Iris Root

Outstanding quality indeed! I never really cared for any Loewe fragrances until this one. As an iris lover I just knew I had to have this so I took a chance and I bought it during the BG sale and what a delight it’s been to wear. It’s so effortless and chic to me. It’s a fragrance I can just put on and feel put together without trying too hard and a fragrance I can use in any occasion. Just an easy, beautiful, clean and crowd pleasing wear. Though most will probably think it’s not worth the high price tag for something so simple but for me it’s worth it as it’s simple done exceptionally well. For lovers of clean scents with iris specifically, I think you’ll find it’s worth it if you’re someone like me who wears scents like this often that is. Let’s just say I will be using this A LOT so I’m actually glad for once that the bottle is 100ml. Is it groundbreaking? No, but it is extremely well done. Absolutely no harsh edges. No terrible aroma chemicals. Smells high quality from start to finish and it is not a linear scent. I like it from the start but enjoy it more and more as it dries down. Starts with chalky iris with some subtle herbal nuances that gives way to a slightly powdery makeup like smell but not heavy on the powdery element, very subtle, this is more dry I would say then it transforms into a gorgeous creamy like smell that is slightly sweet with some florals and a subtle fruity touch, perhaps even a tad soapy. Not a huge projection, within your bubble type of scent but it projects enough imo, people close to you will smell it and it lasts a long time too. Clothes smell divine after being sprayed with this. Love it! The bottle is very nice too, much better than their regular ones.

Beautiful rootiful orris-rich, chalky, upscale classiness with just the right amount of ultra luxury dirty carrot. Not gourmand, not femme (or butch either), no sugar or prissy violets, just super-minimalist mineralic goodness. Sichuan pepper just the barest most distant tickle - not nearly as present as the red peppercorns in Iris Ebene, for instance. It's almost completely just chalky (not greasy), true-to-life, genuine iris root ecstasy. As pure, brut and no-frills no-messing as its concrete cap; the smell of VERY expensive organic orris, and not much more - because who needs more, if this is your idea of fun, as it is mine? But peasants, you should know this sort of minimalism never comes cheap, and if you need to ask, you probably can't afford it - for the price is a gouging abomination. Iris Root falls right in the middle of the quadrant of the irises I already love, and saved months to buy - Iris Nazarena and Iris Silver Mist - and yet somehow, despite being even more stripped-back, and lasting a little less, and projecting more discreetly - costs even MORE than those stratospheric queens of the iris space. As much as I adore it - after sneaking a lavish spraying in one of my city's snobbiest department stores - it seems a remote real-life prospect until some discounts begin to pop up. I suspect many won't warm to its slightly chilly, standoffish aura: it is not quite as deliberately, beautifully rainy-day gloomy as ISM, but is definitely a sort of snooty VIP lounge treatment of the theme. But ooooh that orris. Very very torn over here!

A super rich iris with a decidedly chalky quality. It feels so lush it approaches an academic precision. If I were to point to one perfume as the archetype of iris root or orris, this might be it. This is not the lipstick-style iris; it’s exactly as the name promises: rooty, powdery, chalk dust-like. What astonishes me is how literal real iris root smells and how convincingly this captures it. The perfumer, Núria Cruelles, experiences synesthesia, where scents appear to her as colors, shapes, and textures. That sensory crossover shows here; Iris Root feels like a visual and olfactory painting rather than just a scent. In the air it softens a bit, thankfully. A bright, almost soapy clarity frames it. But make no mistake, the experience is heavy. Overspray at your peril. I find it delightful how it balances realism and artistry. Though I don’t see many wearing it, in ambient air it may feel more forgiving. Among Loewe’s Crafted line, this fragrance stands out in potency and vision. I’ve tried them all, and this one feels like the apex of iris.

I just had to add another review to say this has become a serious compliment getter for me! Yes it’s soft wearing but people definitely smell it. I wore it to my dentist appointment since it’s light and she complimented me on it and asked for the name. I wore it the next day to my nail appointment and my nail tech and several others there complimented and asked what it was too. It’s one of those fragrances that comes and goes, you think it’s gone but then you get a lovely whaft of it. People are definitely smelling it more than I thought they would which is a nice surprise but it’s not an intrusive fragrance either which is also nice as it works in any environment. It’s definitely become one of my favorite fragrances to wear at the moment. It’s also really nice to wear before bed. Love love love! Very clean. Very chic. I can’t imagine an iris lover not liking this one.

Maurice Roucel’s 1994 ‘Iris Silver Mist’ for Serge Lutens has long been my go-to Iris fragrance. Nuria Cruelles’ ‘Iris Root’ for Loewe is a very different kettle of fish but I have become somewhat bewitched by its uncommon charms. “Root” is the keyword here because things don’t get much more rooty than this. Earthy, juicy and “green” in nature, enhanced with a musky note of angelica, woody cedar and the bite of aromatic pepper, the scent has both considerable volume and longevity (which it certainly should for the hefty price!) Its creator has certainly captured the true nature of the plant and although it clearly hasn’t endeared itself to some I think it’s one of the most vivid and realistic realisations of Iris that I have stumbled across in years. I love it!