Penhaligon’s will launch Iris Prima, a new unisex fragrance developed in collaboration with, and inspired by, the English National Ballet. Iris Prima will debut in September.
Iris Prima was developed by perfumer Alberto Morillas, who worked with dancers Nathan Young and Laurretta Summerscales. The notes feature bergamot, green amber, pink pepper, iris, jasmine, hedione, paridisone, leather, sandalwood, vetiver, vanilla and benzoin.
Penhaligon's Iris Prima will be available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum.
(via fashionmonitor, balletnews.co.uk)
Update: see a review of Penhaligon's Iris Prima.
Wouldn’t mind a sniff, I tried Peoneve recently and liked it, though it doesn’t last long on my skin.
I’d like to try it too.
In interested! But what is green amber? I suppose paridision is a perfume molecule – does it smell like paradise?
My apologies, should be paridisone, & I’ve fixed it. Per Firmenich — “an even more blooming molecule. A simple touch of it fills a room with an outstanding scent of flowers.”
Oh Lord – iso e super on steroids!
Real amber, as fans of Jurassic Park know, is fossizlized, tree sap,i..e sap which has hardened into a mineralish state. Sometimes this is a green, rather than brown,
But actual amber, green or brown, does not have a scent.
As I understand it perfume “amber” are substances which mimic the smell of ambergris, which used to come from whale rendering.
I’m a jeweler and amber actually does have a very characteristic scent when it’s heated/burned (I love drilling amber for that little hit of fragrance from the heat of the drill!). It’s still used in some types of incense for the fragrance, but I’m sure you’re right that virtually all of what’s referred to as amber in perfumery is something else.
Also, I’v read that amber in perfumery does not always try to mimic ambergris but sometimes is used as a concept to conjure up associations that one has with amber (the gem-like resin). Warm, comforting and gold-like…
Hi Lucas, Paradisone is chemically related to Hedione (I think it’s a Hedione stereoisomer?) and has a floral scent profile with citric accents.
An iris without white musk! I’m in!
Maybe, maybe not!
I’m always happy to try a new iris, but the list of notes doesn’t make me start salivating or anything. Funny how sometimes a blurb can get me excited and other times I remain bored as anything.
I’d like to know more about how Morillas worked with the dancers to develop this. I’m a bit wary that Hedione and Paradisione are being highlighted as innovative in the Ballet News article, but as long as Iris Prima doesn’t have one of those evil horseradishy woody notes, I’m curious to try it.
Oh I’d like to give it a try – at least it sounds as if it smells sort of perfumey! I’m fed up of niche perfume houses making SMELLS. I don’t want to smell like a smoking compost heap – I don’t like smelling of glass and bacon or whatever – please someone out there just make nice smells – does anyone remember Le DIx by Balenciaga – now that was so gorgeous – so feminine. Showing my age I know but where oh where have all the lovely smells gone??
The thing is that in any case it’s not a bad perfume. It’s pretty and that’s all about it actually. When I first saw the video with the dancers talking about the smells around ballet, I was expecting something more daring and carnal. In Iris Prima there’s no struggle, no tears, no sweat, no body odour. Iris Prima is a well behaved prima ballarina, carrying a immaculately composed make up and pretty clothes. I’m missing the Black Swan..