Scent of Hope

DSH Scent of Hope opens with an intense peach note. This peach is no longer the juicy, luscious fruit fresh from the branch, but carefully dried under the sun, having absorbed the warm energy of sunlight. Its sweet-tart flavour and even the discreet bitterness close to the core feel concentrated yet sublimely balanced. This dried fruit sensation is further underscored by the dusty, slightly spicy even anise-y violet, reminiscent of the violet note in Caron Aimez-Moi. The orris does not manifest itself in a distinctive way on my skin. But after about 40 minutes, when the dusty spicy violet starts to soften, the plush, velvety texture of orris renders the previous dried peach more pulpy again. Underneath the peach flesh, there is also occasionally a papery, even slightly starchy touch, which might be a combined effect of orris and ambrette. Scent of Hope then maintains this palpable, suede-like peach skin scent during the rest of its development. I can't really discern any other ingredients such as the civet or the moss in it. They help to complete this lavish peach-orris-violet accord rather than distracting from it. The sillage is mostly moderate and it usually stays about 10 hours on my skin. As I've never smelt vintage Iris Gris or the Osmothèque reconstruction, I can't provide any comparison. When compared to the recently released L'Iris de Fath, the orris in Scent of Hope seems to be more quiet, mostly supporting the radiant peach rather than performing a pas de deux. And it has a stronger presence of a deliciously dusty and anise-y violet in the opening, while its dry down is more homogenous, lacking the multilayers of carnation and green moss in L'Iris de Fath. Regardless of comparisons which depends mostly on one's preferences, Scent of Hope is definitely beautiful and charismatic. Smelling it really makes me feel sunny, happy and optimistic, thanks to its lush, bright, harmonious blend of peach and orris. Me being a fan of Caron Aimez Moi, that dusty spicy violet in the opening is also a welcoming touch for me. I would definitely recommend giving it a try if you're interested in exploring the magic pairing of peach and orris.

I've never smelled Iris Gris, but have always been curious about it. When the development of this scent was announced, I pretty much stalked Dawn and the DSH staff as I waited (not so patiently) for it to become available. (For the record, they were all gracious and lovely about it.) Scent of Hope is gorgeous. It opens with an intense ambrette and peach aldehyde (C-14 aka gamma-undecalactone) that lasts for quite awhile on my skin. As it dries down, what I sense most is a cold and almost metalic-rooty orris, a slightly old school animalic musk and oakmoss. The peach and ambrette are never really gone, just blended in with the other notes. There is a retro-ness, an almost visceral dustiness to the composition. It does not smell like many perfumes on the market today and I can't really think of a modern perfume this resembles. It is far from unpleasant, but I'm not sure many non-parfumistas will appreciate the bready, papery aspects of the scent dried down. It is beautiful, but would I recommend it to others? Only if they love iris and vintage fragrances.

A very interesting blend! with that peach and orris blend mixed with some airy notes. I always tend to love peaches as it gives some happy vibes somehow as in here it smells quite fresh and darkened with orris and some airy notes, and i really wonder if it's going to result in some animalic as it shows in the notes! This is more watery airy fresh peaches and orris. Quite summery and happy.

This is my favorite perfume of all time. I love violet iris and peach. When I wear this perfume, I feel alive and happy. Unfortunately, it’s not affordable for me, so I buy samples from the company. I hate to say this, but this is the perfect example why Americans don’t like to buy American made; EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE 😢

Absolutely true to Iris Gris. I’m in love with this perfume.