New Fragrance Review:  Naomi Goodsir Iris Cendre (Julien Rasquinet) + For Beauty’s Sake

antonio mora bye

Antonio Mora -Bye

Perfume is always about mood, and wearing a scent is the quickest and more direct way to express your emotional state.  There are fragrances to express lighthearted joy (a fine citrusy cologne), to express power (a tobacco or leather scent), and scents that express subconscious or even spooky vibes  (a dark chypre).  

 

naomigoodsir

Naomi Goodsir

It’s now mid-October, and most of us have abandoned the light florals and citrus-based perfumes for heavier weighted, spicier fare.  Winter is on the doorstep, and with it comes an introversion of the senses, a withdrawing into ourselves that demands an introspective choice in scent as well.  My personal choice for this change in climate and mood is a fragrance steeped in a strong iris note, and I believe I’ve discovered one of the greatest in Naomi Goodsir’s new launch of Iris CendreNaomi Goodsir is an Australian olfactory artist, milliner and designer who introduced the elegant leather Cuir Velours, campfire smoke-tinged Bois D’Ascese,(Julien Rasquinet) in 2013 and the golden amber hues embedded in Or de Serail.(Bertrand Duchaufour) in 2014.

 

Sad - Antonio Mora

Sad – Photographer  Antonio Mora

The iris note always represents a delicious melancholy – in it is an inherent longing that is inescapable.  When I wear iris, I feel as if the world has gone grey, and my thoughts naturally turn towards remembrance – of places, people, all of them departed or never to be seen again.  There is an abrupt flatness to the note similar to the stark flat shapes of a national war monument, or a gravestone.   Iris doesn’t elevate a composition, but instead draws sharp borders around its contours – it’s a warning sign that demands an acute awareness of what’s going on around you and on your skin.   

Antonio-Mora-coiffure

Antonio Mora Coiffure

Iris Cendre takes this prickly melancholy and places it right up front and in large doses.  The scent opens with a shimmer of tangerine and bergamot, but only a shimmer.  There’s hardly any brightness left in the citrus at all, it’s as if perfumer Julien Rasquinet has offered only the rind of these fruits to us rather than the bright, brisk acidity one would expect in a citrus top note. Iris Cendre also wastes absolutely no time in bringing us into its darker heart of violets and orris.  Iris Cendre translates to Smoky Iris, or Ashen Iris and the sense that this fragrance has been burnt down to nothing and now has cooled is quite prevalent.   There is a sacrificial, ritualistic feel at the core of this scent reminiscent of a tribal village after their crops have failed, the children are ill and they are wailing to their Gods for safety.  And the power and sillage in Iris Cendre follows suit:  this scent’s strength is in the notes themselves – the longevity is average and the sillage is subdued but present off the skin.  The story Iris Cendre tells is not one of the present but of its aftermath.  It will haunt you as you wear it. 

La Chica Crisálida by Antonio Mora

La Chica Crisálida by Antonio Mora

The transition from the heart on into the drydown phase is very slow.  First you might detect a tobacco note drifting around at the base, with a dry, acrid and slightly warm feel to it.  Iris Cendre has a very unique and empathetic final act – normally I don’t pay close attention to the way a fragrance ends unless there’s something going on that is reinforcing the main theme or inspiration behind it.  In Iris Cendre, that warmth the tobacco imparts is vital.  The orris and violets are enormous in this scent; the iris absolute is apocalyptically absolute here.   Iris Cendre is a cold, cold fragrance – a perfume for a place where no one remains to wear it.  One needs the tobacco, and then also the slight, sweet cistus and amber that reluctantly tag along behind it to remind us of our own heart beating as we wear this fragrance.  

Robert Mapplethorpe Iris, 1977.

Robert Mapplethorpe Iris, 1977.

It is obvious in Ms.Goodsir's collaborations with perfumer Julien Rasquinet that there is a dedicated tandem vision at work here.  The greatest perfumes always show their strengths in how and why they are made, and not what they are made from.  In Iris Cendre, the wearer is presented with an ode in scented form, crafted of iris absolute, that defines us not in our vanity but in what remains after vanity is gone.  Iris Cendre is an empty road, a grey sky above tilting gravestones, and one of the finest iris fragrances I have ever tried.  Wear it not for beauty’s sake, but to remind yourself you are well and alive.

