We’re slowly getting towards real autumn: it’s cooler though still warm; I get home when it’s dark already and there are dozens of birds in the pond I see from my office window.
I haven’t finished reading all articles on my reading list since I’m extremely busy at work now but since there were many articles that created perfumed lemmings, made me laugh or reviewed perfumes that I love I decided to post the episode.
Lemmings
Victoria (Bois de Jasmin): Epice Marine is in equal part a tribute to Brittany and to Roellinger’s spices. It’s a bright, juicy citrus wrapped around a piece of driftwood, an interplay between sparkling, fresh notes and smoky, toasty ones.
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Tara (Olfactoria’s Travels) makes all three perfumes in her post sound interesting but I’m attracted the most by one of them: The opening of Iris Prima is a pleasant coupling of raspy iris and happy-go-lucky bergamot, followed by a dusting of powder and clean jasmine.
Laughs
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Sigrun (Riktig Parfym): Naiviris smells like tearing up an IKEA package, containing wooden furniture, and the thing I’m laughing about is: well, here I am, I’ve got lot loads of perfume decants, bottles and samples of all typos, and what do I actually smell like? An IKEA Malm dresser, complete with factory dust and the cardboard package it came in! (and, in case it’s not clear from the quote, it’s a positive review)
Loves
Suzanne (Eiderdown Press): Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue, as its name implies, is an iris soliflore—a modern and uncluttered perfume that starts off fresh, with some cologne-like neroli and orange blossom that impart subtle sweetness to the cool, mineral and root-like smell of iris in its early stage of development. I think most of you have read my Infusion d’Iris (original) love story but if you didn’t – here you go: Alien wears Prada Infusion d’Iris
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The Perfumed Dandy (The Perfumed Dandy): Cuir de Russie, even in its current, tamed, “dressage” form is an epic among the cuir class of scents.
Smoky, spicy, dirty, animal, burnt, hurt, floral, haunting.
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When was the last time you read a classical fairy tale? I can’t really remember. Susie (Epiphany) has created a great illustration for the genre to go together with her review for Rubj by Vero.Profumo.
Leftovers
Laurie (Perfume in Progress), a nose behind Sonoma Scent Studio brand, has published a great post Learning Perfumery: Classes and Schools. If you’ve ever thought about becoming a perfumer but didn’t know where to start looking for the information on where to start, this is a good article to read or bookmark for future reference.
Undina's Looking Glass 
YAY Undina,
Thank you for including the Bois des Iles review in your update. I always read these because you have such excellent pieces that I may not have read and to be included is an honour.
Big hugs and love from Down Under,
Portia xx
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Thank you, dear Portia. I’m glad if it helps: we all are busy, so sometimes it’s good when somebody else catches what we might have missed.
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It’s true Aphrodite did do that on Cypress. I know because I was there. Zeus was so angry I suggested she change her name to Venus and get out of town for a few hindered years. She headed north to Troy and caused a whole mess of trouble with some guy named Paris.
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Yeah, I heard something about it… Paris… A sleazy guy with a foot fetish – or at least that’s how I heard from Achilles.
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Thanks for the mention Undina!
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Any time! :)
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I missed Sigrun’s post – very apt that a Swedish perfumista should be struck by the resemblance of the scent in question to a piece of IKEA furniture and all its packaging. Perhaps an accent of Allen key with that? ;-)
That excerpt from Victoria’s review has got me curious about Epice Marine now…I love Brittany-themed perfumes, and would love to go back there some day.
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Vanessa, you are good! I didn’t clock the regional connection (did I use it right? ;) )
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At all time we have an IKEA shopping list laying on our kitchen counter, jotting down whenever we think of something from there that we might need. Then, two times a year it’s time for the BIG TRIP to IKEA. Lets just say I much rather smell like the Malm dressers than the cheapo vanilla scented candles they’ve got ;)
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I really dislike IKEA (cheap and poorly made things) and go there maybe once a year.
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Thank you for the link love, Undina. And for including the link to your review of the original Infusion d’Iris, because while I thought I had read almost all of your posts, I missed that one. (And looking at the date I know why: I was in Paris when you published it.) It’s a great story … lol, the picture of that model does make her look strangely alien!
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Thank you, Suzanne! I’m glad you’ve got to read it (and I can’t complain about your absence back then since I’m still enjoying your bounty from that trip).
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I especially liked Tara’s description of Iris Prima. It still hasn’t appeared in Poland but when it wil I will try it then.
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Do we really need one more iris perfume? Yep! :)
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Yes of course! Never enough good iris fragrances
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Dearest U
I do love these round ups… so handy when the reader becomes such a backlog that it’s impossible to get through everything one wants to read.
