Splendiris

Splendiris is not the typical iris we have come to expect from “perfume iris”, there is no lipstick vibe, no excessive powderiness, nor that typical dusty, earthy, rooty scent of synthetic orris either. The heart of Splendiris smells more like the actual iris flower instead of orris to my nose, especially the mid dry down phase, which is an entirely different scent from the iris root. I get a botanical iris flower with the leaves, created from an accord of orris butter, violet, violet leaf, carrot seed, rose and fig leaf. It smells like a hybrid of the violet flower and iris flower combined, which are both similar in scent, and both can only be smelled by pretty much sticking your nose into the flower. If you have done that then you will recognize the iris scent more so than the standard orris we come to expect in an iris perfume. The opening of Splendiris isn’t blue-like at all to my nose, the blue, green and purple notes combined with orange, mandarin and rose, gives it an energized multi colored scent initially. As the notes settle during the dry down, the blue aspects take over and become more prominent and the sweet orris butter becomes more noticeable, and this is when I begin to smell the iris flower recreation. The earthiness from the vetiver starts coming through later, along with some muskiness from the ambergris and warmth of vanilla and it has a sort of waxiness, sort of like sniffing a candle burning nearby. There is no smokiness or anything like that, but like the scent emanating from a candle which is slightly different from perfume. I even get a slight paper like feel, almost like turning the pages of a book near a calming botanical candle. For me, Splendiris starts out bright eyed and energizing like a sunny morning with flowers opening, and transforms into a garden of soft blue irises in the afternoon, and ends with candlelight under the moon, and irises just outside the window, ending somewhat bittersweet as the irises start to close for the season.

My toxic trait is that I sampled this, logged in my spreadsheet it was "Sort of a wet, soapy iris with lots of character and subtle earthiness", but that "dry down is too soapy for my taste". (tested in late summer) I then forgot I sampled it, didn't check my notes, and blind bought a bottle. With an atomizer, it does have an almost creamy, violet-forward character that seems sweetly femme--it reminds me of my beloved Rose Cherie without the rose--there's the lipstick/powdery dominant presence, and the other notes really help round it into something seamlessly blended and incredibly elegant--there's a classic vibe here that is right up my alley. I have other violet perfumes (like Balenciaga's line, Molinard, Rose Cherie), but I find this one a bit soapier than the others, and perhaps greener--it reads less "cold" and austere than my bottle of say, l'eu Essence, which has a strong sense of woody notes and vetiver. I think the sweetness makes a lot of difference. This house really rocks my world. I'm testing on a lovely 75 degree Texas day--I think this one makes me happier in cooler weather. In Texas heat, I was too sensitive to the soapy aspect.

Splendiris truly is a splendid rendition of orris, as you would expect from such a name. It’s very clearly taken inspiration from classical powdery florals of the past, such as Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleue and Apres L’Ondee. But I find it lends its own modernity and charm, to tickle at the fancy of those who enjoy vintage-style perfume, but yearn for something original as well. With orris at its heart, this scent will be far too much for those who don’t enjoy powder; it’s incredibly dry and dusty, like vintage face powder and soaps. This powderiness is elevated by a gentle touch of violet, alongside carrot seed to achieve an almost angelic earthiness. There’s a faint green facet, alongside jasmine and rose, but these are so distant they’re more of a suggestive whisper. I really enjoy this, I find it incredibly calming to wear. I’ve always been a huge fan of powdery fragrances, and I often gravitate towards vintage perfume for this exact reason. With that in mind, this scent tailors to my tastes perfectly. Whilst it is quite quiet on the skin, I don’t mind that, for this is delicate serenity bottled.

I had the opportunity to try a sample. In me it is a perefume with a medium intensity. Duration of 8 hours that continues with a scent of skin level aroma, but at that time I prefer to reapply. Although I am not a passionate woman of the aperfumes in the ground, it has its charm because it is delicate and among the aromas of the violet and the lily root we can feel the caria of other aromas. Its output is grounded but fresh and green. You can sow the citrus and green notes that accompany the violets, it is as if the floral aroma came directly from the field, in a fresh and very beautiful way. Probably give it to someone who likes a sharp, fresh, delicate and clean aroma. Very nice perfume, it is not scenic, it is not difficult to understand and if very pleasant to wear.

So, it's truly unfortunate that this doesn't stay as strong as it is in the mid opening for a little bit longer because the middle stage, and dry-down are truly lightning in a bottle. I don't find this overly similar to Insolence, or Misia... Apres L'Ondee is slightly similar, but this is obviously stronger. It's really hard to describe this in a way that hasn't been done, so I'll liken it to Cybophonia's Cinematic remix of The Black Mighty Orchestra's "Ocean Beach" which just makes me think of a fancy Parisian cafe, sitting under an umbrella on a warm Spring day. Not strong for very long, but moderately long lasting. On *my* skin, it's more herbal than powdery and there's a big spicy kick that persists from application until dry-down.