Back in Victorian times, if you received a posy of pansies, you could be sure someone was thinking of you. If it was a welter of purple lilacs, your suitor was hopelessly smitten. And if was a bunch of wild tansy, you'd best watch your back; the sender had officially declared war. Violets, on the other hand, have always occupied a more tranquil position in the floral lexicon as an enduring symbol of faithfulness and modesty. Ironically, though, the humble bloom is now serving as the olfactory centerpiece for Guerlain's Insolence ($61; sephora.com)--a distinctive new scent that's hardly for shrinking violets.

Created by master perfumer Maurice Roucel (the nose behind the brand's classic L'Instant), Insolence opens to an intoxicatingly nuanced blend of violet, orange blossom, and raspberry. Hints of lush rose and iris soon begin to intermingle with the violet followed by warm notes of sandalwood and white musk. Unlike many fragrances, Insolence doesn't seem to follow a linear progression on the skin (the violet, for example, is continually evolving based on its surrounding notes), and in contrast to most fruity-florals, the aroma has an air of sophistication more suited to women who are confident and somewhat complex than to the teen crowd.

But is it really insolent? Well, that all depends. Marketed as a "spiral accord," the scent could certainly be defined as brazen and edgy in its composition. Thankfully for the wearer, however, the end result is more unexpectedly lovely and quitely sensual than overtly brash. Interestingly, the face for the fragrance is Hilary Swank--a wildly talented actress who's made unconventional choices but, unlike most of today's A-list, has managed to maintain a modicum of modesty. --Tara Mattarazzo