Iris Malikhân

Who says women can't wear leather fragrances! The Style of the Fragrance: Smells of a rather mysterious elusive woman who is new to town, sporting a dark academia type of fashion, always has a poetry book in her bag, frequents museums, always reading some kind of compelling literature.. very well traveled. She frequents some trendy coffee shops where she spends most of her day reading and writing. A real renaissance woman who is always learning more and actually enjoys philosophy and is very introspective. She's otherworldly and there's something that makes you want to know more about her, but you don't quite know what it is. The person I wish I was, frankly. (please do note that this fragrance is very unisex despite my description!) I suppose I am romanticizing the life of a scholarly English major, but that's truly what this fragrance is. It's different, and it is truly a masterpiece. I'd also describe it as how it would feel to lay on a cloud while reading a magazine. However it does not lack sophistication, though with a more "hipster" fashion — not in a snooty rich person way. Sophisticated while still being down to earth. A more straightforward description of the experience: I love iris in fragrances, but this one certainly isn't the standard. It almost smells of paper, that has been heavily scented with vanilla. It is extremely soft on the nose, plush even. The more lush floral elements are most prominent in the opening. It dies down to more of the orris and vanilla being forward. The leather in this fragrance is extremely subtle but still present. It isn't something I would have identified if I didn't know the note. All of the notes truly do come together as one, playing a soft, yet thought provoking melody in unison. The fragrance also becomes more, and more, and more mass-appealing the longer it stays on the skin. This isn't a niche fragrance that you'll have to worry about offending anyone with either which is lovely, because you're getting something beautiful and inoffensive, while still remaining unique. However, I wouldn't say it is necessary a safe blind buy, though I believe no niche fragrance ever is... Performance: The longevity here is incredible. I have only worn it once as I have the discovery kit, but I got about 9-10 hours (Though, I should mention that I am lucky and I tend to have a better threshold for this). It radiates within about a half an arm length which is ideal for me. If you sprayed more, it would probably radiate better (I did about four sprays). I can tell that this fragrance, along with all of the maison crivelli fragrances are very well thought out. Bravo! Overall, 9/10

I first received a sample of this last year, when I was but a novice sniffer of scents, enthusiastic but raw. My first iris scent was a negative experience, and I spent nigh on a year being physically nauseated every time I smelled iris. Others described iris as powdery, soft, and alluring; privately I thought them lunatics with nostrils full of dirt and vegetable scraps. Iris Malihan was my attempt to broaden my olfactory horizons. It did not work. I was a certified hater for life. Or so I thought. A month ago, I was moved to once again uncork my tiny sample vial, which had been macerating somewhere in my pile of unclassified samples, and to see if I had somehow become enlightened. And to my surprise, I fell immediately and violently in love. Gone was the visceral revulsion. Instead, I was intrigued by the layers of Iris Malikhan. Finally, I could perceive that dreamy powdery quality everyone ascribed to iris, but cast in buttery, cottony tones and beautifully bolstered by a heart of leather and vanilla. It was intriguing—more than intriguing, it was addictive. My (much more normal about fragrances) husband went from "uh" to "oh?" to "mmm" as I continued to test my sample and wax lyrical about this new obsession of mine. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Day after day I frantically checked my preferred sellers for the 30 mL restock. This went on for weeks until I was finally able to purchase it in a fit of delirium at 3 a.m. No regrets. The sillage is very decent; I like to spray this in my hair, alcohol damage be damned, and enjoy the gentle breaths of iris as I move my head. The longevity is fairly impressive; moderate on skin (worth noting: my skin doesn't hold fragrances and I frequently forget to moisturize), but quite enduring on clothing; this stuff lasts overnight on a t-shirt. Speaking of which, it's a gorgeous scent for night or day. Definitely a cooler-weather scent; I look forward to spraying this on a sweater or a scarf. I wouldn't be surprised if my small bottle is gone before summer. It's okay. There's always next fall (and a bigger size bottle) to recommit.

I want to think everything happens for a reason. It helps me very much because a lot of the time I don't have control over what goes on in my life. Even over my body. Anyway, by chance a couple of Iris fragrances were made accessible and I was able to try today. The first one was Iris palladium and the second was Iris Malikhân. I'm going to review both of them as quickly and concisely as possible. They are both very similar. Both have the buttery and powdery Iris aspect to them. So it is all about the details and all about the secondary aspects. Because they are so similar, I have to break the two down. And in my personal opinion, I think Iris palladium is better in terms of the secondary effects and woody characteristics. Iris Malikhân stays in the soft Grey cloud of a composition. There is not much change going on, and for some people that would be wonderful. I personally like fragrances that dwindle down into Earth. Green, woody, all of that good stuff. It doesn't do that. It stays almost atmospheric. But do not get me wrong. This is still a beautiful fragrance if you are looking for something inspired by soft gray sleeping kittens fresh from a warm bath after you realized it suddenly, gently and delicately has become overcast and you can't go outside and play anymore. That's OK. You are now inspired to whip out your fresh batch of monochromatic watercolor squares from Japan and paint your authentic feelings after you put your animal babies down for a nap.

It lasts about 9 hours at medium high intensity. Many times when we try perfumes we do it from the side of simply I like it or I don't like it, but when we enter the line of perfumeries that create olfactory experiences it is okay to play the game of closing our eyes and seeing what the perfume makes us feel. I have to say that Maison Crivelli has organized its website very well to be able to make that journey of notes together with visual, auditory sensations ... (a sound of this perfume altered my cat), and by doing these steps you can get much better at what is inside the perfume. What does this perfume smell like? I would tell you that it is perfectly a perfume with iris, with an aroma that is both powdery and slightly earthy, now, it is practically amazing how an iris perfume can be so creamy, it really is like butter, margarine that we know all our lives, they would have started creating margarine with aromas and you can feel how creamy it is, spreadable on the skin and gives you tremendous sensations, of course it has that little warm touch. But is it much more complicated to explain, iris butter? is that possible? You only understand it when you taste it ... If instead of describing the aroma with words I did it with an image, it would be the feeling of being lying on a flower cloud, warm by the rays of the sun. Sometimes perfumes just have to close your eyes and make us feel.

This is, honestly, the BEST fragrance I've ever experienced. It's perfect in every way. It works well during each season. The performance is outstanding without going nuclear. It permeates one's skin & as the day progresses, it becomes a part of you. It is both comfortable and interesting. It even blends notes that I usually avoid, such as cinnamon & leather. Somehow they are done to p.e.r.f.e.c.t.i.o.n. and I'm here for it. This is a graceful example of how skilled perfumers give us a masterpiece that showcases their flexibility in artistry. It's an iris/orris fragrance which incorporates complexity not normally felt in this genre. After many years in this hobby/passion/addiction, it quickly settled into first place, becoming my favorite. By far. One can detect elements of a few other fragrances, that perhaps, inspired the nose. Memo Italian Leather is one. There's a cousin DNA in this case. Iris Malikhân is more invigorating, bright & dare I say, slightly effervescent with a dollop of sweetness. Whereas Italian Leather falls a little more flat & vegetal. I imagine this is either a love it or hate it scent. It's obvious where I stand 😘