Whenever I smell a certain type of fragrance, one absolute colour comes to mind, purple.
When it comes to a purple fragrance, they are some which I really like. It seems like there are so many that you can categorise as purple, this is what it all means and what purple fragrances are the best.
What Is A Purple Fragrance?
A purple fragrance is one of those with one or more notes which evoke the colour purple. That is they have a scent which contains violet, lavender, iris or other purple colour notes.
They are usually quite floral scents which can also be powdery and dry. It can be hard to describe but when you smell one you’ll almost certainly think, “this is a purple fragrance” when you’ve smelled it.
The purple notes can be combined with others to give a more dynamic smell.
Fresh, spicy and musky notes can be used alongside the purple notes to give the overall smell another dimension while the underpinned scent is still purple.
What Do Purple Fragrances Smell Like?
When I think of a purple fragrance, they always have at least one note which I associate the colour with. This can be violet, lavender, iris and even amber.
They can be quite dry and powdery, but some can be pungent.
If you want that parma violet smell, there’s that too.
The Best Purple Fragrances
Prada L’Homme
It could be the kind of purple fragrances, it’s certainly a top scent. I am talking about Prada L’Homme.
Amber and purple styles of scents are the trademark of a lot of Prada scents, with this one being the best as far as I am concerned.
It has amber, iris and violet which give it its distinctive purple scent, with pepper and cedar giving it a really well rounded smell.
Calvin Klein Defy
One of my newer purple style scents, Calvin Klein Defy is a really pleasant fragrance to own. The amber and lavender really give this one the purple style, with a very light woody and even fresh kind of vibe to it.
Paco Rabanne Invictus Victory
The first but not last scent from this brand on the list, it’s Paco Rabanne Invictus Victory.
This one from the Invictus line has amber and lavender, giving the scent it’s purple vibe. It’s a more sweet type of scent, with vanilla in the base giving it some variation of the other scents listed so far.
Paco Rabanne Invictus Platinum
Another from the Invictus line makes the cut, and it’s Paco Rabanne Invictus Platinum. It has a fresh-spicy style to it, but it’s still got that purple style with the note of lavender in there.
It’s not as purple as the others on the list, but with the lavender you can definitely smell it from the scent as soon as you spray it.
Prada Infusion D’Homme
Prada Infusions D’Homme Fragrance
An older scent from this brand, Prada Infusion D’Homme is now a pretty old fragrance, and one which is firmly cemented with the trademark Prada purple.
The iris is combined with some powdery notes give this it’s purple nature.
Over the years I’ve really enjoyed wearing Prada Infusion, with it’s clean soapy and powdery style, it makes a nice scent.
Paco Rabanne Ultraviolet
I have to mention Paco Rabanne Ultraviolet. The name and the bottle should giveaway that this is most definitely a purple scent.
It’s actually a fragrance which I don’t like, and never enjoyed. I bought this a long while ago, but barely used it.
I love the bottle, I love it’s uniqueness and that you squeeze it to get the atomiser to spray. But the scent, it’s not for me.
It’s heavy with amber, has mint in the top too, combined with pepper, oakmoss and vanilla. Perhaps I could give this another go, but it’s always been a scent I’ve not bothered too much with.
If you absolutely love powdery, dry and purple scents, it’s worth a look. It kind of has that Parma violets vibe, so if that sounds good, give it a whirl.
When To Wear Purple Fragrances
A purple fragrance is one which can usually be worn in the day or evening, and in all seasons too. Most are inoffensive, making them suitable to wear as an office fragrance, wearing around the city during the day or in formal and casual settings too.
For the ones which have more of a darker and spicy undertone, they are best worn in the colder months, and on an evening, with the lighter scents working better in the warmer months.
Verdict
When it comes to purple fragrances, I think that these showcase some of the best. For me, Prada L’Homme is the best in the list, because it’s a lot more complex than just a purple scent.
But those notes are at it’s heart, with the rest creating a really good well rounded fragrance.
There’s no doubt that having one purple fragrance in your collection is worth it.
About Michael
Michael Adams is the founder and editor of Michael 84, blogger from Newcastle, UK. Sharing men's fashion tips, style advice and lifestyle information for all guys.
