Iris Sofarana

Iris sofarana, or mourning iris, is an iris flower that is native to Lebanon. Also native to Lebanon is Patrick David, head perfumer of 109 Parfums, who in this scent tries to capture the essence of the flower through synthetic ways (considering the survival of the flower is seriously threatened by excessive picking). I think his attempt is very successful; it's an iris lover's dream where the violet-like scent of the iris is mixed with orris (which, according to the brand, is tinctured in-house? VERY impressive for such a small brand!) creating a beautiful view of the flower which is then supported by a zing of neroli and a slight bit of rose water for a soft finish. I'm often surprised by how much iris smells like violet, and this is no exception, smelling similar to the Swedish violet candy violtabletter. In fact, it smells very similar to a violet scent from another Swedish brand: Skymning (2017) from Svensk Parfym. But whereas Skymning goes for a pure violet candy vibe with some musk and iris supporting it, Iris Sofarana goes for a more earthy and vegetal style. I love both a lot. 😊 My girlfriend who also tried this one out blind described it as "yummy violet-y church altar" which to me sounds amazing.

I went to buy another bottle and it’s discontinued! This is a perfect everyday quiet scent, close to the skin.

Damn it! Already discontinued. Knew I should have bought 2 bottles.

Beautiful and simple in a sofisticated way. Tried Misia from Chanel the other day and I think that the violet is quite near Iris Sofarana. However the Chanel is a more complex scent imho. Iris Sofarana is easier to wear to work for example. I am really pleased for having the travel size. It might be discontinued or maybe the whole project is put on ice? Interesting house with many fine scents.

The opening is wet and earthy, with whispers of raspberry probably coming from the orris that appears in the heart notes (orris that has an almost identical resemblance of raspberry). The earthiness of this fragrance blends well with the neroli, that gets more obvious as the top notes wear off. Then appears the iris saforana that here has a slightly soapiness to it which rests beautifully in the arms of rose water that really blossoms towards the end in the base notes. This perfume is really a tribute to the Libanese flower iris saforana as well as a tribute to the flowery month of May, which also is the month of iris saforana’s blossoming period by the rocky mountains outside of Beirut. A sophisticated and beautiful perfume.