Prada Infusion d'Iris eau de parfum is a real steel magnolia of a perfume. It's tender, even yielding as it works its way into an ample dust bunny of musk and iris.
But unlike most fragrances, it doesn't seem to subside once it reaches its crescendo. Or in this case, "crescendo-o-o-ooooooooooooooooo", as Infusion d'Iris's hazy clouds of powder and sentiment billow from the skin in a long-echoing, muffled boom.
It may smell soft, but it's sure as hell emphatic. And the signature of this Daniela Andrier creation is so distinctive that it's immediately recognizable, no matter who's wearing it, no matter how small the spritz.
Infusion d'Iris's dynamic of loud softness calls to mind Kenzo Flower and ChloƩ 'Love, ChloƩ, two other perfumes that successfully whip up a souffle of static electricity and femininity around an unbreakable metal spine.
Infusion d'Iris is available at Amazon.com
Katie I tried Absolue pour le soir, at new shop opened recently WOW it was honey & incence to the max loved it, the animolic note didn't bother me, we get similar note with oud oil that we use so much, I didn't buy it...yet :) This Prada seems great for this time of year I tried it before & I remember musk mostly, I'll try it again.Hessa
ReplyDeleteWell, you certainly know how to perk up my interest, Hessa - "honey & incense to the max"? I can't wait to smell it now!
DeleteSadly, Absolue pour le soir smelled like pee to me, so results might vary...AnnieA
DeleteI love your description of this one! Infusion d'Iris surprised me when it came out, as a non-niche fragrance that I truly liked and one that stands well apart from the standard Big Fashion House fare. To me, it's "Iris Goes To The Country Club." I get a blast of lemon in the opening along with the bitter/green/powdery business you describe, and as it warms up on my skin I feel wealthier and wealthier, and my hair looks shinier and shinier, and I'm left with tremendous poise, legs for miles, and a soft penumbra of deliciousness surrounding me. Love it! -- Monica
ReplyDeleteWow, Monica! I love the head trip Infusion d'Iris takes you on. It turns you into Shelly Hack from the 70s Charlie ads!
DeleteHi Katie,
ReplyDeleteI decided to wear Infusion d'Iris today after watching your video. I actually love that weird opening!! But then I like that metallic note in Calandre, too. Daniela Andrier's aesthetic appeals to me: I wear Candy all winter, for instance. Every time I go to Sephora, which admittedly isn't often, I almost buy Infusion d'Homme. The Prada ambers are good, too.
Suzy Q
Hi Suzy Q - I like all the Prada ambers, too.
DeleteI remember wearing Calandre as a teenager when I was too young for it. Those were the days before such things as Candy and all the other caramel-covered olfactory delights.
Just discovered your videos and blog a week ago and I've been "listening" to it in the morning while I get ready for work. Thank you for the reviews and having so much fun with it. How did you become so educated in perfumery? Any suggestions for newbies like me in trying out new fragrances without getting overwhelmed? What are your go-to books?
ReplyDeleteHi JC - welcome aboard! I'm so happy you found me.
DeleteFor tips and newbie advice, check out my FAQ section. My go-to books are listed on the left sidebar under "read". Book-wise, I've also been loving Barbara Herman's Scent and Subversion.
Look forward to smelling along with you.
Thank you!!
DeleteHi Katie,
ReplyDeleteOver at Fragrance Republ!c we're big fans, and had a few questions for you. An email from daisy@fragrancerepublic.net is coming your way :)
Daisy
No, JC, you DO want to get overwhelmed!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder, off to buy samples!
Haha true!
DeleteHi Katie,
ReplyDeleteI had this theory that vetiver has a marked presence in Infusion d'Iris: that the vetiver was responsible for its biting undertone that has one coming back for more. I compared it to Encre Noir and found them quite similar except that where EN's vetiver is accented with dark nutty woods (which also have a dry sharpness), IdI is rounded out with the said iris. In comparison Infusion d'Iris is quite floral and soft, and I think it complements the vetiver better (though of course the effect is very different at the same time).
I have smelled Infusion d'Vetiver but only once (in an airport) and found it rather dull - but to have a very similar dominant note - the vetiver?
I'v actually then been thinking of IdI as a vetiver perfume, but it is possible that I'm running together a much more complex accord of dry woods, vetiver and galbunum and simply not educated enough on individual notes to perceive this.
Any thoughts?
Sometimes when I can't get a bead on a perfume, I do just what you describe: smell two different ones at the same time. Similarities and contrasts are heightened having both as a frame of reference.
DeleteI've not taken the comparative analysis route with IdI, and haven't keyed in on the vetiver. My experience with it has been smelling it on a few different women I know well. This perfume has huge presence and a very persistent, hazy thickness. I find myself keying in on its prim-but-can-be-corrupted persona, thinking less about ingredient breakdown. Now you've given me the vetiver theory, so I'll bear that in mind when next I'm swamped by IdI.
I love the 'prim-but-can-be-corrupted persona'! That may be exactly what I want to project;)
ReplyDelete