Best Violetta by Penhaligon's Alternatives & Similar Perfumes
Violetta by Penhaligon's is a floral fragrance from 1976, blending fresh geranium and bergamot with the powdery softness of violet. Its base of musk, sandalwood, and cedarwood adds warmth and depth, balancing the floral heart. Those seeking scents in this direction should focus on the interplay between green floral notes and a subtle woody-musk foundation for a refined, classic character.
No. 89 by Floris £100.00
- Key notes:
- bergamot
- geranium
- neroli
- nutmeg
- oakmoss
- sandalwood
- vetiver
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- citrusy
- woody
No. 89 has been an icon among the Floris collection for over 60 years. First crafted in 1951, No. 89 takes its name from the number of their flagship shop on Jermyn Street.
Ian Fleming who was a customer of Floris mentions No. 89 in his James Bond universe.
No. 89 is a classic and timeless mix of fresh citruses, sparkly spices and aromatic herbs resting on sandalwood and oakmoss. There is an adventurous romantic twist in the formula though: a drop of rose.
No. 89 could be a fragrance for the quintessential English gentleman.
Divine Dancer by Exaltatum £130.00
- Key notes:
- champaca
- galbanum
- magnolia
- musk
- rose
- sandalwood
- violet
- violet leaf
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- vintage/old school
I was inspired while visiting Kew Gardens in London in May. Every May there are hundreds of blooming magnolia trees in different sorts, sizes, scents and colours. Usually it is a very rainy season and my inspiration was to create a scent of the water and rain on magnolia trees.
The symbol of this modern perfume is an American modern dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis. She is not only a very talented performer, but also very feminine.
Divine Dancer is an ethereal, watercoloured, light, fresh, feminine floral perfume. It is modern and vivacious fruity floral scent .
The Divine Dancer perfume is dedicated to one of the first American modern dance and ballet performers Ruth St. Denis.
Her vibrant and spirited art of dance, influenced by the East and South Asia, her divine body move and incredible costumes made Ruth St. Denis a worldwide well known star. Her body projects as Temple of femininity.
When the dancer emerged from the darkness of the stage, her presence was immediately captivating, the air suddenly fragrant with her appearance. Adorned in jewels from head to toe, radiant in a special gold sari, her hair crowned in jasmine, she is an embodiment of divine feminine, mirroring the images of goddesses of Lakshmi and Saraswati but with the talented Ruth St. Denis touch of modern dance and ballet movement.
Fougère Royale by Houbigant £175.00
- Key notes:
- bergamot
- carnation
- clary sage
- fougere
- geranium
- oakmoss
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- vintage/old school
- woody
Created by Master Perfumer Paul Parquet in 1882, Fougère Royale completely revolutionized the world of perfumes and established modern perfumery as it exists today. As well as creating an entirely new fragrance family, Parquet had succeeded in extracting isolated, synthetic molecules from natural, raw materials. In the dedicated pursuit to expand olfactory palettes with novel, new aromas, he’d derived coumarin from the tonka bean in a worldwide premiere. In its mission to authentically replicate the original, regal masterpiece from centuries past, the reengineered formula cultivates refined, prestigious raw materials of the highest quality and provenance. This masterfully revamped Fougère Royale retains its elegant, noble, refined pulse and its pleasant, pastoral beauty.
The perfectly-blended perfume is redolent of green and fragrant foliage with densely shaded woodlands. Sweet green grasses suggest the freshly-released essences of a crushed and dewy verdure, with an intense hint of newly-mown hay.
Fougère Royale’s nuanced scent composition opens with a vibrant, sparkling cocktail of bergamot, lavender and Mediterranean herbs. The heart follows, with floral-spicy Rondeletia accord, rare in most perfumes. Opening into rich geranium and warm spices. A floral intermezzo showcases rare rose essences and absolutes, spiked by pepper, cinnamon and carnation. Finally, a grand finale of earthy, ambery and woody harmonies, where moss notes join a sensual patchouli enriched by warm coumarinic undertones of tonka beans and clary sage absolute.
Vladimir by Carine Roitfeld £190.00
- Key notes:
- bergamot
- fougere
- geranium
- orris (iris root)
- sage
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- vintage/old school
- woody
Your hand guiding me in a firm but gentle hold, we slipped into the wings of the Mariinsky theatre. While the dancers warmed up to the sound of Tchaikovsky, you lent towards me and tenderly kissed my cheek, enveloping me in a sweet, lingering aroma of incense.
A story of contrasts finding its inspiration in Carine’s Slavic roots. The story of a family, of love and transmission. Vladimir is the name of Carine’s son. The contrasting ingredients of orris, incense and amber blow hot and cold, express rigor and fluidity. The fragrance opens with the icy effect of grapefruit and natural bergamot enveloped in the aromatic notes of French sage. The heart reveals the spicy notes of natural cedar and Egyptian geranium. Then arrives the warmth of Moroccan orris, a modern leathery note and a complex ambery accord composed of sensual, woody, vanilla notes.
