Route d'Iris

Others have compared this creation to Guerlain Après L'Ondée, and with good reason. The same spirit has been captured in this limited edition release, which makes me wonder whether it was not intended as a tribute of sorts. Further evidence is the text printed on the house carded sample: Route d'Iris Serenity. The perfume of a rainbow. Well, rainbows do follow rainstorms, do they not? The blend here features both iris and violet, and although anise is not listed, that feature of the Guerlain classic seems to be present here, too--or perhaps I'm adding it in by association? Anyway, this smells beautiful, and I'm relieved that I already have a bottle of Après L'Ondée, given that Route d'Iris is apparently no longer available, having evaporated into the sky like a rainbow at dusk.

When the dry down hit of this fragrance I thought of one thing: Apres L'ondee. This is the poor man's Apres l'ondee, and that's really all I can say about it. Slap the Guerlain name on this one and yes, you've got yourself a $100 bottle of EDT. Or, you can get a 1 oz parfum from DSH for less than $70. IMO, this is one of their top three fragrances. There's not a note that steps out of line here, but in all fairness this type of composition speaks to me. It's spring florals, cool iris and heliotrope and earthy narcissus on a not-too-sweet benzoin/sandalwood base. A very, very good offering.

Thank you Celina for this sample! I finally found something to replace Apres L'ondee! I agree with the other reviews here--it's a beautiful iris/violet composition. The iris is slightly sweet and rooty, the mimose giving this a soft, almost plushy feel. My only complaint--there is a slight bug spray accord that I believe comes from the violets--however it is very light and fleeting. This just went on my FB list.