Orris Noir

Ooooh gorgeous. Sexy classy upscale waxy earthy rooty iris surrounded by spicy tangs of mystery. Opens with a giant great BANG of outrageously flamboyant and bossy pepper, which I love, and instantly conjured a much much more upmarket Caron Parfum Sacre - so that's a whole lot of pepper, black and pimento, maybe enough to make you sneeze while still being redolent of milder, mellower woods. And there's a strikingly creamy, rich feel to the orris and iris - this is no pale, floral pastel sketch but a deep, richly-textured oil painting of the iris flower amid a bouquet of aromatics. Bayleaf can give me a banging headache but here it's just doing some supporting work well in the background. Absolutely delectable all the way through as it grows slightly less spicy, more floral and milder over time - and it doesn't last forever: the first burst is big but shrinks fast, though this hangs on, even on my skin, for up to 6h, so it's respectable but not outstanding. Unisex skewing femme, IMHO - though while Orris Noir's a tiny bit sweeter overall, any man willing to wear scents like Piguet or YSL Velours could deal with this one too, I think, for a much spicier and darker spin around the dancefloor with a very different kind of Iris. She's a grown-up, grounded, sophisticated lady, this one. Retail price is outrageous (if cost is an issue go for Parfum Sacre!) but this is worth hunting out for bargains wherever you can. A winner without a doubt.

Case when unfortunate name undermines great perfume! There's zero "noir" about it, as many here stated already. It causes many people to be disappointed too quick because they come to it with preconception that will not be fulfilled. It is not dark and heavy, but rather light, spicy and airy. Now come back to it with this expectation and see how wonderful, well balanced and uncommon this scent is, at least on opening and midlife. After 5 hours it does gets darker, but more common and less impressive. It is unisex with leaning toward feminine (sprayed on paper), but on men skin (as it was in my case) it could lose some powderness and sweetness and becomes perfect upscale daytime-office men scent. Longevity is pretty good, 9-10 hours on my skin. Projection and sillage barely reaches moderate, but it also not a skin scent, it kind of lingers 1 ft from skin good 7 hours.

My first impression is of a sweet, candied, fruity scent, neither orris-like nor dark. There is a dry woody note, but it’s a light wood, sort of like dry oak planks. As it settles in, it becomes a rich, slightly sharp and spicy floral-oriental scent. I like it a lot. Like some of the other OJ scents that I’ve tried, it has what I perceive as rough edges, notes that don’t quite mesh but are close enough not to be perceived as separate, something like beat frequencies in closely spaced musical pitches, producing the olfactory equivalent of rough timbre. Whether intentional or not, it’s an interesting effect. Sillage is moderate, and the scent lasts at least 6 hours on skin. It’s not my favorite OJ scent, but it’s up there near the top.

I dismissed this out of hand the first time I tried it. All I smelled was pepper. But then the other day I was messing around with the sample (trying to measure how much came out per spray - true!) and I kept sniffing the tray I'd sprayed it into. I wound up rubbing the tray on my wrist. It smelled great! It has the same cedar drydown as its siblings Frangipani and Ormonde Woman but it has better sillage and a seductive incense note that I like very much. I don't think I like it quite as well as the other two but still, it's quite nice.

pepato all'inizio, anzi proprio piccante direi, con un'evoluzione assai originale su iris, patchouli secchissimo e, infine, incenso. molto gradevole la giustapposizione di note speziate che passano su toni floreali-polverosi per assestarsi sul balsamico e l'affumicato. contro ogni previsione non si tratta di una bomba invernale ma piuttosto di un profumo che col tepore, secondo me, deve rendere meglio. non invasivo, neppure persistente, ma godibilissimo. molto buono.

I immediately love it. An exotic, spicy, fragrant floriental. Simultaneously coy & overtly seductive. Softens quickly to a near skin scent. I wish the intense overture would continue in form; I spray throughout the evening to exalt in it repeatedly. However, even as it mellows, the sensuality remains...long dark lashes veiling brazen seduction.

