Reviews of Iris Ganache (2007)
by Guerlain

Iris Ganache is quite delicious. I've finally gotten around to purchasing a bottle. It's very unique, and different from the usual classic Guerlains. This is not for old ladies.

I've read nothing about Iris Ganache before trying it, but apparently the name alone set me up for disappointment. I was really hoping for a creamy, sweet Guerlain iris. What I got was a scrubber that at first reminded me (quite fondly, I may add) of Gaultier Classique and than turned into Angel meets Insolence. A deadly combination. Although not as "in-your-face" as the last powerhouse pair, Iris Ganache was still a scrubber. And I rarely use the term for any perfume: Persistent, cloying, overwhelmingly synthetic and chokingly sweet. I love Guerlain but their latest releases are for the most part a far cry from what they used to be. Even their other iris scent - Iris Fig - which started promising ended up with that persistent modernized Guerlinade that just hammers your nostrils until you can't anymore and must run to the sink to wash it off.

Although iris fragrances rarely work on me, a fellow perfumista highly recommended Iris Ganache so I decided to give it a whirl. During the first 10 minutes on my skin I was in love with Iris Ganache. The top notes smelled like the combined scent you smell when you walk into Laduree or Gerard Mulot in Paris and stand in front of their chocolate counter while next to you is a chic Parisian lady wearing a delicious iris-scented perfume. Absolute bliss. Then, the iris notes started creeping in and taking over and then their powderiness started to bug me. It reached a crescendo and after an hour, I had to wash it off. Which, I am very sorry about because for that first 10 minutes, Iris Ganache was a sweet slice of heaven.