Les Légendaires

Insolence 2008 Eau de Parfum

Insolence (Eau de Parfum) by Guerlain
Bottle Design:
Serge Mansau
We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.
Ranked 95 in Women's Perfume
8.0 / 10 654 Ratings
A popular perfume by Guerlain for women, released in 2008. The scent is floral-powdery. Projection and longevity are above-average. It is being marketed by LVMH.
Pronunciation
We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.

Main accords

Floral
Powdery
Sweet
Fruity
Woody

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
Red berriesRed berries
Heart Notes Heart Notes
VioletViolet IrisIris Orange blossomOrange blossom
Base Notes Base Notes
Tonka beanTonka bean SandalwoodSandalwood WoodsWoods

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
8.0654 Ratings
Longevity
8.5552 Ratings
Sillage
8.1553 Ratings
Bottle
8.2534 Ratings
Value for money
7.6206 Ratings
Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 07/21/2025.
Interesting Facts
The fragrance is part of the "Les Légendaires" collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Insolence (Eau de Toilette) by Guerlain
Insolence Eau de Toilette
Insolence (Extrait) by Guerlain
Insolence Extrait
Celeste by Giardini di Toscana
Celeste
Love in Idleness by Atkinsons
Love in Idleness
Iconic (Eau de Parfum) by Michalsky
Iconic Eau de Parfum
Rendez-Vous by Téo Cabanel
Rendez-Vous

Reviews

29 in-depth fragrance descriptions
10
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
9
Scent
FloraMilena

47 Reviews
FloraMilena
FloraMilena
Very helpful Review 8  
Insolence EDP
The nuclear bomb of violets has been dropped to earth and detonated. This unapologetically magnificent Queen-B of violets has swept in and decimated everything in her wake. The fantastic sillage leaves all the Poisons, Aliens, Opiums, Angels, and even Giorgio in the dust. The usual shy, shrinking violet has shown her true colors. And that color is a blinding neon-amethyst-supernova-implosion-plasma-PURPLE! Hurrah!!! The spiral construction of this scent really is amazing. This intriguing mix of fruits, florals, spices, and woods weaves in on itself over and over again so that the whole composition shines forth splendidly for the entire duration of its endless longevity. The top and middle notes maintain their fearless purple power even as the whole distinctly Guerlain base fully unfolds, resulting in a fascinatingly complex scent that is at once bewitchingly heady yet intriguingly deep. Tonka bean imparts just a tad more spicy complexity to the base and a less cloying sweetness than simple vanilla. Earthy iris and elegant sandalwood anchor the base with a regal depth.

I happen to adore violets, berries, iris, rose, orange blossom, and sandalwood. I cannot rejoice enough that there has finally been created a fresh, opulent, powerhouse woody-violet floral scent that is of low sweetness, but luxuriantly rich and complex, yet still with no need for animalics, patchouli, citrics, or vanilla.

It’s remarkable really. On my skin, this is a lushly shadowed grove of violets standing proudly in the damp evening earth, their petals dripping with the crystalline drops of a recent refreshing rain, amplifying the flowers’ scent in the early evening, wafting purple enchantment through the mossy ancient forest …..little animals and mysterious night creatures are starting to stir in the lingering mist. Dreamy, mesmerizing, takes me to another world. I just love this one. Standing ovation for Guerlain here. This IS a masterpiece.
2 Comments
Yenn

34 Reviews
Yenn
Yenn
Very helpful Review 2  
The insolence of smelling beautiful
I can't believe I havent made a review to this one! Perhaps because I don't have much to say about it: it is straight forward parma violet sweets. It is linear, but this is the only perfume in the world where I dont mind it because the smell is gorgeous. It has good potency and duration.

It has this gothic feminine melancholic fairy princess thing that it makes it so versatil for me who I love gothic perfumes with a touch of mistery but not too much darkness that it is a safe reach for me because also it is clean, which is difficult in "gothic" perfumes.

