36
Top Review
As a leader of mercenary troops, still scented with iris - it's been a while!
This fragrance unites three scent notes that I greatly appreciate: iris (or iris root), violet (or violet leaf), and leather.
There are plenty of iris fragrances, as well as violet fragrances, both in combination with leather, and there are countless leather fragrances anyway. While I don't know of a fragrance that combines all three notes, there is likely one out there.
In any case, this combination is fantastic!
Grassy-green violet leaf, the olfactorily closely related buttery-woody-powdery iris, and a hint of smooth leather merge into a wonderfully bright fragrance, whose floral facets come across as neither sweet-floral nor indolic.
Since iris and violet notes are derived not from the flower, but from the iris rhizome and the violet leaf, they bring a completely different scent spectrum than, for example, rose or lily, whose petals are used for scent extraction.
The rhizome of the iris, from which the so-called iris butter is obtained, brings along subtle floral, bright, talc-like, and slightly earthy nuances, while the scent of the violet leaf exudes a bit of delicate floral notes, but above all a lot of bright green freshness.
Both scent notes are therefore also well-suited for men's perfumery, which often struggles with more opulent floral bouquets, especially when they consist of so-called white flowers, such as tuberose, gardenia, or jasmine.
However, iris and violet can now often be found in men's fragrances: 'Fahrenheit' comes to mind, as does the older 'Grey Flannel'; 'L’Homme de Coeur' by Divine, as well as the well-known 'Dior Homme'.
Condottieri were leaders of smaller mercenary armies that enjoyed high esteem in Italy during the early Renaissance and were known for strutting around well-dressed and with great fanfare. They were also said to have made extensive use of the popular scent essences of the time, and what could be more fitting than the emblem flower of the city of Florence: the iris.
Delphine Thierry has truly not created the first iris fragrance with 'Condottiere' (like all fragrances in this new 'Les Aristia' collection, it does not reinvent the wheel), but she has crafted an exceptionally beautiful one, with incredible radiance. The selection of raw materials must have been particularly helpful here, but of course, the clever composition and not least the relatively high perfume oil content. The fragrances in this line are indeed perfumes. Not Eau de Parfums, but actually perfumes, thus lying above the EdP in terms of fragrance oil content, albeit probably only slightly.
In terms of scent development, projection, and longevity, they behave just as one would expect from perfumes: the scent development is more gradual, denser, without dramatic, abrupt changes; the presence is significant and reaches quite a radius, meaning a sparing dosage is advisable, while at the same time the longevity is enormous. I can still clearly perceive the scent the next morning.
In addition to the protagonists iris, violet, and leather, other contributors also play a role in this successful performance and should not be overlooked, although they hardly go beyond a supporting role: alongside a citrus-herbaceous hesperidic opening, contrasted with a hint of wormwood-like angelica, it is mainly light, dark berry accents that contribute more aroma than sweetness, as well as some cashmeran in the base.
Cashmeran is a fragrance component that I usually don't like, especially not when used in a sweet, cloying context. However, here, in a dry, floral-leathery concept, I actually find it quite fitting.
The special bottle must also be mentioned, as it likely comes from Serge Mansau, the probably most famous and successful bottle designer.
Not only is its characteristic curvature striking, giving it almost a substantial body, but also the elaborate closure, which adorns the head of this bottle-like being like a kind of crown. The bottle itself is gilded and becomes increasingly transparent towards the top. The crown that adorns it has a distinct Art Deco flair, and the stone that shifts between light green and dark violet even shows, with some imagination, the emblem flower iris (at least I think I can spot it on my bottle...).
The box itself is huge and elaborately crafted, and the entire presentation - box/bottle/content - is exceptionally elegant.
I have already paid more for sloppier presentations, not to mention the sometimes questionable contents. Not everything that comes across as so exclusive and noble lives up to its promise.
Here, however, I must say, I am completely satisfied!
There are plenty of iris fragrances, as well as violet fragrances, both in combination with leather, and there are countless leather fragrances anyway. While I don't know of a fragrance that combines all three notes, there is likely one out there.
In any case, this combination is fantastic!
Grassy-green violet leaf, the olfactorily closely related buttery-woody-powdery iris, and a hint of smooth leather merge into a wonderfully bright fragrance, whose floral facets come across as neither sweet-floral nor indolic.
Since iris and violet notes are derived not from the flower, but from the iris rhizome and the violet leaf, they bring a completely different scent spectrum than, for example, rose or lily, whose petals are used for scent extraction.
The rhizome of the iris, from which the so-called iris butter is obtained, brings along subtle floral, bright, talc-like, and slightly earthy nuances, while the scent of the violet leaf exudes a bit of delicate floral notes, but above all a lot of bright green freshness.
Both scent notes are therefore also well-suited for men's perfumery, which often struggles with more opulent floral bouquets, especially when they consist of so-called white flowers, such as tuberose, gardenia, or jasmine.
However, iris and violet can now often be found in men's fragrances: 'Fahrenheit' comes to mind, as does the older 'Grey Flannel'; 'L’Homme de Coeur' by Divine, as well as the well-known 'Dior Homme'.
Condottieri were leaders of smaller mercenary armies that enjoyed high esteem in Italy during the early Renaissance and were known for strutting around well-dressed and with great fanfare. They were also said to have made extensive use of the popular scent essences of the time, and what could be more fitting than the emblem flower of the city of Florence: the iris.
Delphine Thierry has truly not created the first iris fragrance with 'Condottiere' (like all fragrances in this new 'Les Aristia' collection, it does not reinvent the wheel), but she has crafted an exceptionally beautiful one, with incredible radiance. The selection of raw materials must have been particularly helpful here, but of course, the clever composition and not least the relatively high perfume oil content. The fragrances in this line are indeed perfumes. Not Eau de Parfums, but actually perfumes, thus lying above the EdP in terms of fragrance oil content, albeit probably only slightly.
In terms of scent development, projection, and longevity, they behave just as one would expect from perfumes: the scent development is more gradual, denser, without dramatic, abrupt changes; the presence is significant and reaches quite a radius, meaning a sparing dosage is advisable, while at the same time the longevity is enormous. I can still clearly perceive the scent the next morning.
In addition to the protagonists iris, violet, and leather, other contributors also play a role in this successful performance and should not be overlooked, although they hardly go beyond a supporting role: alongside a citrus-herbaceous hesperidic opening, contrasted with a hint of wormwood-like angelica, it is mainly light, dark berry accents that contribute more aroma than sweetness, as well as some cashmeran in the base.
Cashmeran is a fragrance component that I usually don't like, especially not when used in a sweet, cloying context. However, here, in a dry, floral-leathery concept, I actually find it quite fitting.
The special bottle must also be mentioned, as it likely comes from Serge Mansau, the probably most famous and successful bottle designer.
Not only is its characteristic curvature striking, giving it almost a substantial body, but also the elaborate closure, which adorns the head of this bottle-like being like a kind of crown. The bottle itself is gilded and becomes increasingly transparent towards the top. The crown that adorns it has a distinct Art Deco flair, and the stone that shifts between light green and dark violet even shows, with some imagination, the emblem flower iris (at least I think I can spot it on my bottle...).
The box itself is huge and elaborately crafted, and the entire presentation - box/bottle/content - is exceptionally elegant.
I have already paid more for sloppier presentations, not to mention the sometimes questionable contents. Not everything that comes across as so exclusive and noble lives up to its promise.
Here, however, I must say, I am completely satisfied!
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8 Comments
And this one is truly exceptional. Just like the comment!