February is the Cruellest Month: Still Life in Iris + DSH L’eau D’Iris Draw

 

Whoever said that April was the cruelest month was oh so wrong!

For me February is the not so kindest month…..

It portends cold, snow, Hallmark holidays (again!), and though the days are longer, there seems little warmth.

It's enough to make me call the doctor, say "The hell with contra-indications!"

"Give me the shots and send me somewhere with "del Sol" in its name!"

 

 

Scent consists of closed in buildings, snow banks embellished by exhaust fumes..

The ambers are too sweet, vanillas too cookie-ish.

The ocean-y scents – too travel destination-ish with their coconut and sweet fruit.

(Paper parasols, anyone?)

Chypres can wind up requiring too much thought – my mind has invariably frozen along with some joints.

 

February …….

It also brings the unending ache of anniversaries….

The death of my grandfather who truly believed a female child should have no limits.

He was molding a political / activist / feminist before our world knew of such things.

The 1st of February is the birthday of two whose memories are blessings:

My older brother, Edward and one of my godmothers.

 Edward,  I think, was destined to be an old soul. There seems a something in his eyes beyond the sparkle that saw into our futures without him. I see old photos of him and his eyes see into what's left of my heart.

 

 

Still life in Iris-Van Gogh

Godmother, known lovingly as "Senior" since we shared the identical form of name, had a proper private school education, did PR work at one of the large family owned banks in town, knew everyone worth knowing, taught me how to choose correct wines for every occasion and how to drink them, took me to the Antique Show where she'd do the Roadshow proud – opening drawers, turning pieces on end, and barter.

She wore tailored tweedy garb (and always a hat), was tough as nails, would watch your back if she thought you right, and feed you to the wolves if you couldn't adequately argue your point.

 She marched down south in the '60's with Da, married "late in life" to someone she had known for years and only told friends after the fact.

She taught us all how to fight, not for us, but for what's important to us.

 

 

She collected antique inkwells and scarves, wore Imperial, and suggested I make Jicky's acquaintance.

During cold months she would go to art exhibits or a show hither and yon or NYC to the planetarium.

There was always time for tea at the Plaza.

 

 

 

 

She grew irises in her yard.

All sizes…mostly purples….petites….mammoths…beards and beardless.

She planned so the season lasted for week upon endless week….

She would show up at peoples door with armloads of the week's harvest.

 I was never interested in iris as a fragrance until after her death a few Christmases back.

 

I got Hermes Hiris unsniffed (the horror!!) more as a touchstone than anything.

People call it cold. I smell the warmth of the roots and feel instantly grounded.

 

 

Parfums DelRae Mythique is iris surrounded by summer – there's a breeziness to it despite a rather formal aura.

Definitely tea at the Plaza.

 

The Different Company's Bois d'Iris has a woodsy chill that promises a warm fire and welcome when you come inside.

A soothing scent with it's wonderful blend of woods.

 

 

Mary Beth Schwark

Chanel 28 la Pausa evokes irises in season – full blown, spiky green leaves, new grass under a bright June sky. Sometimes the opening is so bright that it hurts my eyes.

 

Editions de Parfum Frederic Malle Iris Poudre is a memory of Sundays, all dressed up in my perfect dark velvet. Its powder note is like being surrounded by the senior females of the family, alternately urging me on and stroking my hair.

 

 

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz's L'eau d'Iris is the perfect late spring bouquet – one of those "Dutch bouquets" of spring blooms tied up with twine featuring iris as the queen

Her Route d'Iris is a dry powdery wonderful promise of later garden magic and majesty.

 

 

Perhaps it's the promise of spring I'm looking for, too.

So we have to hang in and on 'til the end of March.

Damn the little prognosticating rodent in Pennsylvania!

 

 

What keeps you going when the tires are spinning and your own psychic wheels are spinning?

What works on those days and nights when you actually long for an end to that beautiful ultramarine blue on the weather maps?

Do you opt for a spring garden?

