Floris – Purple Mémoire – Modern Lavender

Three “purple” floral notes make up the new fragrance, Purple Mémoire, from Floris: violet, lavender, and iris. Lavender is undoubtedly the most prominent. The lavender in Purple Mémoire smells pillowy, soft, and calming, possessing an almost candied sweetness. It’s my favourite element of the fragrance. Unfortunately, some other aspects detract from the overall experience. Here are my initial impressions of the perfume.

Quite often, lavender fragrances can smell old-fashioned, stuffy, and from a bygone era. This new Floris does not. I smell lavender immediately, and it’s joined briefly by citrus notes of bergamot and mandarin. Coriander brings in a peppery, woody freshness. However, everything cedes to the lavender, which never turns too medicinal or herbal; instead, aided by other notes, it goes in a sweeter, floral direction.

The other purple elements start to interact with the lavender after about 10 minutes. First comes the mildly powdery iris, then comes the initial “fly in the ointment” note. Violet, often a nemesis to my nose, adds to the candied sweetness. It doesn’t quite descend fully into Parma violet candy territory because the lavender still holds sway. So, at this early juncture, I’m still good with Purple Mémoire.

Purple Mémoire wears unusually. One might expect the violets and iris to combine to create an antiquated effect. But, again, as with the lavender, they don’t. And it’s possibly due to the spicy cacao element. It joins forces with a somewhat scratchy sandalwood note before slipping into a musky tonka/ambery base. It’s around the 20-minute mark where Purple Mémoire loses me. There is a note, or notes, that bother me in the middle and base of Purple Mémoire. It could be the sandalwood or the sweetness, or it could be that I’ve come across this style of fragrance on the contemporary mainstream market for a much lower price.

I didn’t have to delve too far into the memory bank or look too far for comparison. Indeed, I might group this perfume with Mon Guerlain, YSL Libre, or Goddess from Burberry. It doesn’t smell the same as any of them, though. But, it could be a relative. It takes on a familiar formation, pairing lavender with a sweetish gourmand element. Instead of a dominant, heavy, creamy vanilla, Floris uses cacao and amplifies the lavender facet. The raspy sandalwood note, straight out of the modern playbook, completes the picture. From this modern lavender group, Libre is my pick, and it’s a good one. Indeed, all three designers have Purple Mémoire covered.

I dislike classifying fragrances by gender, but Purple Mémoire, with its floral heart, leans more feminine. However, at times, I noticed similarities to White Musk for Men from The Body Shop, particularly in its blend of tonka, lavender, and musk.

It’s not a complete bust. But, I suppose that when I saw the notes and took into account the brand and the name of the fragrance, I expected, perhaps even hoped for, something a little more vintage or nostalgic. That will teach me to leave my expectations at the door. It does evoke images of purple flowers, though. That’s good, and I enjoy the interplay between the lavender and iris, but I’m not too fussed about the cacao, sandalwood, and violets, or the price of 180 Euros for 100ml. In the end, the bad outweighs the good, and I’ll consign this purple memory to the perfume sampling dustbin of history, or it’ll just languish in my decant tray until I find someone who might want to try it on for size.

What’s your take on some of these modern lavender scents? Mon Guerlain, Burberry Goddess, YSL Libre, etc. Does Purple Mémoire sound like something you would enjoy?

Note: All images are my own, except for the first picture (Floris). I purchased the sample.

Here are some more purple flowers. At least wearing this scent gave me the excuse to take some photos of some purple flowers.