Iris Noir by Yves Rocher

Oriental floral? No way. It’s a marble chypre through and through. This Yves Rocher series was fabulous; contrary to the house’s policy, it was initially more citrusy, romantic and aromatic, more Mediterranean, and unfortunately in recent years more vulgar (pink things). The Secrets d’Essences line presented adult, exotic and well-made perfumes, as modern revisions of classic oriental and French scents, all very bold but with an airy, sophisticated and contemporary touch. The bottle that housed and unified them was also pretty: a transparent amphora recalling those old apothecaries that stored oils in the past. This one was called Iris Noir, and the name was no coincidence, as it had nothing to do with lilies or florals. What it contains is one of those marbled, camphorated and herbaceous chypres that will delight those who enjoy things like Eau de Soir, that forgotten Fendi from the eighties, or Coriandre by Jean Couturier. Because exactly that is what it smells like: coriander or coriandre raised to the maximum power. At first, there was a revolting alcoholic whiff, combined with a simulacrum of citrus caramel and some abstract floral, oily and salty notes (ambrette); it didn’t make you think of the perfume it was supposed to be. Once it settled, what was clearly intuited was a lot of patchouli, in its smoky herbaceous version, and a lot of coriander, coriander galore. And indeed, although for an hour or so it played with the texture, which became softer or sweatier (certainly the ambrette) before giving up, what remained was that typical green chypre that makes you think of freshly scrubbed marble flooring: a cold, herbal chypre, evoking a winter dawn in a European forest or a great French or Russian castle. The tonka, like the iris, were imperceptible; at most, they contributed an illusion of something sweet, sparkling or greasy during the first two phases, but they never felt like two distinct notes. To summarise: coriander, coriander and coriander. Unfortunately, like the whole line, it’s discontinued, though it can be found online at a very good price. The longevity was decent. A good example of an updated chypre with a more sophisticated and contemporary edge, totally unisex and with quality and creativity superior to its price.

It’s an exquisite, mysterious and feminine perfume. Definitely, it’s best worn on cool nights; that’s when it performs best and doesn’t feel like a waste. It’s a shame I can’t find it anymore; it was intoxicating to me and I can’t find anything else like it.

One of the fragrances I was gifted on my fourteenth birthday, along with Tendre Jasmin and Rose Absolue. It was my favourite of the three, I suppose because the liquid is lilac and, being a child, I didn’t know much about scents, ha ha. On my skin, it gets cloying and even gives me a slight headache; I don’t think it suits me. My mother loves it and wears it without issues, but it doesn’t work for me. Perhaps one day I’ll come to like it, not just because of the colour. To me, it smells of coriander, iris and tonka bean. I’ve discovered that this blend is a bomb for me. Time will tell; I hope to review it again someday.