Vivacious violet is the phrase Caitlin Feener used for a flower that can be fresh, fruity or deeply sweet, and it fits the violet candles in my collection just as well.
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Guest post by Caitlin Feener
Elegant Violet & Black Currant is like nectar, juicy enough to turn even the coldest day into a seductively sweet soiree. Spend the evening with Violet & Black Currant and embrace your inner goddess, sipping fragrant dessert wine while marveling at the stars in the bold black sky. A fruity floral blend of red rasberry, Valencia orange, tart black currant, fresh Macintosh apples, and peach nectar meet the bright floral notes of pink jasmine, red geranium, and purple violet to create an intense feeling of sugary sweet clarity.
Petrana is the dark side of violet, a sultry symphony of mystery and mystique. The violet is the calm before the storm, as your sense are quickly engulfed into the tantalizing world of exotic spices and the thrill of exploring a strange, new environment that is far away from home. Transported to a Jordanian desert landscape covered in blooming black iris, Petrana emerges from a foundation of wild orris root and green violet leaf absolute, swirling with herbaceous coriander, spicy pink pepper, and deep purple cassis.
Vivacious violet: why the flower is hard to pin down
A vivacious violet can be powdery or crisp depending on what surrounds the flower. Pair it with pear and it turns fresh, with berries and it turns dessert-like, with amber and wood it turns grown-up.
Violet smells powdery, green, a little sweet and sometimes faintly like candy. It is also a shy flower, since its scent can seem to vanish and return. That is part of the charm, and part of the mystery.
The Wikipedia entry for Viola odorata describes the sweet violet itself, which has been cherished in gardens for centuries.
Caitlin Feener, who guest-wrote the original post, called violet the star of the show in every blend she has tried. I agree. No two violet blends have mirrored one another, yet the flower always remains recognizable.
Caitlin titled her original guest post Vivacious Violet, and the name is perfect. Vivacious violet means alive, bright and a little bold, and that describes the flower exactly.
Two vivacious violet candles to compare
Votivo Morning Violet is the fresh one. Parma and Victoria violet meet pear, leafy greens and powdered iris, and the amber and guaiacwood at the base keep it from floating away. It is the candle I would light on a warm morning with the windows open.
Anthousa Violet and Black Currant is the opposite mood. It is juicy and deep, pairing fruit with pink jasmine, red geranium and violet. I picture it on a cold evening with a glass of dessert wine.
Caitlin sums Morning Violet up as a refreshing breeze on a warm day, and a calm reminder to pause and smell the flowers. That is just how it feels when the window is open.
The full list for Anthousa is long: raspberry, Valencia orange, black currant, Macintosh apple and peach nectar, then pink jasmine, red geranium and violet. That is a lot of fruit, and the result is sugary and clear.
Morning Violet is the gentle side of vivacious violet, all fresh air and green grass.
Violet and Black Currant is the dark side of vivacious violet, juicy and evening-ready.
Choosing between them
Pick the morning candle for bedrooms, bathrooms and spring rooms. Pick the dark berry one for dining rooms, living rooms and winter nights. If you cannot decide, buy the small size of each.
Keep in mind that a vivacious violet often shows its personality best after a full wax pool has formed.
Violet is also a good bridge gift. If someone loves florals but fears the heavy ones, it is a gentle start.
Small jars are enough to test, since violet is the type of scent you either adore or find too sweet.
Choose the vivacious violet that matches your mood and your room. Vivacious violet suits bathrooms and bedrooms where you want a lift without a shout.
Read more about violet
For fuller reviews, see our posts on Anthousa Violet and Black Currant and Votivo Rush of Rose and Morning Violet.
Both are good places to start if the flower has caught your imagination.
I would burn either one in the evening with the lights low. Violet is a mood scent, and it responds to quiet.
If you collect vivacious violet scents, keep notes on which ones you reach for in which season.
Take the vivacious violet idea beyond candles: a violet soap, a violet tea, a violet note in a perfume.
My advice on vivacious violet: start with one jar and let the flower do the talking.
