Choco Violette by Mancera

At first, the bergamot stands out—it’s not so much the orange. Once that citrus phase with hazelnut and chocolate passes, it smells like urea (to put it mildly), but then it becomes a delight. That mix of hazelnut, chocolate, and violet is beautiful. Please, don’t judge it by the opening; wait five minutes and you’ll love it. The trail is soft, but the longevity is brutal; I can still smell it on my pillow days later.

Great disappointment at first: it smells like a cookie, and after two minutes, it’s just cookie without chocolate. Then a very simple, weak violet appears, right up against the skin… and that’s where this niche stops. I wore it at 1 PM and by 5 PM there was no trace left. I reapplied twice in the afternoon, and neither I nor anyone else noticed it. Conclusion: very angry, it’s not worth even €10; there are better inspirations. As often happens, I’ll store it for months to see if it matures. It’s my third Mancera, and the previous ones didn’t do this; they smell powerful from the start. EDIT after weeks: now I’m addicted. After a week, it started behaving as expected, powerful and beautiful. The scent is the same, but the potency and longevity are much greater; my nose also needed to adapt to that strange mix of flowers, cookies, and chocolate. I still think perfumes should come macerated. Otherwise, it’s a sweet, different, refined scent that I love; I would buy it again.

The idea was good. I adore violets and chocolate: great plan. Well, no. This perfume is a mess that smells like the bone-shaped treats I give my dog. I think it has to do with the aroma of nuts or cereal porridge. Although that gourmand dog smell fades, what remains isn’t even worth mentioning: a skin-scent of talc and vanilla. No projection, no longevity, nothing. A disappointment.

Well… definitely, do not mix violet with chocolate… I’m passing on this fragrance.

As they say, every head is a world, and I add: every nose is a perception. I liked it a lot. Mainly, I distinguish the notes that give it its name: the violet and the chocolate, but not a dark chocolate, rather a powdery one, hence its resemblance to its distant cousin “Chocolate Greedy” by Montale. Curiously, I don’t feel them blending together, but rather distinguishing themselves separately, sometimes more the violet, similar to the discontinued “Venetian Violet” by Crabtree and Evelyn, and other times the cocoa powder; for me, this makes it interesting.

I hate the fixatives from this house; the entire collection ends up smelling like a rehash of something heard a thousand times. I don’t get why certain YouTubers recommend buying this blindly or even review it as ‘the best’ in their collection. If this is the best, what is the rest, especially at these prices? This one specifically, I don’t like at all; the chocolate and violet are vividly perceived separately, as if their full conjunction is impossible. Normally it’s hard to recognize individual notes in the sillage or on skin without basic knowledge of olfactive families or checking Fragrantica first. Well, here you get a mishmash of chocolate on one side and violets on the other, without blending, in a harmony that doesn’t quite fit or convince me. It’s a bizarre combination, but one that could have been an original idea if executed with some mastery and balance. However, in my opinion, it combines elements that don’t link, don’t stick, and never truly fuse. An old, nauseating, dusty, and gloomy violet screams a putrid song, followed by acidic cocoa from that orange note in the opening. To wrap up, as I said at the beginning, the strange mixture settles in a way, but the house’s repulsive fixative comes out, which, to my misfortune, lasts and lasts. I give it a zero without reservations.

I absolutely hate the fixatives from this house; I end up perceiving their entire collection as a rehash of what I’ve heard a thousand times. I don’t understand how certain YouTubers recommend buying it blind or review it as “the best.” If this is the best, how will the rest be, especially considering the price? This one specifically, I don’t like at all; the chocolate and violet are vividly perceived separately, as if their union were impossible. Normally, it’s difficult to recognize each note without basic notions or looking at Fragrantica. Here, you perceive a mess of chocolate on one side and violets on the other, without blending, in a harmony that doesn’t quite convince me. It’s a bizarre conjunction that could have been original if executed with mastery. However, to my taste, it combines elements that don’t link, that don’t stick or fuse. An old-fashioned, dizzying violet screams a putrid, powdery, old, and gloomy song, and the sour cacao follows behind due to that orange note in the opening. To finish, as I said, the mix settles in a certain way, but the brand’s repulsive fixative comes out, which, to my misfortune, lasts and lasts. I give it a zero without reservations.

This fragrance is so rich, sweet, and velvety. The opening: I detect a lot of nutty, creamy aroma, probably chestnut. Then chocolate and violet… this scent lingers… Slowly the violet and the vanilla sweetness fade. It reminds me of those candy tablets they used to sell in my country with romantic messages. I’ve heard people compare it to Chocolate Greedy, and obviously, they share the chocolate note, but they aren’t the same. While I like it on its own, I’ll also use it to add that chocolatey sweetness to other fragrances. I guess it’s quite pricey for what it is, though I absolutely love it. I don’t get many fragrances like this. I’m curious if it resembles Insolence by Guerlain, which I practically can’t find in stores.

At first, you notice the bitter chocolate and violet caramel. Although the chocolate takes the lead and the violets are in the background, I see it as unisex, leaning feminine, but any man could wear it. The cocoa reminds me of Valor powder, bitter, used to decorate desserts. It’s gourmand, but nothing like Chocolate Greedy; Montale makes you want to bite your arm and is very cloying, it might be too much depending on your nose. This one is gourmand too, but it doesn’t reach the cannibalism level of that bitter touch. I think it’s an interesting creation, and I hope it doesn’t evolve, keeping that cocoa smell with the violet in the background forever. I notice it’s not as potent as Montale’s other perfumes I’ve tried, which seemed louder, more intense, long-lasting, synthetic, but it’s not bad.

What a delicious aroma! Although the violet is noticeable, it fades to the background because the chocolate and vanilla form a strong alliance. It smells like Oreo cookies and some toasted nut. It’s suggestive; I loved it.

I absolutely love this fragrance! I discovered it through a decant, and after testing it for several days and finishing it off, I bought the 125ml bottle because on my skin it smells of violets, dark chocolate, and hazelnuts, with barely perceptible touches of musk and vanilla. It’s not a sweet perfume; it’s balanced, woody, potent, and long-lasting, and fortunately, it doesn’t cause olfactory fatigue; on the contrary, it creates an addiction. If you like bitter chocolate on your skin and violets, it’s a definite yes; otherwise, I recommend testing it on skin, because I’ve read many negative reviews that don’t match what happens on my skin. Would I buy it again? Yes.

Authentic violet candy scent. Nothing more. In its dry down, it does smell more like chocolate and the violets lose intensity, but I just can’t stand its opening so clogged with violets.

I’ll dare to write the first review of this masterpiece. I hope to do it justice. I’ve had a small decant for a couple of days, and I can tell you that Choco Violet and I get along very well. It’s a fragrance that delivers on its promise. From the start, it’s a strong aroma of dark chocolate and violets. There’s nothing else. That’s what it’s about, and the following notes are just accompaniment, not playing a very important role for my nose. The hazelnut gives it a delicious ‘Nutella-like’ smell that adds a gourmand character, though I don’t think it belongs to that family. The vanilla is what gives it a depth and weight worthy of a sweet winter. On my skin, the citrus notes don’t appear, and the musk is very hidden underneath the creamy chocolatey vanilla. It’s an elegant and very long-lasting perfume. It doesn’t have a great sillage, but it lingers on the skin for more than 12 hours. It’s for lovers of the sweet, but it doesn’t give me a headache or make me feel cloyed. At first, the violets might seem very intense and sweet, but give them a chance to settle on your skin so you can discover their beauty.