Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile

Iris Nobile is a real mystery, albeit a beautiful one. My love affair with IN started with a sample I ordered - the impression it gave was an an iris on a lovely cloud of full white flowers and a powdery sweet base. I decided to order a bottle last month and it made me even fall harder for this release from Acqua di Parma. Since Fragrantica doesn't have a separate page for the EdT/EdP, I'll list the notes for the latter here (according to the official AdP site): Top: Bergamot, Aniseed, Mandarin Heart: Ylang-Ylang, Iris Base: Vanilla, Patchouli, Oakmoss I was really excited when my bottle finally arrived (I was able to snap it up for a bargain price!). As soon as I sprayed it on it confused me; it didn't smell like my sample. It started out rather airy/ethereal, nothing like my sample. I was afraid my bottle already turned since it smelled so thin. The opening consisted of fresh bergamot/mandarin and a light, silky and powdery iris, slightly spiced with aniseed. To my surprise, the opening lasted rather long: about 30 to 45 minutes. Most of the time top notes don't last that long on my skin, so it was a rather nice suprise. It slowly moves on to the heartnotes: the iris becomes more powdery and it gets a slight leathery/oily feeling. The ylang ylang note is simply heaven - it's sweet and smooth, not too intense. It really lifts up the iris and works great with the top notes. The heart notes also last quite long, about 3 hours before the basenotes start to show up. From this point on I start to recognize it; turned out my sample somehow consisted only of the heart/basenotes. The patchouli gives the fragrance some darkness, the vanilla contributes to the plush, powdery feeling and sweetens things up a bit. I can't really make out the oakmoss to be honest. This fragrance is simply a real delight. I've never had a fume 'evolve' this much on my skin. It starts out light and airy, before transforming in a blooming flower and ending with a sensual whisper. Longevity is great, about 10 to 12 hours. Sillage is really sneaky; I gave it three sprays and at first I barely noticed anything, but when the heart- and basenotes appeared it became rather cloying/overwhelming. Go easy on the trigger with this one. It's versatile enough to be used anytime and anywhere. I would even wear it when going for a night out! It's also perfectly wearable by men - it would make a slightly more floral/fresher version of Dior Homme (without the amber/cacao).

Please bear with me, as I know I've previously reviewed this and noted my heartbreak over its demise, but I just sprayed myself lavishly as my sleep scent. I want to cry, but I'm too angry to do so. Why, Acqua di Parma? WHY????? Iris Nobile is the crown jewel of the Nobile collection, and I have all of them. It's the first and the best in my opinion. I understand that fragrance is a completely subjective experience and that its likability to any individual is based upon many factors, but it's really hard for me to fathom how anyone could find this objectionable. It may not be your cup of tea, but it's just formulated and blended so wonderfully that it at least deserves recognition based upon that alone. It's unique among my collection of various iris fragrances, and I really love how the Mediterranean vibe associated with the brand works here. The iris is sublime - not too powdery, not to rooty or carroty, not to flat and reminiscent of paper, just my perfect style of iris. The fact that the tuberose in no way overpowers the iris and instead just lends some sweetness is amazing to me. I love tuberose and white florals, but would never categorize this as a white floral fragrance. I just don't understand. I suppose it comes down to what sells and what doesn't, but I do consider this to be somewhat of a masterpiece, and you just don't (or shouldn't) stop making a masterpiece based upon profitability alone. I know it's useless to beg them to reconsider, but a woman can wish. I plan on purchasing a backup bottle next month and another the following month. Thanks for hearing me out! I just couldn't let this slip on by without expressing how much it means to me, how much I love it, and how much I will miss it once it's gone.

I have reviewed this fragrance before, but this comes as a new impression after I experienced more of drinking wine and appreciating all the scents around me. Initially this fragrance was cutting sharp in a subdued way to me. Now I realize that even if a own and use EDP I think I am experiencing the original EDT. I sense a yellow lemon at the start, with a type of a sparkling white wine. The wine later looses its sparkle and becomes reminiscent of a freshly opened new cotton cloth, like a fine-machined cotton blouse made in a factory, packaged in a see-through plastic bag and sent to the chain of department stores like KAUFLAND from where I bought a night gown. Then the fragrance continues in the same note without much change, at least to my sensing, which I like. I find no powdery notes, not much iris in its bulb smelling form, but there is a bulb of a flower at the texture of the overall volume. This fragrance relaxes me now, bringing predictability and clean comfort. I had noticed over time that just like with drinking wine, tea, coffee and water, we bring to the original fragrances types of nuances we carry from our experience of life. That is how people who love chocolate, apples or fruits in general, use spices in their food with deliberation and knowledge, sometimes find those loved nuances in the smells of a wine. With fragrances, as synthetic or natural as they might be, I experience a similar appearance of my perception. But this fragrance somehow comes to me as if I experience it from a fixed point of view, without much change, rather a development based on my meditation through life.

