Reviews of Bois d'Iris (2000)
by Different Company

For me the first whiff was like a lipstick-heavy smacker on the cheeks - it certainly left me pleasantly stunned for a few seconds. But this is really a minimalist yet sophisticated take on the iris and not surprisingly bears Ellena's signature ethereality. While far from smelling unpleasant, BOIS D' IRIS's rather intriguing presentation will never generate AdG-like sales nor find fans among sillage lovers. As a commercial release it takes considerable risks, pushes boundaries and explores a realm not many are willing nor able to venture into. Rather avant-garde.

i can agree with the comments that this is not the most long lasting fragrance but while it lasts it is magnificent. it has an otherwordly scent of clean sheets - doesn't smell like you are wearing a fragrance, more like you are wearing calmness and serenity.

Sadly I loved this for all of five minutes , Iris is not a smell I like but as this is root of Iris it's lovely . Then after five minutes on me it turned into pencil shavings . I might have bought a cheaper cedar heavy fragrance as that's the over-riding smell.

Flawlessly blended subtle iris scent supposedly with very high quality ingredients too. Simple yet also very rich scent with nice amount of undertones. It smells earthy, pretty and most definitely equally suitable for men and women.
It has a bit of Iris Silver Mist Light feel to it.


Quite much “can’t go wrong” scent for the fans of iris, but I definitely advice to avoid blind buys on this one, since the lasting power especially needs to be checked out how well it works for you.

On be this doesn’t last very long, although it’s not an actual disaster.

Nice scent, but for my part….I’ll pass because iris is not something I’m in love with.

Hmmm, this scent is definitely different! To start off with, you can obviously detect the floral [Iris] but only through the Earthy, musty, soil facet of the fragrance. To me, this scent is soft floral "top", then morphs very quickly into the aforementioned Earthy, musty, soil, root-y "heart note" which lasts for a good while ( a good six (6) to eight (8) hours); with a hint of floral still making a cameo appearance. Then as the scent starts to decline into it's dry down, the floral [Iris] reappears more prominently as a soft powdery character. I agree with Caltha in the fact that the Iris used in this fragrance gives the characteristics of more of a violet with it's cool, green, powdery facets. The sillage is strong [in a good way] and lasts on the skin, staying power lasts forever. This is a love-it-or-hate-it fragrance; it requires an acquired taste, it is an odd fragrance...I don't love it, but I don't hate it either.

eccentric is the word that comes to mind..this one is a unique, stark, myterious take on Iris which would take everyone by surprise. almost every scent that i have comes across with the Iris note seem to smell alike, one way or the other. But this is "Different?" the Different Company releases somethin different for sure. First thing that one would notice when this juice lands on skin is how transparent and effervescent the bergamot note is...now combine this with Iris, i cudnt even imagine how Iris would smell alongside Bergamot..with this it proves its a killer combination..a combination of twists and turns..soon the Iris warms up to the skin along with some vetiver...the bergamot and vetiver keep the Iris note from being overtly Powdery yet, iris manages to sneak out and envelopes the wearer in this wonderful domain. some woody notes sufarce by midnotes melting into Iris. JaimeB said it right, the combinations is stark and no, its not oriental, not by a mile. a must try for anyone remotely interested in Iris and most importantly, a wonderful scent.

Woods, iris and cumin. Oh, an iris that doesn't smell like lipstick to me (i.e. Dior Homme). Very nicely made. Love the woods in this.

The iris accord has proven to be the realm of the dream-makers. There are many fragrances utilizing this note that have become some of the truly spectacular creations of contemporary perfumers. I seek them out.
Sadly, I found Bois d'Iris not to be in that company. I realize that my criticism may have a broader net, whereby I simply do not care for JC Ellena's creations; too spare at the expense of an experience for me to pay much heed. He is a talented creator, I realize, but my tastes do not hold much regard for his work. It's like stopping overly long at a Schnabel when there are Caravaggios in the next room.
Specifically, Bois d'Iris is like a pale, sweet-ish iris note that goes woody without having done much dancing beforehand.

Jean-Claude Ellena engineered The Different Company's Bois d'Iris in his typical stark, minimalist splendor. Iris joins vetiver and bergamot in the top note; cedar, narcissus and geranium in the heart return to the theme of woods, white floral and rosaceous tones, but in a different modality, making the economy all the more striking; then just simple musk domination in the base. Bois d'Iris is rather stark, and a bit sharp to my nose, and perhaps this is due to the extreme balancing act on such a narrow base; no oriental notes here to round out the iris, and the vetiver gives its slightly sour grassy-woody head note to help throw this into a minor key. A very different iris, but an intriguing one.

