Violet flower absolute, among the most expensive natural ingredients in the world, was made until the 1920s. Now, perfumers use the leaves. While there’s nothing floral about the leaves—I’d be hard put to detect violet flowers—they have a magnificence of their own. Along with galbanum, violet leaf is one of the greenest materials used in perfumery, but unlike essential oils, which are distilled, violet leaf is an absolute made by extracting the leaves with hexane and then evaporating it off.

Since the most lovely and memorable aromas are natural things, I present them as they are, untouched by chemical additives. I combine enough very pricy violet leaf absolute with pure drinking alcohol (ethanol) until the violet leaf comes through clear and green.

Tinctures of pure essential oils and absolutes are magnificent, but I must mention that my eaux fraîches don’t cling to the skin and they don’t last. They’re splendid room- and après-bain--fresheners and their aroma irresistible, but don’t spray yourself so you’ll smell good for a party. I always leave a bottle of eau fraîche in my guest bathroom. (My three other eaux fraîches—neroli (orange blossom), vetiver (green and gassy), galbanum (green and idiosyncratic)—are made in the same way.

Given the price of natural absolutes and essential oils, I probably won’t make these eaux fraîches again, they’d be too expensive. I do have a small stock I am selling here.