Described as an ‘ephemeral edition’ of the Prada Infusion d’Iris family, this fragrance is a limited edition scent blended by Daniela Andrier, the nose behind numerous designer label perfumes.
This fourth focus on iris follows Infusion d’Iris Eau de Parfum (2007), Infusion d’Iris Eau de Toilette (2010) and Infusion d’Iris Eau de Parfum Absolue (2012).
It draws inspiration from the iris gardens of Tuscany, where delicate pink laurel petals descend onto the iris blooms and their green stems only once during spring time. The ombré flaçon embodies this with its soft pink and green hues. As for the carton, it is tastefully adorned with an illustration of a garden of white irises by French artist François Berthoud.
I love the dual tints of the bottle – not only do they convey the season of spring, their gentle gradation, together with the movement of the liquid, gives the illusion of the colours swirling and floating. Truly a joy to look at.
“A fresh green Moroccan Mint bouquet unveils a dewy rosy floral heart, delicately dashed by powdery Pink Laurel. The dry down reveals the unique signature of Infusion d’Iris, with its tender musky Iris facets.”
– Daniela Andrier for Prada
The pink laurel carries an almond hint, while the iris is clearly powdery-floral. Designed to capture the freshness of an iris garden in spring, these notes are accompanied by Tunisian neroli, lily of the valley, orange blossom absolute and white musk. The neroli imparts a fresh green sparkle and the lily of the valley offers a floral green-ness, while the orange blossom exudes a gentle warmth and the white musk a soft sensuality. The brand describes the musk as possessing a ‘mellow complexity’, wrapping itself around the other notes with ‘a woody, velvety, vanilla effect’, but this isn’t completely evident.
Pleasantly powdery with a high floral note, I could barely discern the mint of Morocco (meant to illuminate the composition) whose faint whiff edges the scent. When I first learnt of this fragrance, I was intrigued and pleased by the unusual inclusion of the mint. I’d expected its presence to be more apparently – intrusive, even – so the barely-there nature was a bit of a disappointment. Still, it’s nice to have this lively sprinkle.
Unfortunately, the scent disappears very quickly. In this aspect, it surely lives up to its ephemeral inspiration. While it is an agreeable scent and very likely a crowd-pleaser, it is more fleeting than I’d expected it to be. The brand depicts it as being ‘transient yet unforgettable’ but the latter part is hard to live up to, if the fragrance doesn’t last long enough for me to grasp its essence. In my many days of using it, it’s still hovering on the periphery of memorable. Perhaps a scent memory moment will hit me one day and it’ll finally be of recollective substance. ;) It does seem to linger some days but it’s best to keep a travel vial on you for touch-ups. I must say that subsequent spritzes feel refreshing; the light mists always make me smell clean again, probably thanks to the mildly-soapy note that the scent carries.
In Singapore, this new eau de toilette retails at S$142 for 100 ml. It is available at Isetan Scotts, Metro Paragon, Robinsons The Centrepoint, Robinsons Raffles City, Robinsons Marina Bay Sands, Takashimaya, Tangs Orchard and Sephora.
