Grab iris by the root theme
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Historically, the Egyptians prized irises as a symbol of power, while the ancient Greeks and Romans bottled it as an essential oil. In Japan, the roots of the plant were hung in the eaves of a house to protect occupants from attacks by evil spirits. Other magic uses include as a love potion, with the root powder sprinkled in between bedsheets. The flowers are lavishly sculptural, most stunning in supernatural blues and purples. But when it comes to perfumery it’s the iris root, specifically its rhizomes, which produce the buttery-soft scent referred to as orris. It takes about 1000 kg of dry rhizomes (carefully dried and cured for up to six years) to produce just 2 kg of orris, making it the single most expensive raw material in perfumery.
And what does orris have to show for itself after such a big build-up? Plenty. It is a mesmerising material that whispers rather than screams, murmuring its nuances in a surprising variety of ways. Its aroma profile encompasses suede, clean linen, fresh-baked bread and warm skin. Lean and serene on its own, iris becomes deeply complex when combined with floral, smoky or citrusy nuances, moving from cerebral to sensual.
Given the sticker shock of expensive orris, perfumers have found a clever hack to enhance and extend iris’ effect in compositions: carrot seed. Carrot seed is fifty times cheaper than precious orris, and is also woody, powdery and slightly earthy, singing in unison with its smell-kins orris and violet. And then there are ionones, which are present in the rhizome and are partly responsible for the crisp aroma. These molecules can be synthesised, and were first used in perfume in 1893. Like carrot seed, ionones have an artistic value in themselves, and their olfactory range mimics orris’ woody, fruity and floral aspects.
Discover the many faces of iris in this sophisticated and surprising edit.
This is iris as a creature of the night, which makes sense given its origin as the flower’s root, hidden from sunlight. Pretty-dark rather than pretty-pretty, Moth flutters into view in a haze of dusty honey and deep spices. Dust turns to powder amongst the alien sand dunes of heliotrope and orris, blackened by a trio of dirty woods: nagarmotha, guaiac wood and patchouli. Welcome to the dark side of iris.
Whether the end of the world will be staged by a higher power, or brought about by human beings’ abundant limitations, one thing’s for sure: it will have a smell. If we’re lucky, it’ll be the smooth and soothing iris, carrot and sandalwood of La Fin du Monde.This unusual take on an iris perfume twins the orris rhizome with carrot seeds, for a double-barrelled hit of the materials’ shared fresh/powdery/woody attributes. A playful popcorn note adds subtle surprise.
A delectable candied orange perfume with linen-crisp iris playing off the juiciness of blood orange. Coffee absolute and amber bring the nom nom.
A luminous cloud of aldehydes, white musks and ionones, a family of synthetic molecules that mimics the fruitiness of violets and the woodiness of iris root. This sheer but lavish composition is an airy swirl of “second-skin” musks, precious woods and synthetic iris, further heightened by aromatic frankincense.
A beautiful dedication to iris and the alluring woody powdery aroma extracted from its rhizomes. It’s truly precious — Marie Jeanne spent about a year going through 160 attempts before arriving at their perfect blend of several iris extracts: butter of iris Florentina and iris Pallida and absolute of iris Germanica. (Absolutes are derived from butter to achieve a fresher character.) Their goal was to create a modern, refined iris perfume, departing from dated powdery violet interpretations. Here, the precious blend of orris extracts is set on a pedestal of sandalwood, patchouli and vetiver.
A flight of cardamom and aldehydes electrifies the iris note. Almond and carrot seed impart a friendly playfulness, while cedarwood and vetiver heighten the woody sillage.
A tribute to the scents of Colombia, this extrait de parfum suggests a late-night dinner for two under the stars. A gourmand dance of aromas is carried on the warm breeze: coffee, rum, chocolates. Powdery, pillowy vanilla and iris blur into vetiver and sandalwood for a sumptuous dream.
Orris butter, distilled from the root of the bearded iris, is one of the most expensive perfume materials in the world. Vanille des Afriques Intensivo harnesses its unique qualities – leather-adjacent with powdery undertones of violet and pepper – in a luxurious composition that is the very essence of stealth wealth. Jasmine, amber and Madagascan vanilla cushions the iris for the full pampered effect.
Iris Ardent resolves this fabled material’s come-here-go-away flightiness in a compelling eau de parfum that balances all of iris’ contradictions. The opening spikes of cypress and vetiver provide the scaffolding for cushiony amber and powdery iris. Juniper’s bright twang illuminates the darkness of incense and moss. Intellectual, but accessible.