Saffron Orris

This has shot up to my list of top ten scents. No small feat since I have almost 400 perfumes now. I'm not a fan of saffron except in food, and the same holds true for sage and nutmeg. But honestly, with the exception of the saffron, this scent is so well blended I'm not picking up those notes except in an earthy sense. What I am getting is a lightly spiced, slightly sweet, silky soft orris perfume. I swear, when I first smelled this fragrance from a distance on a woman, I thought she was wearing Shalimar Initial L'Eau. As I got closer, I realized it wasn't the same scent, but it is just as beautiful. Whereas L'Eau has vanilla, this has a very light spice. It's as if it were a Middle East version of L'Eau. Though the saffron starts out a little medicinal, it soon mellows out and is really the perfect foil for the soft buttery orris. All the other notes work seamlessly together creating a very smooth, soft, and powdery scent. If you missed the boat with Shalimar Initial L'Eau's discontinuation, this is the next best thing. I highly recommend it. Edited to add that I went on Korres site to pick up a moisturizer and bodywash of this scent and found the note profile for this perfume is slightly different than what Fragrantica has listed here. This is what is on the Korres site - Floral, Spicy, Woody Top Notes: Timur Pepper, Jungle Essence [Whatever that is], Lemon, Mandarin, Nutmeg Heart Notes: Gingerbread, Violet, Orris, Saffron, Sage Base Notes: Amber, Sandalwood, Leather Unless Korres changed the formula from what is on Fragrantica to what they have listed on their site today, it appears there are solid base notes for this fragrance. I think the Iris, and to a lesser degree the Saffron, are so front and center that it's not as noticeable, at least to me. I can smell a soft, powdery cloud of iris all the time around me. This smells fabulous to me in the warm weather, but I'm not sure how much different it would smell in cooler weather considering the airy composition. Maybe the base notes will be more prominent then. Time will tell. 2/17/22 -Edit - In the winter the wood became very apparent in this one and it leans slightly more masculine than feminine. I think I'll reserve this strictly for warm weather wear in the future.

I just blind bought this, thanks to the reviews from you guys! ❤️ I'm very happy with this fragrance, in fact, I think it's a mood enhancer! I'm just really fascinated by the facets of this unique delight. In the opening, I get deep saffron juice and a honey or nectar like note that makes me feel like a bumblebee landing on her favourite flower in a meadow. When the orris root shows up, it makes me so calm. This is the perfect anti-stress scent. It's sunny and earthy in the best way. If I spray before bedtime, it guides me into a happy dream. Actually thinking of ordering a back-up already, while still on sale. I suspect this will go fast. So far the best of the Korres fragrances on my skin. Note: I have the brown bottle, where the notes are not completely the same as on the red bottle. The sage note is not listed on this one. On the box it says: Top notes: Jungle essence, timur pepper, lemon Heart notes: Saffron, violet, orris Base notes: Amber, Sandalwood, leather

I wore this today and got a soft, powdery, unsweetened but lightly spiced leathery scent. It’s quiet, melancholic, a bit sleepy, but warm. Very androgynous. Big character! I would spray this on my jacket or robe just to feel totally bohemian or to bed if I was going to meditate or read awhile. It’s dreamy. It goes well with being outdoors too, like it’s not clashing too much with fresh nature ambient scents. I like it on skin and noticed the sillage is very pleasing as the dry, spicy, almost smoky soft scent wafted up and around. It’s not loud and does not smell like perfume! There is literally nothing else resembling this in my perfume wardrobe. I almost gave this away because my nose wasn’t in a good mood and I thought it was weird on first spray. Glad I gave it a chance! This fragrance supports a mood for me, kind of like music.

I stumbled upon this fragrance and, being a longtime fan of Korres and a recent fan of orris, I blind bought the shower gel/lotion/perfume combo. Upon sniffing the bottle, I wasn’t so sure about it. I love this fragrance on the skin, though! It’s an elegant mix of orris, spices, and just a hint of florals, with subtle powderiness and just a tiny bit of sweetness. It’s rich and complex, and while I’m normally more of a white-flower or soliflore gal, I’ve become a big fan of Korres iris/orris interpretations and blends. Longevity is good, maybe excellent. I layered the skin products and it has lasted all day. It wears closer to the skin after a few hours, but I enjoy catching the occasional whiff of it. Unusual and lovely.

Who would know saffron and orris works SO well with each other? I have to admit that upon first spray it wasn’t very pleasing, but it really grew on me. It’s definitely unisex and perhaps an acquired taste. Stands out from the crowd and i’ve gotten compliments for it. Not a safe blind buy though!

This is so soft and comforting. Earthy, natural, and bohemian. Lovely bedtime scent for me, easy reach for casual daytime errands and puttering around the house. This scent just makes me happy.

Clean without the citrus. Love using this for layering with other frags. Floral, clean and powdery. My favorite fresh out of the shower or before bed

This perfume has taught me a lot, as I am still generally inexperienced with fragrances. (Only time and exploration can improve that!) I had bought this blind a couple of years ago at a discount store, attracted by the red bottle, and promise of something simple and new. I was not familiar with either saffron or orris as a note, and in fact, thought perhaps they might be the same thing. I got a dominant powder from the very first spray, and I also wrongly assumed it must be this saffron/orris thing I knew nothing about. At that time, all my nose really registered was powder, so I wore it randomly when I was seeking a simple powder note. I have since learned that the powdery fragrance I'm getting is neither saffron nor orris, but iris. My nose now detects more nuance with this fragrance. I can pick out that powdery iris, and I can see it changed by a homey, almost buttery orris, and made a bit more organic and earthy by the saffron. I have long assumed there was minimal sillage or other interesting supporting notes, but again learned something new from this. The weather is unpredictable where I live, and it was freezing in my home when I opted for a generous spray of this fragrance. Once out, it was unexpectedly hot outside. Running errands, I could experience the scent trail and sillage of the perfume by returning to the enclosed space of my car. The most beautiful fragrance had filled the space. Very complex, not just powder. I think I am experiencing the sage, with other nuances. I actually have a lot of experience with sage, as an essential oil, in an incense form, in cooking, in growing and gardening, and as a full on smudge. The sage I got yesterday is the one I experience out in my garden, when trimming back or grabbing a cutting. It is sage outside in the open air, still green and alive, sans the pungent aromatic effects that occur in the essential oil or in the burning of it. I like this fragrance so very much. I respect it like a beloved mentor or teacher. There is so much more to it than meets the nose.