The following review is reffering to the E. d. P. Elegant and well balanced a classical luminous fragrance more than an "avant garde" creation. Though iris is the main theme, many other ingredients are involved like Bulgarian rose and jasmine (in the opening) a gentle touch of peach even though not declared in the piramid above, noticeable especially during the dry down while it turns into a lovely powdery fragrance. Personally I prefer even a little more invention - when possible - BUT I see that the especially good ingredients here employed make the charming fragrance that it is and ingredients make always a difference! Good sillage, it reminds me the vintage Paco Rabanne E. de Calandre....but probably mine is just a fade memory. Very good persistence, even better than I thought. Whenever real iris is involved prices are always looking towards the sky... so if you are sure to leave it where it is, at least, think about a gentle introduction because it worth. I cannot suggest when to use it, I've tried it twice during the last three days (february) and I think it could be right for winter, probably also for the middle seasons, but I can't say without "evidences". Very good - in a different but interesting manner - either on a male skin or a female; on me it's perfect (another temptation!) but...every skin speaks a different language. Another way to "do" perfumery. Definitely.

I, just this past weekend, received carded spray samples of BOTH the Iris Nobile EDP and the EDT *bows deeply to ElenaLondon*...and here are the differences (as shown on the cards) between the two: EDT: "An elegant floral fragrance-transparent, fresh and crystalline: IRIS, STAR ANISE, ORANGE BLOSSOM and AMBRETTE CRYSTALS." EDP: "An intense floral fragrance-sensual, sophisticated and long lasting: IRIS/ORRIS, YLANG YLANG, PATCHOULI, VANILLA and OAK MUSK." To me (at "firsniff") the EDP is definitely richer, thicker and more heady, sexy and deep...while the EDT (while remaining a "true" iris scent) is sharper, more "active" or energetic and spicier (after it dries down). I shall review BOTH of these "Ladies" (separately) VERY soon... I do believe that the "for HER" AdP scents are actually more "me" than some of the men's releases are: (Cipresso di Toscano excluded) Iris Nobile EDP and Magnolia Nobile EDP, for example, are both well-constructed clean but complex florals with a touch of mystery and exotic spices, and marvelous dry downs that LAST!! My skin normally DEVOURS flowers like magnolia (or sours them!) but here they are amazing and long lasting (in either concentration)! Kudos to Acqua di Parma! Your perfumes are as wonderful as your Colonias...maybe better! *winks*

I got a deluxe sample of this and sprayed it on and was like "whew!" and put it in the "to give away" pile. Then just shortly after I got a whiff and thought is that the scary perfume? It smells phenomenal!! Then I ended up sniffing my arm over and over. Then I took it back out of the giveaway pile and put it back into the keeper pile. Then I forgot about it and ran across it again recently and now it is in the "to be purchased" pile. There is no missing the iris in this so I am puzzled as to how anyone could say there is no iris in this. It is like an iris bomb. I grew up with a grandmother who grew irises and there is no mistaking the smell. Lasts nearly all day for me and has decent sillage (or the max that I like to have, I do not want to completely overpower a room or leave a trail but I don't want a nose to have to be 6 millimeters from my wrist to be able to smell it either.) A beautiful, classic fragrance and I recommend it to anyone looking for an old school classic scent that nobody else will have on yet everyone will notice and want to know what on earth you have on. I am not getting any unisex from this at all, it smells completely feminine.

Oh happy day! My 3.4 oz bottle of Iris Nobile arrived today (along with a bottle of L'Artisan L'Eau d'Ambre,but that's a whole other story!). I just lavishly sprayed it on and it is even more beautiful than I remember. Off the bat, it is bright, citrusy anise. The citrus recedes but the anise hovers in the background, providing a type of spicy licorice that complements the beautiful iris. I get more orange blossom than tuberose right now, but I still detect a tiny amount. I know this will change with the weather, but even today, a mild winter day where I am indoors, it is magical. The quality is outstanding and something I am accustom to with Acqua di Parma - I already have both Magnolia and Gelsomino Nobile, and my husband had a cologne. I have been looking for an iris for a while now, and completely forgot about this one! Now it's home where it belongs. I already know that I am going to be turning to this quite a lot over the next several months! J'adore!

