Choco Violette by Mancera

What strikes you first is the bergamot, 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’s a delight. That blend of hazelnut, chocolate, and violet is beautiful. Please, don’t judge it only 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.

A great disappointment at first: it smells like a biscuit, and after two minutes, it’s just biscuit without chocolate. Then a very simple, weak violet appears, skin-scent only… and that’s where this niche stops. I wore it at one o’clock and by five there was no trace. 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 keep it for months to see if it macerates. It’s my third Mancera and the previous ones didn’t do this; they smell potent from the start. EDITED after weeks: now I’m addicted. After a week it started behaving as expected, potent 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, biscuits, and chocolate. I still think perfumes should come macerated. Otherwise, it’s a sweet, different, refined scent that I adore; I would buy it again.

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

Well… definitely, one shouldn’t mix violet with chocolate… I’m over this fragrance.

As they say, every head is a world, and I add: every nose is a perception. I liked it very much. 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 similarity to its distant cousin “Chocolate Greedy” by Montale. Curiously, I don’t feel them blending, but rather standing out 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 of 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 given the price? This one in particular 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 recognise each note without basic notions or looking at Fragrantica. Here one perceives 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 grim song, and the acidic cocoa follows in its wake thanks to that orange note in the opening. To finish, as I said, the blend settles in a certain way, but out comes the house fixative that repulses me so much, which, to my misfortune, lasts and lasts. I give it a zero without reservations.

I simply don’t like this house’s fixatives; their entire collection of perfumes ends up sounding like a rehash of what I’ve heard a thousand times. I don’t understand how certain YouTubers recommend buying this blindly, or even review it as the ‘best’ in their collection. If this is the best, how must the rest be, especially at the price they charge. This one in particular I don’t like at all; the chocolate and violet are vividly perceived separately, as if their complete combination were impossible. Normally it’s very difficult to identify each note beforehand, on the sillage or on the skin, without basic knowledge of the olfactory family or without checking Fragrantica first. Well, here one perceives a muddle of chocolate on one side and the violets on the other, without blending, in a harmony that doesn’t quite fit or convince me. It’s a bizarre conjunction, but one that could have been an original idea, provided it had been executed with certain mastery and balance. However, and for my taste, it combines elements that don’t link, that don’t stick or end up fusing. A matronly, dizzying violet screams a putrid, dusty, old, dismal song, and the acidic cocoa follows behind thanks to that orange note in the opening. To finish, as I said at the start, the strange mixture settles in a way, but the house’s fixative comes out, which I so detest, and to my misfortune, it lasts and lasts. I give it a zero without reservations.

This fragrance is so rich, sweet, and velvety. At first, it smells of creamy nut, probably chestnut, then chocolate and violet… and it lingers. Slowly, the violet and the sweetness of the vanilla remain. It reminds me of those old sweet tablets that used to come with romantic messages. I’ve heard people compare it to Chocolate Greedy; of course, they share the chocolate, but they aren’t the same. I like it on its own, but I’ll also use it to add that chocolatey touch to other fragrances. I think it’s pricey for what it is, although I absolutely love it; I don’t come across many like this. I’m curious to know if it resembles Insolence by Guerlain, which I practically can’t find.

At first, you can taste the bitter chocolate and the violet caramel. Although the chocolate takes the lead and the violets are in the background, I see it as unisex, leaning towards 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 for some noses. This one is also gourmand but doesn’t reach the point of cannibalism thanks to that bitter touch. I find it an interesting creation and hope it doesn’t evolve, keeping that cocoa scent with the violet in the background forever. I notice it’s not as potent as its Montale sisters, which I tested and found more loud, powerful, long-lasting, synthetic, but it’s not bad.

What a mouth-watering scent! Although the violet is noticeable, it takes a back seat as the chocolate and vanilla form a wonderful alliance. There’s a distinct aroma of Oreo cookies and a hint of some roasted nut. It’s a suggestive scent that I simply adored.

At first, it smells only of dark chocolate, identical to Chocolate Covered Cherries by Demeter. This lasts two minutes; when it evaporates, only the powdered violet remains with a base so light on chocolate that it almost smells like sandalwood. Very expensive for how little the chocolate lasts. I prefer Demeter. P.S. I tested it again, and when it dries down, it transforms into Choco Musk by Al Rehab… for that, I’d rather buy the one from Al Rehab that costs three euros and not 120€.

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

I’m taking the plunge with the first review of this masterpiece and hope to do it justice. After a couple of days of decanting, I can say Choco Violet and I get along brilliantly. It delivers exactly what it promises: from the outset, there’s a strong scent of dark chocolate and violets, nothing more. The subsequent notes are merely supporting players; they don’t play much for my nose. The hazelnut lends a deliciously ‘Nutella-like’ quality that gives it a gourmand character, although I don’t believe it truly belongs to that family. The vanilla adds a depth and richness worthy of a sweet winter. On my skin, the citrus notes don’t appear, and the musk is hidden beneath that creamy, chocolatey vanilla. It is elegant and extremely long-lasting. It doesn’t project much of a trail, but it clings to the skin for over 12 hours. It’s for those who love sweetness without the headache or cloyingness. At first, the violets may seem intense and sweet, but let them settle on your skin to discover their true beauty.