Cedre Iris

Cedre Iris is that rare bird – a 100% equal partnership between delicate iris pallida and a material that would normally eat it for breakfast, namely a tough, resinous cedarwood. Well, three types of cedarwood, to be exact, the combination of which gives the composition a complex woody profile that darts between smoky, leathery, balsamic, and spicy. But in Cedre Iris, the tension between the heavy cedarwood and the ephemeral orris is held tight, allowing the cool, waxen orris to float serenely over the very material that would normally subsume it. The payoff of this impressive balancing act is a fragrance that highlights both the exquisitely powdery sheen of iris and the spicy thickness of cedar.

Iris pallida from Florence, which costs $60,000 per kilo, has been used in significant quantities here, so you really feel its presence. But Iris Cedre is not a monolith. The iris and cedarwood star, for sure, but in time, you will notice that they are supported by elements that cast their own shadows. Particularly noticeable is the cinnamon-dusted benzoin that sands down the cedar and orris into a soft blur of incensey, vanillic powder, for dramatic scent trail that’s sure to turn heads. But myrrh also plays a significant role here, lending the drydown in particular a crepuscular, almost fungal earthiness that serves to highlight the pale dustiness of the iris. Wax, butter, silver, earth, incense, and polished woods – Iris Cedre truly is the last word in tailored elegance.

Cedar (Moroccan Atlas, Texas, Virginia), Florentine iris absolute, benzoin, myrrh, gaiac