Tendre Pallida Emmanuel Levain 2014

I'm not 100% sure if my "Tendre Pallida" sample might be slightly off or is on the verge of going bad. Consider this a light warning and apology to all lovers of the fragrance. Nevertheless, I can still clearly smell enough of the scent character to throw in my two cents.

"Tendre Pallida" is a bone-dry iris E.T. that is very difficult to describe and put into words. It piques curiosity while simultaneously repelling. A very purple scent, if you can imagine something like that. Pollen and beehive in the backside. Attic meets Milky Way. Powder meets crude. Very synthetic, an experiment. The musk honestly comes across in its worst moments like cheap shampoos. A garden full of foreign plants. Or the holodeck, which at least tries to imitate that. Light, dull sharpness. There are far better alternatives on the market when it comes to iris and powder bombs.

Bottle: Average niche perfumery
Sillage: noticeable to the surroundings - not always with positive comments
Longevity: 7-9 hours is strong for an iris scent

Conclusion: a very androgynous, dry, almost alien-like iris killer with a very penetrating, headache-inducing aura. Interesting. But not good for me. Although I generally like powdery scents. This one, however, feels inhuman, unnatural to the point of being repulsive.