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

For some reason, not only do I get bored of the scent, but it somehow gives me nausea whenever I get a whiff of it. There’s a note that I can’t seem to tolerate.

Not original, also the smell after a few minutes tired and is irritating. Iris is not perceived. I do not like it.

This deceived me at first first spray into thinking it was a barbershop fougere - that piquant fizzy overture of petitgrain and citrus which I don’t necessarily find unusual, but whose many subtle permutations I have slowly encountered as my perfume journey unfolds, and so far this is one of the nicest (together with New York Intense, which is sharper and immediately more masculine). But Geza Schoen seems to, in my experience of his work thus far, be a master of that slightly more withdrawn, self-deprecating style for people who want distinction in perfume but discreetly so - he seems to have done a lot of cologne-type structures, or at least the facade deceives you into thinking it is a house of temperance. But it might hold a fancy little gentleman’s club within; nothing too bawdy however. The clean crisp opening continues with a splash of sloe gin, fragrant, berry-tart and refreshing. If there are spices in here, it is done in the Hermessence mode - with the aromatic restraint of a well-ventilated Provençal kitchen rather than plonking you in the middle of a souk. One of my other standout favourites from Mr Schoen is Boudicca Wode, and there too, the mildly appetising lamb marinade feel emerges within a similar guise of fresh, evanescent cologne. Here - and you have to wait for it, for the bubble will come - the almost appetising tomato Ratatouille begins to enrapture me. And make me pretty hungry. I can imagine this being a wonderful prelude to a good dinner with roast meats and a Fancy cheese board, This is backed with some sturdy woody notes, in particular a lovely resinous rosewood that brings to mind something I really enjoyed years ago - As Sawira, but that unfortunately went very sour on my sweaty oily skin. This has a similar effect but remains powder-fresh with a tiny metallic tinge of pencil shavings. In terms of sustaining a structure I actually find this does a better job than New York Intense, which gets a little hollow after a truly heroic opening. The sap infiltrating the porous woods seems to me to give off a mildly fruity yuzu juiciness, with most of the citric acidity surrendering to an apricot sweetness , which, like the soft florals in Wode humidifies the drier notes and makes it delicious. All in all a lovely, highly civilised experience, though that packaging looks very fancy so I am expecting some pretty steep prices for this one (I’m sampling this from a vial), but if you are flush and want to get a discerning gentleman in your life a perfume but are not sure what he really likes, this has a few of the popular men’s categories covered in sufficient style,

after winning in the fragrantica contest for the valentine day and happily winning a bottle of this luxury perfume I think I should write a good review about it.so I try my best. first of all I'm most likely a floral fruity girl,so this is a new experience for me between my other perfumes. at the first sniff it's sweet,floral and a bit spicy.spicy notes become bolder,taking over the first notes after some minutes.to me there are some woody notes like pine that make it incredible for a cold day of winter.but because of the strong spicy notes I can imagine wearing it in a desert too. as the woody notes start to fade,the warm scents and kind of oriental flowers appear.at this level it reminds me a bit Kenzo Flower. this is very unique,high class fragrance.I think it matches the best way to winter,but it's good for the fall or spring,but in summer it would be untakable.best for the evening use,although seems to match the other times of day too. to me,the interesting point was how the smelling change from top notes to the base notes. provocative,not heavenly but dark and somehow masculine perfume.

ORRIS NOIR immediately reminded me of CHAMPACA from the same house. ORRIS NOIR is more animalic, curvacious, sexual version of CHAMPACA. I get the same sweet syrup, nutmeg and cinnamon. Only ORRIS NOIR is infused with ancient oils, balsams and ointments. There is a honeycomb note in there as well, a full bodied, opulent luscious sweetness hovering over it. I get benzoin and patchouli, like the dry down of CHANEL CORAMANDEL. I get an animalic sweet and spiciness laced around this composition. There are also fleeting moments of iris blended with dark chocolate powder in the air. ORRIS NOIR's "noir" spirit seems to be missing. I do not find it dark, mysterious or hard to pull off. It is a good oriental - feminine, tame and well composed. ORRIS NOIR dries down to a less sweet warm scent, earthy, round and vegetal. This perfume has average longevity and sillage on me. I wasn't fully captured by this perfume, like I wasn't blown away by CHAMPACA either. So the search for my favourite ORMONDE JAYNE continues...

Remember that scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where the bad guy rushed to select the cup of eternal life? I loved the line, "He chose poorly". Orris Noir is a poor choice for me. I thought I could do pink pepper, as it opens my favorite Bois D'armenie, but here it is shoved aside for a stink-popper spice note and an equally foul smelling base. Sometimes I try things for no other reason than to be pleasantly surprised, but here there's just no ta-da. I suspect those that like this like spicy orientals in general. These scents demand a very specific chemistry, which I seem to be lacking. So alright, not a go for me, but the scene was kept short and I moved on to wiser selections.

Orris Noir could definitely have been a LeLabo. If not for the smells itself, surely for the misleading label. LeLabo is famous for releasing fragrances named after an ingredient which too often doesn't play a relevant role in the composition itself (Rose 31 and Vetyver 46 among others). Orris Noir does basically the same thing. No iris whatsoever, not "noir" at all. That being said, if you're fine with a peppery-woody-incensey fragrance dominated by a nice, yet unquestionably synthetic vibe, this is a pretty decent composition. Kinda dry yet, somewhat, slightly powdery, woody and incensey with nice piquant undertones. Far from being a masterpiece yet nice. Rating: 7/10

The first time i tested that i kind of like it, but it was my least fave of Linda Pilkington creations. I revisited yesterday from a big sample and i don't like it at all. Especially in the top notes the coriande( one of my favorite spices)has a weird oily feel that although fades by time is always there.Paprica is evident, but the whole spicy leaf thing brings to my senses a nice warm winter stew,that i d;love to eat but not wear on my body. Cinnamon and patcouli appears on the drydown but by then i want to scrub it.

Black pepper and woody notes overload. That mix of bay leaf, pimento and resins is too ancient smelling for my taste. The floral notes are almost buried here and when they finally emerge, they are kind of musty. I am sorry but this is not enjoyable to my nose. Maybe this has been poorly reformulated?

A very strong pepper note in the top had me thinking "Wow, this is a pepper perfume." Soon a powdery iris underneath showed up, then took over. But it's after an hour or two, when the sweet resins and cinnamon come out that I really started to love this perfume.

Nothing noir here. I strongly suspect they mixed its name with Vanilla D'iris. Both powdery scent, vanilla d'iris is muted, has a leathery aspect and vetyver undertone; Orris Noir has a much more frivolous opening, with an "bubble gum" tone.

Has the Ormonde Jayne backbone with a fantastic blend of aromatics and woodiness, whilst staying light, but unfortunately the Iris was underwhelming for me. On its own it’s a nice fragrance.

Goes on bright and fruity and dries to dark Iris and powdery black velvet jasmine incense. Lovely and layered.I'd have to say this one matches in name in beauty and mystery.

I'm wearing it again today.I smell a creaminess (Sambac?) and more wood underneath today. Still brightened with that peppery edge. It is lovely and has great staying power.

Perhaps someone has already written this, but this fragrance reminds me VERY much of Passage d’ Enfer by L’Artisan Parfumeur

Leathery iris that smells like the inside of a leather good