Bois d'Iris (2000)
by The Different Company

Soft, natural floral fragrance with a soapy fresh base. Not a "powdery" soap, but a bubble bath filled with flower petals. Definitely a feminine fragrance.

My sample from Surrender to Chance must be corrupt. All I get is clove, clove, clove, and it is isn't even listed as an ingredient. The clove does eventually quiet down to a nondescript scent, pleasant but not memorable and nothing like iris or the experience Turin has.

Turin gives it three stars and calls it "iris whiskey," going on to describe it in terms of a great scotch with its "wine-like complexity" and rich, caramel-woody aroma."

I would like to be experiencing this, but no such luck.

I am unimpressed with this sample.

Bois d'Iris is a subtle fragrance. It starts off with iris, and iris is present all the way. But it soon turns into a mostly cedar/woody scent. A very dry and quiet fragrance.
It is nice, even beautiful at times. I would mostly describe it as 'quiet' though. Completely unisex, and it probably works best in cold weather. It is gasping for air here in the tropics and strives to be noticed, but it is soon overpowered by the hot and humid climate.

Edit: I like this more and more. It is first of all Iris all the way, with elements of spiciness and woodiness. It is in fact quite long-lasting and it turns out to work well in the heat. It is not a powdery iris, so I would say that it is completely unisex. My favourite iris fragrance for now.

Genre: Floral

Jean-Claude Ellena's scents don't always do very well for me, but Bois d'Iris is a major exception. When it first goes on Bois d'Iris is doughy - maybe even a little bit chocolaty - though not by any means gourmand. A crisp cedar note is quick to emerge, and this note lingers as the base for a very smooth floral/iris accord.

If a fragrance can be "velvety," this one is. This is a suave, civilized floral scent that emphasizes the buttery, rather than the rooty character of iris. It's versatile and very wearable: I can see it in the office or in the evening in any season, since its wood notes, while rich, are never ponderous. Bois d'Iris is surely unisex and quite lasting, with outstanding sillage and projection. A superior scent.

walking the woods feeling alright!