I'm surprised so many reviews say there is no iris in this. To my nose it is big iris up front and it is a beautiful smooth iris that lasts (like the vintage Dior Homme), not a synthetic industrial type of iris (like the new reformulated Dior Homme). Very beautiful. And the dry down is classic peppery Ormonde Jayne. I love it.

A perfume like no other. I love wearing black and this always suits a special evening out. A little goes a long way though - to overdo the spraying gives me chest pains! I have had this since it was first released and will always be very special to me. Ormonde Woman would be my next choice.

Orris Noir Thin spicy garment with green iris. Pretty much in lite scent manner (Maison Christian Dior) for every day, slight more sophisticate and herbal. This is woody-spicy. I really like the way sweet floral twine with aromatic bay, on soft green iris with giaical woodsy base yet cooling. Reminds of spiceblend that not as ambery. Lite and thin, this is good for everyday wear. I really like and enjoy this one. ♥️ Opening: The fragrance opening with a feeling of Orris Route lies under the earth. The thin peel covers with soil and naturally spicy as any rooty plants would be. Transit: We are getting deeper to the core of orris, showing the buttery resins oil inside. Ending: The wet resins myrrh with support of spice and aromatic bay, lite and intact on skin. Radiance, and soft sweet. ===== Update : October 2, 2024 I would classified this as more spicy/aromatic-woody, I know the powder ambery tone. under the skin but.. the star here is how Guaical push the aromatic and spicy aspect of the fragrance. Well, I really enjoy this one. :) Update : January 14, 2025 It is Cedar-Smoky Incense kind of scent, light and fairy spicy. There is Balsamic Bitter/Earthy tone that you would perceive from Rooty plant. And Soft floral sweetness, Kind of clam and natural, there is soft metallic undertone in this. There one I perceive as Ormonde Jayne DNA. I enjoy but very cold and mysterious. Not so sure about when will I wear. I will hang on to this. Update : January 25, 2025 There is few fragrance that using this kind of combination. I recently sniff Santa Maria Novella - Ottone, I think of this. and Evergreen Dream. It is interpretation of Dark Forest incense(?) I personally fond of Christian incense fragrance. So I am not so sure.. when will I wear.. this. I still feel that rubberiness dry green iris. And Aldehyde c-12 mna that mix with Guaical. Metalic aromatic bay-leaf like. All this on natural smoky cedar. It is very mystical but somewhat still smooth and natural most part. It's giving vibe of Naomi Goodsir fragrance, too. Conclusion : I understand the appeal of this blend, the idea behind. "Green Iris with Strong Aromatic property, Strong yet Mute. And surrounded by Forest & Floral Incense - It time to take refugee in Iris" I take my refugee in Iris too, I like Chanel La Pausa for that propose. And I understand the quality behind the blend, One hand I tried to enjoy. Because I love take refugee in Iris too. but I think the whole composition will be beneficial if it is slight more relaxed. It's just tuff. Encens is tight while aromatic and cedar-coumarin / amber and aromatic is Dense. But the whole composition is relaxed. So, it kind of contrast composition situation, Enigmatic might be the word of describe. It's kind of good story-telling 3 hours movie that you need time to unfold. It is a good movie but it is just too long and the story is not that interesting. I think this whole composition, Might do work if it just release in EDT format instead. Drop from Assessment.

I bought a more recent bottle and suspect it’s been reformulated terribly. It’s now very weak. I love this fragrance and I’m disgusted at what OJ did in 2020. They reformulated most of their fragrances. They panicked as most big Perfume houses did in 2020. Times were very uncertain and most ppl were only buying necessary items . I’m a long time fragrance collector with about 750 bottles of Niche and about 120 designers frags and I am very familiar with perfume houses and their reformulations and why they do it . What most ppl don’t realize is that many perfume houses reformulate several times a YEAR. And it’s never for the best. It’s to make them more money. I always suggest buying the oldest version of a fragrance that you can find. I don’t trust any perfume that came out during 2020 or after. Be aware and careful. Of course smaller Indie houses are different.