"Purple" perfumes can be sad and dull but this one has a vivacity it makes it sexy and beautiful.
It used to be my signature and it is my most complimented perfume. During hot weather I couldent stand it though, it smells like a grey melted viscouse burned plastic. Ughh. And this winter I havent used it as much because for some reason it hasnt recovered totally yet for the summer phase... But yesterday, the first warm day after the cold of winter I wear it and I loved it. I discovered the powdery faccets I hadnt found yet in this perfume! It was powdery like expensive purple make up but I love that, so.. now I like this under warmer days? Perfumery is so misterious and alchemical to me xD!
0 Comments
Omni

70 Reviews
Omni
Omni
Helpful Review 3  
Brambles and Berries
I spent some time wearing Apres L'Ondee, L'Heure Bleu and Insolence to find that rainbow connection to LHB, but my system records the overall similarity to be most akin to Apres L'Ondee. I've even taken to wearing one single puff of Insolence EDP to the cleavage with Apres L'Ondee behind the ears, some sprayed into my hair, which acts as a good fixative, diffuser. Hawthorn comes through, the scent of the hedgerow, and you know that nobody within miles is wearing the same fragrance. Tomorrow, however, I won't have the fortitude to wear it again; these Guerlain fragrances are challenging, as many have noted. The fact that I can successfully layer Apres L'Ondee with Insolence EDP allows me to enjoy both fragrances a great deal more, toning down the strident Insolence and adding berries to the wistful wonderland that is Apres L O. If we stop to think about it, berries are a natural fit with the Ode to Spring, so thanks to Maurice Roucel, I have found another brambled path in which to enjoy a classic Guerlain
0 Comments
10
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
10
Scent
Briarthorn

91 Reviews
Briarthorn
Briarthorn
Helpful Review 4  
Not your "classic" violet scent
For me it opened with a cloud of "stuff" no one note coming through, then after a moment I got the smell of a "ripe" violet. Not candied and powdery but "ripe". I am assuming the berries behind it gave it that interesting dimension. The violet in this is warm, not cool like most violets. After wearing it awhile it warmed up with the sandalwood and the honeyed scent of Orange blossom behind the violet. This mellowed the violet a bit more, which kept the whole thing from feeling to linear. The dry down introduced the Tonka bean, giving yet another dimension to the violets. This stuff lasts all day.

This is definitely not a "classic violet" scent. It does not follow the traditional violet trajectory even though violet is consistently the main note throughout. The scent is continually evolving on the skin during the course of the day giving the violets different dimensions and preventing the linear trap many violets find themselves in. Lovely.

It's a bit too strong for me to wear everyday, without growing tired of it, but it is really an excellent addition to the rotation of a violet and gardenia lover like myself. It shakes things up a bit.

Oct
08
2013
0 Comments
9
Bottle
9
Sillage
8
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Jazzy76

320 Reviews
Jazzy76
Jazzy76
Helpful Review 3  
The shy violet dares
Violets are the first spring flowers: they seems like shy, humble, they remind to a discrete and just suggested feminity, they appear in the classic eaux de cologne and in historical scentes like Viletta di Parma and similar. I could associate the violet to the famous painting of the lady with the parasol and to White and pastel lace clothes.
But the violet contained in this wonderful creation by Guerlain is another thing: yes, sir, the shy violet became unhibited and very sexy with a strong character and and intoxicating effect.
I must confess that just a few months ago I didn't like so much this fragrance, because I 'm not a great violet scent lover. But something has recently changed smelling again this eau de parfum.
First of all I perceived the red berries scent, round and fruity, making me think of the good season, but immediately the main actress arrives: a strong violet note , vibrant like a soprano solo, intense, provocative, almost "insolent" , just like the scent name suggests.
This flowery and intoxicating note is harmonized in a warmer accord made of Woods and a quite gourmand tonka bean, lasting on the skin for many hours and revealing more and more a quite velvety and vanilla drydown.
A hymn to feminity, perfect to wear in the spring nights or in those cold first days of early spring.
The new but historical decorated bottle with the bees (the bee , "l'abeille", is the symbol of the Maison Guerlain) is a glass art masterpiece and gives a more precious character to this great classic of the contemporary perfumery. The price is obviously high, but I think that this one is a must have in a perfumes collection.
So, if the violet dares....dare the violet!
2 Comments
More reviews

