It's not an overstatement to claim that Infusion d'Iris has become the Chanel No.5 reference point of our times; alongside Narciso for Her by Narciso Rodriguez, it has not only garnered the status of a best-selling and well respected "modern classic", but it also has shaped the market via its elegant, sophisticated trail that blurs the line between wearer and added-on fragrance in perfect synchronicity with modern sensibilities.
The reality of an influential perfume release is that soon a horde of versions, new editions and differing concentrations crop up (much like with the confusing Narciso for Her editions, the Merveilles Hermes perfumes, the Kenzo Flower versions, the Dior J'Adore different editions etc.) to make things slightly harder for the consumer. Which to choose? And which was the one I once bought and loved, again? So here's a small guide into the various editions of the Prada Infusion d'Iris scent up to this point in time. Please note that for the purposes of this exercise I am not including any of the other, programmatically ephemeral Prada Infusion editions (Infusion de Rose, Infusion de Fleurs d'Oranger, Infusion de Vetiver, Infusion de Tubereuse), which you can read on in their own separate entries on the site.
Available as 50ml (1.7 fl.oz.), 100ml (3.4 fl.oz.) and 200ml (6.9 fl.oz.) Eau de Parfum. The same composition was issued as pure perfume/extrait de parfum in 3.5ml (0.12 fl.oz.) and 7.5ml (0.26 fl.oz.) sizes. Uniform, rectangular glass bottle with silvery metal tag with the Prada logo. Light green cap reprising the shade of the box.
Notes: Italian mandarin, Tunisian neroli, orange blossom, galbanum, lentisque (mastic), iris, cedar, vetiver, Somalian incense, Laotian benzoin.
Prada Infusion d'Homme Eau de Toilette (2008)
The men's version of Infusion d'Iris seems very similar to the original, a bit tweaked, with less of a powdery aspect.
Same bottle and presentation as the women's eau de parfum, but with Infusion d'Homme written on the box. Available in 50, 100, 200, 400, and 750 ml of Eau de Toilette.
Notes: Tunisian neroli, iris pallida, vetiver, cedar, incense, benzoin.
Prada Infusion d'Iris Eau de Toilette (2010)
A lighter interpretation of the original scent with a pronounced softness and powderiness, "cleaner" floral with even more pronounced soapy nuances and less of sharpness in the opening.
Available in 50, 100 and 200ml of eau de toilette. Uniform, rectangular glass bottle with silvery metal tag with the Prada logo.The glass is frosted, the cap is lighter in shade still, while the box is a rather more vivid green than the Eau de Parfum edition.
Notes: neroli, lily of the valley, violet, iris, heliotrope, galbanum, cedar.
Prada Infusion d'Iris Eau de Parfum Absolue (2012)
A richer, lightly sweeter and more orientalized take on the original eau de parfum edition, although NOT a more concentrated one as the name would imply. Infusion d'Iris Eau de Parfum Absolue is less powdery than the original with a more lady-like character and a hint of leather and baby oil rather than the incense trail of the original.
Available in 50 and 100ml bottles of eau de parfum. The bottle is the same but the metal tag with the Prada logo is in gold, as is the cap.
Notes: Tunisian neroli, orange blossom, Florentine iris, lentisque (mastic), Laotian benzoin, Venezuelan tonka bean, Madagascar vanilla, white musk.
Prada Infusion d'Iris L'Eau d'Iris (spring 2013)
Limited edition, inspired by iris and laurel in the gardens of Tuscany. 100ml of eau de toilette.
The bottle has a green degrade on the bottom which is different than the other uniform editions and the box has white floral designs on the green with the label & Prada heraldry in soft peachy pink, reprised in the cap.
Notes: Moroccan mint, Tunisian neroli, pink laurel, lily of the valley, rose, iris, orange blossom, white musk, woods, vanilla.
All the Infusion d'Iris editions/concentrations have been created by perfumer Daniela Roche Andrier (at Givaudan).
