Iris des Champs

Out of the blue, I decided to spray this on today. I'm giving away some of my rarely used fragrances, ones I either dislike or am ambivalent about. The fragrance did nothing for me when I blind bought it a couple years ago. It literally smelled like paper to me and not much else, but the bottle and packaging are so pretty I couldn't bear to part with it. At the time, I was a relative novice to the many facets of this beautiful note. I already had a few iris scents in my collection, including the ubiquitous Prada Infusion d'Iris, but I wanted more and began purchasing several other frags centering around the note. This challenged me. Now I don't know if it's a matter of having plenty of time to settle, if my nose has become more refined, or, quite likely, the fact that I no longer smoke that made the difference, but today I am completely smitten! I actually think this performs really well in cool weather. The projection is much better, and I suspect the longevity has improved as well. But most importantly, I no longer experience this as a flat, unappealing soliflore, but as a more complex, sophisticated multi layered perfume. The iris is constant, displaying it's many aspects - rooty, papery, carroty, powdery, violety, and occasionally there is a hairspray effect which I just learned is indeed a characteristic of iris. I also get hits of lily of the valley, some pink pepper adding some spice and rosiness, and sandalwood. I don't specifically smell the musk, but I suspect it cleans things up a bit. It is NOT an animalic musk at all. I can't stop sniffing my wrist, though I really don't need to, as it seems to float around me. Iris des Champs went from an at best ambivalent fragrance for me to a love in a single day - plus a couple of years. This is the art of old school French perfumery and I am so happy to have rediscover it.

FULL BOTTLE WORTHY. Continuing my way through my collection of iris samples. I must have smelled a dozen or more - but this one’s got me delighted and excited. It has become my #1 iris frag. League-of-its-own unique. Characteristically iris, yes: it’s powdery, and lipsticky - BUT MAN is it a match made in heaven here with the lily of the valley. I get those two notes most prominently on my skin. To then take such a genius pairing and top it with ylang ylang, pear, vanilla, and sandalwood was some divine intervention. This is sheer magnificence. Interesting and addicting. Multifaceted, ever-evolving. Voluptuous and warm, yet peppy and bright. Perfectly powdery, soft, creamy, and a hint woody. There’s a tart, musky, clean that’s remiscent of Narcisco Rodriguez For Her. Smells different on clothes than skin, and I enjoy the combination of the two. Iris des Champs is so sublime. The cream of the crop. Haven’t tested all my iris samples yet - but I don’t need to! Full bottle NOW of this beautiful MASTERPIECE

I was looking for an "old" scent that I can wear everyday and Iris des Champs Houbigant is just the right one for me. It is a very complex scent with no overpoweringly predominant notes, but everything here is well blended, it makes me feel vintagely elegant yet youthful at the same time. The price point was also within my budget range, hence IdC is one of my all-time favorite scents because it's so beautifully balanced and pleasant. I love the way it starts out with the zesty bergamot, mouth watering pear and hypnotic mugue, which all associate so cleverly with following mid notes of tuberose, iris and jasmine, the scent that just gets better as the day goes on with a subtle touch of rose which comnects all the adjacent elements so well together, and the final spicey hint of pink pepper makes it all invigorating and vivid. As someone who has been collecting perfume for over 10 years, I can tell you that this is one that you should definitely have in your private collection.

One word that encapsulates this fragrance is "shy". The scent itself is delicate and feminine and it reveals itself to you very slowly with the dry down. The opening is very papery and faint and as the fragrance warms on the skin, it really blooms. I didn't get to the full experience of this perfume until about the 45 minute mark when it finally becomes rich and nuanced. It's like a flower that blooms only in perfect conditions. I urge anyone who gets their nose on this that testing on your skin is an absolute must and holding off on your verdict until you give the fragrance a good hour to bloom; Then you will know the beauty of Iris des Champs. Scent: 10/10 Longevity: 6/10 Sillage: 7/10 (with liberal application and perhaps some ambroxan or iso e super to support the projection.)

