Terre d'Iris

I was lucky enough to be gifted with six carded samples of Miller-Harris perfumes (wrapped lovingly in the House's signature ribbon) by another wonderful member. On first sniff of all the vials, I liked Jasmin Vert the best. I wore that one and really liked it. But I must say, on applying THIS to my skin this morning I believe I have found a new love... This opens with an absolutely wonderful citrus accord. Not too sharp, not too sour. Bergamot and bitter orange play SO well together! I expected (from the name) something earthy, cool yet floral and almost dark (earth of iris); something that smelled like dirt covered roots and thick purple flowers...but NO! This is clean and crisp, then becomes more green and herbal. Rosemary and sage add a mediterranean flavor along with a light floral blend of rose and orange blossoms-spectacular! Iris is always watching though, and in the top you can sniff that she is around, somewhere. In the heart she makes her presence known. My God is this gorgeous!! This has some bitterness, but not anything off-putting or too sharp. Some may say medicinal; I say "aromatic". Cool, clean (vaguely soapy) and green: this defines irises without any of the powdery or metallic associations most use. I may have never been to the Mediterranean...but now my NOSE has! WOW! Iris dominates the drydown, crowned in moss and decked in pine (fir), she is regal and here emenates her glory as sharp and soft green notes bring her own to the fore. The "earth" part comes when a very muted patchouli and warm resin add an ever so slightly oriental feel to this; but never quite disrespect the Iris, by speaking over her. All the notes here are very VERY well blended. This is one of those great perfumes that seems to fade away quicker than you would like, due to it's cunning construction, but is still there...like a natural extension of one's self. Spectacular!! Sillage: good Longevity: very good Overall: 4.75/5 I often find "louder" more projective perfumes to be superior (like Iris Noir) and really enjoy both the Infusion d'Iris and Infusion d'Homme. If you love irises (as I do) and want something that catches their cool, dark nature without lots of pomp and production, while still being well-made and elegant, do yourself a favor and try this. You'll be so glad you did...here quality does trump quantity. *Note to self: Must get more...*

I have a generous fellow fragrance traveller to thank for introducing me to the house of Miller Harris, which in a matter of mere months has leapt up to now number among my favorite perfumers! I am very impressed with the creations of Lyn Harris, and TERRE D'IRIS joins the ranks of the many other fine perfumes of this house of which I'd love to have a full bottle. The opening of TERRE D'IRIS is rather citrusy, but it is shortlived, ceding to a beautiful blend of flowers, herbs and, yes, earthiness, imparted apparently by a combination of patchouli, moss, balsam and fir, which are listed as basenotes. I do not detect any of these elements individually. Instead, what I find is a seamless blend of all of the various elements in this composition. The iris is not quite to the point of being soapy (as in classic perfumes), but it is definitely more like orris root than flower petals. Yet TERRE D'IRIS really is floral in addition to being earthy. The sensation I have while wearing this perfume is that of walking through a beautiful forest bursting with floral life. The soil is dark and rich and soft but not wet, creating a sponge-like effect under my feet. Sunshine is streaming through the leaves and needles of the tall, majestic trees reaching up to the heavens. This is simply a wonderful perfume. I'm not sure whether my vial (now drained...) contained eau de toilette or eau de parfum, but the longevity and sillage are both good on my skin. TERRE D'IRIS is definitely going on my wish list!

I find this to be an incredible composition of notes and one can literally appreciate the different stages in this perfume because each stage is so distinctive. It starts with the bergamot. It is fresh and clean and citrusy. I then got the bitter orange and the combination smelled like the early morning hours of a sunny Spring day; I smelled fresh grass and wet dirt. It was amazing and it gave my mind a lift. This "green" stage lasted a good while. It then starts to morph into the African orange flower which is also earthy and green but tempered with the sweetness of the Rose. The middle is a beautiful floral stage that is happy and bright. It ends with the gorgeous iris blooming big time and the powdery orris. It is just beautiful. The woods are not harsh but they're there to keep it earthy and close to nature. This is not a sweet iris like Prada's Infusion d'Iris or Acqua di Parma's Iris Nobile which I also own and love. This one definitely connects you to the earth thus the "Terre" in a wonderful way. This perfume reminded me of Cacharel's Eden which I bought in Spain when it first came out and I adored and wore for years and it also reminds me of another favorite - Gucci Rush in the drydown stage. Regardless of the fact that it unfortunately does not last for too long on my skin, I personally think Terre d'Iris is a work of art.

I'm not a fan of chypre, they're often a bit sharp and cold, which doesn't suit the coldish climate I live in. I'm generally looking for warmth and comfort from my scent. This chypre appeals, because it has no sharp edges to my nose, it has soft savoury herbs, a certain amount of warmth and comfort in the middle and base. Initially it smells soapy, it doesn't last long but I like it. As the day wears on it becomes a scent I'm only vaguely aware of, but it's definitely there. It could probably be layered with other scent, because it doesn't assert it's personality, it's so soft and subtle it would make room for others. I think it smells like a well made perfume. It also immediately made me think of Safari by Ralph Lauren(I think),the first time I sprayed it,it could be the top notes only, I'm not sure. They're definitely related.

This is quite an unique iris scent with personality! Opens up with blooming pleasant florals, accentuated with iris and orange flower, contrasted by fir and oakmoss. It is soft, modern, classic, slightly powdery floral frag. I wanna keep on sniffing it more; don't think I smelled anything like it. This fragrance spells out femininity. All age. I find that many iris fragrances smell like plain powdery iris, which I am a fan of, but smelling 50 versions of the same thing gets kind of boring. Not the case here. Somebody actually took upon to explore this wonderful note and put it into a beautiful composition, " iris with a set", made it just right! Excellent quality and 5 hours longevity.