Heeley Iris Nuit

Notes: white cedar, grey amber, iris, angelica seeds, ambrette

I'm starting to notice a pattern on this blog.  "I don't like....but" is all over the place.  I don't like white floral fragrances, but I love Annick Goutal Passion and Ava Luxe Gardenia Musk.  In the past I hated rose, now I'm fairly obsessed with the note.  And I've maintained that I am not a fan of iris' cold rootiness, but then I got a sample of Iris Nuit.

Oh, it's cold and rooty all right - at first, and just a little at that.  There's also a wonderful light cedar note and a salty quality that's not aquatic, reminiscent of the ambergris in Eau des Merveilles.  It's clean and somehow fresh.  And later in the drydown, I detect the musky ambrette. 

In addition to the Hermes scent, Iris Nuit also reminds me a bit of Olivier Durbano's Rock Crystal and Amethyst, although without the incense or fruit. (I haven't done a side-by-side comparison of any of these, so please forgive my scent memory if you disagree.)

Maybe I like Iris Nuit so much because it's not so much about the iris.  It's in there, don't get me wrong,  but the other notes predominate. 

I'm not quite ready to say "I like iris" (despite also liking Iris Ganache quite a bit), but perhaps I am coming to appreciate its qualities.  It might be time to re-explore 28 La Pausa, a scent that did nothing for me originally.