Iris silver mist Serge Lutens (1994)

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7.8 / 10 175 Ratings

Iris silver mist is a popular perfume by Serge Lutens for women and men and was released in 1994. The scent is powdery-woody. It is still in production.

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Perfumers

Maurice Roucel, Serge Lutens

Fragrance Notes

Benzoin, Clove, Orris root, Galbanum, Musk, Sandalwood, Frankincense, White amber, Cedar, Vetiver

Ratings

Scent

7.8 (175 Ratings)

Longevity

7.5 (133 Ratings)

Sillage

6.4 (132 Ratings)

Bottle

8.4 (118 Ratings)

Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 17.11.2019.

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Reviews

09/06/2019

9.0 6.0 7.0 8.5/10

Schoork
0 Reviews

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Schoork

Greatly helpful Review 42

Just for a second

Let's see if I can also write a comment in simple sentences and lines without much fuss.
1994 this fragrance appeared and to me personally as a lover of Iris fragrances, which has also Dior Homme Intense for different reasons as signature, it seems rather as if this fragrance was composed only in the last years and was brought on the market.
A pioneer can be said and I'm not sure if I would have worn this at the age of 21, I didn't even know at that time that there was another world of scents behind all the Calvin Kleins, Joops and Davidoffs and that they were already going other ways.
Otherwise I can't explain the proximity to many of today's Iris scents, because at that time there was no such thing for the man at all and with the ladies such olfactory Duckfaces ruled like Angel or Casmir.

I was very surprised when I sprayed this on myself and actually could not recognize much from the fragrance pyramid. The fragrance is typically iridescent and reminiscent of make-up powder. Some smell carrots, I don't. But I've never had that before with Iris fragrances, I'd have to spray a rabbit. I don't know.
Anyway, no carnation, no incense, just a linear iris firework, which might get a little balsamic at the back.
It is light, elegant and carries itself very well. The durability could be better on the skin, but on clothing it is impressive. Great now for autumn.
I was there in an olfactory Sleeping Beauty sleep and woke from it in 2007, when I smelled Dior Homme Intense for the first time and my perfume world changed completely. It would be exciting to know whether this would have happened back then, or whether, as a very young boy, I would have thought it was something for girls.
I didn't know niche and my 90's were rather shaped by various Calvin Klein, Boss and Kenzo and maybe still Joop.
Maybe there are other scents from that time, of course I don't know them all and maybe they already go in that direction, but finally I can say that this scent is timeless, like a good piece of music.
My thanks go again to Serafina, who made this trip possible for me.

Well, look, it did. I have 5050 characters left, I'll put them in the souk.

26 Replies

03/12/2019

KingPin
16 Reviews

KingPin

Helpful Review 5

Count Dracula's scent

Not for the novice. The first hours it is the scent of of Count Dracula, slowly moving through a cellar cemetery in an abandoned castle at midnight. Silvery moonlight through iron gated ceiling windows, tiny, sad irises observable in the windows edge. Dirt and old molding leaves on the ground. He stops moving, only his scent still lingers in the air.

After two hours we are still in his castle, but he has left the basement for the main hall. Abandoned, with a broken roof, silent rain drips from the night sky above. Now perhaps Count Dracula's nephew can wear the perfume, it has morphed into a younger dirty and ice cold iris smell.

After yet another two hours we go outside into an oak forest. The sun finally rises, but is covered by a wet, grey fog. It gives eerie shodows on the path we walk. As we continue through the cold, damp, mossy forest we still se irises peeking in the shadows. Finally I can wear the scent, it is now the perfume of a mere mortal. If you wear a cape.

Impossible to rate.

3 Replies

06/29/2018

6.0 4.0 4.0 4.5/10

Oriane
100 Reviews

Oriane

Vegetal Iris

Some time ago I was gifted a bottle of Iris Silver Mist by a dear friend. I have had it in my parfum cupboard for months untouched. Tonight I was rummaging around trying to decide what to wear whence I accidentally tipped over the bottle, and it fell onto some clean towels I store in the cupboard. I thought, thank heavens it did not break! Then I thought, perhaps now is the time to finally try it, so I generously spritzed both arms and my decolletage. As many other reviewers have opined, it smelt like fresh carrots, so I was not surprised by this, but I admit I was not especially favourably impressed, either.

