Iris Poudre (2000)
by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle

Quiet floral opening, followed by a delicate lipstick note and a sprinkle of powder, courtesy of aldehydes. As it settles on the skin, it projects a wonderful blend of clean ambery musk with nuances of florals and sandalwood.

IRIS POUDRE is probably Pierre Bourdon's tribute to Chanel's iconic No.5. It may be a little more demure and light on the iris but it conjures up a moment in London many years ago when an attractive female acquaintance greeted me in a way I least expected; I caught subtle florals as she approached, a whiff of powder as we embraced and a hint of lipstick from a chaste peck to my cheeks. Oh là là!

9th November, 2011.

Dame Barbara Cartland, step grandmother to the Diana princess of Wales might have worn this. I would not. Far too powdery, floral, pink and old lady for me.

25th January, 2011.

Can I wear a powdery iris -- not normally, but IP is saved by some sparkling aldehydes which lighten the load considerably. It is also imbued with a lovely tonka bean and vetiver mix at the end. However, the fragrance still exudes a rather feminine sweetness in my opinion -- very 'lipsticky' as others have stated and I wear among friends only (not lipstick). Beautifully constructed.

22nd September, 2010.

Iris Poudre is at once beautifully soft, yet cool and austere. Magnolia, jasmine and iris meet in an accord whose whole is far greater then the mere sum of its parts. Meanwhile, the powder half of Iris Poudre is rich, and almost creamy, the aldehydes neither too "pretty" nor too harsh.

The iris here is so deftly integrated that Iris Poudre does not necessarily read as an “iris” scent. That doesn’t diminish it one little bit in my esteem – it’s still a lovely floral. The development is marvelous, with sandalwood, powdery musk, and just a touch of vanilla sweetness underneath the lingering floral accord. Exquisite.

18th December, 2009.

A perfect balance of sweetness with a nice masculinity underneath the powder. It reminds me of... something. but I can't quite place it, although I don't get the Chanel No.5 reference at all, unfortunately. I love No.5 but it smells undoubtedly feminine to me. Iris Poudure, despite, yes, probably smelling like rich women of the 20's, never gave me a second thought towards it's suitability for me as a man. This is a revelation for me, perhaps because I wasn't expecting to love it like some of the more talked-about Frederic Malle's but I adore it. Incredibly beautiful in every sense.

11th November, 2009.

If anybody could be make a floral (an aldehydic one at that) that I'd consider wearing, it would be Pierre Bourdon. Great balance between the powdery elements and the iris. Normally floral scents go funky on my skin, as if to wilt and decy, but this one stays clean and true hours later. This house is quickly becoming one of my favourites.

18th October, 2009.