• About
  • Login to comment
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
  • Perfume Reviews
  • New Perfumes
  • Perfumers
  • Perfume Houses
  • Shop for perfume
  • Resources

He says/she says: Parfumerie Generale Iris Taizo

Posted by Robin on 13 July 2006 17 Comments

Parfumerie Generale Iris Taizo fragrance

Iris Taizo is no. 14 in the Parfumerie Generale line. It launched in 2002 but was only made available on the Parfumerie Generale website recently. It has notes of cardamom, jinkoh wood, fig tree honey, and vanilla. Today Marlen and I are debating its merits...

He says: When I received my samples of the latest Parfumerie Generale creations, the scent that I just had to test first was Iris Taizo, a blend of woods, iris and cardamom. I wasn’t disappointed.

Let me start by saying that Iris Taizo is not a scent that showcases the pretty, floral tones of Iris as do scents like Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile or Miller Harris Terre d’Iris. Taizo is instead about aromatic woods and resins, and it’s here where the scent is most successful. The iris in question is a suggestion, a hint, threaded throughout the composition, helping to create a silky, sweet, warm aroma, slightly masculine yet soft and subtle. Personally, I would have enjoyed a stronger presence of iris, the kind of buttery, earthy tones found in Hermès Hiris and Prada Iris, along with a greater presence on the skin.

Compared to many of my favorites, Taizo has a simplicity and quiet attitude that might be perfectly suited for some; though I usually prefer my scents to be a bit bolder, I would gladly wear this anytime. Overall, Iris Taizo feels like a warm, ambery oriental reminiscent of scents like Calvin Klein Obsession for men and Must de Cartier (for men).

She says: Iris Taizo starts out rather dark and dry, with heavy woods and a nice dash of cardamom, one of my favorite spices. The early stages strongly recall some other perfume that I just can't place in my mind, and it has been driving me crazy for days: do comment if you have a suggestion as to what it might be.

Unlike Marlen, I find the iris here to be considerably more than a suggestion, although as it is blended here with darker, heavier notes, he is right that it isn't quite the focal point of the fragrance. The iris intensifies as it dries down, as does the sweetness; the end result smells like caramelized burnt wood with a healthy dusting of powder. If that appeals to you, by all means try it — it has received good notices on the fragrance forum at MakeupAlley, and Marina at Perfume Smellin' Things loves it. I find it somehow oppressive, and the longer it is on skin (the lasting power, by the way, is excellent), the more it annoys me. I will stick with my cool, earthy iris favorites: Hiris, Bois d'Iris, L'Homme de Coeur, Three AsFour and Iris Silver Mist.

Iris Taizo is available in 50 and 100 ml bottles of Eau de Toilette. For buying information, see the listing for Parfumerie Generale under Perfume Houses.

Tomorrow: still more Parfumerie Generale

Possibly of interest

A Lab on Fire Hallucinogenic Pearl ~ fragrance review
Atelier Cologne Iris Rebelle ~ short fragrance review, with a long digression on my buying habits
Imaginary Authors O, Unknown! ~ fragrance review

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: iris, parfumerie generale

Advertisement


17 Comments

Leave a comment, or read more about commenting at Now Smell This. Here's our privacy policy, and a handy emoticon chart.

  1. Anonymous says:
    13 July 2006 at 12:56 pm

    Is it possible that the perfume you are thinking of is Shiseido's Bois de Feminite? (I think that's the name). I remember that being the first perfume I ever consciously noticed a cardamon overtone…I was enthralled, although I never could bring myself to wear it.
    I have Iris essential oil (amateur aromatherapist)…it has a violet-like scent. Is that a common note in Iris perfumes, or does Iris have different variations?
    Thanks! :)

    Log in to Reply
  2. Anonymous says:
    13 July 2006 at 1:02 pm

    Iris Taizo reminds me of Dior Bois D'Argent. It has that similar dustiness about it.

    Log in to Reply
  3. Anonymous says:
    13 July 2006 at 1:29 pm

    I will second what Ina said. We once agreed that it was like Bois d'Argent on steroids :-)

    I actually have worn it in very hot weather and it was great :-)

    Thank you for talking about my beloved Iris Taizo :-)

    Log in to Reply
  4. Anonymous says:
    13 July 2006 at 1:46 pm

    Close, it is Feminite du Bois, and that's not it but thanks for trying! It isn't the cardamom that is reminding me of something, I think, it is the dark woods & iris & resins & sweetness.

    Iris in perfumery is most always derived from the root (orris), or actually, more frequently a synthetic version of same. And yes, it has a violet element. See here:

    http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/i/irises08.html

    scroll down to “constituents”.

    Log in to Reply
  5. Anonymous says:
    13 July 2006 at 1:48 pm

    Interesting. If memory serves (and I won't claim it does) I liked Bois d'Argent. I'll have to try it again.