Curiously enough, my dog smelt it from the other room and immediately came to sniff me. He rarely leaves his comfy bed at this time of night unless he thinks there is food about, so he, too, must have thought it smelt foodie in a vegetal way.

I love iris, but this iris is not the iris fragrance in my collection I would reach for first, or second, or even third. It is an interesting fragrance, 'tis true, but I do not find it especially appealing. I am not sure what all I detected in the dry down, but I did not detect almost all of the listed notes.

This is a fragrance worth testing for reference, but I would not recommend purchasing it blindly. I suppose it is unisex, but I cannot imagine a venue where it would be particularly appropriate or appreciated. Perhaps it would be nice to wear whilst working in one's garden?? Overall I find it vegetal without a hint of sweetness. Yes, in the dry down there is iris...a rooty, vegetal iris, but there is little else, at least to my nose.

This fragrance is a solid 4/10 across the board for me. I am glad to have experienced it, but it is not a fragrance I would have purchased for myself.
My sincere apologies to those who love it. Please try before you buy.

Fragrance: 4/10

Projection: 4/10

Sillage: 4/10

Longevity: 4/10

05/03/2018

10.0 8.0 9.0 9.5/10

Tagazeu
5 Reviews

Tagazeu

All orris facets in a perfume.

All orris facets in a perfume. From fresh green, to powdery violet, to suede leathery to rooty.
An art piece!!!

SECRET: Keep your distance from where you apply it.
It is NOT a perfume to be experienced by digging your nose on your wrist.
If you do that you only smell incense-vetiver-carnation sourness.

Instead, my advice is to apply it inside your jacket-coat or behind your knees.
This way you smell the fog of a buttered, doughy orris!!!

Unique!

1 Replies

05/11/2014

10.0 7.5 7.5 10.0/10

Soulmates
4 Reviews

Soulmates

Helpful Review 4

Shift

It`s easier as it seems: Iris Silver Mist opens with a quite strong barnyard impression of dried hay and a glimpse of manure, while it`s far from being a dirty scent. This first stage makes me think of horses and wheatfields after the summer rain more than of carrots. About two to three hours later Iris Silver Mist makes an abrupt switch to this classic woody-violet smell that`s been excorting the top notes from the very beginning in a muted sort of way. The opening notes still remain in the far Background then, just like the violets and soft musks did when the scent was applied. Great.

12/21/2012

8.0/10

Drseid
690 Reviews

Drseid

Helpful Review 6

Excellent Iris...

Can this be? An iris scent that appeals to me? In a word, the answer is "yes"! Iris Silver Mist opens with an almost alcoholic slightly medicinal accord that smells somewhat like rubbing alcohol but in a good way. Even in the top notes, the iris is faintly in the background but still detectable. The alcoholic medicinal qualities fade and the iris takes the fore in the scent's heart, becoming slightly powdery, while mixing with a beautiful cedar note and vetiver before ending with a nice sandalwood and musk base. The iris, unlike so many other scents that I detest never becomes distracting or overpowering, instead the balance is just right here. As far as projection, Iris Silver Mist is pretty much a skin scent, with longevity about average.

Iris Silver Mist is a definite winner from Serge Lutens and can be recommended to just about anyone as it is very unisex and quite pleasant smelling. If you are looking for a powerhouse scent look elsewhere, but if you have not enjoyed iris scents in the past like me, give this one a try as it is likely to impress you. 3.5 to 4 stars out of 5. Very Good!

01/17/2012

SystemeD
58 Reviews

SystemeD

Very helpful Review 5

Cold Iris

This is an astonishing fragrance. The opening is a bit carroty, but then it is pure iris. The proudest one in your garden, standing alone. Despite the wet earth clinging to it, the iris is disconsolate and lonely, but the iris would never admit to such a thing. The air is cold.

The iris note lasts throughout, but it changes slightly in the middle. There is a soapiness there - but not a bad one -- it just reminds you not to taste this iris. She will not allow such intimacies.

The iris eventually settles into her earthy, woody base. I get vetiver here, but then it blends in with the cleanness of sandalwood and cedar. There is a faint spiciness here too.