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The Iris Note Pour Homme.

post #1 of 30
9/29/10 at 9:05am
Thread Starter 
If the Iris note is your cup of tea please read on. There are quite a number of pour homme and pour fem Iris centered fragrances out there, but for my taste a dryer Iris brought me, through experimentation, to choose Arpege Pour Homme as a base to which I add a slight layering of Hiris by Hermes. Hiris is quite a powerful Iris and initially might be off putting with it's early carrot smell. The carrot goes away very quickly leaving a beautiful Iris scent. The two scents act together as would a musical duet. I don't often layer fragrances, but this one works very nicely.
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post #2 of 30
9/29/10 at 9:08am
Since Creeds like MI & GIT use it only as an accessory, I'll only list scents which use it as a starring role in the composition. My favorite masculines using Iris/Orris notes:

Prelude to Love by Kilian
Dunhill Fresh
Amouage Reflection
Dior Homme
Xerjoff Kobe

Haven't yet smelled Iris Silver Mist.
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post #3 of 30
9/29/10 at 9:16am
I'm one of those people that smells absolutely NO iris in Arpege Pour Homme, I mean none! I received a bottle in a swap and immediately gave it away to a friend of mine. Not for me.

Same with Hiris. Just too, too depressing and flat (cold) for me to get excited about.

I tend to prefer 'manly' smelling iris scents - and by this I mean the less powdery ones. My HG is Orris by Tauer and I have been recently smitten by Dior Homme Cologne a smarter, crisper, more satisfying flanker of the original.
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post #4 of 30
9/29/10 at 9:28am
Interesting... thanks for the recommendation.
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post #5 of 30
9/29/10 at 9:30am
Even the extremely affordable Iris Sauvage by Pierre Cardin may be, even if I found it hard to believe and to accept it at first, a serious contender to more pricey and more famous designer and niche frags with an iris note
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post #6 of 30
9/29/10 at 10:28am
I'm definitely with you on not being as much of a fan of the "pretty" irises. Things like Dior Homme are too dessert-like and laid back for my nose; they don't bring out enough of its earthy-rooty character.

Iris Silver Mist is still the reigning iris in my heart. Wonderfully rooty, spicy, earthy, and simultaneously hot and cold. There's nothing else out there quite like it ( though I've heard wonderful things about the new Xerjoff, Irisss )

Oddly enough, I love Tauer's Orris but don't find it very iris-like. It's always a weird, leathery, tarry, violety rose to my nose - like a Mr. Hyde to the Dr. Jekyll of Malle's Lipstick Rose. Easily the darkest fragrance I know; still the best Tauer I've tried.
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post #7 of 30
9/29/10 at 10:41am
Equistrius by Parfums d'Empire could be a "masculine" iris scent (not carrot).

As an iris lover, i'm looking for that "earthy carrot" note ! It is what actually smell the natural rhyzom iris extract.
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post #8 of 30
9/29/10 at 10:42am
I love Le labo's Iris offering , very dry green almost sharp Iris . The Kilian is on my to try list ....
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post #9 of 30
9/29/10 at 10:45am
i had both those scent and swapped them away didnt like Hiris at all.. but Arpege was beautiful.. wouldnt mind gettin it again..
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post #10 of 30
9/29/10 at 10:55am
I agree the iris in Arpege pH is far from prominent that's why it's hard to see it as an iris-driven scent. Thanks for the layeting suggestion, N_Tesla. I don't have any Hiris but maybe I can try layering the Arpege with TDC's Bois d'Iris.

I'm curious about Le Labo's Iris 39...
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post #11 of 30
9/29/10 at 11:08am
Paul Smith Man has a nice irisy opening but I'm not too keen on the drydown.
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post #12 of 30
9/29/10 at 1:01pm
I'll have to put Arpege PH on my to-try list.
I also have to admit that I love Tauer's Orris but don't actually think much about iris when I wear it. It's in there but the incense Tauerade is a bit obscuring. But I think I'll wear it tomorrow and think about Mike's comments.
There are so many irises that I love. Divine L'Homme de Coeur is pretty dry and masculine. Dior Homme doesn't seem all that homme-y to me but I love it. And in some ways I think of the dry, green/rooty/powdery iris of MPG Iris Bleu Gris as the ultimate masculine take on The Root.
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post #13 of 30
9/29/10 at 1:41pm
I recommend MPG's Iris Bleu Gris. It's very masculine, very dry and earthy; one of the dirtier MPG's.
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post #14 of 30
9/29/10 at 4:43pm
My far-away favorite iris is Bois d'Iris from The Different Company. Woody, irisy, and dry. Tania Sanchez claims that BdI falls apart at the end; perhaps so, but if that's dyin', then take me Lord! Iris Silver Mist is a masterpiece, but it's too intense and sharp for my nose. Third place goes to Dior Homme; it gets a bad rap for its sweetness, and although I truly abhor sweet scents, the leather and woods in DH attenuate the gourmand so beautifully. Lady's purse? Get over it. Alas, I haven't had the pleasure of trying the cologne, but many swear by it. if Mikey likes it, it's gotta be good.

Sweet iris? Hiris has it spades, and for that I can't abide it, but it's a pleasant feminine iris. Same with Iris Nobile.

Iris is one of the truly noble notes in perfumery, but it takes some effort and experience to appreciate all its charms.
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post #15 of 30
9/29/10 at 5:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Strollyourlobster View Post

I'll have to put Arpege PH on my to-try list...

I did it and identified an accord in the base note that is the same I found in Herrera's Chic and some others. It is clearly a synthetic accord that in my poor olfactive training I can only describe as analogous to a mixture of baby's eau and spoiled milk, in the case of Arpege, mixed with a vanillic / amberine accord and a generic vetiver-like drydown (sort of pungent). IMHO, it must be some aromachemical used in order to achieve some sort of effect.