Statements

14 short views on the fragrance
Mariyam1975Mariyam1975 7 months ago
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
8.5
Scent
I smell nothing but violet syrup or violet candies and I'm not mad at it as I adore both!
0 Comments
Jazzy76Jazzy76 7 years ago
9
Bottle
9
Sillage
8
Longevity
8.5
Scent
The shy violet becomes uninhibited and very sexy, with fruity touches and a woarm base. The sillage is fantastic and strong. Precious bottle
0 Comments
mina909mina909 2 months ago
10
Bottle
7
Sillage
9
Longevity
9
Scent
A gorgeous scent for a rainy day, especially if it's a little bit humid. The flowers really bloom in that sort of weather.
0 Comments
AnneraAnnera 7 months ago
8
Sillage
7
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Candied violets and a LOT of powder. It's beautiful, classic, elegant and otherworldly. Stopped smelling like a hairspray after maturation.
0 Comments
AcantheaAcanthea 1 year ago
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
8
Scent
Elegant iris without the usual sterile coldness. Orange blossom and tonka add some warmth and girliness here.
0 Comments
KenyettaCKenyettaC 6 months ago
6
Bottle
6
Sillage
6
Longevity
4.5
Scent
I didn't like this at all. It really does smell like Sweet Tarts... and I don't like that, LOL.
0 Comments
PerfumeBorePerfumeBore 8 months ago
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
5
Longevity
10
Scent
Imagine powder scented with strawberry marshmallow, vanilla, iris and violets. Also, it smells just like old formulations of the Meteorites!
0 Comments
IrinaSpalkoIrinaSpalko 1 year ago
Strong syrupy violet same as in Latin American baby perfume. It is similar to Apres L'ondee, but without the clove and more violet.
0 Comments
Wisteria5Wisteria5 4 months ago
a powdery light spring violet with lilac. You won’t like it if you don’t like violet. I combined it with a green fig aromatic and it’s BANGIN’‼
0 Comments
AncastaAncasta 1 year ago
8
Sillage
8
Longevity
9
Scent
Parma Violet sweets and Elnett hairspray. The lilac lacquered vibe of Heather Locklear's character in Melrose Place. Glorious.
0 Comments
More statements

Charts

This is how the community classifies the fragrance.
Pie Chart Radar Chart

Images

62 fragrance photos of the community
More images

Popular by Guerlain

L'Homme Idéal (Eau de Parfum) by Guerlain Angélique Noire by Guerlain Cuir Béluga (Eau de Parfum) by Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain Mon Guerlain (Eau de Parfum) by Guerlain L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme (Eau de Parfum) by Guerlain Tonka Impériale by Guerlain Shalimar (Eau de Parfum) by Guerlain L'Instant Magic (Eau de Parfum) by Guerlain L'Homme Idéal Extrême by Guerlain Habit Rouge (Eau de Toilette) by Guerlain L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme (Eau de Toilette) by Guerlain Mon Guerlain (Eau de Parfum Intense) by Guerlain Vetiver (Eau de Toilette) by Guerlain L'Heure Bleue (Eau de Parfum) by Guerlain Santal Royal (Eau de Parfum) by Guerlain Bois d'Arménie by Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic by Guerlain Mitsouko (Eau de Parfum) by Guerlain Héritage (Eau de Toilette) by Guerlain L'Homme Idéal Cologne by Guerlain