Cashmere Beige by MINT £170.00
- Key notes:
- mandarin
- musk
- petrichor
- tonka beans
- violet
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- transparent
- unconventional
Purple line
Perfumer: Karine Vinchon
A beautiful floral abstraction, sheer delight for the olfactive imagination: is it a lilac, or spicy carnation or all the aromas of many humble meadow flowers mixed in the spring rain?
The shady cool and crisp orris (made very dry with cedar and tonka) offers a floral riddle which every nose solves in his or her own way.
Unframe by Stereotype £130.00
- Key notes:
- cedarwood
- sandalwood
- violet
- Aromagroups:
- woody
In the beginning, there was confinement. Arbitrary walls and borders. Then you woke up, and you were no longer locked in a box you didn’t make. Now you’re in a forest temple breathing in the heart-opening smells of sandalwood, spices and violet leaf. No one will contain you ever again.
Perfumer: Angéline Leporini
Campus by Molinard £65.00
- Key notes:
- geranium
- lavender
- patchouli
- pineapple
- sandalwood
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- woody
Campus is the 'bon vivant' moment in Molinard's historical collection, first created in 2004 it sparks adventurous pineapple and calms into luxurious tones of Provençal Lavender. It conjures an air of freedom and elegance. Beautiful geranium and woody notes from amber and sandalwood makes Campus nothing short of charm in perfume form.
DIA x MEG WEBSTER by Comme Des Garcons £250.00
- Key notes:
- carrot seeds
- geranium
- mineral accord
- mushroom
- myrrh
- sandalwood
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- marine
- woody
This collaboration with Dia Art Foundation and American artist Meg Webster is an earthy, layered scent. Notes of geranium and frankincense sit on top of a mushroom accord that feels plucked from the dirt. Madagascar patchouli and sandalwood envelop green organic notes.
Meg Webster is best known for her sculptures composed of salt, earth, sand, and other natural materials, powerful statements built to disintegrate. The dramatic silver pyramid packaging is a work of art in itself, referencing Webster’s sculptural vocabulary. The mirrored surface nods to ephemeral encounters with nature, while the bracketed pictogram emblazoned on the packaging references a motif from her early works.
Perfumer : Emily Coppermann
Dodo Jackfruit Edition 2023 by Zoologist £200.00
- Key notes:
- geranium
- jackfruit
- orange blossom
- orris (iris root)
- sandalwood
- tumeric
- Aromagroups:
- green
- woody
The sun sparkled across rippling waves, its morning dance upon the Indian Ocean rousing the dodos from their carefree slumber. Stumbling drunkenly across the forest floor they feasted on overripe fruit where it lay, dropped for them by the lush island paradise that nurtured them. For generations, the predator-free and bountiful shores lulled them into such a state of complacency that their wings grew idle, and flight was lost – even to memory. Ultimately evolution would betray them, but while it lasted, the dodos enjoyed an existence marked by ease and comfort.
In Zoologist Dodo, notes of jackfruit and bergamot border a winding path dappled with aromatic turmeric and pink pepper. Venture along it to the heart of an island forest where hints of powdery orris emerge from beneath a potpourri of lavender, geranium, and orange flower. Soothed by the comforting florals, you’ll soon surrender, sinking into the loam where woody tonka and sandalwood sprout from an earthy base of patchouli and vetiver.
Perfumer: Yves Cassar
Habanita by Molinard £90.00
- Key notes:
- geranium
- oakmoss
- rose
- sandalwood
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- vintage/old school
- woody
A perfume formula originating in 1921 and still in production and demand. It has of course been adapted to modern tastes and industry rules.
It still features the materials and design that made it famous: a drop of French rose, a pinch of geranium, mixed with oakmoss and wrapped in smooth sandalwood. It’s an elegant sugar free rose perfume with musky, bitter woody background.
style.
Molinard has also developed several versions of this iconic blend: Habanita Edition Exclusive (less rose more amber), Habanita L'Esprit (a fresh floral with mimosa layered over the rose) and Habanita La Cologne (a crisp cologne with most focus on oakmoss and vetiver).
About Violetta by Penhaligon's
- What makes Violetta different from the fragrances listed here?
- Violetta is characterised by its distinctive combination of violet, musk, and cedarwood alongside green geranium and bergamot. Most listed fragrances share some of these notes but often substitute or add other elements like fougère, tropical fruits, or spicy accords, which changes the overall scent profile.
- Which fragrances here are best for someone who likes fresh floral scents with a woody base?
- No. 89, Campus, and Unframe all balance fresh floral notes like geranium or violet with woody bases such as sandalwood and cedarwood, making them suitable choices for those who appreciate a fresh yet grounded floral scent.
- Are any of these fragrances similar in character to Violetta’s powdery violet note?
- Divine Dancer, Cashmere Beige, and Unframe highlight violet prominently, capturing Violetta’s soft powdery floral nuance. However, each interprets the violet differently, with Divine Dancer leaning towards lush florals, Cashmere Beige offering freshness, and Unframe a clean minimalism.









