Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
04/04/2020
Elysium
816 Reviews
Elysium
Wake Up And Smell The Saffron
Saffron is as old as time. Sometimes thought of as the King of Spice is most popularly known for imparting food with its unique flavoring and rich golden hue. Historically, saffron has been used for thousands of years to cure a myriad of diseases and injuries. Cleopatra was said to bathe in saffron-infused mare's milk before seeing a suitor. Saffron was used to dyeing the woolen bolero jackets worn by Minoan women; also in cosmetics, where it was mixed with red ochre, tallow, and beeswax to make lipstick. Often, people are curious about the 'saffron smell.' Just a touch of it in a perfume adds a bitter yet sweet note, which some describe as being earthy or even a bit like honey. It has a leathery aspect to it too, which is perhaps why it complements exotic ingredients very well.
A l'Iris is like an elegant noblewoman seated in the saffron red velvet of the opera house and lost in the bubbling pastel silk of her dress. Her neck, set with pearly pearls, suggests an amber skin. Her golden hair is expertly assembled in a lacquered bun. In the hollow of the curls, an iris, a flowered diadem of this discreet highness.
A l'Iris, like all the other six perfumes of the collection, was realized through essential rules, no limits to the quality of the raw materials used, minimalist packaging with paper, wood, and glass from eco-sustainable sources. The only protagonist is the fragrance that describes and enhances, in its deepest essence, an authentic and shared passion for the Art of Perfume.
Amidst the six Eau de Parfums in the collection, I choose A l'Iris precisely for that boozy, chalky, bitter, sharp, and penetrating aura that surrounds its fresh brightness—its many facets are capable of telling a romance. Its nobility requires a full-bodied alliance.
The Nathalie Feisthauer's masterpiece belongs to the floral, woody, and musky family. It opens with a blast of the boozy accord, I have no clue whether it is the alcohol of the essence or a booze note not mentioned, but I like it. As soon as the boozy tone calms down, a raunchy-smelling resembling semen pops up, indulgent fruity, delicate, sweet, a bit musky, and that is the pear, a bit too strong during the opening fainting a gourmand frag which it is not. In all this boozy and dirty sensuous accord, the bergamot is lost in the background and nearly perceivable. There's something incredibly animal that could be indolic in there, which increases sexual pleasure. And I like it!
If you can't wait to savor the heart in bloom, you may be disappointed. The iris, which should have the bearing of a queen's head, is nothing but a chalky, powdery, green, but not buttery nor creamy accord that gets more shouty as the scent settles. The concrete of Iris Pallida Florentina is blended here, the creamy, solidified oil derived from the flower and not from the bulb. Instead, the lily-of-the-valley dominates the ring and shares its sovereignty with the golden saffron whose frank color, the leathery effect draws a noble decor. The saffron is present since the very beginning, and there is no mistake, it has a gourmand tone and reminiscent of the Milanese risotto, a traditional northern Italy dish where saffron savors the risotto. There is more than a pinch of saffron, which magnifies its multiple facets and invigorates its temporal progression.
Moss acts as a background to smooth out all the harshness, adds depth, and makes it a little dusty. I perceive the atmosphere of saffron leather, and I do not find it too earthy, the vetiver is green and relaxing with dark underwater quality. Ambrette adds a delicate sweetness to the perfume, neither dry nor woody, but all too animal and musky. The overall base is neat and a bit soapy.
A l'Iris is a small amount of everything. Musk mellow, mossy in general, pears, exploit of saffron, and above all is the lily-of-the-valley but traces of iris only. I wonder why they called it "A l'Iris", ain't a dominant note here. Sillage is quite soft, and what comes to my mind is crisp, white linen freshly-taken-in from hanging on a line, but not just any linen: this is fine, hand-embroidered with sparse gold threads. It is a warm-weather scent for spring days at work or in leisure.
