14 Iris Oriental

Iris Taizo

Pierre Guillaume 2006

Two thoughts: 1) Even though I say that I don’t like gourmand fragrances, some of my favorite classics and contemporaries have at least some edible component, if only an aromatic fruity appeal or an herbal touch. Shalimar, Ambre Sultan, Mitsouko, Tocade, Baghari, Missoni, Azzaro Couture. 2) I know a brilliant ICU RN who summarizes critical care nursing with the insight, “Gradients are life.”

With these two thoughts in mind, Iris Orientale. Trivial as this might sound, Iris Oriental is like a floral porridge. An apple-smelling, chamomile-like iris note against a dense almost yeasty-resinous grain scent is the gradient that allows for the striking life of this perfume. Just enough of an otherwise dull breakfast obligation becomes the breath between the fruity, floral and root-like tendencies of the iris that makes this quiet but intriguing concoction soar.

While trying to create some order in the boxes I store my samples in today, I came across this one and realized that I hadn't tried it yet. If memory serves, it was sent to me in a large sample swap with another member here so it must've slipped through the cracks.

Now, let me clarify that I sample M.Guillaume's wares due to the fact that I find him delectably handsome … mouthwateringly so!! It is then indeed saddening that I haven't yet found a single fragrance in this vast collection that I would spend the asking price on. I ascribe this to the notion that my nose is probably not refined enough to appreciate the subtlety of these fragrances … probably all well and good since I would more than likely be arrested for stalking should I ever find myself in the company of this man!

Iris Oriental No.14 is mostly Cardamom and a vague, lipstick like Iris on my skin. I've wacked what looks like an entire 3ml sample to my right shoulder, neck and right wrist but I unfortunately have to ram my nose to my skin to smell it. It's true that I have perfume munching skin to begin with, but sadly this fragrance is projecting nowhere.
I like the idea … Iris with Guiac and Resin sounds appealing … but considering that 3mls equals about 25 odd sprays, I would want this fragrance to do more than just sit next to my skin.
What I can smell of it I really like … considering that Cardamom is a difficult note. Perhaps my fragrance aesthetic is just not suited to the intent of PG in general. I'm not possessed of the most discreet personality so I tend to engulf frags that don't make a statement.

It's upsetting from the point of view that PG is a well respected house in the fragrance industry … unfortunately I have yet to find one that rings my bells … ahem … at least the way they ring when I look upon the divine M. Guillaume.

Update:

So a strange thing has happened … when I applied this fragrance I was in just a pair of shorts (it's VERY hot here at the moment) and soon after I met with a client. A while after I'd put my shirt on, this fragrance started blooming in a very audible way under the fabric … so much so that my client even remarked on it! Alas, it becomes a little 'dated' smelling for me, but nonetheless I can now up my sillage rating. Has anyone else experienced this with other frags?

Down to my last 15mls of my bottle - gah! More oriental than iris, Iris Oriental wraps a rooty, ammoniac iris up in a thick blanket of resins, woods, spices, and a syrupy, souk-like amber, making for an iris that, although built for comfort and not speed, is far from sophomoric.

The treatment of iris here is quite novel. It is only really evident as a note in and of itself in the first hour or so, when it displays a high-toned, almost acid yellow fruity brightness that sings in the same register as bergamot. So when the slightly metallic iris root note begins to bleed into the lower layers of honey, amber, smoky resins, and woods, it's hardly any wonder that my mind flicks sideways to Shalimar. In fact, I credit Iris Oriental for making me understand, finally, just how important the iris note is in Shalimar. But Iris Oriental is not derivative or copycat; it references some of the building blocks of Shalimar but is its own creature. So much so that if you weren't a devotee of Shalimar like me, the connections might not even enter your head.

In maintaining such a careful balance between dry woods, spicy cardamom, smoky resins, wet honey, and powdery-fruity iris, Iris Oriental tends towards fuzzy abstraction instead of clarity. On cloudy, windy days when the grey threatens to swallow me up, Iris Oriental is a soft, honeyed thing made of spun sugar and gold to wear upon my person, like a protective amulet.

Yesterday I was quite bored - and I called my regular perfumery.
I asked if there was something nice for me, preferably on sale.