i love this. yes, white and yellow flowers. a beautiful iris is present, though a little overwhelmed at times perhaps. sweetness. refined. but not particularly powdery on me. with a delicious dry down. it has a vintage vibe, which i like. actually...thinking about it, like all the Francis Kurkdjian perfumes i have tried...they are overtly feminine and muchly intoxicating. test before you buy. it is strong and long. what sprang to my mind as soon as i squirted...were Fracas and Mahora (not in smell, but in bombasticosiousness). ...i found Iris Nobile almost overwhelming to begin with! despite the almost nausea, i was oddly drawn to it and now i can't get enough! EDIT: iris and Oakmoss are my favourite whiffs, so i have tested this in cool weather. it's a love love love. and the dry down is utterly gorgeous. when i sniff my wrists after a few hours, it's very similar to L'Air de Rien dry down, which i also love. can't wait to receive my full bottle.

Gorgeous, classy (not in an old fashioned way but high standards way). Imagine you are travelling to Tuscany and staying in a 5 *hotel, you enter the suite and open the window to look out into the orchard garden, you getting whiffs of unforgettable orange blossom and wet flowers, just after the rain, while a regal heavy curtain is caressing your cheek, you look at the antique tapestry on the walls; the room is freshly made and you feel the hotel exclusive cosmetic soap scent reaching you from the en-suite. You feel welcome, enchanted and in Italy, ready for a wonderful holiday to begin. I had a FB back in 2006 and remember getting compliments from colleagues and a London cab driver:-) (they know perfume I swear). I felt an urge recently to repurchase it, this soft floral elegance in a bottle, and my picky with fragrances hubby commented how good I smelled. If you love and own Chanel Allure, Dior Addict , this is your territory and a must try.

I got this as a present from my husband who fell in love with it. Very floral from the get-go. Strong and energizing at first and immediately calms to a musky, calm and powdery scent. Absolutely beautiful and spot-on! I think it might be too floral for some women but I love it! It's bold and elegant but not loud. It definitely gets a lot of attention, this is a scent for working women who want to rule the world. I absolutely love the dry down. You can clearly smell the iris and it's not as powdery as the beginning. I also smell a touch of vanilla which is just gorgeous! I usually wear this for important meeting or...just whenever I feel like it, really. Now, this perfume is on the expensive side. But you get what you pay for. Moderate sillage and long-lasting. Absolutely one of the best iris perfumes I have encountered. I feel sad that it's discontinued, I almost finished my bottle and I want more!

Iris shares her throne with her non-identical twin sister called tuberose. Like the lanky, lovely florals they are, they keep sitting there, all well-mannered and nice to be around. The tuberose is exactly the kind I smelled in Histoires des Parfums' first of the three - namely, the creamy variety, reminiscent of expensive lotion on sunkissed skin. The iris herself bears little to no resemblance to her gothic cousin Iris Silver Mist (who is the root to Iris Nobile's blossoms) or the "businesslady" No. 19, except for maybe a bit of soapiness it borrows from the latter. Interestingly, Iris Nobile has been praised as a chypre - let's just say, Mitsouko this is not. Anything dark and unsettling has been carefully hidden in the background, serving merely as props to complete the scene. To me, this is the perfume equivalent of a spa day - it makes you feel neat and pretty and life look so easy.

This fragrance is quite the chameleon on me- each time I wear it, it smells differently- unusual for me- On first impression, the opening citrus notes seemed very dominant and bracing, placing it firmly in the unisex category- completely drowning out the iris, unfortunately- At times, the heart is off-puttingly indolic- but not always- Orange blossom becomes prominent in the base, and I find this to be the most pleasant phase- I smell musk too, although this note is not listed here- however, the fragrance is categorized as a floral woody musk... The warmer I am, the better it smells- which I've noticed often happens to me with orange blossom notes- I'm guessing that my sample is the original rather than the reformulated version, which is supposed to be heavier on the iris and lighter on the citrus- Decent sillage and longevity- 10+ hours is pretty good in my book-

