I’ve reached my saturation point with the new spring floral releases. Every year my mailbox overflows with spring fresh perfumes mostly around rose. They are so similar I must be very diligent when I am labeling my strips. I’ve sometimes been unable to discern any difference between the rose I dabbed on my wrist and the one nearer my elbow. Things are better, starting last year there were many more looking for other spring flowers to focus their new perfumes on. Where I’ve generally found the alternatives to rose, rose, and more rose is in the smaller brands. One for this year is Molton Brown Suede Orris.
I say this every time I write about a new Molton Brown release, but they are like a hidden secret among the bath gel and lotions. Over the past few years there is a quite good collection of fragrance on the shelves of your local Molton Brown; Suede Orris is another of those.
Jerome di Marino
When I look out at my flower garden in April I don’t just see roses. I see a lot of purple flowers. It is a purple flower which perfumer Jerome di Marino chooses. He was inspired by the tradition of orris scented leather gloves. This is an old-fashioned ideal going all the way back to the times of Lords and Ladies. It has seen a small renaissance as some contemporary women have enjoyed wearing a pair of scented leather gloves in the shoulder season between winter and spring. M. di Marino takes that older inspiration to a contemporary place.
Before the orris or leather appears a citrus flash of mandarin provides a sparkling effect. Then in twin tracks the orris comes forth with a supple suede leather accord. The orris is tilted more toward the powdery side with only hints of the rooty side of the ingredient. The leather accord is made of olibanum, labdanum, and patchouli. It comes together to provide an elegant contrast to the powdery orris. It all ends with clean lines of cedar in the base.
Suede Orris has 8-10 hour longevity and average sillage.
Suede Orris didn’t remind me so much of royal courts, but a pair of iris scented driving gloves on the steering wheel of a sports car. If you’re looking for something different in a spring floral this year you might want to head down to Molton Brown and try on Suede Orris.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample provided by Molton Brown.
–Mark Behnke
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