The Different Company "Bois d'Iris"

"Bois d'Iris" is absolutely not what I expected. Because The Different Company is Jean-Claude Ellena's brainchild, I assumed that this fragrance would have similarities with "L'Eau d'Hiver" -- that vivid single iris from the florist shop, but out in the wild. What I didn't expect was to apply this scent and suddenly experience a powerful impression of incense wafting out the censer waved by a Roman Catholic priest. It was the very specific scent I remember as a child, sitting in our clean modern church, as Father Tim made his way down the aisle trailing that cloudy, heavy odor.

But much like memories become idealised over time, I'm aware that "Bois d'Iris" is missing some of the negative elements of the real Roman Catholic incense. The oppressive smokiness, for one, is gone, as is the stinging spice. After 15 minutes the notes began to separate and I picked up cedar and wood and lichen, then the clearer florals between.

It's funny; I came into this expecting a flowery meadow for some reason, and so was blindsided by the entire religious experience -- what did that have to do with a woodland full of irises? But having wholly dismissed the name as ludicrous, the way the notes emerged actually brought me right back: willowy cedars clustered on a thick carpet of moss, pockets of irises jostling for any leftover space, like unexpectedly stumbling across somewhere totally idyllic and secret after a long hike. It's a full fragrance, kicking off with a heavy punch that doesn't so much mellow out as clarify, which makes it a lot easier to take. Unfortunately, the fragrance does fade rather quickly -- which I don't mind, as I prefer its lighter incarnation to the more gothic first impression.

Verdict: It somehow pulls off incense without actually being incense-based, and warm without being smoky. Really fascinating, and overtakes "Jasmin de Nuit" in the "I Must Own One of The Pretty TDC Bottles, I Must, I Must, Which One Though?" contest.

The Different Company "Jasmin de Nuit"

This is Jean-Claude Ellena's company, and they have really, really pretty bottles. Hefty solid glass things that would look wonderful on any vanity -- if I were tempted by lovely casings, these would certainly be at the top of my list. Mmmmm. Pretty. Mmmm...

Sorry.

I put this on to go to Tankard's garden barbecue. I figured it'd be a good pick for an August night out in the backyard -- unfortunately, the weather did not agree and as soon as I left the house I got drenched. I loved this scent going on; it's delicate and solid and warm, a very grounded floral but not earthy. After the downpour and whilst stuck on a crowded Tube, I was quite nervous that the scent might be really billowing, but due to a large man eating a series of pungent mints across from me I wasn't able to judge. Another trek through muggy, misty, rainy weather may have washed the rest of the perfume away -- and if the weather didn't, then Tankard's beautiful eight-month old daughter Emtoo drooled it right off my neck.

So I can't say much for the longevity of this scent, though I liked it enough to give it another test run in the near future. It might actually fare better in cold weather than in hot, and I continue to be rather suspicious of perfumes I can't atomise. But all other issues aside, it is lovely. It's what the air smells like on a garden patio at night after a fantastic dinner, with the remnants of coffee and tea and biscuits on the table. A scent like jasmine doesn't need to be complex if it's done beautifully, and this one is beautiful.

Verdict: The more I think about it, the more I love it. Feminine and gentle but also subtly persistent, it's also very age-appropriate. And pretty bottle to boot!