Hermessence Iris Ukiyoé
Hermès (2010)

Iris Ukiyoé begins as a koān, the ultimate paradox of shape and volume in perfume. Jean-Claude Ellena renders another aquarelle, this time with iris: weightless, watery and cool. A mandarin zest and orange blossom highlight the composition, smelling like the very joy of spring's arrival that I am experiencing today. The iris is clean and sheer, with a tempered powdery undercurrent, resembling more the fragrance of scented iris varieties, which often do resemble that of orange blossom, mock orange, concord grape, and citrus.

Sour oranges and soft purple, so beautifully limpid, it sustains for a while, then seems to fade so swiftly, but fear not, it's the sillage, the apparition of the fragrance, that haunts for far longer, like that sensation of hypnagogia: the space between sleep and being fully awake. Ellena's genius is in his ability to massage nuance to every detail of his work, and while its sadly not always accessible for consumption (I for one had to go with this 15ml bottle for an online discount), they are truly worthy of sampling just for the experience.  

An incredible release from Hermes. Undeniably, posh, well-rounded, and high-quality, this fragrance is effortless in putting the imagery of springtime, and watercolor in your mind. The white flowers give this a clean feeling, while Iris mixed with the mandarin gives it an ethereal, powdery citrus aura that is perfect for sunny spring and summer days. It has a slight dewy, cooling effect. An overlooked, but absolutely amazing creation that often gets overshadowed by the "rockstars" of the Hermessence line like Ambre Narguile or Vetiver Tonka.

Pleasant scent with some resemblance to Hermes Epice Marine, was my first impression. Then I thought, orangeflower, it's very much in the orangeflower area. That was before I read the declared ingredients so it's probably significant.

To me, this perfume is meditative in a way; it's very calm, buttery smooth, very pleasant. There are no sharp edges, every note melts into a plush white cloud near a rainbow. It's not an iris soliflore like the name could suggest, but it is a definite floral. It smells like lily of the valley, grass, mandarin, orange flower, roses and peaches. It's not rooty or powdery but it has a pale lipstick kind of vibe if I'm thinking hard. It's not common at all, although it might sound from the notes; it has such an interesting and intriguing smell, it's gorgeous!

Nice and soft iris notes. Just like there are variations for roses, so to for the iris. This one is close to a light violet smell and reminds me of a certain area of the horticultural garden I used to visit with all the blooms laid out. There is no powdery notes here - very light, very airy and what I've come to except out of the Hermessence line in general and I kick myself for not picking up a bottle of this or even trying it earlier due to the name of the perfume. The rose in this one isn't overwhelming here

Settles to a citrus white floral and bits of aquatic notes. Hugs the skin in a gentle way.

I'm not sure what I'm smelling at first, but I don't think it is Iris. The first notes to strike me are Lily of the Valley and grass. Then something fruity sweeps in quickly. About two minutes in, I'm smelling like Smarties candies, and it is quite strong. It softens a minute or so later, but I am still sensing quite a bit of muguet hanging around and not any recognizable Iris.

After five more minutes, I still smell the muguet/Smarties combo, but now they have melded nicely into something that recognizably resembles the peach-colored irises I have smelled in the Memphis Botanic Garden's Iris garden in early May. It's not as fatty or pungent, nor does it have any trace of the earthy decay of the real thing, but is like a watercolor approximation, as the name would indicate. The scent strikes me now as too laundry-musk laden to do justice to the true Iris flower scent. However, as a perfume, it is a nice one. I have truly never smelled anything at all like this.

Half an hour in and at last the powder arrives. It slipped in like a phantom when I was no longer expecting it!

Unique, but not a love for me.