No. 19 Poudré by Chanel, 2011

This is the first review? I wonder why. Maybe because this is a good perfume, but it doesn't seem fair to name it No. 19, which is better by a long shot. Yet, this new perfume is a beautiful iris fragrance. It has no rose. I repeat, no rose at all. That is the biggest difference between it an its namesake. Maybe people get nervous when Chanel names something after a scent we already love and are afraid of losing because it keeps getting reformulated. The last bottle of No. 19 EDT that I bought was still a graceful green, leafy galbanum-breathtaking iris, and wild pink rose combination on a light woody, vetiver, and musk base. It was celedon green in color, unlike the original No. 19, which was infinitely more leather. Still I love the green EDT. They stopped carrying it at department stores. Okay, enough paranoia about my beloved No. 19 being taken away. I'll shut up now. No. 19 Poudre is an iris scent. It smells like it is focused on one faction of No. 19 EDT. It goes on with a big, earth-like waft of iris absolute. I love that stuff! It smells gorgeous; it makes me smile. Iris smells like rain-washed dirt--like dry ground that has been quenched by a rainstorm. That has to be one of the best smells in the world. Iris absolute is an expensive ingredient, and I don't think anyone can succeed in imitating it artificially. The iris in No. 19 Poudre is supported by the happy, little floral note of hyacinth. The fruitiness is minimal, but it's well-chosen, orange leaning toward woodiness. All of it rests on a soft, clean musk base. Very refreshing, with the carrot-y sweetness of iris fading along with the rest. It isn't very tenacious, though. The powdery smell associated with iris, if it persists for a long time, is a synthetic supporting note. The real, earthy iris note goes away pretty fast.