Equistrius (2007)
by Parfum d'Empire

In Equistrius I found a sweet and gentle old friend, like someone who’s always ready to give you all kinds of comforts when you need it. It starts with just a whiff of green violets, then begins offering buttery, creamy, almost chewable iris, tinged with amber and chocolate notes that soon assumes a powdery quality. It stays true to itself for almost all the (long) time, just sweetening and letting sandalwood linger around. A very composed and reliable fragrance, maybe not stunning with originality or surprising, but definitely one to wear confidently when times get harder!

30th November, 2011.

For a start, I'm not sure I would define this as unisex, I'd say it is much more feminine..

But that isnt the point..the problem is the quality of the scent itself..

Smells like the iris here just melts down into a rather generic, weak and boring floral..

[yawn..]

9th July, 2011.

This falls into the fruity iris vein, not the rooty, powdery iris. It opens fairly sweet, but a very smooth iris notes soon emerges. It is paired with a hint of violet to sharpen it, but this still wears balanced and smooth, albeit with a lingering sweetness.
Iris is prominent all the way through this one. There is an ambrette note also, which adds interest.
It transitions slowly to a beautiful iris/sandalwood base that lasts.
This is a fairly soft, pretty iris dominant fragrance, and it wears close to the skin. It is worth a try for iris lovers who do not want all the rooty, rustic smell that some iris fragrances offer. It is easily unisex, but the opening is on the sweet side.

7th July, 2011.

Perhaps I am less discerning than some reviewers on this site, but in my opinion, why bother with Equistrius when you can simply get yourself some Dior Homme without special order at your local mall, for less $? They smell the same to me. Don't get me wrong, they both smell quite good. As a female Dior Homme has been one of my staples for years. Unquestionably unisex, if not outright one for the girls. You would do just as well as Equistrius. Not hating here, I just have some 'Homme and see no need to re-invent the wheel. Worth checking into if you don't already own a clone.

3rd July, 2011.

At first whiff, the thick and fruity iris is almost an over-kill. But let it settle for a while and you will notice how the steamed rice accord compliments and amps the doughy smell/texture of the iris, pushing the fruity accords slightly into the background now, but still borrowing the fruity sweetness.

Interestingly, a rather briny/salty accord reveals an ozonic dimension to Equistrius, and I really quite enjoy this addition here. All this is built on a powdery and smooth sandalwood base that it eventually dries down to.

18th March, 2010. (Last Edited: 19th June, 2010.)

What this has to do with racehorses is beyond me. It starts out with a brief burst of tart citrus and bright floral notes, then quickly transforms into a sweet, powdery iris, backed by light musk, soft sandalwood and slightly bitter violet leaves. Iris is where Equistrius stays for most of its lifespan. This is not the blunt, rooty iris of Iris Bleu Gris or the crisp, transparent, green-tinted iris of Hiris. No, this is somewhere between the smooth, buttery iris of Iris Poudre and the sweet, candied iris of Dior Homme. The sum impression on me is of a very smooth, creamy and nutty scent that wraps my senses in a satiny mantle.

As Equistrius develops, an anise or licorice-like note (not listed) wells up behind the iris, casting a cool spicy-herbaceous shadow over the proceedings. The entire development takes place close to the skin, with little sillage or projection. The scent is not short-lived by any means, but because it wears so close it's easy to forget you have it on. In its drydown Equistrius fades into a sweet sandalwood foundation with a touch of warm ambergris and a lingering trace of powdery iris.

While it's hardly earthshaking, Equistrius is a nicely blended, easy-to-wear scent that's obviously composed of very fine ingredients. It's also a thoroughly unisex fragrance and a safe choice for those who seek an iris scent but are put off by some of the more obviously frilly or aggressively earthy entries in the field.

17th December, 2009. (Last Edited: 19th March, 2010.)