A reconstruction of the legendary Iris Gris from 1946.
L'Iris de Fath fragrance notes
Head
- neroli, petitgrain, bergamot, peach
Heart
- iris absolute, iris butter, grasse jasmine, turkish rose absolute, violet, violet leaf, carnation
Base
- oakmoss, sandalwood, vetiver bourbon, musk
Latest Reviews of L'Iris de Fath
I have also smelled the much praised reconstitution from a small sample vial, purchased for £85 from Jacques Fath. Topnote of parma violets, body note with a rather conventional methyl ionone effect. I can't find any of the peach backnote which is supposed to be a crucial element, which doesn't mean to say it's not there, but I can't perceive it. This is a rather sweet Iris with none of the earthiness which I find an attractive part of Iris, or Orris root. But maybe I've been smelling the wrong type of Iris.
Having a small vial of the original, and I mean a very small vial, I can see how this formulation won the contest for recreating the legendary Fath Iris Gris. It's very close. My sample doesn't have as much peach as the new version but they share a complex set of florals and aromatics. The oakmoss accord doesn't stand out until an hour or so but when it rises, it is exquisite. I am not good at describing scent (that's why I stopped trying) but to my nose, the modern take on Iris Gris is not as angular or as sparkly as my vial of the original but it is a masterpiece in its own right.