I'd have called this Aldehydes Poudre, although that's not to say the iris isn't pronounced. The initial aldehydic blast is almost reminiscent of Oud Khol for me, although obviously only the aldehydes, sharing the almost savoury sharpness rather than being on the soapy side. Wondeful, addictive, powerful yet light... another yes from me for this wonderful house. I get the comparison to No 5, but this is more subtle, and once the dry down takes effect, the warmth of the amber really balances it out wonderfully. It's like a next level No 5 EDT.
Comparing FREDERIC MALLE: Iris Poudre Pierre Bourdon (2000) and STÉPHANE HUMBERT LUCAS: Panthea Iris (2019) (Review made earlier) These two clear, sophisticated and soapy scents are in the same category. Both has a clean white musky base and they are very subtle, elegant and refined. They are airy and dry. They are powdery but it’s rather sharp and cold powder than soft and warm compared to those “baby vibe” powdery scents. Iris Poudre is even colder and drier than Panthea Iris. There is a lot of aldehydes in IP and it creates a frosty, super fresh and bright nuances. In Panthea Iris there are pink berries in the top notes which gives a hint of the sweetness to the scent and Orris butter in the base softens the whole concoction a little bit. Do I need the both? Yes. But I don’t know if it’s necessary- try them and decide. 💙 Iris Poudre: Top: Rose - Violet - Ylang-Tlang Heart: Iris (Aldehydes) Base: Sandalwood - Musk - Tonka bean Panthea Iris: Top: Pink Berries - Italian Bergamot and Tangerine - White Tea Heart: Iris Absolute - Jasmine - Violet Base: White Musk - Tonka bean - Sandalwood - Patchouli - Iris butter Thank you for reading and if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes