Zurafa

The leather via orris template has been done countless times. Orris is a natural adornment to smokey animalics to give them a bit more breadth, dimension, and formality. The other way around is also very common: orris steered via a delicate addition of animalics to present suede, or more commonly referred to as the smell of a lady’s fine leather handbag full of makeup. Zurafa does the obvious that somehow many have missed: give full-on skanky animalic leather and an amped-up orris the same amount of stage time, presence, and volume, and see what happens. I’ll tell you what happens: it’s stunning. Well, at least in the opening it was.... The dry down steers more towards the powdery dry and starchy orris material than it does anything leathery or animalic, which seems to be an effect of the musk heavy base. Thankfully the musks are of sound quality, rich and beige, not scratchingly soapy and white. What Zurafa puts in my mind’s eye is some type of dirty animalic leather character given a bath and put in a tuxedo, and the bath and the new clothes do remarkably alter the character’s ingrained persona. This isn’t an “Emperor’s New Clothes” idiom, it’s a genuine transformation. Lutens doesn’t credit Christopher Sheldrake with the composition but it has to be Sheldrake; his style of leaving no corner untouched or depth unplumbed is very apparent in Zarafa. The cohesion, seamlessness, and detail to this really very simple trifecta of animalic leather, orris, and musk is remarkable. The balance between rough and animalic energy and sophisticated refinement is the result of those materials being handled by a master. Don't believe the people comparing this to Iris Silver Mist. ISM is far too emotionally vulnerable, sad and yet austere. ISM is Lutens's presentation of orris through a cool silvery sheen - as the name suggests - that lacks the emotional heat and the up-close/skin-on-skin carnality of Zurafa. Though, Zurafa might not totally tread terra incognita when the whole story of its wearing is experienced, and it is very expensive when placed on the shelf of the numerous other leather-orris offerings, but the details make the difference and make Zurafa worth the experience. It’s one of my favorites from Lutens in recent years.

Zurafa smells very beautifully of rooty, powdery iris and a clean, if slightly butch leather accord (a rather nice contrast of conventional feminine and masculine elements). I don't detect any spice personally (which pleases me) nor do I get the lipstick, carrot or baked apple aspects of something like Dior Homme, to which the similarity of the notes will naturally inspire comparison with Zurafa. This Lutens is cold, but not so much as Iris Silver Mist, and Zurafa has a rather floral iris note which lacks the more graveyard-like aspects that iris can exhibit. It's perhaps a little bit gothic, but never vampy. It's also not very emotional to my nose, and lacks the (charming) morosity of such purple florals as Iris Silver Mist or, perhaps the ancient progenitor of both, something like Apres l'Ondee. Having spent more time with Zurafa since my initial impression, I'm loathe to admit it keeps winning me over with its cold, restrained floralcy, elegance and simplicity. Zurafa, to my nose, smells like a high-quality iris butter and a synthetic leather accord, with extremely subtle hints of something floral wisping in and out. It dries down rather predictably, simply losing strength over time and never shifting into something else. I find iris soliflores moody in general, and this is no exception: I mean to say the extent to which I enjoy Zurafa depends heavily on the mood I myself am in. It's for idle time, I think, staring out at the rain, reading, painting etc. There's a darkness and greyness to the whole affair, as well as coldness, which recalls winter in a mediaeval stone bedroom. There's an almost paint-like quality to the smell of the iris here, or if not paint then papery at least... However, this love I have for Zurafa comes against my better judgement, as I do earnestly think Iris Silver Mist is, despite being more challenging, also more daring and artistic than what is on offer here. Many such iris fragrances as this exist (indeed Prada Infusion d'Iris isn't a million miles away) and I don't know if I really think Zurafa commands the price it claims to... but who knows? Is it wan? Is it trite? Perhaps time will tell.

This spring, Elena and I stopped by the Serge Lutens boutique at the Jardin du Palais Royal in Paris. That place has its own kind of magic, something out of a Hermann Hesse novel. The lighting, the decor, the shadows, the silence, everything feels a little mystical, a little psychedelic, as if perfume there is not simply sold but revealed. You can feel the presence of the maestro in every detail, as if he personally shaped the whole atmosphere. The sales assistant even half-joked that Serge Lutens designed everything, including them. The Collection Royaume des Lumières was placed prominently in a corner, and Zurafa was the favorite of the sales assistants. Each fragrance in the collection is unmistakably Serge Lutens, but Zurafa was the one that won us over. It is one of those rich, declarative scents: iris, leather, and a powerful musk that carries the whole composition forward. It is a shame that note pyramids have lately become so brief, a few "main notes," and that is supposed to explain everything. Zurafa feels much more layered than that. I get beautiful woods, a little beeswax, a citrus glimmer, some sweetness, and perhaps traces of tuberose or orange blossom, maybe even jasmine. There is also that faint, seductive dirtiness that indolic flowers can bring. Like a good novel, it asks to be read between the lines. All in all, Zurafa is exquisite. Yes, the price tag is high, but in this case, I think the fragrance justifies it. It feels complete, luxurious, and alive.

Bought it at boutique in Hong Kong. Zurafa opens with earthy-powdery iris and leather, which gives me the impression of velvety suede. There is a green, austere and cold quality in the leather-orris accord. This is simply beautiful and somewhat resembles iris silver mist. However this phase transits smoothly at about 15-20min mark to a floral woody heart with Iris flower as the main character. It feels to me more like cyclamen with slight powdery and woody than aquatic elements. The sales lady told me she there is Iris flower oil used in the formula. I was skeptical about this claim but indeed some bearded irises do have fragrance. The heart lasts for 4-5 hours and dries down to ambrettolide-helvetolide-ambroxan combo like Apollonia or Fleurs de Peau. It is not original but matches the creative idea of jewel-decorate gloves worn by the aristocrats. If you love iris-themed fragrances, this is a good option but you will need to justify the price point.

I find the opening too sharp on the leather / smokey note. But it gets more mellow, buttery and comfortable with time (maybe that’s the musk speaking?). I don’t smell anything sweet here. It feels to me like a new leather jacket or leather shoes, which are in the beginning too hard, but gets more and more comfortable with the use. Update: I’ve been recently experimenting with leather fragrances, and this one grew a lot on me. I am getting now a more vintage, elegant take on leather. It’s very high quality, and much more intimate than other leather fragrances I tried. I think it works best for cold nights. I still miss a hint of sweetness, which would make it more wearable for me personally Update 2: okay, now I am worried. The more I wear this and try other leather scents, the more I love this one and find it superior. I am seriously afraid that this leather scent will just ruin all other leather scents for me. It’s a love that grew with time