Subtly green with a clean musk, an interesting take on iris. Husband walked into the room I sprayed and went “wow, that’s strong!”, which surprised me because I thought this perfume wasn’t projecting. So go light on the trigger. Dry down brings a smooth vanilla into play, which was quite surprising. The mix of different notes on paper doesn’t look possible: pear, Jasmine and a amber accord are somewhere in the composition, but the notes don’t stand out. I think that’s a sign that this is blended well. I love iris in perfumes, and this is similar to Infusion d’iris (the original formula, a favorite) but it’s significantly different: Prada’s iris is more bright and sunny, Houbigant’s is more retro but not in a powdery way. Timeless is a better descriptor. I really like it.

This fragance is elegant, subtle and classic. I cannfeel the iris overall with a high presence of musk and muget. The dry down is very soapy. It remember me a lot to other perfumes like infusión diris by Prada, but iris des champs makes me think more of the country vibe. The performance is not bad but is very moderate, even soft; while the quality of the ingredients goes Accord with other houbigants and is very high. I think is a oerfect perfume for a daily use, maybe for work, when Simeone doesnt want to have lot if attention on himaelf. Scent: 7.5 Longevity: 7 Sillage: 5 Quality/price: 5 Versatility: 8 Originality: 5 Global: 7

If you are seeking an Iris/Orris dominant fragrance, cool and root-y, look elsewhere. But if you desire a truly beautiful mixed floral bouquet with a very nice Iris note, and a touch of fruit... do try Iris Des Champs. This is quite a feminine scent to me. I get a good bit of sweet Ylang-Ylang and Pear, but nothing 'sugary'. There is some nice wood (Sandalwood) to keep it grounded. I think Iris Des Champs can be worn in any season. It is not a casual scent, way too pretty, and I see it best worn with a charming dress and heels. It really doesn't remind me of any other scent. Unique and just darn smells great!

Creamy Iris This perfume is so fragile and noble. For me it's the iris flower with its leaves and the morning dew. The iris was really highlighted in this perfume, we smelled the flower, the leaves and the root. At the beginning we have a green iris which will metamorphose little by little to become a milky, creamy and very cocooning iris. It is delicate but with character at the same time. Be careful not to add too much perfume because despite its inocence it is a perfume that lasts a long time.

Unlike many iris scents that come across as leaden and melancholy, Iris des Champs radiates warmth, light and joy. I wear this day or night year round for my ultimate iris fix. The smell is so comforting, a great heaping dose of orris mixed with plush musk and light floral notes, most notably Lily of the Valley. The dry down is spectacular as the iris begins to meld with a warm sandalwood that lingers on the skin for hours. The closest I have to a signature scent. This is a love.

Utter magic. Technicolor blues and greens. This is the kind of fragrance that I would wear on a forest walk, as it would actually complement the woods in a rare manner. It is austere, almost monastic, not merely a fragrance for vanity and compliments. Using both orris butter and orris absolute, the iris note is supple, round, and nuanced. This is not merely a make up bag iris; it is in my humble opinion, the apotheosis of nature encapsulated. Without hesitation, unisex. A+.

Such a gorgeous and special fragrance. The presentation is so beautiful, you expect a lot and Iris des Champs does not disappoint. Chemistry is different as are noses but I get a LOT of rooty iris. There is clearly lily of the valley which can sometimes make a me run in the other direction but not here, it's beautiful. A very regal fragrance fit for a queen or princess. Ladylike....very prim and proper but not too cold and stuffy. Charming, magical beauty.

Feminine, elegant, well-layered, noble, "old money" vibe. -Feathery fluffy pleasant musk (which I`m usually not a fan of) -Feminine light lily-of the-valley and ylang-ylang -Subtle creamy orris root -Faint woody and peppery notes -Clean soapy vibe Everything about it is "light", but together these notes are making up a beautiful symphony. Powdery, musky, floral, elegant, very feminine.

What a pleasant surprise! This immediately transported me to what I imagine late 1880s would have been - other than this fragrance, only Jicky can do that! There is something authentic about it, belonging to an era when scents were part of a daily routine rather than an identity statement. I admit I bought it because of the bottle but now I'm in love. I hope Houbigant keeps making it.