Saffron Orris is exactly what it says on the tin - a spicy, saffron-led amber accord complemented by powdery orris. This was recommended to me as a (superior) alternative to Jo Malone Orris & Sandalwood on my odyssey to find an iris scent to rival Lutens Iris Silver Mist, which is discontinued and hard to find. Aside from the shared orris note, these aren't particularly similar - the prominent spicy accord makes this a very different scent. SO features its titular notes prominently, and feels very luxurious as a result - both saffron and iris are among the most expensive (and naturally, beautiful) perfume ingredients. SO opens with a warm, spicy accord, led by pollen-y saffron. The nutmeg rounds out the spice, adding warm, biscuit-y sweet-spiciness. As it develops, the spices subside somewhat, giving way to the powdery orris note. Rooty, dry and powdery, it is a beautiful rendering of iris. The spices fade and soft woody notes become evident, enhancing the orris but remaining in the background. It fades fast to a powdery skin scent with soft spices remaining. Sillage is moderate and longevity is weak. It is a unisex, transeasonal day scent. A pleasant, nicely-composed scent that lives up to its name, SO is let down for me only by its limited performance - it fades to nothing after just over an hour. It is good value however, and the orris and saffron smell heavenly while it lasts. 3.5/5.

Saffron Orris is a morpher. It likes to shift between its light facet, comprised of buttery-soft orris and soft powdered sugar, and its golden facet, built of bright and bitter saffron and smoldering cardamom. The effect this gives is of a waft of fiery exotic spices, that quickly twists into smoothly polished flower, then twirls back to strong spices. A particularly bitter and bone-dry sage permeates the whole scent. It does eventually dry down hours later to a warm and softly spiced orris. Saffron Orris lasts quite a long time and with impressive sillage, given the price point. Oddly, it occasionally reminds me of the general feeling that SL Vitriol d'Oelliet and Javanica give me. Not that they smell the same, but they have the same elegant spiced tones that reserved Western-Oriental 'fusion' perfumes have. This is a definite 'liked' perfume, but I wish there was something woodsy in the base- maybe sweet cedar- to give the scent a heavier feeling, as it feels like it spends a lot of time dancing around with top- and heart-notes without ever settling down.

Powdery, dry, sweet and a little spicy. Saffron Orris is quite unique! At first I hardly picked up any sweetness at all, until one day I caught whiffs of those incredible sweet notes in the drydown. Now I get a lot of sweetness, even from the start, every time. I don't know if it is due to warmer weather, a little bit of ageing or simply my nose - but that sweetness is needed to balance out everything else that is going on here. It is such a mellow and harmonious mood about Saffron Orris. Perfectly unisex too. This is a hidden gem, I'm surprised it is still in production. Highly recommend, it's a cheapie that smells niche. Quite unexpected from Korres, but a brave creation that I applaud!

A scent for grown ass adults. Longevity is dreadful but who cares, it's an EDT, so whatever. The opening is complex and beautiful; the sandalwood and orange are goddamn divine together. Orris is a sneaky devil, I feel like it's one of the most overlooked notes in perfumery; the fragrances where it shows up are always fucking baller: Guerlain Samsara, Tom Ford Violet Blonde and one of my bottom shelf favorites, Turquatic by MAC. But back to Korres: this smells like beautiful, rich soil, sanctified earth: like a coven of the most right hand path witches on a balmy full moon, nude in a ceremonial circle, in a grove surrounded by sycamore trees. This scent can do no wrong. The base notes are rich and comforting, the amber makes you feel cozy and embraced; a good bedtime or cozy hygge scent. Found it at Ross for dirt cheap and also nabbed the body wash and lotion: combine all three for the ultimate self care ritual.

Sweet, spicy, powdery, animalic, a sweet earthy-ness I suspect comes from the nutmeg. This is a discontinued fragrance, I usually use this before bed or during the daytime. It’s soft, yet spicy, powdery while not being baby powder, it’s earthy I like. I do quite enjoy this, should you go running out, no. But if you somehow find it, I’d pick it up. I blind bought this fragrance about 8+ years ago and at first it was not a love. With time I’ve grown to adore it, for its elegance, yet casualness not too powdery, not too sweet, not too much orris, nor saffron, it nails it just right. (I own a red bottle of this) Lasting power, absolute max 4 hours. 6/10 It’s unique in my opinion 8/10

I found this at Ross last night the 1.6oz for $9.99 and I agree with a previous commenter that this has an earthy natural quality which may indicative of this brand and what it stands for but those qualities makes me feel like this is an after bath and maybe even bedtime nighttime scent. I wasn't sure if I liked it because of course I blind bought it but as an indoor scent I think this will be luxurious after a bath or at bedtime.

It’s honestly a worse version of Jo Malone’s Orris & Sandalwood, with mediocre projection. Not much in terms of orris, heavy on a fantasy iris note.

If you like L'artisan Saffron Troublant this is almost identical. It is getting more difficult to find now