Guerlain – Meteorites

If liking violet-centred perfumes makes me an old granny, then turn me into Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, pronto! Clad in a shapeless violet ensemble, and waving her mighty wand, she is every bit the caring grandmother who is both warm and sophisticated at the same time. She’s wearing Guerlain Meteorites.

Meteorites was released by Guerlain in 2000, and features a powdery violet tempered with green notes that take it away from Flavigny violet bonbons territory into the realm of old school glamour. One quality of ionones (a major component in violet fragrances is that they radiate a certain nostalgic warmth. When paired with iris, as in the case of Meteorites, that warmth is suffused with a layer of sophistication and class.

Meteorites is fairly linear, and never ever veers remotely towards gourmand grounds, as is the case with many modern interpretations of violet, such as Guerlain‘s very own Insolence. I managed to secure 10ml of Meteorites for a decent price on eBay – it is becoming increasingly rarer and more expensive to obtain these days, especially given its discontinued status.

I suspect the reason Meteorites was discontinued is because violets have become associated with one’s dowdy grandmother, and I can’t imagine it selling well in today’s perfume counter where better means screaming louder and sweeter. The bottle design seems to suggest as much – the gold cap is encrusted with a pearl necklace, the kind of jewellery that might have been fashionable a couple of decades ago. It is the sort of thing a queen of the old guard might wear. Although fashion blogs today rave over Kate Middleton’s classy, modern, and refined dress sense, and squeal about her perfume (Illuminum White Gardenia Petals – rather bleagh in my opinion, but that’s for another time),  I’d much rather have the Queen’s pearls any day.

~ The Smelly Vagabond