Absolutely exquisite. I've been entranced with this for 2 days and nights and I still can't move on to any other perfume. It's an elegant marvel and a wonder; I have nothing like it in my 300+ perfume collection. Iris is the powdery, gleaming Diva in a symphony of moss-infused anise, white florals, peach-infused cumin (not in the notes here, but seen in the perfumer's notes) ambrette and vanilla. The perfumer describes it well: "The floral bouquet only accompanies, and not at all overlays the beautiful iris solo – delicate-retro-romantic, with a trace of aery powder." Discontinued (mine's a lucky ebay find) and well worth blind buying if you enjoy Iris; this is the most magnificent Iris-centric perfume I've encountered. Distillation: delicate marvel retro-romantic Iris in a floral mist

This is one of my favorite iris fragrances - possibly even THE favorite at the moment. It begins with a gentle opener of iris mixed with a bit of orange blossom. In contrast to Frederic Malle's Iris Poudre, it lacks the sharpness that sometimes comes with a colder iris. As it dries down it becomes slightly sweet, peppered with white florals. I even catch a hint of vanilla at the tail end, as the scent is about to leave me. Projection is just beyond a skin scent - someone near me can smell it for the first couple hours, but I don't believe it projects much further than arms' length. If you really love iris with a twist, I couldn't recommend this more. I'd already have a bottle if finances permitted - but believe you me, it will be a part of my collection as soon as I can manage!

The EDP is a warm, complex, and heady creation that really impresses me with its elegance and character. I'm new to iris perfumes so my basis for comparison is non-existent, but I had expected it to be a big powder bomb at some stages, which thankfully it was not. Gently powdery and very beautiful. The white florals (tuberose, ylang-ylang and orange blossom) are prominant throughout. The dry down is a voluptuous, earthy mixture of amber, vanilla, and cedar--I couldn't find the patchouli or oakmoss there--which lingers for many hours. Wearability is great; I would wear this day or night as long as I applied with a light hand. Long wearing, 12 hours and up on me. This is going on my wish list. Love it!

I was pleasantly surprised with one of the most beautiful, unique, elegant fragrances I have encountered. This is in my top 3 favorite irises. Iris Nobile blooms on my skin and develops stronger and stronger with time but never becomes overpowering (unless the orange blossom starts to get bossy like it sometimes does). It is a sensual iris-ylang combo with only a slight edge of powder adding some femininity. There is also something in Iris Nobile that smells of sweaty, salty hair but it never crosses the line into animalic territory (although if it did, I wouldn't mind). It reminds me a little of Putain des Palaces but more refined and with better lasting power.

I am reviewing the EdT that came before the longer running EdP, and I find it very much superior. There is nothing creamy or soft about the EdT, it is just sweet fresh and sharp. The fragrance is not limited to iris; orange blossom, anise, bergamot are equal players in the composition. Iris Nobile I find to be very chic, charming, but also haughty and demanding. A cafe with a marbletop table with a cup of fragrant Earl Grey tea on a rainy day in spring would be the picture that it paints for me. I can not wear it because it gives me a headache every time but I still consider it one of the most beautiful and evocative fragrances in my collection.

Delightful and exquisite fragrance! This is so beautiful. ✨Such a shame it was discontinued...🥺 The notes listed above do need to be altered though for the EDP version, as it contains cumin, missing from the notes listed above in description....I think the above notes are for the original EDT, which was released first in 2004. The EDP was released in 2006. They are different fragrances. The notes are listed on the back of the EDP tester bottle exactly as follows: TOP NOTE: Bergamot, Mandarin, Star Anis, Orange Flower HEART NOTE: Iris Pallida, Ylang Ylang, Peach, Cumin BASE NOTE: Vanilla, Patchouli, Ambrette Crystals, Oak Moss

Wonderful powdery iris aroma. True perfection. Its durability is very good. The packaging of all the perfumes of the brand is one of the main merits - it can be used for decoration and looks great. I think it's absolutely worth every penny, because what the brand offers is a real perfume experience. The ingredients in the perfumes are quality and this is evident from the whole feeling you get when you bring their product. In this case, I was absolutely stunned when I smelled the perfume for the first time. I had to have it. I've been thinking for two days until I finally went back to the store and bought a big bottle.

Love this and I've previously reviewed, but wanted to note that I deliberately chose to wear this as my "Welcome to Spring" floral scent today! Sort of like spring cleaning and a new state of mind!! Welcome back, my floral friends! EDIT - OMG Lemonbuns! I had to check and you're correct! It's no longer available, at least in the US! Looks like Gelsomino went bye bye too!! The only ones left are Magnolia (thank god!), Peonia and Rosa. I have all of them and Rosa and Peonia are only meh for me. I need back up bottles immediately. How COULD they??!! This was my entry into the beauty of iris!!! I am heartbroken!!!!