I get a slightly sweet, buttery, balmy, resinous vibe from this scent. It's warm, feminine without being really floral, and very sexy. Although I think there is a sweetness to it, the dryness of the incense keeps the scent grounded and interesting. It makes me think of a beautiful cashmere jumper, maybe just slipping off one shoulder as I lean in to kiss my man. :-D It really draws me in and it really satisfies my yearning for a new, warmer scent for autumn and winter. It'll be great for the party season, it's so elegant. Love it! Definitely worth a full bottle. I have been avoiding Ormonde Jayne ever since I finished my bottle of Osmanthus, but now I feel inexorably drawn back. I currently have three OJ scents on my wishlist. Bang goes my resolution...

Well, you certainly won't hear me complaining about the weakness of Ormonde Jayne ORRIS NOIR! This is a very dense and dark, myrrh-rich composition which lives up to the house's warning: "not for shrinking violets." I would compare this composition to something that Andy Tauer might put together: thick and deep, very perfume-like and even intense. The keyword here, though, is noir, not orris, to my nose. ORRIS NOIR is a heavy oriental perfume which does not showcase iris so much as roots of the plant, along with whatever soil may happen to be clinging to them! The opening is a tiny bit abrupt and a smidgeon animalic and tarry at the same time, but the drydown is a truly beautiful and refined oriental and absolutely worth the wait.

This is a crazy heavy blast of pepper out of the bottle. Pepper and woods. Iris is probably my favorite note so I was excited to try this. Unfortunately, I get no iris. Orris root however is a different story. Orris root I can feel...powdery, a bit bitter, a bit earthy. But my soft delicate beloved purple flower...nope not in this one. Having said that, this is a very well done incense and wood scent. I do think that the wearer must LOVE pepper to enjoy this one. If you are put off by pepper as a note I would steer clear of this. I did enjoy trying this but as I am searching for a true iris I will keep searching. Another beautiful iris "noir" scent to try is Heeley's Iris de Nuit.

It's an iris, earthy, rooty, with a minty herbal accent, in the beginning. There are some resemblances to Iris Pallida and Città di Kyoto (two Irises I like) but Orris Noir has some spicy feature in addition. I guess there is clove and cinnamon and nutmeg, some pepper, notes are well blended together. Then there are woods (cedar) for that added sensuality. And bay leaves for that bitter twist. However it's a pity the spices/woods overwhelm the purity of the Iris. Other flowers like jasmine are totally covered by these other notes. What a pity! Leans masculine. In any case,worth a try.

Dense and dark? Not on my skin. A leathery iris like YSL L'Homme? Yes. And a very good one at that. Worth a try if you like such, especially since it seems like many people are smelling vastly different things in this juice (based on the reviews).

Creamy, slightly musky, skin scent that doesn't last long or project at all. Pleasant but nothing to write home about.

This is almost entirely coriander, artemisia and bay leaf and even as someone whose entire life has been about cooking with these ingredients, I don't like it that much. The spiced are not balanced and the florals are completely mismatched. The base is almost not there.

Where is this "dark, spicy Amber scent for those who want to leave their mark"? It gives me very boring barbershop vibes. Not even a dislike, it's a perfect meh.

Smells like a grandma who has spilled black tea over herself.

Well, this is a big dose of orris from the word go with the bay leaf and gaiaic wood adding an accent to it as the alcohol dissipates. A big wallop of orris root is heavy and you need these notes. I like it more as the bay leaf kicks in and the gaiaic wood adds its delicate smokiness. The pepper, chile and artemisia are also effective in lifting the scent and adding their sort of piquant effect. The best part of this scent is midway as the orris root finally fades and the smoky elements are very evident. Nice but the big wallop of orris puts me off