A tropical paradise?

Do you curl up with something seductive and (ahem) boozy and make your own warmth?

 

Mary Beth Devine, Guest Contributor

Thank you to Dawn Spencer Hurwitz our draw of 1oz of L'Eau D'Iris.; plenty to take you through this cruel month! Your scent warms our hearts  (and MBD's) on this chilly, snowy day. Please enter a comment on this wonderful piece by Mary Beth or your favoirte Dawn Spencer Hurwitz fragrance. Draw ends Feb 5, 2011

www.dshperfumes.com

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56 comments

  • Mary Beth, what a cool Godmother.  You were lucky to have her.  It must be a trait, of those born on February 1…we march to the beat of a different drummer.
    My favorite DSH fragrance is Route d'Iris. Anyone surprised?

  • My least favorite month is November, because the days are so short… At least in February almond trees start to bloom and that makes me happy because the country gets beautiful, with white and pink nuances.
    But when I long for a sunny day, or when I'm very nervous, I usually think of mountains, trees and valleys plenty of flowers. Places I have never seen, but I can imagine them.
    I have never tried a DSH fragrance and I would be pleased to start with L'Eau d'Iris.
    I would love to be entered the draw.

  • Thanks for this piece on iris fragrances; I am very interested in trying all of them, actually, and hope to do just that some day. For now, I am not quite done with Winter, as I do like it (sorry!) but I know what you mean about choosing among the chypres… IIt is a cold and snowy day here in New England, so I am wearing Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille. It is comforting but not overly foodie on my skin. My favorite DSH fragrance of the several I have tried so far: Ashram. It always makes me happy. There are many on my "must try" list, including Cafe Noir and Vintage Patchouli.

  • A beautiful piece MB!! I adore iris in perfume and am surprised being the DSH addict I am that I have not tried either of hers. Would love to be in the draw.

  • I loved the part that spoke of MB's brother ' something in his eyes beyond the sparkle that saw into our futures without him. I see old photos of him and his eyes see into what's left of my heart'.. 
    This is truly one of the most poetic and beautiful ways to express grief over losing someone. I don't want to go too deep into it here but those who know will know what that means.. And thank you for telling us about 'Senior' too, these loves made you who you are today.

  • Awwww…MB that was absolutely beautiful <3 I feel as if I know "Senior" and I am certain we would have been fast friends as well. What a blessing to have such great memories and the honor to have known her! I know what I will be thinking  about when i wear an Iris…..your dear godmother Senior!

  • I would have loved to have had someone like your godmother in my life as I grew up! Heck, even now it would be lovely. Your parents chose well.
    I like Dawn's Winter White, December and an older one, St. Valentine's but there are more I'm anxious to try, including this iris.

  • Hello everyone at Cafleurebon… It woud be such a treat to win a bottle of Dawn's Iris creation…I have such a soft spot for orris and also violet… and fragrance that represents purple is so soothing in February!  Sending you all lots of love from France!  

  • This post clicked with me for several reasons.
    February has always been my "difficult" month. Where I live, winter is a good six months of the year, and February 1st marks the halfway point. Even with large doses of Vitamin D and dutifully sitting in front of a full-spectrum light every morning, this is the month I slow down and get cold sores – my body's signal that the immune system isn't in great condition.
    Interestingly enough, February got a lot easier to handle once I stopped beating myself up about my lack of energy and motivation, and just accepted it would always be a slow month. On the upside, the only anniversary I have this month is my own. (Celebrating 20 years this month of the best decision I ever made).
    Iris is my all-time favorite note, and just last Friday did a wrist-to-wrist of two of my favorites: 28 La Pausa and TDC's Bois d'Iris. LP's topnotes won out by a smidge, the heart was neck and neck, and BdI's drydown was ahead by a nose. My conclusion: wow, I have some lovely perfumes! 😉
    In terms of DSH favorites, I haven't sampled a lot yet (both Route d'Iris and L'eau d'Iris were on my To-Be-Sampled list), but thus far I like Musk eau Natural, Piment et Chocolat, Winter White and December.

