Iris

Iris is one of the most refined, luxurious, and expensive ingredients in all of perfumery. The scent used in fragrance comes not from the iris flower itself but from its root, called orris, which must be harvested and then aged for up to five years before it develops its characteristic powdery, violet-like aroma.

This extraordinary process, combined with very low yields, makes genuine orris butter one of the costliest raw materials a perfumer can use. The scent of iris is cool, powdery, and elegantly earthy — like the finest face powder or the smell of suede on a cold day.

It has a quiet sophistication that never shouts but always impresses. Iris pairs beautifully with violet for a full powdery experience, with musk for an intimate skin scent, with leather for cool sophistication, with cedar for refined woodiness, and with amber for added warmth.

You will find iris at the heart of some of the world's most prestigious and elegant perfumes.