What's In a Name? Marc Jacobs Daisy

What do you think of when you think of "Daisy?"

Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's upcoming take of The Great Gatsby.
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Daisy Buchanan, perhaps? Resplendent in 20's era furs and beads and glamour? She doesn't really fit the idea of a daisy in my head - I think of those as more commonplace, ordinary flowers.

Daisies.
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These are daisies, with their many petals and oft-times invasive presence. They're not necessarily a flower I find attractive or beautiful (although brightly colored gerbera daisies are very cheerful!) so I wasn't sure what to expect when I brought out my sample of Marc Jacobs' Daisy perfume.

Sephora says it has notes of "Strawberry, Violet Leaves, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Gardenia, Violet Petals, Jasmine Petals, Musk, Vanilla, White Woods" and the description is: "Enter the world of Daisy: fresh and feminine, with a playful innocence. At the heart of Daisy is a floral with vintage edge: violet. Sophisticated, with a touch of whimsy, violet captures the eclectic, vintage flavor of Marc Jacobs' feminine, edgy designs. Always elegant, always enchanting - but not too serious - Daisy is a sparkling floral bouquet, spirited and fresh, wrapped in comfort and warmth."

It is essentially a violet fragrance. I can see the connection; violets do seem kind of old-timey to me - vintage violet - or what not, and this does seem modeled after the twinkle and flash of the jazz era. But that time period, to me, has an underlying sultry, smoking persona underneath all of the lights, and that's not here at all.

The violet is green, and fresh; Daisy starts off with a citrus brightness, like Fitzgerald's iconic character - with an open charm that draws you in. It's a more traditionally feminine scent because it doesn't have the spice that grapefruit can have in other blends. This citrus is tamer, cleaner. Past that initial opening, Daisy is violet all the way - and then it's gone. It fades all too quickly - like the character herself.

I have a funny relationship with violet fragrances (see TF Violet Blonde here, and Flower by Kenzo here), so I've learned that I can't simply write off a note. It depends on the blend and the perfume format (solid, oil, eau de parfum). This time, I'm going to pass. If you're not usually into violet, this might be a nice gateway. If you're a violet lover, this won't be enough.