  • MelissaJane says:

    I must say this post must be one of the most enjoyable posts I've ever read! The artwork and the writing are beautiful. I actually feel that January is the cruelest month; by February, the days are getting longer and the sun is warming up. I do love winter, and I dread the heat of the summer, but February seems to fly by for me.  Oh..please enter me in the draw. thanks!

  • So well written! I was just telling one of my daughters, who is struggling with her thesis and just a general ennui, that February to me is always the cruelest month. It's when there are the most suicides in our city so I think the long winter, and dark cold days start to wear on everyone at this time.
    I like the iris anthology and descriptions, and its true, the melancholy note seems comforting at this time. Hiris always smells like cool paper to me…and 28 la Pausa smells like somewhere I want to go.

  • Beautifully written……did somebody say IRIS???? Who doesn't love a beautiful Iris fragrance, i certainly do. And to combine DSH and Iris is amazing. I am such a fan of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz and her fragrances, i own several. Main reason…none of her fragrances have a medicinal drydown on me……..her fragrances are gorgeous and so much fun to wear. I am a fan of the Egypt lineup and many others. Praying to the perfume gods to let me win this 🙂

  • What a beautiful article, Mary Beth.    The paintings you chose to illustrate your article are so well chosen, too.    My favorite irises are 28 la Pausa, Annick Goutal's Heure Exquise, and No 19.   I generally like February.  It's the month I buy plants for my spring/summer garden, repot them in peat cups and baby-sit them until mid-March.  For me, it's a month of planning and hope.  My least favorite month is August; it's stiflingly hot where I live, and it's the peak of hurricane season.  Ugh.  Please include me in the draw.    Have a great day, everyone!

  • This was such a lovely piece! My favorite iris scents are Dior Homme and Bas de Soie. My favorite DSH scents are Cimabue and Jitterbug.  Please enter me in the drawing.  Thanks, Sara

  • I loved this article, too, but feeling February is very different to me.  The most difficult months for me are November and December.  I start craving sunlight, and I know that it just goes.  Plus, my beloved's birthday is on 12/25 and that's when we celebrate Christmas, and sometimes that becomes a bit of pressure for me.  January is already better, brighter, a new leaf to turn, a fresh start to be made.  In January I let go over my love's birthday and start planning mine (in our family, we take birthdays seriously!) which is in March.  February gives me energy for that.  Plus, we met and fell in love in February. 

    I love DSH's perfumes, and it is too hard for me to name The One.  Mahjoun makes me smile, always, and makes me feel gorgeous, without fail.  Cardamom and Khyphi started out for me as an introverted perfume, the one I wear only when I am alone, then it became my centering helper, and now I wear it often and in company as well as alone.  LiLi is a scent of Spring itself, it is romantic like me and White Magnolia is bubbly and chatty like me. 
    I would love to try Iris, and I promise to give it away if I won't wear it since I have mixed luck with Iris.  Some of it I love, some seems too cold for me.  I will not keep the cold one near, DSH's fragrances are too beautiful to be stranded with anyone! So I'll make a point to find someone who enjoys it.

  • taffynfontana says:

    Thanks Mary Beth for a heartfelt post. I truly enjoyed it it reminds me of all the special people who have touched our lives and now remain alive in our memories. Maybe the thought that February is the shortest month will provide some comfort along with the sweet Iris fragrance.

  • Mary Beth, I love iris fragrances, especially Le Labo Iris 39, Hermes Hiris, Iris Poudre, Mythique, and ISM. Since I have not explored DSH fragrances, and I love iris, I really appreciate this drawing.
    Thank you for the lovely post!
     

