I'm a girl in my 20s living in the UK. I like make-up, perfume, drinking tea, listening to 80s music...
I'm a girl in my 20s living in the UK. I like make-up, perfume, drinking tea, listening to 80s music, reading and various other things. I enjoy writing, and I think writing Ciao reviews will help keep my brain exercised in that field!
Member since:12.03.2008
Reviews:17
I bought a selection of mini perfumes from Boots as a treat for myself - it was reduced to £8 and contained five fragrances so I thought that was pretty good value, and I really enjoy trying new perfumes.
I had previously seen an advert for Guerlain Insolence. What struck me about that was that I really didn't like the name; insolence is defined as 'an arrogant, insulting or bold mode of conduct or attitude'. To me that doesn't seem anything to aspire to; perhaps they were aiming at a vaguely 'rebellious' teenage market, which would also explain why it's the sponsor for the programme Gossip Girl, which thankfully I have never had to watch.
The bottle - even the miniature version I have - is really rather pretty, with a glass rose shape forming the lid, which sits on the rounded bottle at a jaunty angle.
I applied the perfume to my wrists by dabbing it on - the miniature bottles don't usually come with a spray action. I didn't find the perfume changed scent over time, as some do as they adjust to your skin.
The scent is described as having heart notes of orange blossom and rose, top notes of violet and red berries, and base notes of iris and tonka bean resins.
I am not terribly good at identifying different layers to fragrances, but this to me is rather a 'one note' sort of perfume - it's very sweet with a hint of parma violets. I can't really detect the rose scent but other people with better noses may be able to. It's described as a fruity fragrance but I consider it to be more on the floral side.
It is a heavy sort of fragrance but it doesn't give me a headache. It has a warmth to it, and it is generally pleasant. It has very good staying power. However, it doesn't really smell like an expensive perfume - to me it has a fragrance reminiscent of the heavy, more old-fashioned perfumes like L'Aimant and also Amarige (which is also by Guerlain). It doesn't really smell like it costs £29.50 for 30ml, which is the going rate.
In general, I think this perfume is a nice, cosy warm smell for winter, but rather too sweet, a little overpowering, and not especially complex. Although it was introduced in 2006, it does not seem like a modern fragrance. However, fragrance is a very personal thing and I can see why it would appeal to people - it's not unpleasant by any means. It does have a beautiful bottle, so if you know someone who likes the more old-fashioned sweet perfumes, it's probably an ideal gift for them.
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Created by Maurice Roucel, creator of L'Instant by Guerlain, this unconventional fragrance more
sweeps you straight into its heart: a new interpretation of violet. Insolence perfume by Guerlain has exuberant notes of violet that are accompanied by jubilant red berries like raspberry. A hint of orange blossom and rose impart a striking intensity, while sensual iris and tonka bean resins finish the scent, making Insolence the ultimate luxury fragrance. Insolence notes include Spiral Accord, Iris (Orris), Orange Blossom, Rose, Violet, Sandalwood, White Musk, Tonka Bean, Raspberry. Young. Irreverent. Defiant.
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