08.02.07
Après l’Ondée
by Guerlain
, 1906
It’s hard to be snarky about violets, they’re soft and purple-smelling, and are about the only choice if you want to say “innocent” without cloying sweetness, tho historically, they apparently mean something else. Après l’Ondée (After the Heavy Rain) is all about violets, it’s got violets out the wazoo! Picture that for a moment….
Remember the end of “Poem, or Beauty Hurts Mr. Vinal” by e. e. cummings?
. . .
perpetually crouched, quivering, upon the
sternly allotted sandpile
–how silently
emit a tiny violetflavoured nuisance: Odor?ono.
comes out like a ribbon lies flat on the brush
. . .