I have been waiting for years to have creative director Celine Verleure and perfumer Dominique Ropion work together again. The three latest releases for Mme Verleure’s brand Olfactive Studio is that reunion. Yesterday I reviewed Violet Shot. Today I am going to cover Rose Shot and Iris Shot.
Celine Verleure
As always, the perfumes are based on a photographic brief. This time by Roberto Greco. For Rose Shot in the photo below you see a dewy rose. M. Ropion delivers a perfume of depth around this classic floral subject.
Rose Shot (photo: Roberto Greco)
The core is a rich Turkish rose. In the beginning baie rose and elemi create that freshness the drops of dew in the photo portend. Things shift with a set of creamy lactones adding to things. There is a moment when this forms an accord of the finest French milled rose soap. That transitions to something slightly woody. The light woods have an unusual focal effect. As they come forward it seems to intensify the rose. A bit of velvety moss adds the foundation.
Rose Shot has 14-16 hour longevity and moderate sillage in extrait strength.
Dominique Ropion
Iris Shot is my favorite of the three new Sepia Collection releases. I am always drawn into a great creative take on iris. This two deliver that creative synergy I expected for this one. What makes iris an interesting perfume ingredient is it is so malleable in relation to the other ingredients. A perfumer can push and pull to realize myriad subtle shadings. Iris Shot is full of them.
Iris Shot (photo: Roberto Greco)
It begins with the powdery iris being caught up in a whirlwind of aldehydes and cardamom. That might sound vintage-like but it is the opposite. This has a clean contemporary architecture which turns the powdery part into a livelier version of itself. As we move to the heart the doughy rooty part of iris is used to make a fantastic faux-gourmand accord. Using carrot seed and almond a floral croissant is cooked up. Over the final stages the dryness of Ambroxan is leavened with vetiver to create a less stentorian woody accord than if the Amboxan was on its own.
Iris Shot has 14-16 hour longevity and moderate sillage and is also in extrait strength.
My wait was worth it. All three of these perfumes display the creativity I expected from this Dynamic Duo.
Disclosure: This review is based on samples supplied by Olfactive Studio.
–Mark Behnke
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