Iris Sura

This is not my type of scent (as I'm not a fan of orris), yet once again Ashek of Byermia impressed me with the smoothness of the blend, and it feels perfectly unisex in its character. The scent is pleasantly buttery, with lots of cacao. There is a fruity nuance in the opening, also hints of vanilla and a clean, prominent woody backbone, so you won't be able to smell any kind of fecal or barnyardy oud there (and I would love to sniff some animalic presence there). So even if the prominent note of orris is not meant for me, it is deep and rich, to the point that I am considering another bottle from the brand. If you are thinking of getting into more natural or artisanal fragrances, and you value mass appealing perfumes with enough depth, try some of the Byermia stuff, you might end up pleasantly surprised, just like I did.

I love a well-done Iris. I love the story to this fragrance, and I think the fragrance itself fits the creative mandate perfectly – an unseen powerhouse of a woman working wonders in a male-dominated world but remaining invisible to most. The iris is the vegetal, carrot-seed type which I prefer. Earthy and unisex. The oak here is dry but also nuanced with creamy tropical fruits and flowers – banana and ylang is what my nose picks up on. The oud is slightly smoky on some in-breaths, and positively particulate with coumarin-like granules. I usually find tonka and similar grainy notes quite challenging, but in Iris Sura these rough wood grains paint a picture of masculinity to me and provide a very obvious contrast to the softly luminous and feminine peach which emerges soon into the scent journey and remains the star of the show for most of the wear. I adore peach at the base of a fragrance. I call it “peach surprise” or “peach upside-down cake”. In Amber Aquilaria (Electimuss) the peach is too syrup-laden to delight me. In Heaven Can Wait (Frederic Malle) it is too faint for me to detect above the hot cloves. But in Iris Sura, it is perfection. Not too sweet, not too subtle, and presented on a resinous base of vanilla. Iris Sura is gorgeous. Not a gourmand by any stretch, but rather a voluptuous representation of stark contrasts. I wore it to work, it felt poised and professional. I think I might be in love.

@Hoofhearted74 not actually it contains Aetoxylon "White Oud" Oil and kinam co2 both are Oud related but doesn't smell like any traditional oud. These were used for their woody fixative quality

That sounds like too damn much oud!!