Iris 39 (2006)
by Le Labo

This is a very nice iris fragrance. It starts off a little too floral for me with some green notes, but not over the top. After 1-2 hours it settles down quite a bit into a lovely iris note with hints of carrot notes as mentioned by other reviewers. It is a little on the rooty/earthy side, but all in all it is fantastically down.

8th February, 2012.

A remarkably green iris composition with the addition of a consistent carrot note, some herbal patchouli and spicy undertones. Austere but elegant, well crafted and completely satifying. Iris and carrot are bonded together to create a quite unique earthy-rooty accord of considerable beauty while flowery patterns (mainly violet and ylang-ylang) provide sophisticated nuances. Not much to add but if you're looking for a unisex/feminine Iris composition this is surely among the best available on the market.

10th December, 2011.

Le Labo IRIS 39 is one of the most iris-rich iris perfumes I've smelled, rivalling even APRES L'ONDEE in the density of this beautiful floral note. However, IRIS 39 also has a greenish carrot-top edge. I'm thinking that IRIS 39 may actually be the strict inverse of HIRIS, with the proportions of carrot tops and iris switched, making iris much more dominant in this composition than the carrot. Another notable distinction between these two greenish iris perfumes is that the carrots in Le Labo 39 appear to have been triple washed.

I'm not one to get all bent out of shape by iris perfumes with only low levels of iris present, since I think that it is perfectly valid to produce metaphorical perfumes and also to use iris as a complement or as one among a number of other equally important notes. I really don't think that any perfumer is under some sort of obligation to use hefty dosages of any note included in the perfume's name, including iris, just because it is so precious. That said, it seems to me that, with regard to this Le Labo composition, no such complaint can in any case be made.

I am quite fascinated by the fact that some noses find this creation to be richer in violets than in iris, which perhaps corroborates my inchoate theory about variable note salience from sniffer to sniffer. Well, that's another story. Suffice it here to say that I've been wearing a lot of violet quasi-soliflores of late (some quite green...), and this smells nothing like any of those to me!

This creation is beautiful, bountiful in iris with a touch of greenishness, and smells less earthy and carroty and more clean than HIRIS. Less powdery than APRES L'ONDEE, and more light and airy than IRIS NOBILE or BOIS D'IRIS. Yes, Le Labo IRIS 39 has managed to carve out its own little corner in the congested category of haute iris perfumes!

18th September, 2011. (Last Edited: 19th September, 2011.)

Ahh, the lure of the Iris... Especially when it beckons you with its seductive charms but stays just out of your reach. Perhaps that's what I love most about Le Labo's IRIS 39. That while it stays predominantly a green floral with warm ylang ylang and bitter violet leaf sitting on opposite ends, it only offers irises' earthy-carroty vibe to add some texture and act as a gossamer-thin bride's veil over what could be just another pretty green floral. No.19 or Diorissimo this is not, nor does it try to be for it simply doesn't need to; Iris 39 holds her own.

The civet note is on the 'neutered' side of things but I thought it is funky enough to placate seasoned, vintage-worshipping noses without alienating others with more contemporary tastes. Projection is ample, lasting 3-4 hours on skin before drying down to a softly sweet yet musky scent. I felt it wears rather similar to Chanel 31 rue Cambon so I suppose technically there is nothing groundbreaking. But Iris 39 is undeniably well-executed and is arguably one of Le Labo's most elegant. I'd wear it myself, conventions be damned.

11th September, 2011.

Iris has been a new-found obsession for me as of late. I'm currently on a mission to find the best iris scent for me to wear. As with most iris-based fragrances, they tend to be more suited to the warmer months and Iris 39 by Le Labo, is no exception.

Iris 39 opens very fresh and light. There is a touch of greeness that gives this fragrance that natural feel. To my nose, Iris 39 is very close in scent to a bunch of freshly picked irises placed right under your nose in a perfectly arranged bouquet. There is also a very slight watery note which only adds to the freshness of this fragrance.

Many reviewers speak of a prominent earthiness in Iris 39, which I never managed to detect. I found that once the iris and lime in the top notes had softened, the scent took on a rather soapy, clean-like quality.

Still lovely, but more like iris-scented soap, Iris 39 lost all of its previous uniqueness. The fragrance also becomes very faint, almost non-existant to an extent.

Iris 39 is lively, dewy and delicate, however the soapiness and then the poor lasting power deterred me from falling in love with this fragrance. Iris 39 has however encouraged me to try more from the Le Labo line. I am rather intrigued by their simplistic bottles and seemingly interesting interpretations of particular notes.

Iris 39 is an iris perfume for those that seek a soft, green and refreshingly Summery blend. Also anyone that desires clean scents, I would recommend Iris 39 to you.

4th September, 2011.

To me, this is a violet predominant fragrance, with iris being pushed fairly well to the background. For that reason, it started to get on my nerves after a while.
It opens nice and green, with some spices that make it very interesting. Ginger! This gives it a tang that was pleasant. But the iris never jumped out for me. It felt more soft floral, soft spicy floral. It was very airy and light throughout, until a hit of patch moves in to add some earthy weight. But overall, the violet still hangs on. So it is airy, green but slightly earthy. Never powdery nor rooty iris.
I just couldn't get along with this iris fragrance. One of the few iris themed fragrances that I disliked.
It gets a neutral because it is well constructed.

15th May, 2011.