Simply put, this is a gorgeous, powdery iris. There's enough greenery to keep it interesting and not too sweet. The longevity is good - at least 8 hours on me. Sillage is moderate, even with one spritz. I can see this being a sillage monster with more than one spray. Definitely one of my new faves.

Something between Dia by Amouage and Oxygene by Lanvin on the dry down . Beautiful ,inoffensive ,aromatic and so very feminin and sophisticated. Great longevity, not so much sillage Gem

My favourite iris fragrance, does go in the slightly makeup direction. Beautiful from the start till the drydown. Very much signature scent worthy can wear all year.

my iris des champs just arrived this morning direct from houbigant paris, and i am one happy soul ! iris des champs is gorgeous - my new fave !

Houbigant are never less than high-class; so as expected, this is a haute (but not haughty), nuanced, deftly-handled feminine floral which never gets blowsy enough to alienate. Its first delicate blush of authentic orris-purple even made me hope (yet again) for that impossible unicorn of an affordable, usable Iris Silver Mist substitute - but no, this one is not that creature - though still beautiful on its own terms. Soon swerves, as the name implies, in another direction entirely, away from the grey-gloomy earthy-rooty-carroty iris melancholia area I love, and into a far brighter, sunnier, dewier meadow-space with other flowers joining the chorus. Gorgeously fresh and never too sweet; yet for my nose, far nearer to the colder, 'wet iris' spring-to-summer feel of Hermes Hiris or Iris Ukiyoe than anywhere else, and with nothing of the thick swaddling mist of real heavy orris powder/butter that I crave. Thank goodness, though, no violets, and even that prim little missy lily-of-the-valley stays discreet; iris is still indeed the main player. Pretty sheer and delicate, with an airy light sillage and no bombastic lasting power. But absolutely reasonably priced for its quality, and definitely worth a try for any iris-hunter. Didn't quite make the cut for me, because the miserable cold and wet of the place I live don't let this one shine to its fullest; but if you can count on sundress weather and love to smell clean, classy and upscale, this may be the beauty you seek.

I have amassed a collection of samples as part of my quest to find the perfect iris scent, Iris des Champs being one. It is only the second Houbigant scent I've tried, after the much more well-known Quelques Fleurs, but both are underwhelming in my opinion. IdC is not the iris-dominant scent I expected - instead it is an inoffensive, unmemorable soapy floral with a musky base. IdC has a lightweight, ozonic fruity opening. Citrus adds brightness from initial spray, but pear is most prominent in my opinion. However, it is quite synthetic, with a grey, musky undertone. Lily-of-the-valley follows, soapy and cleanly musky. As it develops, the iris slowly emerges, subtle but nicely powdery. Given the name, I expected it to be the dominant note, and this is not the case - it subsides fairly quickly. Ylang ylang takes over, its sweet smoothness melding with the vanilla in the base. Dry woods ground things in the base, but it remains lightweight and soapy, with the dry ozonic musky texture remaining. It fades to a musky skin scent, sheer and dry until final fade. Sillage and longevity are moderate. It is a feminine-leaning spring/summer scent for daytime. A soft, soapy/musky floral scent, IdC is very difficult from the scent I expected, but I am surprised by how much I liked it anyway, despite it not being typically my thing. 3/5.

Really disappointed in the performance. And I say that because I liked the scent and I wanted it to have more projection and last longer. Sigh. So, this is a different kind of floral than the other's I've tried, even those with similar notes. It's pretty and gentle. There's a slightly perfume-y smell to it, which I usually dislike, but in this, it's actually not bothersome. Okay, and actually, there's a quality to the LOTV that turns into cat pee a bit. (Does anybody else get this with the newer LOTVs?) Overall, I liked the first half hour, but then it softened into a sort of generic gentle musk. So, then I tried over applying - like WAY too many sprays, and when I did that I got amber, and the amber was quite nice. But seriously. How many sprays do you do before you get terrified that you've just gone nose blind and people can smell you a mile away? Overall, this scent is kind of frustrating for me because there are so many things I like about it, but I feel like it could have been spectacular, and instead it just falls short in pretty much every category. Hmph.