Iris d'Argent

I have been searching for the perfect iris scent (perfect for me of course). After becoming more familiar with the great irises out there in the niche realm I needed to edit my review after buying a bottle of Iris d'Argent. I still like Iris d'Argent very much but I would put Le Labo Iris 39 and Roman Monegal's Impossible Iris above it in my estimation as I have learned that I like a drier, truer iris scent. However, Mecheri's Iris d'Argent is still a favorite because it is so different from other iris scents out there. The fact that it does not have all the iris roots and leaves that tend to make some iris scents too bitter for my taste is appealing. It has the silvery element like Lutens Iris Silver Mist but is saved from being as cold as Silver Mist by the amber, which gives it just a bit of warmth to keep it from being too cold. But the metal sensation keeps it edgy and 21st century. The woods and the vetiver also give the fragrance a difference that is interesting and again a very modern take on a traditional scent. I like to layer this with The Different Company's Bois d'Iris. A really nice combination as the Bois d'Iris somewhat counters the slightly sweet sensation that one gets from Iris d'Argent in the drydown.

Keiko Mecheri IRIS D’ARGENT is such a rich, resiny, feminine iris perfume. There are no earthy notes here such as I detect in KM IRIS POURPRE, which is definitely closer to HIRIS, although the latter is more of an iris-carrot tops perfume, it seems to me... I would situate IRIS D’ARGENT, in contrast, closer to FERRE edp and Aqua di Parma IRIS NOBILE. I was mystified by the characterization of this composition as more masculine than IRIS POURPRE and so decided to perform a side-by-side test, which merely confirmed my contrariness. (-: To my nose, IRIS D’ARGENT is clean and shiny and silvery and very perfumey, while IRIS POURPRE is darker and includes roots to which a bit of soil is still clinging and has a more pronounced chypre-like facet. These creations both smell splendid, but they are very different, featuring as they seem to very different parts of the iris plant. I prefer IRIS D’ARGENT (lighter, with more iris flowers and no other plant parts) to IRIS POURPRE (darker, with more orris root and a somewhat vegetal aspect), and would love to add a bottle of the former to my collection. Both of these compelling creations are must-sniffs for iris aficionados!

I used the last of my sample of this last night to test it out in Baltimore's Summer humidity. While this has Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile and Jacques Fath Irissime to compete with, I did get compliments, a decent sillage and about 6-7 hours of noticeable longevity. Now this has to beat Hiris... UPDATE: Well, this isn't as "perfumey" as Hiris and I'm finding that it's not as "cold" as Hiris, either. But it's very much a beautiful composition. There's something about it that makes me feel comfortable when I sampled it.

Nice overall, the drydown is chypre/woody. A silver iris,very dark but "enlightened" in the contours of the citrus notes and from amber. I tried other parfumes by Keiko Mecheri, and not let me down. I like that, but it's not thrilling... but it smells good, more on the masculine side of the feminine in my opinion! The sillage is moderate,good longevity. Love it Sillage: 6./10 Longevity: 7/10 Scent: 8.5/10 Overall: 8.5/10

This is such a beautiful, soapy, earthy iris!