DK Collection Iris
Donna Karan (2010)

A very pretty lighthearted May Rose, barely-powdered iris, light Magnolia and bare touch of violet opening. I was conflicted about this pretty iris because of its lasting power. I don't need great longevity, but the wonderful naturalistic air was fairly ephemeral and faded appreciably until it was gone by the 3 hour mark. I see it's discontinued now and probably for good reason.

For the price of the fragrance, I was left wanting a whole lot more, or actually I wanted a lot more of the same, because I found it a lovely and joyful iris.

Yes, iris opens up this scent, and it is a lovely iris, fresh, clean, on the bright side with a green undertone. Then additional florals appear, mainly a violaceous addition; delightful up to his point. Quite elegant, I don't get any powderiness at all.

Then the fragrance collapses on my skin, with a somewhat generic ambery note remaining that is very close to my skin. The sillage overall is quite soft, the projection limited and I get three hours of longevity.

The first part is lovely in spring for the iris aficionados and worth a try, albeit necessitating frequent reapplication. The rest is a disappointment. 2.75/5

I love the smell of iris in nature, however in fragrances, while appealing, they just don't seem to live up to the natural flower. Iris fragrances are often too powdery, too green, too creamy or just a floral mess. My favourite iris scent so far is Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal, however I've always been open to finding another iris love.

Donna Karan's Iris tries to be as natural as possible, choosing to avoid the powderiness and the buttery qualities found in most iris perfumes. I find it quite dewy and refreshing, perhaps a diluted version of the actual flower.

In the top notes, the soft and green iris note was quite delightful, however the more it developed, I began to detect a slight soapiness that turned me off it a little. Once it reached the drydown I was disappointed with how mediocre this fragrance was.

While certainly wearable and pretty, Iris leaves much to be desired. Layering is a possibility, however I have to be honest and admit that I can't imagine iris blending easily with just anything. Experimentation would be in order to achieve something magical.

Because this fragrance is so simple, it does come across as being quite cold and a little transparent, especially with the lasting power being so weak. Like Robin said on the Now Smell This blog, "if you're after impressive sillage or lasting power, you're bound to be disappointed".

Give it a chance and it may grow on you, however it won't impress straight away. Iris is not something you'll dislike, because it is extremely pleasant and predominantly floral and Spring-like, however for those, like me, that seek something unique and mind-blowing, Donna Karan's Iris is just not the one to blow you away.