a Calvin Klein Eternity perfume dupe for you, an alternative inspired by the original, with the same composition and a lower price.

8. Lancôme Trésor

Lancôme Trésor is a powdery floral scent with iris, heliotrope and rose that lasts 8–10 hours and is a perfume with a violet-like scent for a woman who loves powdery classics. The 1990 scent was composed by Sophia Grojsman. There’s no violet in the pyramid: its place is taken by iris and heliotrope in the heart, which smell like violet powder, only warmer, with a hint of apricot.

The opening is peach, apricot, rose and lilac, juicy and pink. The heart of iris and heliotrope gives an effect of powder and almond biscuit, very close to a violet sweet. The base of vanilla, amber, musk and sandalwood wraps you like a cashmere jumper and lasts until late evening. Trésor suits the theatre, dinner with friends and autumn Sundays.

The bottle is an inverted pyramid of thick glass with pink liquid inside; it resembles cut crystal.

Don’t want to overpay? We have made a Lancôme Trésor perfume dupe for you, an alternative inspired by the original, with the same composition and a lower price.

9. Chanel No 5

Chanel No 5 is an aldehydic floral scent with iris, jasmine and rose that lasts 7–9 hours and is a powdery, violet-style scent for celebrations and evenings out. Ernest Beaux created it in 1921, and the name comes from the number of the sample Gabrielle Chanel chose. There’s no violet in the pyramid: its powdery, violet-like softness comes from the iris in the heart.

The top is aldehydes, ylang-ylang, neroli and bergamot, sparkling like bubbles in a glass. The heart of iris, jasmine, rose and lily of the valley is powdery and elegant; the iris here smells like violet powder scattered over a silk handkerchief. The base of sandalwood, vanilla, vetiver and musk keeps you warm into the night. No 5 suits a gala, a wedding and an evening at the opera.

The bottle is rectangular and clear, with a cut octagonal stopper; its shape has barely changed in over 100 years.

Don’t want to overpay? We have made a Chanel No 5 perfume dupe for you, an alternative inspired by the original, with the same composition and a lower price.

10. Lancôme La Vie Est Belle

Lancôme La Vie Est Belle is a fruity floral gourmand with iris, praline and vanilla that lasts 8–10 hours and is a powdery, violet-style scent for autumn, winter and evenings. The 2012 composition was created by Olivier Polge, Dominique Ropion and Anne Flipo. There’s no violet here; it closes the ranking because its powdery role is played by iris in the heart, wrapped in a sweetness loved by women looking for violet in a dessert version.

The opening is blackcurrant and pear, juicy and slightly tart. The heart of iris, jasmine and orange blossom is powdery and soft; it’s the iris that gives this violet-powder effect. Praline, vanilla, patchouli and tonka in the base are sweet but not cloying and hold the scent all day. La Vie Est Belle suits December get-togethers, dinner and cool mornings from October to March.

The bottle is a glass smile on a rectangular base, with a grey ribbon tied around the neck.

Don’t want to overpay? We have made a Lancôme La Vie Est Belle perfume dupe for you, an alternative inspired by the original, with the same composition and a lower price.

What does violet smell like, and what does it pair with in women’s scents?

Violet smells powdery, delicate and slightly green, with a subtly sweet finish. Violet flower is soft and powdery, while violet leaf is greener, fresher and slightly bitter. In women’s compositions, both versions add elegance and a modern character.

In women’s scents, violet most often pairs with the following notes:

• With sweet notes: liquorice, vanilla and praline gain a powdery softness from it, as in Lolita Lempicka.
• With green and fruity notes: strawberry, apple and cucumber create fresh, modern compositions with violet leaf, as in Marc Jacobs Daisy or DKNY Be Delicious.
• With floral notes: rose, jasmine and tuberose balance its powderiness, as in Kenzo Flower or Dior J’adore.

If you love floral compositions, also see our ranking of jasmine perfumes for women, and if you prefer violet in a dessert version, see our ranking of sweet perfumes for women.

How did we choose the violet perfumes?

When choosing the best violet perfumes, we looked at the role of violet in the composition, longevity, popularity and customer reviews. We focused on alternatives to scents in which violet genuinely plays a clear role and gives the composition an elegant character.

Violet is a rarer note than citrus or woods, so our selection is deliberately curated and focuses on scents in which this note comes through, and in the last three entries on powdery iris, violet’s closest relative. If you’re looking for scents by other notes, see our general ranking of the most beautiful perfumes for women. Each of these scents has an alternative at Manufaktura Esencji with the same composition, made from raw materials from the same sources as the originals.

FAQ: common questions about violet perfumes

Below are answers to the 5 most common questions about violet scents.

Is violet feminine?

Yes, violet is a note valued in women’s perfumes. It adds powdery softness and elegance to a composition, and as green violet leaf it sounds fresh and refined, which is why it appears in many well-known scents for women.

What does violet smell like in perfume?

Violet smells powdery, delicate and slightly green, with a subtle sweetness. Violet flower is soft and powdery, while violet leaf is fresher, greener and slightly bitter, which gives women’s scents a modern character.

Which women’s perfumes contain violet?

Violet features in, among others, Lolita Lempicka, Kenzo Flower and Marc Jacobs Daisy. These are elegant scents in which violet adds powdery softness or fresh greenness to the composition.

What’s the difference between violet and violet leaf?

Violet flower is powdery, soft and slightly sweet, while violet leaf is green, fresh and slightly bitter. The flower works in warmer, sweet compositions, and the leaf in fresh, fruity-green scents.

Which season suits violet perfumes?

It depends on the composition. Green, fresh scents with violet leaf, like Marc Jacobs Daisy, work in spring and summer, while warmer, sweet ones with powdery violet, like Lolita Lempicka, are better in autumn and winter.

Choose the best violet perfumes at Manufaktura Esencji

You’ll find the best violet perfumes from this ranking at Manufaktura Esencji as dupes with the same composition as the originals, at a price up to several hundred złoty lower. We make every alternative from raw materials sourced from the same suppliers as the designer scents, so they keep their elegant character and long longevity.

Browse the whole category of perfume dupes for women at Manufaktura Esencji and choose a powdery, elegant scent for yourself. And if you’re looking for a gift, see our ranking of perfume gifts for women.