I had gotten Infusion d'Iris EDP form that was an impulse buy a year or two ago. For the past year, it has been growing on me. It had always reminded me of one of those aerosol cans of hospital disinfectant room sprays.
ReplyDeleteI love the original-I had no idea there were so many variations on this theme.
ReplyDeleteBut dam it-this lead me to read about the Narciso line-there is a bottle available, heavily discounted, at a near by store, and your beautiful, detailed descriptions of it may cause me to buy it! :)
Have a good weekend,
sincerely,
Carole
I love Infusion d'Iris, it seems cool and distant at first, but then becomes gentle with lovely subtle incense - I'd call it a perfume to write poetry to. I'm awaiting a sample of Heeley's Iris de Nuit as I want to see if it feels as poetic.
ReplyDeleteI wore it a lot in 2009 when I was working on a public art project. I was sharing an office with a woman who was wearing Coco Chanel, a real classic, but worn very loudly in summer, phew! It was a humorous reflection of our different takes on the art project - she wanted big events, fireworks and glamour, I wanted public consultation and to tap into public emotions, we never did gel, but she was a real character and looked like an older version of Linda Carter who played Wonder Woman!
I'm going to try the latest Infusion d'Iris when I get the chance, sounds good
I wish I could like Infusion d'Iris, but I don't. I feel similarly about Shalimar. There's something that I find unpleasant in these scents. Thank you for clarifying the various permutations anyway. As always, your posts educate in the most enjoyable way.
ReplyDeleteE,
ReplyDeleteoh no! I will now have hospital disinfectant stuck in my head!!! (eww)
I think it's very elegant and very wearable and it should grow on you! ;-)
Adding: I do feel there's a soapy element in it though plus something incense-y which could produce an odd off note sometimes (though I personally find it part of its charm)
ReplyDeleteCarole,
ReplyDeleteNarciso is very very pretty and I think a bottle should be in everyone's arsenal. It's also very lasting and therefore a good investment ( a dab will do you)
Rosestrang,
ReplyDeleteoh that' s a lovely story! Highlighting many of the issues we frequently discuss here on these pages.
Coco is very glamorous and somewhat "loud" as perfumes of the 80s were loud and I'm sure you understand; unfortunately it's now somewhat diminished, watered down.
You description of Id'I as something to write poetry to is wonderful!! (and Heeley is a good line, I'm sure you will find something to your liking)
Ellen,
ReplyDeleteyou're very kind and thanks for the lovely compliment!
Oh well, I guess we can't all like the same things. I would guess that the incense-y vibe both have (though treated in a very different context) is what deters you. I have always been puzzled by pegging Infusion d'Iris as an "iris fragrance"; it's categorically not. It's a light incense and soap one.
Thanks again for stopping by! Have a great Sunday!
Interesting.
ReplyDeleteOne always forgets how many quickly a new fragrance acquires flankers and quite how many these days!
I'm less sure that there can ever be another No. 5, just as there could probably never be The Beatles again.
Isn't the market too big, too diffuse, too diverse for such an all conquering perfume?
Maybe a point of debate.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
TPD,
ReplyDeleteoh but the comparison is not about the "all conquering" aspect regarding market share, but about the influence and shaping of the market accounted to its popularity.
Infusion d'Iris is a major hit (alongside others such as Coco Mademoiselle etc) but it will go down as not only a best-seller but as one fragrance to define a specific zeitgeist. It expresses things which the modern consumer wants out of their perfume wearing, it's a delicate but potent message.
When Chanel No.5 came into the market (and later, when it consolidated its place) there were thousands of perfumes around, just like today. (Yup, yup, don't squint and shake your head, like you don't believe what I'm saying, thousands I'm telling you! Most of which most people have not even heard in passing. ). It's just that time has done the all important pruning and only the really influential or really popular ones have remained while the rest have withered and died.