Irisia

I will admit that for a long time, unintentionally, I was being a bit of a perfume snob. I didn't buy in to the whole Creed thing, I saw the hype all over the place, online, IRL, but I just saw it as something not for me. I certainly don't believe all this nonsense about Creed supposedly making all these historic fragrances for the historical aristocracy, that stuff doesn't add up at all. And I am not a fan of watery ozonic and aquatic scents. So based on the combination of those factors, plus the very limited and totally underwhelming sampling of the brand I had undertaken some time ago in a local dept store (Love in Black, SMW, VIW, Spring Flowers), I thought I could safely say Creed were not the brand for me. I am, however, happy to admit when I am wrong, and in this case I really was wrong. I may not like the majority of their offerings (further sampling had proven this) but amongst the aquatics and the overpriced pretensions there reside some truly wonderful fragrances. Though sadly it seems their very best scents are discontinued, including Irisia, AFAIK. But, oh this Irisia is truly beautiful. I don't recall exactly what brought it to my attention, I think it was around the time I came across vintage Balenciaga Cialenga and fell in love, that I started researching other fragrances that might have a similar feel. The particular combination of Iris, Oakmoss, Patchouli and Sandalwood sends me into raptures so when browsing through "search by notes" and Irisia appeared as a hitherto unknown possibility, I popped it into my test list. Reading through reviews about this scent piqued my interest so when I saw a used bottle on ebay, around 20mls left and no bids, it seemed rude not to buy it. I am so glad that I did because Irisia is everything I had hoped for. This is seriously good stuff. The oakmoss here is beautiful, the iris cool and aloof, the oakmoss-iris-sandalwood-patch combo was working it's magic, the distinctive sweep of bergamot present through until late drydown, the oh so subtle warmth of peach, this was an amazing experience. Although there are some similarities to the scents that brought me to Irisia, it remains quite unlike anything else I have smelled to date. There is a green quality to this but not strong, not sharp or biting or bracing; where other "green" notes can be cold and bold, a bright vivid and intense green, instead Irisia is a sweep of pea-green paint across a clean white canvas. The notes sweep and tangle around you like tendrils of smoke, or the twisting ripple of colour that spreads into clear water. Irisia is not a sweet scent in any way, and yet it is neither cold, nor aloof, there is no bitterness here. This is warm in it's own way, earthy and mossy, as opposed to resins and spice, cool rather than fiery yet welcoming and enveloping. I realise this sounds somewhat contradictory! I can try to explain it thus: There is warmth in this like the warmth of a flagstone path through the English countryside, worn smooth over the passage of time, sitting in the bluish light of dusk on a summer evening; to the eye it may appear cold and harsh, rough and univiting, but step onto it with bare feet and you will feel instead the warmth it retains from the day's sun and heat, the silkiness of it's worn surface, the wonderful scent of the earth in summer. That is the kind of warmth that Irisia exudes. Irisia is not loud, but nor is she a wallflower, you will have an aura of scent and a gentle tail, but will not fill a room with a fog of scent. Longevity is around the 7 hour mark for me, give or take. But the beauty within this bottle, so different to many of the other offerings from this house, is one I highly recommend to those who love earthy mossy chypres and green florals, those who pursue vintage scents and anyone looking for sanctuary from sweets and pink things and caramel and oud. I believe that this has sadly been discontinued but it can still be found online - try it while you still can because it is gorgeous.

We cope with this pandemic in different ways. I have really dig myself down in the perfume swamp and bought a lot (a lot for being me and my economy) of perfume from private sellers. My motive for most of my purchases is curiosity and that I've read about them here on Fragrantica. So I bought Irisia. At first I thought it had gone bad, (smelled like stored cheese) but after a couple of sprays it has gotten better and better. I guess some perfume may have got stuck in the spray nozzle and been exposed to too much air? I don't now how that works. The color of the liquid looks fine! Anyway, at first I was sure I wanted to sell Arisia as soon as possible. Such a different smell! And also, I'm not sure the perfume works with my skin. I smell much more of the flowers when I spray on textile. On me, I guess the oakmoss is more prominent. Now, after a couple of days I think I might hold on to it a little bit longer. Its not so much the scent that fascinates me, its the experience of the texture of the scent! I cant stop sniffing my arm. It's the thickness and a creaminess of the scent that I really enjoy! I might sell it later though...

IRISIA is an elegant and exquisitely balanced perfume. Just smelling this fragrance from the bottle or enjoying it on the skin, it is clear that the finest materials were used to produce it. The top notes on my skin are all present and masterfully blended. For a few minutes, I enjoy the mimosa, bergamot, peach and orange. The combination is neither acidic nor sweet, rather it is fresh and citrusy. Eventually, the middle notes replace the citrus with a strong tuberose and faint whiffs of violet and iris. On me, the flowers do not linger long before I am left with a much warmer and darker perfume composed of oak moss, amber, cedar and patchouli that lasts for close to 7+ hours and radiates within arm's length. This is definitely a strong, mature perfume that requires a confident woman who doesn't allow a perfume to wear her. This fragrance commands presence and will devour little girls who are none the wiser . . .

Amazing Chypre and easily the best Oakmoss scent I have ever smelled. The Oakmoss adds such a darkness that helps this become a unisex scent.

Everyone is right about the "senior" scent. It is a classic chypre and rather heady, but if that's what you're looking for as a wonderful Iris this is it. I feel very Billie Holliday putting this on. Gorgeous, old-fashioned and not drugstore-y. Expensive but worth it.