It is a pity that this perfume, together with all the other six in the collection, has not received the success and the prize it deserves. This is a very interesting perfume and not for everyone, the beauty of inner silence. But that's fine because I wasn't disappointed, on the contrary. It's such a sexy scent, and complex and constantly evolving, absolutely astounding! I use to think it was one of the most feminine fragrances of the collection, but it does work great on a man too! The saffron adds a dry and cold impression that gives a really special signature, really unique and original.
Stay safe; stay well.
-Elysium
A l'Iris is like an elegant noblewoman seated in the saffron red velvet of the opera house and lost in the bubbling pastel silk of her dress. Her neck, set with pearly pearls, suggests an amber skin. Her golden hair is expertly assembled in a lacquered bun. In the hollow of the curls, an iris, a flowered diadem of this discreet highness.
A l'Iris, like all the other six perfumes of the collection, was realized through essential rules, no limits to the quality of the raw materials used, minimalist packaging with paper, wood, and glass from eco-sustainable sources. The only protagonist is the fragrance that describes and enhances, in its deepest essence, an authentic and shared passion for the Art of Perfume.
Amidst the six Eau de Parfums in the collection, I choose A l'Iris precisely for that boozy, chalky, bitter, sharp, and penetrating aura that surrounds its fresh brightness—its many facets are capable of telling a romance. Its nobility requires a full-bodied alliance.
The Nathalie Feisthauer's masterpiece belongs to the floral, woody, and musky family. It opens with a blast of the boozy accord, I have no clue whether it is the alcohol of the essence or a booze note not mentioned, but I like it. As soon as the boozy tone calms down, a raunchy-smelling resembling semen pops up, indulgent fruity, delicate, sweet, a bit musky, and that is the pear, a bit too strong during the opening fainting a gourmand frag which it is not. In all this boozy and dirty sensuous accord, the bergamot is lost in the background and nearly perceivable. There's something incredibly animal that could be indolic in there, which increases sexual pleasure. And I like it!
If you can't wait to savor the heart in bloom, you may be disappointed. The iris, which should have the bearing of a queen's head, is nothing but a chalky, powdery, green, but not buttery nor creamy accord that gets more shouty as the scent settles. The concrete of Iris Pallida Florentina is blended here, the creamy, solidified oil derived from the flower and not from the bulb. Instead, the lily-of-the-valley dominates the ring and shares its sovereignty with the golden saffron whose frank color, the leathery effect draws a noble decor. The saffron is present since the very beginning, and there is no mistake, it has a gourmand tone and reminiscent of the Milanese risotto, a traditional northern Italy dish where saffron savors the risotto. There is more than a pinch of saffron, which magnifies its multiple facets and invigorates its temporal progression.
Moss acts as a background to smooth out all the harshness, adds depth, and makes it a little dusty. I perceive the atmosphere of saffron leather, and I do not find it too earthy, the vetiver is green and relaxing with dark underwater quality. Ambrette adds a delicate sweetness to the perfume, neither dry nor woody, but all too animal and musky. The overall base is neat and a bit soapy.
A l'Iris is a small amount of everything. Musk mellow, mossy in general, pears, exploit of saffron, and above all is the lily-of-the-valley but traces of iris only. I wonder why they called it "A l'Iris", ain't a dominant note here. Sillage is quite soft, and what comes to my mind is crisp, white linen freshly-taken-in from hanging on a line, but not just any linen: this is fine, hand-embroidered with sparse gold threads. It is a warm-weather scent for spring days at work or in leisure.
It is a pity that this perfume, together with all the other six in the collection, has not received the success and the prize it deserves. This is a very interesting perfume and not for everyone, the beauty of inner silence. But that's fine because I wasn't disappointed, on the contrary. It's such a sexy scent, and complex and constantly evolving, absolutely astounding! I use to think it was one of the most feminine fragrances of the collection, but it does work great on a man too! The saffron adds a dry and cold impression that gives a really special signature, really unique and original.
Stay safe; stay well.
-Elysium
Elysium
