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Iris vs Iris

post #1 of 12
6/12/06 at 9:08am
Thread Starter 
I did a wrist to wrist of Iris Silver Mist by SL and Bois d'Iris by TDC yesterday. Talk about battle of the Titans! Lutens vs Ellena! I was soooo surprised--you know those stories in the tabloids about babies switched at birth? I would have bet money that Lutens did B'dI and Ellena did ISM.

B'dI has more wood(duh) but also the sweet soft tonka. It seemed richer, more comlpex and I thought had more development, and more unisex.

ISM was M-asculine, thouroughly unsweet and dry with vetiver and... and...linear by comparison. I'll give it another test on its own soon, but the very thought of putting SL in the same sentence as linear has me all confused.


Any thoughts to share?
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post #2 of 12
6/12/06 at 9:21am
You're not cunfused at all dear Shy, you've smelled well!
ISM is a very simple and enjoiable one by Lutens as some others are. For example Un bois violette is another one just simple ang graceful like a spring morning through the fields: violet leaves and flowers on a woody base; it's defintely amazing and I better like it to ISM as it's pure light where ISM is fog.
Regarding Bd'I, it's not for sure my fav iris scent as I would define it more a vetiver scent rather than an iris scent: very woody and peppery rather than powdery and velvety.
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post #3 of 12
6/12/06 at 12:47pm
Haven't tried the Bois, so I don't have a basis for comparison. But Iris Silver Mist has got to be one of the most amazing iris scents, and I'm talking orris root. It is thick, earthy and yes, a bit linear, but definitely a haunting masterpiece.
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post #4 of 12
6/12/06 at 4:00pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by duxie

Haven't tried the Bois, so I don't have a basis for comparison. But Iris Silver Mist has got to be one of the most amazing iris scents, and I'm talking orris root. It is thick, earthy and yes, a bit linear, but definitely a haunting masterpiece.

Yes, linear is not a bad thing when the fragrance is perfect from the get-go. SL Un Lys is another simple stunner.
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post #5 of 12
6/12/06 at 4:18pm
This is one comparison (maybe the first) where I actually prefer a frag over a Lutens!

ISM is probably my least favorite Lutens - I get something very "cosmetic" smelling from it, like the smell of lipstick or something. It is very linear, which for me, isn't a great thing in this case. I've been wondering if it's my nose or my skin that is to blame for the results I get with ISM...

Bois d'Iris, on the other hand, I really enjoyed. The iris here seems natural and dusty to my nose, but there is a little touch of sweetness there to balance (not nearly as sweet as say, Dior Homme). It has some development (but not a ton) and is a bit more complex. To date, it's my favorite Ellena scent hands-down.

Has anyone tried the new Parfumerie Generale iris?
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post #6 of 12
6/12/06 at 6:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by robyogi

This is one comparison (maybe the first) where I actually prefer a frag over a Lutens!

ISM is probably my least favorite Lutens - I get something very "cosmetic" smelling from it, like the smell of lipstick or something. It is very linear, which for me, isn't a great thing in this case. I've been wondering if it's my nose or my skin that is to blame for the results I get with ISM...

Bois d'Iris, on the other hand, I really enjoyed. The iris here seems natural and dusty to my nose, but there is a little touch of sweetness there to balance (not nearly as sweet as say, Dior Homme). It has some development (but not a ton) and is a bit more complex. To date, it's my favorite Ellena scent hands-down.

Has anyone tried the new Parfumerie Generale iris?

Yes, Iris Taizo is fantastic. Much more of a wood note (they call it balsamic) than the others. The longevity of it is extremely impressive, and the dry down is very nice. If iris were a favorite note, I would buy a bottle of this one.
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post #7 of 12
6/12/06 at 7:26pm
Shycat, the nose behind ISM is Maurice Roucel, not Chris Sheldrake, the in-house nose at The Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido, which probably explains your misgivings about the scent's (lack of) development.
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post #8 of 12
6/13/06 at 1:18pm
Thread Starter 
That's it. I remember joking that Roudniska (sp?) would win in the fist-fight because Lutens would have to ask Sheldrake how to fight.

Somehow, the persona of Lutens overshadows his nose and I forget to give Sheldrake the credit he deserves. Thanks for pointing that out! I hadn't noticed the different nose--that does explain it. Whew! I feel better now.
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post #9 of 12
6/13/06 at 3:41pm
Glad you feel better now.
Yeah, imagine Lutens in a fist fight
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post #10 of 12
9/1/06 at 9:25am
This is only my third time trying Iris Silver Mist now and I will try to put down my impressions with care. I want to start off with saying that I haven't got a whole lot of iris fragrances to compare with (Hiris, Dior Homme, Andy Tauer's Orris and L'Homme de Cur) so please bear with me.

Ever since I've seen others talking about how unwearable and repulsive this one is, I've wanted to try it. Only the name alone evokes vivid fantasies, but I find Iris Silver Mist to be quite down to earth. Down into the very ground as a matter of fact. Earthy and soily almost beyond recognition. Extremely raw and not at all lipstick like in it's iris as I've seen others say here. I can almost feel a bitter chocolate tinge to it when it is newely sprayed on and close to the skin it almost has a gasoline smell to it. It is cold and grey, dead I'd say. I bet there is some eucalyptus or menthol in it somewhere, something that can really clear my nostrils out.

Right after I sprayed it on today I sat down beside my girlfriend and she asked me where I kept the grated carrots. Iris has always reminded me of that smell so her comment came as no surprise.

I really like it, very different from all the other Lutens I've tried (Daim Blond, Douce Amère, Cèdre, Chergui, Cuir Mauresque, Gris Clair).

It is quite linear yes, didn't really think about that until when I read the thread (again).
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post #11 of 12
9/1/06 at 11:46am
I'd love to try ISM - iris is one of my favourite notes. Bois d'Iris is alarmingly beautiful; I have one friend who won't wear it because she says it makes her feel like she's not pretty enough for it.

I was discussing orris root with my Mum, and she told me my great-grandmother used it in laundry for the scent. We're a classy family.
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post #12 of 12
9/1/06 at 12:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shifts

... Right after I sprayed it on today I sat down beside my girlfriend and she asked me where I kept the grated carrots. Iris has always reminded me of that smell so her comment came as no surprise....

Oh, I am relieved by your observations. My regards also to your GF! That's exactly what kept me from wanting Dior Homme: the carrots! Nobody believed me when I said I cannot help being connected to baby carrot pulp and diapers by the smell od DH.
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