Notes: bergamot, tangerine, orris, violet, amber, cistus and tobacco

Pam Barr, Senior Contributor

Disclosure:  I received my sample from Luckyscent.com

Art Direction Michelyn- I chose the work of artist and photographer  Antonio Mora who perfectly pairs the faces of the modelswith dreamy landscapes that are filled with emotion.

iris cendre naomi  goodsir

Naomi Goodsir Iris Cendre image courtesy of Luckyscent

Thanks to Luckyscent., we have draw of three samples for our a US registered readers only. To be eligible, please leave a comment with a why you would like to win Iris Cendre, what you enjoyed about Pam's review, and if you have a favorite Naomi Goodsir perfume.  Draw closes October 17, 2015.

We announce the winners on our site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

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11 comments

  • madeleine gallay says:

    Melancholy and remembrance, tangerine and bergamot – savoring the words. I’m just learning the language of perfumery, so excited to try new moody wonderful fragrances. USA.

  • Orris, violet and tobacco. I’m in. Sad to say haven’t smelled any yet from Naomi Goodsir perfume. U.S.

  • M favorite Naomi Goodsir fragrance is Bois D’Ascese. It is intriguing to me that she says the fragrance is cold. For some reason I find that inviting. It could be the change of the seasons or just getting prepared for winter. It also appeals to me that the perfumer is the same as Bois… It was by far the standout fragrance for me the year I first smelled it. Amazing! I am in the US. Thanks for the draw.

  • I adore iris, but tobacco is not usually my note of choice, which is why I have not tried any other fragrances from this house – -they all contain tobacco.

    However, I am curious — could this iris fragrance by Naomi Goodsir finally be my introduction to this house?

    The mention of ritual and sacrifice in Pam’s review surprised me, and ultimately, that’s why I am posting today to enter this draw! Thank you, Pam, for inspiring me to want to try a new fragrance that contains one of my most difficult notes!

    I am in the US.

  • Elizabeth T says:

    This sounds amazing… “the sense that this fragrance has been burnt down to nothing and now has cooled is quite prevalent.” I love love love iris, and this sounds very iris-heavy. I have not tried any others from this house unfortunately, but would love to try this one after Pam’s beautiful review. Thank you! I’m in the USA.

  • pursejunkie says:

    I like a good Melancholy fragrance and the author certainly has me convinced that this is one. I liked both Or du Serail and Cuir Velours, which are the only NGs I have tried.
    U.S.

  • fazalcheema says:

    Naomi Goodsir has done amazing job with Bois D’Ascese and Cuir Velours and I thought the approach is same with Iris Cendre but it seems a different approach. This, nonetheless, seems intriguing that even though it is a skin scent, there are surprises such as warm tobacco. At least, it does seem different from other iris masterpieces such as Lutens Iris Silver Mist. thanks a lot for the draw. I am in the US.

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    Thanks for the draw! I’m in love with Iris and would love to try this fragrance. This review was well done, from the impeccably curated pictures with a great iris-ey color scheme to elegant phrases like “delicious melancholy.” I like Bois D’Ascese (sp?) quite a lot. I am in the US.

  • girasole638 says:

    What a breathtaking review! Really, I always enjoy Pam’s reviews but I think this is one of her best. I was particularly struck by the notion that Iris Cendre is ‘a perfume for a place where no one remains to wear it’. I tend to gravitate toward melancholy scents and iris and violet are some of my favorite notes – it sounds eerily wonderful. I haven’t tried any of Naomi Goodsir’s other fragrances, but now I’m intrigued. I’m in the US.

  • Feeling as though the world has gone grey…….sounds perfect for the pacific northwest right now. Today we are enjoying a near 80 degree day, but probably the last of the year. I have tried one other fragrance from this line, and it wasn’t for me. So, maybe this is it. Still searching for a good tobacco fragrance. Thanks.

  • I would like to win Iris Cendre after enjoying Pam’s review concluding that it “is an empty road, a grey sky above tilting gravestones, and one of the finest iris fragrances I have ever tried. Wear it not for beauty’s sake, but to remind yourself you are well and alive.” I have not yet had the pleasure of wearing a Naomi Goodsir perfume .