Impossible Iris

My Grandma recently died during the pandemic and iris was her favourite note. I’ve since sourced the most fragrant irises to grow in my garden (I chose Jane Phillips for her delicate blue colour and strength of fragrance) and I’m now eagerly awaiting the spring for the rhizomes to flower in her memory. I’ve never grown irises before and can’t wait to experience them.

My sentimentality is also how I began my quest for finding the greatest iris perfume.

Many I tried fell by the wayside, from being too boring (‘L’Attesa’ by Masque Milano), too vintage (‘Incarnata’ by Anatole Lebreton), too light (‘Orris Tattoo 29’ by Parle Moi), too cloying (‘Athalia’ by Perfums de Marly), too much like makeup (‘Iris Nazarena’ by Aedes de Venustas), too much like hairspray (‘Iris Cendre’ by Naomi Goodsir), too much like the inside of a school pencil case (‘Silver Iris’ by Atelier Cologne), too expensive (‘Tears of Iris’ by Gucci), or with poor longevity (‘Infusion d’Iris’ by Prada). Interestingly, ‘Iris de Nuit’ by James Heeley came the closest to perfection (after Dusita’s ‘Splendiris’). But when I discovered ‘Impossible Iris’ by Ramon Monegal and I knew it to be the very best of them all.

Proclaimed by Ramon Monegal as “the most attractive perfume in the world” he created this fragrance in 1977 for is bride to wear on their wedding day. The iris root (the rhizome known as ‘orris’) must be dried for three years before its essence can be extracted (as orris butter). Such a lengthy and expensive task inspired the name of the fragrance ‘Impossible Iris.’ It’s the perfect fragrance for a blushing bride in white - it’s soft and opaque like a veil, with sophisticated lacy florals of elegant white flowers. The result is a powdery, luxury creamy soap scent, with fizzy floral bubbles so light that they float away.

I can smell violets, which are often added to boost the overall purpleness of the iris note. The cassie absolute (often mistaken for mimosa) adds a warm, honeyed accord and is another powdery-iris type of herbaceous floral. I don’t get any obvious raspberry (so it’s not fruity) and the jasmine and ylang-ylang take a back-seat in simply keeping everything florally creamy. It’s quite linear, so its fresh floral opening isn’t too different from the woody, powdery final stages.

The dry-down has a smooth, creamy, slightly earthy accord (typical of orris butter) but with a fresh, herbal, woody cedar base. I like that it isn’t a green iris, like so often is the case. It remains a pale, innocent white, with a rooty, butter-cream base.

‘Impossible Iris’ is pure, unchaste, fresh elegant sophistication – it’s the best iris fragrance ever created.

My Grandma would have loved this, but at least I’m wearing it to honour her memory.

NOTES - Italian Iris Cocrete, Egyptian Cassie Absolute, Raspberry, Comoran Ylang-Ylang, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute, Virginian Cedarwood.