Kikita here. Back in Cali and (mostly) recovered from my jet lag.
And smelling FABULOUS!
While I was still in Miami, I followed some nifty (yes, nifty) advice and took Mami and myself to Sentir Cubano in hopes of finding my much desired Cuban music.
Well, they did not have the coveted Cuban Music I was looking for (I had something very especific in mind), but they did have THIS:
Yes, the much sought after VIOLETAS! There it was in all it’s golden glory. I swear I heard a choir of angels the moment I laid eyes on those beautiful bottles.
Then I paused. It was too good to be true . . . I had thought these bottles always came in boxes . . . and the top was shorter, to twist off . . . Could it be? NO! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!
Royal Violets in a PLASTIC bottle!
BUT WAIT! IT GETS BETTER!
This beautiful plastic bottle I was holding in my hand is ESPRAY BOTTLE! Like regular perfume!
I was beyond excited. (Especially since now I didn’t even have to face the Winn Dixie produce guy and see the offensive oranges)
I eventually found a record store and got my music, but it was kind of anti-climatic after finding a treasure like Royal Violetas in spray form at Sentir Cubano.
Thanks for the tip people, I couldn’t have done it without you!
That’s great Kikita!!! Glad you found it…..and at Sentir Cubano no less. I sent you there for music, but didn’t have a clue that they would have the Royal Violets. Remember the skinny neck on those original glass Royal Violets bottles? Here’s a story for you…I remember when I was around five years old, and I say five because we left Cuba when I was five. So it must have been a little before that, since I don’t think I can remember younger than that. Heck, I can’t remember yesterday. LOL!!!! But that’s not important right now. ๐ I remember playing with my cousins in my parent’s bedroom and me drinking the Royal Violets Cologne. I know, sounds awful, but I remember doing that. Other than lavishing my girls with the Royal Violets as a baby, drinking it as a child is what comes to mind when I see the bottle. LOL!!!!!Welcome back.
Whew! Saved from the Winn Dixie produce guy! He would have proposed to you at first sight for sure and things could have gotten awkward.
Ody,You DRANK it and lived to tell the tale? LOL!
(I still have an old school long-necked glass bottle, but it’s empty now.)
CF,
There was a viejo at the counter of Sentir Cubano who was hitting on me . . . and yeah, it got a little awkward.
He asked what kind of music I was looking for and told me where to go, who to ask for, “and tell them Lazaro sent you.”
And all in front of my mother!
Mario,It’s a lot of spray. The dousing still happens. It is a dousing spray (if you will). Yes, I was disappointed with the plastic bottle and the end of childhood memories, but maybe they still have the glass bottles somewhere . . . like the Winn Dixie or Publix.
Besides, I love a man who smells like Violetas. I know it’s supposed to be for babies, but I don’t think anyone can go wrong wearing it.
Pam,
Techinically, Violetas is for babies. But, as you can see, we all love to wear it. I hope you enjoy it as much as the rest of us do!
Love you!
Thanks for the link! I went right over and bought one based on your rave review, and I bought a bottle of cooking wine, and some bitter orange! Can’t wait to see if it comes marked HAZMAT! (reference to a blog entry of mine) Thanks for the entry! I’ll let you know when I receive/wear it! Love you!
QUE? NOOOOOO!! Plastic?? Spray?? NOOOOO!! Agustin Reyes should be ashamed of themselves! How dare they mess with a Cuban’s childhood memories. My Dominican friend went to the Dominican Republic a couple years ago and brought me some back. In the REAL bottle. It’s almost gone. I love this stuff. Flowery, yes, but men like it too.So now I have to deal with plastic? And don’t they know that Las Violetas are meant to be doused in…not SPRAYED?!
I suppose plastic spray Violetas is better than NO Violetas.
Glad you found some.
XO
M El De Michigan
I recently found some Florida Water and IT was now in plastic too. What’s the world coming to?
Sorry I missed you and your family, Kikita:) Glad you have your violetas. I have a full stock here in Auburn. There’s nothing like the old fashioned bottle, though. That cold splash in the palm of your hand, and la tapita that always goes flying. Que rico.
Glad you found it Kikita, this is probably sacrilegious, but I also use it for air freshener, and in place of frebreeze. What can I say, I love the scent! Also, a good source for musica is descarga.com, they have everything.
This is just a post I felt compelled to write to you about. I LOVE the Violetas. Every time that I go to Miami I stock up on about 15 bottles. You should know that they have it in all its glass glory at Navarro.But, one of my all time fave violetas cologne is the one with the bizarre picture of the little cuban girl in her bra-lette and it has a purple tint. I can’t remember who makes it. I live in Texas now and I can buy Agustin Reyes at the Walgreens in the latino neighborhoods but they charge $4.99 a bottle. What a disgrace.
I found your blog through a friend on Facebook. He posted a link to it on his page.Glad to see you revel in your Cuban family and Cuban culture.
Also glad to see you’ve FOUND Royal Violets. I guess I’ve been pretty lucky. Having grown up in New Jersey (my family and I also came from Cuba in 1961) and now in Miami for more than 17 years now, Royal Violets has always been available. Only for two years when I lived in Philadelphia was the cologne not easy to find. I had it “imported” from New Jersey by my mother-in-law. It was very important to have it back then because my first daughter had just been born. No self-respecting Cuban baby would even think of leaving the house — much less get through the day — without a spritz or dousing of this coveted cologne.
To me, it smells of childhood, when things were sweeter, lighter, golden, and it always brings back fond memories.
Yay! You found it!!!! Congrats!! :o)Erika from Miami in NC
I just came across this blog and wanted to say “thanks” to all – I was googling “royal violetas” because I am 3 months pregnant and wanted to make sure I have plenty waiting for our baby.I am so glad I read this because I was thinking of THROWING OUT a really old bottle that I have – it is a completely full bottle in the original box, but it has to be at least 15 years old, and I am not sure I can use it… Now that I know the bottles have been changed, I will keep mine and put fresh cologne in it. Thanks for stopping a big mistake!
Royal Violets still available in glass bottle: http://sugardaisy.stores.yahoo.net/rovieaudeco.htmlRight after my recent post I found a link from the Agustin Reyes web site to this store. I know this is an old conversation, so I hope some of you see it..
Girl, they carry violetas at Family Dollar down here for 3.99. I almost had a seizure.. ๐