Sweet, carroty, very delicate peppery top note. This is a highly realistic but somewhat thin orris. It smells lovely, like genuine orris butter.

TDC seems to me to cover all the bases and create "the best" with each type of scent it makes. Rose Poivree is easily one of the best rose scents available, Jasmin de Nuit takes the eponymous note in new directions, and Osmanthus is light, subtle, yet very warm and deep without being too floral.

Bois d'iris follows in this trend and, quite simply, creates one of the most unique, interesting, and inviting iris experiences on the market. I've had Hiris, I've had Dior Homme, I've had Prada Infusion d'iris and enjoyed them all, but none of them come close to this one. It's got the crispness of the others, the hint of luxe, but also that tiny touch of quirk that Ellena puts in all his signature scents that takes them to a higher level.

Simply a MUST for any fan of the Iris note.

Jean-Claude Ellena's scents don't always do very well for me, but Bois d'Iris is a major exception. When it first goes on Bois d'Iris is doughy - maybe even a little bit chocolaty - though not by any means gourmand. A crisp cedar note is quick to emerge, and this note lingers as the base for a very smooth floral/iris accord.

If a fragrance can be "velvety," this one is. This is a suave, civilized floral scent that emphasizes the buttery, rather than the rooty character of iris. It's versatile and very wearable: I can see it in the office or in the evening in any season, since its wood notes, while rich, are never ponderous. Bois d'Iris is surely unisex and quite lasting, with outstanding sillage and projection. A superior scent.

I usually like woody fragrances, but find thid too sharp and dry. reminds me of L'Artisans Dzongkha, but hasn't any incense. To me the hype is unjustified. It is rather boring and sooo not worth thre price. I am asking my husband to use this up as I would not choose to wear this again.

The iris note reminds me of violet: cool, green and powdery. I can see how this might be a beautiful, ethereal, springlike floral, but I don't really fancy it. I find it a bit artificial, a bit "shower product fresh" with a tiny bit of musty, plasticky sweetness added.

Do you know the arcade game Whack-a-Mole? A number of mechanical moles pop up from their respective dens in random order, and the player tries to hit a mole before it retreats to its hole. The notes in Bois d'Iris erupt and repeat randomly for me like the moles: fresh, dirty, sweet, spice, plastic, powder, a burnt odor. I know this is due to my "iris disability." Try as I will, I can get only a shadow of an impression of what iris (or violet, for that matter) is supposed to smell like. It took months of sampling to figure out this physiological handicap. So, I write this review not for the average researcher who is trying to find a favorite fragrance, but for the odd soul who, like myself, wonders why they just don't "get" what everyone is raving about.

A true incarnation of aged Iris root and other tender and masculine balance notes to form a FANTASTIC MASTERPIECE !!!
I get compliments from men and women on this and somehow has both a very clean but also very root/wood like character.
Sure kiddies, ' it sounds easy to get a really great wood and somewhat clean floral note together - but most of them just don't get there - this is perfection of brooding more root/earthy based undertones but never quite forgets the Iris and more bright accents that really make this beyond imagination to wear. I truly TREASURE this work of liquid love and art !!! 2 thumbs up !!!

The florals fade quickly on me, leaving lots of cardamom on a solid cedar base. Pumpkin pie baking in a wood stove on an autumn weekend in a cabin in New England. Testing-buddy's comments: multi-layered, clean-green, a pleasant bit of powder.

Bois d’Iris has an incredibly beautiful iris note brilliantly combined with the bergamot and vetiver. The cedar adds the barest hint of sharpness to the smooth iris-bergamot floral woodiness. I don’t get any spices. I get a very clear iris, without powder, infused with floral and a breath of green. Very linear—which, in this case, is wonderful—and long lasting. I don’t see the scent itself as being excessively feminine, but it does take a very feminine turn on my skin. So I wouldn’t wear it, but that’s all right—I’m not elegant enough to wear one like this, anyway. It is so fine—such a lovely, sensual, personal sophistication.

This is fabulous woody iris scent. Mysterious and deep. Soft and elegant. A little bit too spicy for me but I love it anyway.

Bois d'Iris is a wonderful blend of iris, vetiver, bergamote, tonka; with hints of cedarwood, narcissum, geranium and musk. The iris note is predominant. All in all, a woody, soft, elegant scent betwen Dior Homme (not as sweet) and Hermès Hiris (not as rough). Don't expect too much development from this, it's quite a linear fragrance; nevertheless very distinctive and its high quality is perceptible. Staying power is OK - could be a bit longer. Like all TDC scents, quite expensive - but in this case it's worth the money IMO.