Iris Shootout: Pradas vs MPG

Ok, so I've been meaning to compare all of these iris scents for a bit now, especially since I recently landed a sample of Infusion D'Homme. I'll talk about the scents some more later on, but first I'm going to post a little spectrum graph of sorts of various scent qualities and where I think each falls on the spectrum.

The four scents I'm comparing today are Prada's Amber, Infusion d'Iris, and Infusion d'Homme, and Maitre Perfumer et Gantier's Iris Bleu Gris. They will be referred to as following, below

Prada Amber = PA
Infusion d'Iris = IDI
Infusion d'Homme = IDH
Iris Bleu Gris = IBG

Here's my take on the matter

[code]
Sweetness
min------------------------------------------------------------------------------------max
IDH IBG IDI PA (start)
PA(end)




Masculinity
min------------------------------------------------------------------------------------max
PA IDI IBG IDH
^ PA (mid to basenotes)
|--(start to midnotes)



Projection
min------------------------------------------------------------------------------------max
IDH IDI IBG
PA

Longevity
min------------------------------------------------------------------------------------max
IDH IDI IBG PA



Formality
casual------------------------------------------------------------------------------------formal
IDH IDI IBG
PA



Evolution
min------------------------------------------------------------------------------------max
IDH PA
IBG
IDI



Iris Prominence
min------------------------------------------------------------------------------------max
PA IDI IDH IBG




Iris Rootiness
min------------------------------------------------------------------------------------max
PA IDI IDH IBG



Overall Richness
min------------------------------------------------------------------------------------max
IDH IDI IBG PA

[/code]

Welcome. As mentioned, I'm going to add more thoughts regarding the individual frags to the post soon, to help make more sense of the graph.

Alright, sorry it's taken me so long to add some comments about each frag, but alas!

Infusion D'Iris is sweeter in the topnotes than D'Homme, and is really quite similar to Prada Amber at that point. Eventually it settles into a more iris prominent scent, but there is more benzoin or some other sweeter note(s) present. Even though it starts sweeter than D'Homme, they do end in fairly similar territory - the same basic notes present in the drydown, although D'Homme is a bit more masculine, and IDI has greater presence and longevity (no doubt due to the EdP vs EdT concentrations).

Infusion D'Homme starts out quite clean although a bit rubbery - which is a fairly common olfactory trait of iris root. Iris Bleu Gris also has a slightly rubbery (and rooty) feel to the iris, although it is rendered in a different tone. I'd say IDH smells like a cold eraser atop a pencil, while IBG is warmer - an eraser just after use (without any of the accompanying nasty notes, however!). Infusion D'Homme is definitely the cleanest of the bunch. The neroli is present, I find it to be more present in the heart notes than the top, and the combination of neroli + iris over a slight vetiver base gives it a very crisp clean and 'freshly startched shirt' feel. It does become a bit more sensual as it progresses and the iris softens and loses some of its rubber qualities, but it always remains the cleanest and casualest (and most versatile) of the bunch. This has the worst projection and longevity of the bunch, unfortunately.

Prada Amber starts out the sweetest, very sweet. This scent goes through the greatest transition from a sweet opening with hints of candied citrus, the strong soapy note (nirvanolide, perhaps?) and down into a heart that is similar to Infusion d'Iris, although richer - in Amber the iris is a minor supporting note and the benzoin and vetiver/saffron/suede from basenotes are more prominent. It is at all stages 'fuller' than either IDH or IDI - and only IBG comes close in its richness. As noted, this goes through the greatest evolution and is the least casual of the Pradas - although if you are confident and not overly worried about perhaps offending a nose or two, in some sense it could be the most versatile, as it *can* be worn casually or on a date, and is richer than all the rest, and hence more satisfying than the safer Pradas. It's dry down is amazing and while all of the Pradas have a certain core group of notes that they are built around, Amber flaunts them all the most, more richly and distinctively than the other two, IMO.

Iris Bleu Gris is a great Iris frag, and is almost a blend of Infusion d'Homme and Prada Amber as far as qualities go. It is rich like Amber, although unlike Amber iris is always the starring note. It's projection is great and longevity too, and while it could be worn casually it has a formal feel to it. It is warm and inviting, especially compared to the cooler, cleaner, more aloof Infusion D'Homme. This is probably the most natural smelling of the bunch, with IDH coming in second.

In my opinion, the 'loser' of the bunch, if I had to pick one to fit that description, would be Infusion D'Iris. It's straddled right in the middle of D'Homme and Amber - and while they all share the same "core" D'Homme is more masculine, cleaner, and fresher, while Amber is richer, evolves more, and has as good or better projection and longevity (better, in my case.) I just find that if I wanted a clean scent, IDH would be the better choice, and a more formal or night-on-the-town scent, Amber is more satisfying. I suppose if you wanted to compromise and only own one of the Pradas, Infusion d'Iris might be the best bet. But, I just found it less satisfying than either D'Homme or Amber - even despite D'Homme's lesser longevity.

D'Homme is a good clean frag, and I think is a worthy contender for those looking for something clean and versatile like Mugler cologne, but with an iris bent to it.

Amber is a great frag, although some will undoubtedly find it too sweet. Even I find the opening too sweet sometimes, but the drydown is definitely worth it. One of the nicest drydowns I've come across. The saffron and suede (which don't seem to be present in the other Pradas) along with the more prominent vetiver give it a wonderful salty skin note. The top and midnotes of this one also have the most prominent barbershop soap note, which to my nose is a good thing, although some will undoubtedly dislike it. If you dislike that note, it is worth noting it is most prominent in Amber, somewhat prominent in d'Iris, and least prominent in d'Homme - and non-existent in Iris Bleu Gris.

Iris Bleu Gris is the clear pic of this group for someone looking for a deeply satisfying iris prominent frag. While I rated it as being quite formal, it wouldn't come across as pretentious or stuffy in a more casual setting, applied sparingly. The project and longevity are great, and it's rendered in a nice warm tone (unlike many of the cooler/colder iris scents out there, like d'Homme, The Unicorn Spell, etc.) I really enjoy this scent and recommend any iris lover to sample it - it's a must sniff!

Ooh, well, if someone wants to send me a sample of ISM (or any other iris prominent scent), I'd gladly incorporate it into the graph and add my thoughts about it