Iris Nobile (2004)
by Acqua di Parma

I could easily call it «Fiori Nobili”. On one hand, it is so disappointing to expect an Iris based scent, (especially when you have in mind scents like Iris Silver Mist and Dior Homme) and get a sweet, flower oriented instead. On the other hand, when these florals have quality and are beautifully blended with a minimum of spice and vanilla you get a nice fresh daywear feminine scent. Anise and white flower notes are easily detected at the top and the heart with the latter being more underlined. Subtle wood notes are added to compose a soft but not powdery base. No Iris in there but still nice.

Iris Nobile is, as MonkeyManMatt has stated, more about star anise ~ in the opening. With anise being such a love it or hate it type note, your appreciation for this frag will certainly depend upon how you take to star anise! I personally enjoy it, so you can guess I really like Iris Nobile! After the initial blast of anise, the rest of this scent is truly a partnership of orange blossom and iris. The notes waft back and forth from creamy to powdery, and the overall impression is totally feminine. Lightly fresh and slightly sweet, I can't imagine anyone finding IN offensive. Along with Prada's new Infusion d'Iris, Acqua di Parma has produced another winning iris perfume for us to enjoy! * 8/2009 as an update to this commentary I'd add that Iris Nobile is more about the orange blossom than iris...I'd liken it to Giorgio (of Beverly Hills) - you know, the one with the gold & white striped box. It is on the sweeter side of florals, and perfectly powdery too!

I think this smells very girlish but also finished and powerful -- like a young Queen Victoria might wear (I think this scent begs for a royal 'we'). Have smelled this on three or four people, and it's always lovely... though, like so many florals, the stuff gives me an almighty headache and I would never wear it (hence no thumbs-up).

I used to think that hermes hiris was unrivaled. but sampling this gave me somethings to rethink about. pleasantly sweet. the floral notes are one of the best ive experienced. Its nice and mild considering all the floral notes involved - which may also be the reason why the iris is not as noticeable as in hiris . still it deserves a thumbs up

Despite being labelled a feminine fragrance, there is little doubt in my mind that this can easily be worn by either sex. The opening few minutes are perhaps the only indicator of it being a feminine scent, with the dense floral accord providing a rich and exotic beginning. Despite its name, the Iris content is never dominant, it merely remains as a constant throughout the lifespan of the fragrance, and its presence gives it a wonderfully natural impetus. The drydown is simply sublime, a light, powdered finish, garnished with high grade vanilla. It has a subtle and suprisingly long existence on my skin, maintaining the delightful blend of light accords that it worked so effortlessly to achieve. This would be ideal for clement days in Spring and Autumn, when the heat is less of a factor. Along with Colonia, Acqua di Parma have produced another meisterwerk with Iris Nobile.

I enjoy this soft, floral-fresh fragrance. It gets a little candy-sweet in the midnotes, but dries down into a lovely scent. The freshness is more fresh like cotton than fresh like citrus. I would wear this on warm but not hot days during the spring and summer.