Reviews of Iss (2003)
by Laura Tonatto

Iss was a pleasant surprise. It opens with a strong lemon note that comes off as more vibrant and heady than many other classic citrus offerings. On my skin, this is a truly powerful scent. The grassy vetiver note sneaks in later into the development. This scent oozes class and stands out in a sea of other similar scents. The quality is excellent, lasting power and projection are unbelievable. Just when this fragrance starts to smell familiar, it takes surprising turns. Iss provides a very uplifting and sensual trail. I highly reccomend this fragrance. A true sleeper and a keeper!

Opens up with a very powerful vetiver/lavender/citrus fourgere scent. Perhaps a little synthetic smelling, but I think it might just be the lemon that makes me think this (as I often associate lemon with cleaning products). The lemon definitely dominates the top notes.

It dries down to a unexpected cinnamon and vetiver. Fairly warm.


It's nice, but nothing too exciting or unique.

Opens up really green like a fourgere but gives way into a really fine, clean vetiver. Refreshing.

Iss is a very direct citrus / vetiver scent – refreshing, clean, and linear. It’s citrus opening sparkles because of the refined accord of neroli, lemon, and Petitgrain: I’ve loved this combination in every fragrance in which I’ve met it, and this one is as well done as any I’ve encountered – maybe even better. The opening’s longevity is remarkable: the top notes hold on my skin, gradually lessening in intensity, for almost an hour. As the citrus weakens, the vetiver strengthens – metamorphing the citrus dominance into a warm, light wood base. There are occasional whiffs of a rich warm musk floating in and out of the cooler vetiver movement, providing spasms of sensuousness within the cleaner, fresher main themes of the fragrance. Iss is solid, clean, now-and-then sensual, long lasting, and, as is typical of the Laura Tonatto fragrances I’ve tried, it sends out a very healthy sillage. Great stuff, this.