Sol de Janeiro was founded in 2015, and L'Occitane Group bought a majority stake in 2021, according to Premium Beauty News. For years the brand meant the yellow Bum Bum jar. Then in January 2024 it launched Delícia Drench Body Butter and the Cheirosa 59 perfume mist, and Marie Claire UK reported that the butter came out first, with the mist following on February 1. That purple jar is what most people mean when they search for purple Sol de Janeiro.

The name is a small history lesson. The brand says the 59 stands for 1959, the year João Gilberto released his first bossa nova album. Harper's Bazaar says the scent was made by perfumer Jérôme Epinette and was the brand's first woody fragrance. The notes on the brand site are velvet plum and sugared violet on top, vanilla orchid and whipped amber in the middle, and sandalwood and vetiver underneath.

On skin it reads warmer and less sugary than Cheirosa 62, the pistachio and caramel scent of the yellow jar. If 62 is a beach day, 59 is the evening after.

The first grid is Sol de Janeiro, the purple Delícia pieces plus the classics you may want to compare. The second grid is eight violet, plum and orchid scents that sit well next to the mist. My tip: layer the mist over the body butter on damp skin, so the scent has something to hold on to.

Cheirosa 59 Delícia Perfume Mist is the most reviewed purple piece here, a refillable mist for hair and body. Delícia Drench Body Butter is the whipped cream in the purple jar, with bacuri butter and hyaluronic acid, and the brand says it locks in moisture for up to 24 hours. Delícia Drench Shower Oil turns from oil to foam as you wash, and it is the easiest way to start the scent in the morning. CEW lists its launch as December 1, 2024, so it is the youngest of the three purple pieces.

The rest of the grid is the yellow side of the brand, so you can compare. Brazilian Bum Bum Cream is the one with more than ten thousand reviews, a fast-absorbing cream with guaraná in the Cheirosa 62 scent. The Cheirosa 62 mist and Body Badalada Lotion carry that same pistachio and salted caramel profile. Brazilian Kiss Cupuaçu Lip Butter is a dewy balm with cupuaçu and açaí.

Bum Bum Firmeza Oil is a body oil with guaraná caffeine for a firmer look. Warm it between your palms before you smooth it on, and give it a minute before you get dressed.

What I would skip: layering Cheirosa 59 with the 62 lotion on the same day. The caramel in 62 flattens the violet and plum, so keep the purple pieces together.

Valentino Born In Roma Purple Melancholia is the most reviewed perfume here, a warm floral with mirabelle plum, jasmine and vanilla. It is the closest in mood to Cheirosa 59. Dior Addict Purple Glow is sweeter, with powdery iris, candied raspberry and vanilla. Versace Dylan Purple is brighter, bitter orange and purple freesia over cedar.

TOM FORD Black Orchid is the dark one, with black truffle and patchouli, here in the 1.7 ounce bottle. Gucci Flora Gorgeous Orchid is a floral gourmand built on vanilla orchid, the same flower in the Delícia heart. Ellis Brooklyn Plum Tonic is fizzy plum nectar and mandarin. Dolce&Gabbana Dolce Violet has blackcurrant, violet and vanilla, and it is the lightest pick for daytime.

Gisou Lavender Berry Honey Infused Hair Perfume is the odd one out, a hair mist with lavender, blackberries and honey that also adds shine. Hair holds scent longer than skin, so a few sprays on the lengths carry the purple mood through the day without adding a second perfume to your wrists.

If you test these, spray one per wrist and one on a card, then walk away for an hour. Fruity florals change the most after the first ten minutes.

What I would skip: Black Orchid over the body butter. It is strong on its own, so wear it on clothes and let the purple jar stay on skin.

I think the purple Sol de Janeiro line works because it smells like dessert without turning cloying. Start with the butter and the mist, and add the shower oil if you want the scent to last into the evening. If you like it, the Valentino and the Gucci are the perfumes I would compare it with. If you want something lighter, try Dolce Violet first. And if the yellow jar is already your favorite, the shower oil is the easiest way to try the purple side without a full routine.