Terre d'Iris 2005

Terre d'Iris by Miller Harris
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7.3 / 10 129 Ratings
A perfume by Miller Harris for women, released in 2005. The scent is floral-fresh. The production was apparently discontinued.
Pronunciation
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Main accords

Floral
Fresh
Spicy
Powdery
Green

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
Calabrian bergamotCalabrian bergamot Florida grapefruitFlorida grapefruit Sicilian bitter orangeSicilian bitter orange Valencia orangeValencia orange
Heart Notes Heart Notes
Tunisian orange blossomTunisian orange blossom French clary sageFrench clary sage Spanish rosemarySpanish rosemary Turkish roseTurkish rose
Base Notes Base Notes
French fir balsam Orris butterOrris butter Indonesian patchouliIndonesian patchouli Tree mossTree moss
Ratings
Scent
7.3129 Ratings
Longevity
6.593 Ratings
Sillage
5.999 Ratings
Bottle
7.7105 Ratings
Submitted by Nasowas, last update on 23.02.2023.

Reviews

5 in-depth fragrance descriptions
10
Bottle
9
Sillage
9
Longevity
9.5
Scent
Peanut

2 Reviews
Translated Show original Show translation
Peanut
Peanut
Top Review 22  
It is the due that falls to us
At least Max Frisch said so. I agree with him, it applies to so many things: We often find what we have antennas for, what we are receptive for, and what we are rather unconsciously or consciously looking for
So "Terre d'Iris" seemed to fall into my lap by accident when I was swapping perfumes with my dear Hermia. I hoped that the exchange fragrance would give me a clean, powdery, cool iris, because I still prefer clean fragrances. What did I get? First of all, a strong, strong top note that seemed to lie so far away from my hopes that I thought, "One size too big for you: You'd better stick to your baby popo fragrances and everything sold in makeup bottles.

But then I urged my hasty fast food nose to be patient and sprayed myself with "Terre d'Iris" every morning until the penny fell loudly: Back to the beginning! An old love of fragrance, painfully missed because only available at astronomical Ebay prices from questionable stocks, has fluttered into my house: "Secrets d'Essences - Iris Noir". The patience of waiting for the right replacement, the patience with the masculine head note, the patience of day-to-day testing has paid off. Or to put it another way: It was just due.

If you don't know my black reference iris, you should know that the top note will make you awake and cheerful, because the citrus fruits are tart, tart, brutally tart. Green and herbaceous, cold and botanical, bitter and evil. What gradually emerges from these citrus fruits, however, is the dark, iced night iris, as the green Frenchman had it bottled in bottles at the time. The one or other note will be different, but the overall impression of the fragrance is so similar that I would speak of twin fragrances. Not necessarily identical. Yet of amazing similarity.

Terrific for me. Sure, but not for every nose a profit. The scent, whether compared to my old love or not, is bulky, unround and strange. Maybe he's for super-patients, maybe he's for banauses who don't know masterpieces like "Hiris" -- like me. Nevertheless: If it pleases at all, then it really does
9 Comments
ColinM

516 Reviews
ColinM
ColinM
Very helpful Review 5  
Mossy violet watercolour
Terre d’Iris is easily one of the most compelling and fascinating fragrances by this brand among the ones I have tried so far – a brand which despite its (few) highs and (more frequent) lows, I respect overall. Being a big fan of iris – not necessarily knowledgeable about it, but surely a fan, I am quite picky with iris-based fragrances, and Terre d’Iris, well... it is surely a true keeper for me, for a very reasonable couple of reasons: it smells really good to my nose, and quite unique to my knowledge. It opens in fact as a charming, immediately competent, fascinatingly moody take on iris built on a really inspired, smooth and well-balanced contrast between fresh, tangy herbal notes of lemon, bergamot and sharp, tasty Mediterranean herbs with a fruity drop of orange, and a whole sort of cloudy, damp musky-woody base with patchouli, vetiver and a really subtle, yet perceivable feel of, say, musty mossiness (if you inspire with some strength you get a fantastic distant whiff of bracing, somehow raw yet comforting stale-barn rural nuances provided by – I guess – patchouli infused with oakmoss, that fit marvelously the mood of this composition).