This composition is quite effective in order to destroy by imbalance floral accords, that could be better achieved through some other mixture.
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post #16 of 30
9/29/10 at 5:29pm
I can't see MPG Iris Bleu Gris as an iris fragrance. Actually, I can hardly detect any accord that resembles to the iris note.

TDC Bois d'Iris would be a great call, if it wasnt too short lived. Too bad, because it really smells amazing.

And Iris Silver Mist is the must try for anyone wanting to get familiar with the note.
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post #17 of 30
9/29/10 at 5:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vitorscpaiva View Post

And Iris Silver Mist is the must try for anyone wanting to get familiar with the note.

Agree
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post #18 of 30
9/29/10 at 5:56pm
Thread Starter 
One of the reasons I do not like Dior Homme is that it is too sweet. Arpege Pour Homme is dryer and the addtion of Hiris brings the full on carrot smell of the Iris bulb. Opinions vary, of course, but it is interesting to read different perspectives on this note.
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post #19 of 30
9/29/10 at 7:19pm
Out of all the Dior Homme variations, this is my favorite as well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

I tend to prefer 'manly' smelling iris scents - and by this I mean the less powdery ones. My HG is Orris by Tauer and I have been recently smitten by Dior Homme Cologne a smarter, crisper, more satisfying flanker of the original.
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post #20 of 30
9/29/10 at 7:33pm
My favorite iris scents are:

Amouage Reflection Man - extremely lush iris/ylang/neroli and jasmine combo. Just barely masculine - as masculine as say Dior Homme or Prada Amber. It's just too beautiful not to love and wear.

Divine L'homme de Coeur - a crisp and dry iris and cypress combo. Simple and refreshing. It captures the essence of cool, crisp autumn air.

MPG Bois de Turquie - far from being truly iris oriented, it still features a very nice iris/violet note amidst a dry, incense and sandalwood milieu.

Xerjoff Irisss - very beautiful iris soliflore. Not interesting enough to be worth the money for me, but a true rendition of the note with some very high quality naturals.

Dior Homme - love the moment or two of lavender before the iris arrives in full force. The iris + sage combo is excellent and ingenious.
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post #21 of 30
9/29/10 at 7:46pm
Iris may be my favorite single note, and my faves are Le Labo Iris 39 and TDC Bois d'Iris.

I'd happily wear Iris Silver Mist if it were easily available and a bit more affordable, but I'm almost as happy with Bois d'Iris.

I also can't leave out L'Artisan Dzongkha in this category. Lots of good ones were mentioned, including Divine and Dior Homme.
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post #22 of 30
9/29/10 at 7:55pm
The finest iris scent I've tried is Van Cleef & Arpels Bois d' Iris. I've tried the others but this one is my favorite on the skin. It is perfection in iris for me.
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post #23 of 30
9/29/10 at 8:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by N_Tesla View Post

One of the reasons I do not like Dior Homme is that it is too sweet...

Then you really should try Dior Homme Cologne N_Tesla...it's not as sweet as the original, but rather more focused on the citrus mixed with the iris and just a whiff of that chocolate/leather/yumminess from the original.
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post #24 of 30
9/29/10 at 8:50pm
If you're looking for an iris with the sweetness taken out, but without the bleu cheese associations you can get with purist irises, you might like the aforementioned Van Cleef & Arpels Bois d'Iris. It's interesting in that it's woody, but much of the woodiness seems to come from the iris itself, which is allowed to be woody by leaving out all the vanilla and powder and cream.

Though I have to admit that I actually prefer the other end of the spectrum, and my favorites have been Dior Homme and Malle's Iris Poudre, which plays up the rich creaminess iris can have in, say, classic Chanels (and ironically is not particularly powdery)
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post #25 of 30
10/13/10 at 7:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken_Russell View Post

Even the extremely affordable Iris Sauvage by Pierre Cardin may be... a serious contender.

+1.
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post #26 of 30
10/13/10 at 7:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snafoo View Post

My far-away favorite iris is Bois d'Iris from The Different Company.

Ditto. (Iris is a note I enjoy enough that I wouldn't mind owning more scents that feature it. I'm sure this thread will be a useful guide for further exploration.)
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post #27 of 30
10/14/10 at 8:12am
Cuir Ottoman
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post #28 of 30
10/14/10 at 8:32am
A little-known iris-and-cedar scent is Parfums DelRae Mythique, by perfumer Yann Vasnier. For some reason this is not in the Basenotes Directory. Here's some information on it:

Top Notes: Mandarin, Italian Bergamot, Ivy
Middle Notes: Peony, Jasmine Absolute Sambac, Florentine Orris Butter
Base Notes: Sandalwood, Indonesian Patchouli, Musk Ambrette
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The iris in this is rich and magnificent, fresh with the citrus notes and a slightly bitter green twist of ivy bursting in the top. The heart of peony, top-quality orris butter, and jasmine is intensely floral, which keeps the freshness going; the woody oriental base makes the perfect anchor and also boosts the rootiness of the iris, keeping it from coming across as too powdery. The peony-jasmine-orris heart, balanced by the green ivy, stops short of being too feminine, making this a possible wear for a devil-may-care kind of guy. (Me? You?)
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post #29 of 30
10/14/10 at 12:01pm
I should also mention L'Artisan Parfumeur's Bois Farine, which uses iris alongside other notes to create a compelling "raw flour" accord. JC Ellena at his most playfully inventive.
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post #30 of 30
10/14/10 at 12:11pm
Prada - Infusion d'iris (EDP).
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