Man, itâs been a hot minute since I touched my sample of Boadiceaâs Violet Sapphire. I finally sprayed it on again to go out yesterday, and holy shit, it reminded me why this is easily one of my favorite scents of all time. The smell is just pure crack. People say it leans feminine (I only have read this from dudes online, but in person no oneâs told me this), but honestly? On a guy, this stuff is an absolute powerhouse and smells incredibly addictive.
I know I used to group it together with Erba Pura, but after doing a side-by-side comparison again recently, Erba Pura doesnât even stand a chance. Yeah, theyâre in the same ballpark since theyâre both sweet, loud Oriental scents, but Violet Sapphire blows it out of the water because of that Cambodian Oud note. To my nose, it actually feels a lil more masculine and wearable for a guy than Erba Pura.
Plus, Erba Pura is just a flat, one-note wall of scent from start to finish. Violet Sapphire actually takes you on a journey and morphs on your skin.
The opening is just loud as hellâthis bright, mouth-watering blast of raspberry and passionfruit sorbet. Itâs aggressive, but in the best way possible. Then, around the second hour, those crazy tropical fruits dial back and this incredibly sexy, velvety red rose and jasmine mix starts coming through. That middle phase is pure quality and hangs around foreverâeasily four or five hours.
But the real magic is the dry down. It settles into this smooth, rugged woodiness and a rich, ambery warmth, topped off with a touch of that Cambodian oud. And donât worry, itâs not that nasty, funky barnyard kind of oud. Itâs a super clean, expensive, and crisp version that just smells elevated.
The longevity is honestly just amazin. Iâm not even joking, I tried to scrub this stuff off my arm in the shower with soap and a loofah, and I could still smell it on my skin afterwards. Absolute masterpiece.
And of course, everyone kept sayin, âWow, what are you wearing??â âOmg, you smell soo good.â I wear fragrances for me, but itâs a win win when not only do you love it, but everyone round me does too. I love this dna so much lol⊠And Duaâs version "Purple Sapphireââ is matchin wit identical beastmode projection, longevity, and sillage!