    Log in to Reply
  6. Anonymous says:
    13 July 2006 at 1:49 pm

    Now see, to me it is far, far too much for hot weather, but then, I may be alone in that, since Marlen wishes it were bolder. I wish it were less bold :-)

    Log in to Reply
  7. Anonymous says:
    13 July 2006 at 2:33 pm

    Ooh, I like these reviews of the PG line, R. Thanks!

    I have tested a few of them including IT. While I would not buy a number of them, they are totally original and even stunning. I will be curious to see what you say about harmatan noir.

    Hugs!

    Log in to Reply
  8. Anonymous says:
    13 July 2006 at 5:53 pm

    I am so glad at least one other person agrees with me on this one. I greatly admire it, but wearing it just makes my nose bleed.

    Log in to Reply
  9. Anonymous says:
    13 July 2006 at 7:27 pm

    And now I'm curious about which one(s?) you *would* buy, R…

    Log in to Reply
  10. Anonymous says:
    13 July 2006 at 7:28 pm

    Not sure if you are agreeing with me or with violetnoir above…but guessing if it makes your nose bleed, you're agreeing with me, LOL…

    Log in to Reply
  11. Anonymous says:
    13 July 2006 at 10:39 pm

    That is a wonderful reference site — thanks, R, for that and for the PG contrast/compare review. xoxo

    Log in to Reply
  12. Anonymous says:
    14 July 2006 at 1:51 am

    I am usually not much of a perfume person, I'm more into oils but this scent truly changes the way I feel about perfume- it's wonderful :)

    Log in to Reply
  13. Anonymous says:
    14 July 2006 at 9:23 am

    Better late than never … well, this turned out to be one of the few iris scents that behaves on me (Hiris is the other.) But I like its warm woodiness as a nice contrast to the stunning but very cold aspect of Hiris. Also it's very amber on me, which isn't usually my thing, but somehow works here. I would think of this as a fall scent, though — it's quite tenacious on me. All the PGs have been, so far.

    Log in to Reply
  14. Anonymous says:
    14 July 2006 at 10:16 am

    Love that site too, M!

    Log in to Reply
  15. Anonymous says:
    14 July 2006 at 10:17 am

    Sounds like we are opposites: I don't usually care for oils & Iris Taizo doesn't suit me at all :-)

    Log in to Reply
  16. Anonymous says:
    14 July 2006 at 10:17 am

    Yes, would agree it is probably more of a fall scent. And share your love for Hiris, of course :-)

    Log in to Reply
  17. Anonymous says:
    14 July 2006 at 10:33 am

    Thanks for the link! :)

    Log in to Reply

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Advertisement


Luckyscent

Search

Browse by…

Topic

Perfume talk New fragrances
Shopping Books :: News
Body products Home fragrance
Polls Another subject

Date

December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
Prior months

Author

Robin Jessica
Angela Kevin
Erin Guest Author

Tag

Celebrity perfumes
Cheap thrills
Collector bottles
Perfumista tip series
Video
The complete tag index

From NST at Twitter

  • Headline of the day: "Gwyneth Paltrow’s vagina-scented candle almost burns down home of woman who won it in a quiz" https://t.co/F6bvZtoSXl,
  • "Jo Loves adopts refillable technology for Fragrance Paintbrush" (cosmeticsbusiness) https://t.co/sn2tZ1cguT,
  • @robini71 And my favorite honeysuckle is also limited edition -- Goutal Le Chevrefeuille. They do bring it back eve… https://t.co/MFGwHJK0Ji,

Recent reviews

Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus
Moschino Toy Boy
Arquiste Misfit
Diptyque Eau Capitale
Zoologist Bee
Parfum d’Empire Immortelle Corse
Comme des Garcons Series 10 Clash
Frédéric Malle Rose & Cuir
L’Artisan Parfumeur Le Chant de Camargue
Yves Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre
Régime des Fleurs Chloë Sevigny Little Flower
Chanel 1957
Gallivant Los Angeles
Amouage Portrayal Woman

Blogroll

Bois de Jasmin
Grain de Musc
Perfume Posse
The Non-Blonde
More blogs...

Perfumista lists

100 fragrances every perfumista should try
And 25 more fragrances every perfumista should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista should try
26 vintage fragrances every perfumista should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should try
11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love

Favorite posts

The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
New to perfume and want to learn more?
How to make fragrance last through the day
Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn’t smell like it used to
How to get fragrance samples
Perfume for Life: How Long Will Your Fragrance Collection Last?

Upcoming

List of upcoming Friday projects

TBA April ~ freebiemeet

Back to Top

Home
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy

Shop for Perfume Online
Perfume Shopping in New York
Perfume Shopping in London
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Links
Perfume Books
Fragrance Awards

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z

Copyright © 2005-2021 Now Smell This. All rights reserved.