Between these two kind of “opposites” lies her graceful majesty – iris, with a strong accent on its earthy-leafy nuances. Nothing “lipstick”, just a touch of austere yet delicate rooty powder with grassy and “carroty” nuances. The evolution is pleasant and remarkable, albeit closer and closer to skin as minutes pass: the citrus-bergamot freshness evolves slowly into a smooth, slightly creamy, orange-driven nuance blending with herbs, the “cocoa” side of patchouli and the leafier side of iris, which in turn dissolves beautifully among earth, moss, patchouli and herbs. All gets cozier, warmer, a bit sweeter, maybe a bit faint (actually, quite faint) but still showing a consistent, really intriguing contrast between sweet freshness, plushy powderiness and musty-woody earthiness. Quite “whispered”, but it’s all there. It may seem a simple, if not banal composition, but well, the result is great, almost impeccable, and as I said above, quite unique. Or well, I simply can’t think of any other iris fragrance playing these chords, this way, and I’ve never smelled any iris-based scent smelling this earthy, damp, rooty and “rainy” but also bracing, mellow and uplifting. Effortlessly classy and melancholic at once. The drydown reminds me a bit of Prada's Infusion d'Iris drydown, as there's the same bergamot-iris-vetiver vein going on here too, but the mood is quite different here (Prada's all about crisp freshness, here the atmosphere is quite more damp and musty).

Plus (finally!) Lyn Harris’ signature “minimalism” and fondness for dusty-airy notes finds some sense here – the grayish, weightless, almost impalpable texture is just perfect for these notes, taming them down almost to the point of giving them a faded, dream-like substance (so yes, overspraying and frequent reapplications are encouraged). A truly inspired little wonder, maybe a bit too mannered and definitely too light for this concentration, but definitely worthy some attention for me.

7-7,5/10
0 Comments
2.5
Sillage
2.5
Longevity
6
Scent
Awesomeness

247 Reviews
Awesomeness
Awesomeness
Helpful Review 3  
Incredible opening ... and then not so much
The opening of this fragrance is lovely - it's herbal, it's green. I like it, then I don't, I like it, I don't. The scent is very active, changeable. It's almost like it is playing with your impressions, right there, on your skin. Then, all of a sudden, it becomes INCREDIBLE. There is iris, there's white florals, then there is iris, and more green. It becomes dirt, earthy, roots. It's an iris in the ground, in all it's brown & green glory.

Wow. I love this opening. All 10-20 minutes of it.

Then, something happens, I'm not quite sure what, but the show is over. It becomes some kind of average, everyday, ordinary LIGHT scent on me, but the show is over.

I have a sample of this. I'll probably get another. I would buy a bottle in a heartbeat if the show continued. It's glorious. All 10-20 minutes of it. But it's not a fragrance, it's a limited time experience.
0 Comments
7.5
Bottle
7.5
Sillage
7.5
Longevity
8
Scent
Sherapop

1239 Reviews
Sherapop
Sherapop
4  
A Perfect Blend of Earth and Flowers
I have Parfumo member ElenaLondon to thank for introducing me to the house of Miller Harris, which in a matter of mere months has leapt up to now number among my favorites! I am very impressed with the creations of Lyn Harris, and TERRE D'IRIS joins the ranks of the many other fine perfumes of this house of which I'd love to have a full bottle. This particular sample was sent to me by the splendid Guusje, whom I also thank!

The opening of TERRE D'IRIS is rather citrusy, but it is shortlived, ceding to a beautiful blend of flowers, herbs and, yes, earthiness, imparted apparently by a combination of patchouli, moss, balsam and fir, which are listed as basenotes. I do not detect any of these elements individually. Instead, what I find is a seamless blend of all of the various elements in this composition. The iris is not quite to the point of being soapy (as in classic perfumes), but it is definitely more like orris root than flower petals. Yet TERRE D'IRIS really is floral in addition to being earthy.

The sensation I have while wearing this perfume is that of walking through a beautiful forest bursting with floral life. The soil is dark and rich and soft but not wet, creating a sponge-like effect under my feet. Sunshine is streaming through the leaves and needles of the tall, majestic trees reaching up to the heavens.

This is simply a wonderful perfume. I'm not sure whether my vial (now drained...) contained eau de toilette or eau de parfum, but the longevity and sillage are both good on my skin. TERRE D'IRIS is definitely going on my wish list!

Thank you Guusje and ElenaLondon for expanding my perfumic horizons!
1 Comment
3
Scent
Tinctureall

94 Reviews
Tinctureall
Tinctureall
2  
Missed potential
Violetty iris with a woody earthy note. Initially quite gentle and floral but a greener almost herbal glabanum type note pokes out and makes the composition a little more harsh and unkind. It begins to have a sort of childish, sweetie, Parma violet aspect but without the endearing sweetness. I'm not getting a citrus vibe from this except if it just adds to this sharp note. It develops further into a harsh herbal woody fragrance similar to a nicer quality air freshener. This had great potential but it appears to have jarred against its intentions. Not suiting my skin.
0 Comments

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