The owner confirmed this. I should put on my little hat, tuck the dog and my husband under my arm, and make my way there.
Phew - in this dreary weather, only my brave friend was willing to accompany me.

And in the shop, I was greeted by Iris Taizo.

Wow, what a strikingly confident opening from Guatemala - cardamom, enhanced by resinous oud.
Very bitter - very deep - and I take an impressed, almost intimidated step back.
This would have been perfect for my respectable stepmother, founder of the Suffragette Club in Dortmund.
Or for my resolute cousin.
As a timid person, I feel overwhelmed by the strong scent.

And even my gentle friend is wide-eyed.

The fig and Irish honey soften the fragrance and show heart - but the heart of a strong bodyguard, always ready to throw himself protectively in front of me - like a lioness with her cub.
What I like about this scent is that it has something of a protector.
During our subsequent stroll through the city, it doesn’t leave my side - without being overbearing.
No, it stays beautifully close.

Finally, I catch a whiff of warm, but not sweet vanilla - the imposing bodyguard has a soft side and secretly watches Rosamunde Pilcher.
Type - tough exterior - soft core.

A multifaceted, rich fragrance that requires time to appreciate its values and nuances.

When I enthusiastically commented on "Iris Oriental / Iris Taizo No.14" at the beginning of my time here at Parfumo, I had very little knowledge and understanding of perfumes. I either liked them or I didn't, and I described them based on what I thought I recognized. Therefore, I am now adding to and shortening my comment with the experiences I have since acquired.
With Iris, I expected something powdery. However, "Iris Oriental / Iris Taizo No.14" initially greets me with a green, slightly spicy scent. According to the pyramid here, it should contain fig and Irish honey, while elsewhere it mentions fig wood.
- Here I would like to add that, according to my notes from back then, the pyramid was listed differently. Additionally, the information card I now have in the bottle's box does not mention Oud. The ingredient list is shorter and different, clearly listing Iris again-
The pleasantly green and subtle note could sketch the crushed fresh coriander leaves. Immediately following is the scent of crushed coriander seeds, though subtly spicy, along with what I perceive as fresh woods and resins rather than smoky ones.
Shortly, a woody vanilla pod emerges, merging with the resins and woods, becoming indistinguishable before the final end.
But then the Iris embraces everything with a strangely beautiful powderiness, slightly green and with the woods and resins now acting as a foundation in the background, along with a bitter, barely sweet honey.
I have informed myself that Taizo is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, about 600 years old.
In the scent "Les Imperatrices Japonaises," the Iris was powdery, bitter-herbaceous, and seemed to connect with the wood scent or was also woody itself.
I now find this Iris scent, to my surprise, also in "Iris Oriental / Iris Taizo No.14." However, it is milder and sweeter due to the amber, the barely perceptible vanilla, and the honey that I also cannot perceive individually.
It is by no means the type of powderiness that I usually perceive in powdery scents with listed Iris. And this is what I find wonderfully beautiful; among other things in "Iris Oriental / Iris Taizo No.14"
Recently, Oud has also been listed here. This note can at most be perceived as a relatively gentle woody note in this scent.
Only now could I actually sense this woody Oud, which has merged with the amber, vanilla, and the bitter-powdery Iris, if it is indeed present.
I have been wondering for some time why the pyramids at Parfumerie Generale are not only changed more often but are sometimes also so contradictory.
Anyone expecting an Oud scent with the typical slightly animalistic facets from "Iris Oriental / Iris Taizo No.14" will be disappointed. I can only perceive wood. But Oud can also appear as a distinct, beautiful woody note.
This fragrance blend develops relatively quickly into this overall scent where the woody-powdery and slightly bitter Iris forms the heart. This heart is what has already fascinated and enchanted me in the scent of the Japanese Empresses. Here in "Iris Oriental / Iris Taizo No.14," it is sweet, yet without flowers.
Thus, "Iris Oriental / Iris Taizo No.14" remains very constant for a long time. Only towards the very end does the woody vanilla occasionally appear very subtly again.
I assess "Iris Oriental / Iris Taizo No.14" as a distinctive feminine and masculine Iris scent. Moreover, it is recommended for anyone who does not like animalistic Oud scents. If Oud is indeed contained in "Iris Oriental / Iris Taizo No.14," then only as a woody note.