For most of my life, I’ve been a notorious floral perfume hater. That is, until I started expanding my fragrance palette. Once I started developing my unique olfactive personality and taking a closer look at the scents that I truly love, I realized that many of them have one thing in common: An iris note.
Iris oil can take years to cultivate, making it one of the more expensive ingredients in perfumery. You may also see it going by its other moniker, Orris or Orris butter. Depending on the formula that it’s added to, one iris note can run the gamut of olfactive expression. On one hand, it can smell earthy and root-like, almost to the point of being a little vegetal or dirty. On another, it can come off as sweet, powdery, and a little like licorice—something that typically takes a very discerning nose to recognize and appreciate.
