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· May 15, 2008 1:10 AM by
Colleen Shirazi
· May 15, 2008 1:17 AM by
Dain
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Posted by Dain, Thursday, May 15, 2008 12:06 AM (Eastern)
Though the showy tuberose was my first entry into florals, the iris is without a doubt my favorite flower, a mistress of subtleties: refined, thoughtful, and quietly sensuous—still waters run deep. Because of its density, it sinks down amongst the base notes, adding a characteristic suppleness to the drydown. An iris-centric perfume is never really loud and lighthearted; they tend to be austere, serious, and perhaps a little introverted. When combined with vetiver, it takes on an earthy, vegetal quality that you'll encounter in Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist and the EDT of Chanel No. 19, the olfactory equivalent of spider's silk, ethereal but strong. (Lovely if it works for you, but to me it smells like peppery mirepoix.) When it hangs around a resinous, leathery base, as in Parfumerie Generale Iris Taïzo, Dior Homme, Parfum d'Empire Cuir Ottoman, and Guerlain Vol de Nuit, it becomes a suave, silky-voiced thing. The iris is not a particularly flowery aroma (it's extracted from the roots), so Hiris took me by surprise. This smells more or less like Montale Sunset Flowers—less substantial, more synthetic laundry musks, and much, much cheaper and widely available. It is carefree and picnicky and youthful, with rather a lot of orange blossom, all cleaned up by a PR crew for the floral-wearing public. If I hadn't known it was Hermès and Olivia Giacobetti and iris I wouldn't have glanced at it twice, when the textural elegance of Narciso Rodriguez does it so much better. My opinion is certainly colored by my hypersensitivity to soap and sweet, which automatically registers as a bland-floral-fresh thing, but all the same I find it rather spiritless. Were I looking for a fresh, unobtrusive iris scent that's neither rooty nor deep, Prada Infusion d'Iris would be far better.
Labels: beauty notes, hermes, perfume reviews
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May 15, 2008 1:10 AM,
Iris Steensma! I liked that movie. Saw it in the cinema.
May 15, 2008 1:17 AM,
One of the great American films, definitely. Though Travis Bickle makes me rather uncomfortable; it's hard not to identify with him, perturbing as that is. Seems almost a shame to pair with such a lackluster perfume, though Hiris has its fans, I hear.
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