  • Iris is one of my favorite florals, winter or summer. I remember February being cold, grey and often snowy in Pittsburgh, where I grew up, but I love that kind of weather. Where I live now, February can be anywhere in between rainy and cold or sunny and quite warm – this week will be sunny and low 60's, which is really perfect weather to me. As for scents, I don't really change what I wear too much throughout the year, but I've been enjoying a lot of spicy oriental rose scents lately. I also love Dawn's perfumes (most recently, her Musk Eau Natural) and Prana. Thanks to Dawn for this draw!

  • Since February where I live is not cruel at all in general and I personally like this month I feel it would be wrong for me to even try winning something that could help somebody else to get through a  tough spot. So, I'm not entering in this draw – I just want to thank Mary Beth for sharing a really nice story and warm memories.

  • Mary Beth, I am just floored by your beautiful evocative writing!
    I would love to win that iris perfume, I am already big fan of DSH. My favorites range from the delicious warmth of Mahjoun to the cool melancholy of Memory & Desire No. 1, and I can never decide on just one!

  • January is always the coldest, most dismal month for me, so I'm glad to finally see it go. I feel like it's the time when temperatures are literally at the lowest, but it's also when all the holiday hubbub and fun is over, yet it's painfully far from warmth and sun and goodness. I love the coming springtime.

  • I adore Iris perfumes, so this beautifully written article was lovely to read, thank you, Mary Beth!
    I would love a chance to win this DSH perfume, my favorite out of Dawn extensive line up would be Mata Hari, although I hardly dare to use it because it is so precious. 🙂

  • Truly a beautiful article Mary Beth, with such loving tributes to your grandfather, brother and godmother.
    I really appreciate your sense of chypre requiring too much thought for frozen minds and the "Hallmark holidays (again!)" lament. I too am drawn to the hints of spring rather than sweet ambers, especially here on the West Coast where, unlike in much of the rest of North America, spring seems well with reach. (Ducks battery of snowballs from rest of continent!) November always seems the worst month here. 
    I'd be thrilled to try the Dawn Spencer Hurwitz L'Eau D'Iris. In any event this survey of Iris scents will be a keeper for me to guide my sampling.
    May the good memories speed you through February.

  • I very much enjoyed reading this article Mary Beth.  My fragrance choices are usually daily mood dependent…but weather/the seasons certainly affects that.  I think the haunting quality of iris suits February for me.

  • chayaruchama says:

    MB, this is very beautiful and thoughtful…
    You know how I love you.
    And it AIN'T virtual.
    Bless you.

  •  
    I just let myself go, what can I do? I like the feeling but I feel I am out of place.
     
    I just get a book, I write, I talk, I imagine, I smell a perfume, I enjoy and imagine I am wearing a turquoise perfume bottle in my hands.
     
    I would very much love to have a spring garden! I wish I had one and dedicate myself to it. In February I miss having  a spring garden , oh yes!
     
    A tropical pararidse could work but I also love the endless desert. 🙂
     
    Haha about the last question. I only curl my hair! 😀

  • Gorgeous review. It makes me want to get my iris sniff on for sure.
     
    My favorite iris is Guerlain Apres l'Ondee, which might actually be my all-time favorite fragrance ever. It's divine.
     
    I have been meaning to revisit Hiris all this time. Thank for the reminder!

  • Michelle Hunt says:

    What a beautiful piece Ms. Devine, the memories of Senior were wonderful to read.  A very poetic piece. 
    I would love to be entered in the draw, thank you. 

  • This really gave me some Iris hints…usually iris is a 'no-no' note for me…maybe it is too cold? even la pausa was not for me (and i'm a huge chanel fan!)…this gave me info to go out and explore!

  • I have irises, bearded,
    purple fans with beards that smell like earth,
    like sun, like sudden rain,
    lemonade and the smoke from barbeque fires.. 
    They came from my mother in law's garden, a living heirloom of love.
    They sleep now, the rhizomes dreaming of summer,
    as do we all, under this thick blanket of ice
    and snow.

