Atkinsons
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Bright raspberry jam hits first, backed by violet leaf's green, slightly medicinal sharpness—reminiscent of crushed stems after rain. The citric bite of the raspberry cuts through almost immediately, establishing this as a fresh rather than gourmand opener, though the sweetness is already waiting in the wings.
The heart emerges around the thirty-minute mark as the raspberry fades, revealing a powdery iris-violet duet that's distinctly cosmetic—think vintage talcum powder mixed with fresh violet blooms. The heliotrope adds a creamy, almost almond-like sweetness that softens the iris's characteristic earthiness, creating an almost nostalgic prettiness.
By the fourth hour, the composition settles into its patchouli-moss base, which renders the fragrance noticeably softer and more whisper-like. The violet becomes more abstract, almost a memory, whilst the patchouli provides warmth without depth—a gentle, skin-scent finish that feels rather ephemeral.
Love in Idleness arrives as a violet-centric reverie that refuses to be confined by the floral category alone. Fabrice Pellegrin has crafted something altogether more tactile: a powdery-sweet composition that reads less like a traditional perfume and more like an olfactory fabric softener for the skin. The raspberry opening provides a tart, jammy counterpoint to the lush violet notes—Grasse violet leaf bringing that characteristic green snap, whilst the heart's Grasse violet bloom softens into something almost cosmetic, dusted with the delicate sweetness of heliotrope and the almond-like warmth of iris.
This is a fragrance that sits comfortably in the uncomplicated territory between fresh and gourmand, never quite committing to either. The patchouli base doesn't bring earthiness so much as a gentle anchoring sweetness, whilst the tree moss adds a whisper of greenery that prevents the composition from tipping into dessert-like territory. It's fundamentally feminine-leaning despite its unisex classification, evoking the aesthetic of someone who wears pressed florals in handmade perfume bottles and favours vintage fabrics.
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3.9/5 (246)