Like others, I loved being reminded of the origins of ‘chypre’ too.
It made me think of the tale that says London’s Green Park (so called as it has no flowers) got its name after Queen Catherine of Braganza, learning of her constantly unfaithful husband Charles II’s inclination for having stems plucked from there to present to his latest paramours ordered that every bloom be permanently removed to spite him.
Hell hath no fury etc etc….
Oh and thank you for the kind mention.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
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It’s an interesting historical anecdote, I didn’t know it. Makes perfect sense to me :)
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Thanks for the mention, Undina!
I think as long as the longevity is OK on you,
Iris Prima could really be a winner for you.
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I’ll try and report back :)
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Thank you so for the mention, and I must agree with your standpoint on Infusion d’Iris (which I love, btw), there is something decidedly alienesque about it :)
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And very elegant, right?
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Yes, absolutely :)
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Dearest Undina,
This is a nice selection of Laughs, Lemmings, Loves. I haven’t read them all but had immediately gone to read Suzanne’s Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue post. There wasn’t a place to leave a comment so I’ll just leave it here.
In my entire Perfume Collection (it’s now at 178 with some shhhh creative adjustments from when I answered Birgit’s poll and some recent additions to the family), there are only two bottles that I chose to buy the largest size available, not even caring about whether or not there was a per mL advantage…it was probably better but I didn’t bother doing the math. Anyway…it had only happened twice that I asked the SAs – “What is the largest available size of this perfume?” (and they usually hear from me “What is the smallest size?”). One of them was Frederic Malle Iris Poudre (this will be my winter staple!) and the other one was, you guessed it, Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue! The gold tinged bottle and the gold juice is absolutely brilliantly composed.
And you know what, it was also my first real life connection with OUR dearest scent twin Lucas! If it seems like I’m getting emotional about it, let’s just say that it was over 15 months ago when that connection started and to this day, we are good friends, continuing to exchange notes and where possible, sending a care package via a perfume mule via USPS (you know who you are!) Perfume really is the great connector. I cherish my friendship with you and a few other bloggers even though we haven’t met in real life (I had only met dear baconbiscuit – she rocks!). But come Sniffapalooza time in two weeks, I get to meet more bloggers and commenters!
Thank you so much for this outlet :-) I know I’ll be in trouble when the time comes for me to purge my collection as I don’t think I ever want to go over 200 bottles (Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue and Iris Poudre — you are SAFE)…Eeek, I think I need help, I’m talking to my perfumes!
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I’m glad we have many perfumes in common: I like Iris Poudre as well (though I went for a 50 ml bottle). I’m at the stage where if I get a chance I won’t buy more than a 30 ml bottle of anything. Unfortunately, not that many brands release smaller bottles and not all of the perfumes I agree to have as decants.
I enjoy meeting even those perfumistas with whom my perfume tastes do not coincide so meeting somebody with whom you share love for the same perfumes is a special treat.
178?.. Wow. I’m not there yet even without creative not counting back-ups, GWPs and random bottles left in the collection from pre-perfumista times. Good job! :)
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hajusuuri, you named both of my favorite iris-centric perfumes (well, I need to count L’Heure Exquise too, so that would actually be three faves). I’m thrilled to hear that you love those two as much as I do – and also to hear that you share a love of Infusion d’Iris Absolue with your scent twins Lucas and Undina. Thank you for reading my post :)
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Wow, how did I miss L’Heure Exquise…must rectify. If I end up loving this, does it make us scent twins ;-) and then along with Undina and Lucas, Scent Quads????
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I will be very surprised if you don’t like Heure Exquise. Let me know if you cannot find it at a store – I’ll send you some.
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So many good posts this week, that I still need to catch up on (while the week is still this week). I did get to Tara’s post, though, and I agree it had me wanting to run to my Penhaligon’s stash to try those perfumes again, and to get a sample of the one I haven’t tried ASAP. I would not think I would ever feel that way about Penhaligon’s, honestly. I am also on pens and needles to try Epices Marine.
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This week I’m completely behind reading so no LLL episode.
Today I was unpleasantlysurprised that all “high-end” stores in SF closed at 7! I barely made it to Saks to try Playing with Devil and Iris Prima. PwD isn’t my cup of tea and IP I smelled only on paper and couldn’t get a sample. Grrr!
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Oh, that is so frustrating! I have been caught in the same early closure trap once myself, and I was so annoyed, because getting down there is a hassle. At least you did make it into Saks, but still. I’m looking forward to testing Iris Prima, but it won’t be until next month.
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