Les Ombres Fantastiques A.R.

This is one of the softest scents I've ever come across, not in a good way. It's a shame because the packaging and those d'Orsay fragrance line names are really exciting. It smells like "something" for literally 10 minutes, opens with a touch of cardamom and the faintest touch of iris, then develops into a peppery-vetiver scent with a slight body-odor vibe (maybe the musk-vetiver association). It's 100% unisex and smells like it would be a spring-fall scent. After this time, I can barely smell anything, just a faint vetiver on my skin, I don't know if that comes from my nose or if it's just really soft, but this lasts seriously 20 minutes on my skin, and it projects for maybe ... 3 seconds or so, before I have to bury my nose on my skin. Maybe I should wear it in summer, maybe it needs heat to activate. If it was cheaper it would be ok ... But given the price( 95 euro for 50 ml! ), I think this is a really bad deal. Moreover the "smell" is just nice, definitely lacks character, that note list was really promising but the result is underwhelming and lifeless to me.

A ghost. Reminds me of a scented candle that smells promising from the box but then when lit...absolutely nothing. This blend is far far too weak and watered down. Not to mention, it isn’t a distinct enough concept from others in the line. I bet there is a funny story here, like the new owner of D’Orsay doesn’t really care for perfume and just chose the top scoring 15 formulas from focus group testing. I don’t know. It is unimaginable that anyone developing a brand who loves perfume would go ahead with something like this, especially when there is already a Cartier Declaration knock off in the line. It does surprisingly persist on fabric in the drydown. The key to most of these D’Orsays is to make sure you spray your chest and shirt collar, your wrists and shirt cuffs generously. 1 out of 5.

I totally could see why this perfume is easily misunderstood. It's a combo of iris and vetiver, one might expect it to be loud ( think Dior Homme or Creed Vetiver). However, it isn't meant to be projecting. It's quiet and reserve. It's along the same line of Chanel Gardenia or Byredo La Tulipe, only with Iris flowers (though not powdery). The drydown is sweet and cozy. I admit, on skin it is about 2-3 hours longevity (same for the other two i mentioned anyways). On my sweater though, it stays all day. I think if one goes in with the right expectation, this scent is an Iris hit. Bringing it back to compare with other Iris fragrances this one has that added sweet vetiver that makes it different than Prada Infusion d'iris (powdery) and Bvlgari au The bleu (floral) Perfect unisex. Office safe.

Nice soapy cardamom with base of patchouli. It would have been a great inoffensive office wear if it lasted a bit longer.