  •  
    Ah, iris… Perhaps my favorite single note in perfumery! You've certainly covered a couple of my favorite irises (TDC's wonderful Bois d'Iris, Chanel's fleeting 28 La Pausa), and the comments covered a few others (Luten's reference ISM, Guerlain's classic Apres l'Ondee, Le Labo's chic Iris 39, and Dior Homme, perhaps the best mainstream iris–for me, nonetheless!). Here are a few other favorites that I think ought to be on any best-of iris list:
    – By Kilian | Prelude to Love: One of the most romantic irises!
    – Cartier (Les Heures) | L'Heure Promise I: A gorgeous optimistic iris
    – Divine | L’Homme de Coeur: A beautiful masculine woody iris
    – Eau d'Italie | Sienne L'Hiver: A warm chestnutty iris
    – Etat Libre d'Orange | Tom of Finland: a strange aldehydic-leathery iris
    – Heeley | Iris de Nuit: Sharp & minty iris, almost medicinal
    – Hermès | Eau de Gentiane Blanche: A green herbaceous iris
    – Histoires de Parfums | Tubéreuse 1 Capricieuse: A savage gourmand iris
    – Laboratorio Olfattivo | Daimiris: A boozy leather-saffron iris
    – L'Artisan Parfumeur | Dzongkha: A smoky incense iris
    – L'Artisan Parfumeur | Traversee du Bosphore: A delicious Turkish-deligh iris
    – Jo Malone | Iris & White Musk Cologne Intense: A comforting musky iris
    – Odori | Iris: A soft anisic iris

  • Holly D & Tiara – you would have loved her!
    Holly – you're one of the ones who's really looking for spring. I remember some of those Houston ice storms. Brrrr.

  • Undina – A generous and sweet thought, but enter the draw!!!! You might like it for a whole other reason.

  • *jen – P.S. My other godmother gave me my first bottle of Chanel #5. Can we talk about messages in bottles?

  • Heart touching article MB.. Seems like orris and Iris touch many of the readers or perfumers. It does add a rooty earthy cord . DSH is one that I haven't sampled yet but is on my list to do so.

  • Your writing is beautiful.  Iris is my favorite flower and my grandmother had them in her garden.  She called them "Flags."  I didn't know they were called Irises until I was an adult.  I would love to be in the drawing.

  • Mary Beth, I very much enjoyed your article, particularly your description of your Godmother! I enjoy February, because it is a short month and the days get noticeably longer. 🙂 As for iris fragrances, some are too cold for me. I prefer ones with a bit of something to warm them up, like TDC Bois d'Iris, PG Iris Taizo/Oriental, and L'Artisan Dzongkha.

  • I loved reading about Senior – what a remarkable woman!
     
    Iris is a difficult note for me but I'm getting there. I am liking the wooded irises like VCA Bois d'Iris, and the cooler spring Irises like Santa Maria Novella Iris. I don't think I could wear Iris Silver Mist in the winter – I would freeze to death.
     
    When it is cold I go for the sweet and boozy – Arabie, Theorrema, Coromandel. In San Francisco we have temperate weather, mostly completely unpredictable weather, so I can wear a spring scent in January.

  • You just brightened my february MB! Thank you for excellent writing.
    Iris is not only a favourite floral note of mine…..I grow several in my garden and one of my daughters is named Iris

  • Mary Beth,
    Beautifuly written.
    Senior seems to have inspired you to be the person you are today. Hang in there, February is a short month and spring is just around the corner, or so I keep telling myself. ;-))

  • The interview with Mr Chong was fasinating. I especially enjoyed his comparing Philosphy, Art and music to perfume…how clever!

  • Queenarlene says:

    I love iris scents and would love to try this one by dawn spencer hurwitz. please enter me in this draw. . i hate this  time of the year as well!

  • Hiris, Iris Silver Mist, Bois d'Iris, and my last bottle of Heure Exquise dry oil stand together on middle shelf of the cabinet, front and center.  L'Eau would be a welcome addition to their company. 

  • Iris is without question my favorite note in perfumery. I'd love to be in the draw, and this list is making me think about which iris I might wear today…