Les Années 25 Bis

My first impression was not a love. I found it strangely sickly sweet but also quite old fashioned, and thought there was a clash between the very sweet bright fruitiness and the deep warm earthiness, powdery iris, and floral aspects. But knowing how Tauer perfumes tend to grow on me I gave it as many chances as the sample had in it. It is both strong and tenacious- giving a full day immersive experience, and with each wear it became more compelling and addictive.There are strong callbacks to old fashioned perfumes like Shalimar et al, but this is such an oddball and I would not put in in the same category because of the sweet fruity nature and that signature Tauer base. It really is a bright, uplifting, and fun perfume. It is not like anything else in my collection, and after experiencing it many times it grew on me to the point of purchase. I've seen talk of it being discontinued, but it is still available from several retailers, so who knows about those rumors. If you're a Tauer fan I recommend giving it a spin.

Les Annees 25 Bis opens with bright aldehydic citrus and then becomes plush iris in the usual Tauer creamy-lotion style, with a sharp elegant floral above and a buzzy-sparkling golden ambergris base. It’s an effortlessly wearable, modernized yet classical aldehydic floral. Not animalic high drama like Amouage Gold, but smooth iris cream and glittering champagne-gold spangles. In the far drydown, 3+ hours in, it becomes a bit sweeter and even more plush, a creamy-powdery skin scent revolving around benzoin, ambergris, and iris. Les Annees 25 Bis is a scent for an arrogant Art Deco goddess — who comes home, puts on her lotion, and changes into an ivory silk peignoir. Same basic vibe as Sortilege, but more modern and accessible, less intimidatingly formal. You can wear it to the opera or you can wear it to work.

Have you ever discovered something that you didn't even know you had been longing to discover until you've discovered it? That is how I feel about the candied iris note here - it's sugary and powdery at the same time. The composition itself is beautifully sweet and round, floral, mildly tangy, a touch feminine, somehow familiar (from the pear I think?) yet earthy, bold and just so so so pleasurable to experience. It doesn't seem to be readily available at the moment so I'm keeping it on my wish list for now, but I absolutely can't wait to have it in my collection. Superb.

Imagine a rose scented or flavoured icing sugar. Like a floral dusting you would use for a cake. And add some delicate citrusy elements into that icing sugar. And then place this powdery, sugary dusting in with the famed 'Tauerstuff', what is essentially a dusty, synthetic ambergris accord in itself and add a dainty touch of iris so powdery it almost verges on being violet. And then voilà. You now have 25 Bis. It is almost like biting into a parma violet sweet, but without any obvious violet. Beautiful stuff.

I agree with the other reviewer that this scent is referencing something classic and a bit older. In the opening there is a puff ball of powder that screams 1950s perfume counter, which bleeds into a burst of citrus notes. In the dry down, I get a lot of lime and vanilla. It is like shalimar EDT (with the blue lid) but more intense. After a bit longer, I get a hard patchouli with salty sea air and a bit of tire rubber. This is pretty fun.