L'Insomnuit

Very debonair ... a sort of Sotheby's catalogue in scent, smelling expensive, all-the-way upmarket, and full of genuine artistry. Deceptively gentle, seductive, powdery iris at first, which had me sighing with pleasure - not sweet, but not too earthy either, just perfectly pitched in the sweet spot in between. Absolutely reeking of high-quality ingredients as formulated by people who truly know what they're doing - nothing whatsoever screechy or fake about it, just an initial enveloping cloud of orris-heavy loveliness, without any of the waxy/fatty feel which turns some people off the note. However, there's a kicker: this one gets much, much, much darker and dirtier as time goes on, with the wood seeming to me nose to darken well past sandalwood into an almost-oud aura (slightly raspy cedar maybe?) - which never makes it unwearable, but does give an unmistakably nearly-bitter medicinal tang. Always rich and characterful and extremely classy, but I'd want a proper full day's trial in isolation before going for a full bottle of this. Don't blind buy (even if this looks great to you on paper), but for true iris fans it's likely to be a big hit. 100% unisex in my view, with moderate sillage and longevity.

This is a stunning fragrance. Right from the outset it delivers a hearty punch of jammy fruit notes like a kinda plum vibe. Then there's the heady whack of a balsamic, amber like accord which then gives way into the heart of iris and sandalwood. L'insomnuit does have a gourmand type appeal to it which I would say might come from the tonka bean, but it's not typical in anyway and is nothing like a deliberate gourmand. I get a sense from this perfume that it's not trying too hard to be anything in any category and is a light-hearted exercise in how to make something fun and smell exciting with a mix of notes I think are great together. I was hooked from the first whiff.

Very nice fragrance. On my skin, this also smells like a sweet gourmand with a bit of woodiness in the background. Also smells almost a little spicy, like there's a hint of cinnamon in there, though the notes don't suggest anything like this. I was pleasantly surprised with my sample! I'm not picking up on the references that others have mentioned like "rum and coke" smell. I think this is a nice one, but I guess based on the varied experiences of other reviewers, I'd say that this is one you need to test and not blind buy. This one does smell a little heavy so more suitable for winter/fall time.

A beautiful cool powdery opening which is typical of orris. The tonka adds the perfect amount of warmth and sweetness. It's a love duet between these notes. Perfectly balanced and singing in total harmony. After a while you detect the sandalwood and wood notes. It's for me a comfort scent. Nice for casual wear. You won't be able to stop sniffing your wrist. Low to moderate silage but good longevity.

Beautiful but strong! Orris is the main player to begin with, then its settles to a vanilla/tonka, woody, powdery iris and it's glorious! It's winter, I've had a bath and am in my jammies wearing this beauty, I'm one happy bunny :)