One of the fun things about writing on perfume is watching the growth of an independent perfumer. There is the introductory phase where I realize there is something there to watch. The second phase is the inflection point. That is the moment when an artist finds their aesthetic and the days of slow growth will be followed by the third phase; ascension. The great majority of the independent perfumers never find that second phase. They create nice smelling things, but they lack something. Something they never get past. It is why when I sense the inflection point has been hit, I expect something special to follow.
For independent perfumer Tanja Bochnig that inflection point was 2015’s Erdenstern. It was the most complete perfume she had made. Over the next three releases each would become better and better. The rising slope of creativity was evident. With her latest release, April Aromatics Irisistible, Fr. Bochnig has outdone herself.
Tanja Bochnig
Fr. Bochnig wanted to make an iris-centric fragrance. She was inspired by the mythological Goddess Iris. Iris was the messenger to the Gods and used the rainbow to travel between mortals and immortals. It is that rainbow bridge which Fr. Bochnig re-creates in brilliant bands of flowers instead of colors.
One thing I am always asked about iris perfumes I write about, “Is it powdery?”. Irisistible opens on the antithesis of that query. The iris in Irisistible is the earthy slightly doughy root from which iris is extracted from. It erupts to life after a brief fanfare of announcement by a bright flare of lemon. This is the style of iris I prefer. It is rarely as vibrant as it is in Irisistible. Fr. Bochnig then adds in floral bands to the iris to form a floral rainbow. Jasmine, rose, tuberose, and cassia flower. Each of these add in a different shade of floral to an overall accord with iris in front. A lot of times, in other perfumes, florals tend to flow into each other. Fr. Bochnig keeps each on its own separate band where it is easy to pick each one out. That is like just focusing on one color in a rainbow you miss the beauty of the whole. The same is true here. This comes to an end with a slightly musky sandalwood as a foundation. As if it is the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.
Irisistible has 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.
On the days I wore Irisistible I had to suppress a constant smile. One was for the iris rainbow bridge which was swirling around me. The other reason was the realization of what a complete perfumer Fr. Bochnig has become. She has never made anything better than Irisistible.
Disclosure: this review is based on a sample provided by April Aromatics.
–Mark Behnke
