Hermes • Hiris • Fragrances

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tecumsum on 1/18/2013 5:39:00 PM more reviews by tecumsum

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Dark, Warm   Hair: Black, Kinky, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

Love this. When first applied, it does remind me of carrots covered in earthy dirt. But it is oh so nice once that fades away. It smells sophisticated and richly feminine. Others complain that it doesn't last long, but for me it does. Try this if you like Prada Infusion d'Iris. This one willl knock that one right out of the water. It is quietly reserved, but elegant at the same time. It makes me smile when I wear it. The gorgeous blue frosted bottle with the golden cap is perfection. I will always have some of this concoction on hand.

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Lilosette on 10/21/2012 more reviews by Lilosette

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

Hiris is a introverted elegance a well-poised muse
never reveals herself within words nor action just
her scent of Iris, Hiris opens with it's homage the
Iris a flower a symbol of refinedness and modesty
a scent of cool orris earth adds to the sharp coldness
of the fragrance, the coriander subtle enough not to
cloy over the iris but noticeable in it's spicy drydown
diluted amber dries the top note, delicate and elusive
note of Rose opens the middle note softens the sharpness
of the Iris with it's velvet texture a demure beauty
Neroli turns the fragrance a bit citrusy and grounded.
The drydown consists of unsweeted honey makes an organic
and woodsy finish to this almost of a masterpiece of a
scent next dry cedar conjours a feeling of a forest
after the midnight rain fresh and finishes with almond
tree an nutty accord.

Hiris is a class of it's own not Loud gaudy kitschy
it doesn't take bright colorful sequins dolly heads
fake rhinestones on bottle it's a simple dark blue
bottle less is more.

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*TOP REVIEWER* yum_yum on 8/7/2012 4:23:00 PM more reviews by yum_yum

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

This is a beautiful, dry composition. Iris with a carrot, earth and ambrette. Ambrette's funny on me: in Chanel No. 18, it smells like vomit, like someone threw up on a bunch of flowers. I wrote a long since deleted review of the Chanel, indicating this was the main problem when I wore No 18. In Hiris, the feel of ambrette might be one of the factors that keep it from seeming too ephemeral -- this is just a guess -- I get a hay-like musky skin scent (? weird description) and ambrette is sort of warm, but Hiris is not a warm scent -- so, yeah, really odd. Maybe I just don't understand what ambrette does, exactly. Overall, Hiris is a cold scent with substance.
At first it seems transparent -- and sure, it is -- but it's remarkably resilient and solid. Lasting power is terrific. It's like toughened glass: you see through it, but it's not delicate. Love the earth. I hear a lot about how this smells like the roots of a plant. I'll take your word for it. It's wonderful and grounding, whatever it is.
The fact that it isn't floral overload is fabulous. I don't like many scents with major iris, except for this, the icy Lutens and the juicy / warm Ferre by Bourdon (called, unsurprisingly, 'Ferre'), which is much better and a more expansive version of his Iris Poudre. Oh -- and No 19 and No 19 Poudre -- both of which have a great framework for the iris, but don't make the note as prominent as in Hiris, in case that's what you're looking for. The Le Labo one was, quite frankly, dull -- I don't like the LLabo line, except for the Menardo (all hail her). The Different Company one was nice enough but, as far as I recall, had some other note that takes attention away from the iris -- violet, maybe? I don't remember exactly. I love violet, so that's fine, but if memory serves, TDC is not a totally iris-y iris. I'm undecided by the VC&A, but know for sure I wouldn't pay the RRP.
Now -- Iris Silver Mist is cold as Hiris, although less 'papery', more layered and earthy, and possibly the only other scent I know that makes a really chilly iris. The Lutens is more textured, more 'tinny' (in a good way) less linear. But the sheer force of Hiris -- cold, flat, modern, complex, see-through, solid, dry -- is a worthy rival.
Giacobetti does to iris what she does to campfire smoke in Chaman's Party: she keeps the major player resilient but supports it with an interesting cast.

So the Lutens would be some superbly dressed, robot-ninja with a will to kill (yeah, baby! love her -- she has weapons!). No. 19 would be a CIA operative and also the wiser sister of the corporate killer that is Gucci Envy (Envy's far more ruthless and she smells of money). No 19 Poudre would be -- pretty much anyone. You know what I mean? That anonymous person you can never describe to the police. "She looked...normal.". The neighbours never suspect her of whatever crime she's committed, because she's so normal. But she lived in a mid-terraced house on an average income and how exactly did she get all those bank accounts in the Cayman Islands and where is she now?!

Hiris reminds me of taking a stance and resolutely saying no. And just not budging. Not for fear of death. Not for love or approval. Not for anything. I guess in a woman like this is unattractive, unappealing, take your pick of negative adjectives. In a man, this sort of thing would be considered a virtue. It's tough to write a strong female character without a love affair that goes right or wrong, a high pressure job done well or badly, active tenacity... or big, big guns (and I like chicks with guns so I'm not knocking this one).
So one day, I reckon, I'll skip the guns and ammo stuff and just think about a chick, a pretty regular chick with no apparent issues. A chick that isn't defined by what she wears, or the gun she carries, or her biceps, or some guy she's after or not after (seriously -- how often is there not a love interest?). She'd just say no. And keep saying it whether it means that no one likes her or she's not a team player or it'll be the end of the world unless she says yes. It'd start with a no. And maybe stuff will happen in between that questions her perspective, paints her as a psychopath or colours her wrong (and god forbid) not very nice. But at the end, her answer will still be -- you guessed it -- no. I'd scent her with Hiris.

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*TOP REVIEWER* msm4slm on 7/1/2012 7:53:00 AM more reviews by msm4slm

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Not as iris-y as I was expecting. Opens with what seemed to me more of a lily note which made me wonder if I received the right sample. I suppose this is the carrot-y note everyone is talking about. This predominates over the iris. Not a bad fragrance: very cool and refined and nice for summer, but not particularly grand either. The bottle is very attractive with the gorgeous cobalt blue.

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CobraRose on 6/19/2012 9:38:00 PM more reviews by CobraRose

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Like Iris Silver Mist, Hiris is a love/hate fragrance for me, but with H the "hate" aspect is physical, with ISM it's psychological. I agree with every hateful comment previous reviewers have made--I get the hairspray comparison, the furniture polish comparison, the sack o'rotting roots comparison. Sometimes it almost makes me feel queasy. But I also agree with every loving comment--the blue sky, the cool damp earth, the bread-dough/almond aspect that is the ultimate comfort note for me. And for some reason, every time I try this scent, there is less hatred and more love. Maybe Hiris and I have a future together after all.

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*TOP REVIEWER* BigEars on 1/29/2012 5:31:00 PM more reviews by BigEars

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Nice Work! a lovely light rooty iris witht he same dolorous quality as Iris Silver Mist. Not as complex and not as long lasting, but a lovely everyday fragrance for iris lovers. I much prefer this to Ferre or Iris Poudre although for a fresh iris bouquet I would still go for Bas de Soie. I find Hiris a bit fleeting but it was os cheap online that I can spray a lot - and I do

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*TOP REVIEWER* Codeblue on 12/11/2011 11:03:00 AM more reviews by Codeblue

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

It's interesting to read that the carrot note seem predominate to so many of us. Huh. We're all so different, thank heavens. I get iris, iris, and more iris. I can live with that. For some, this is a summer frag; for me it's all winter coziness that sooths my tired soul a bit as I bite the bullet, bundle up, and grumpily stomp out the door to face a nasty wind that chills to the bone. I bought a small bottle of this unsampled and on a whim and lucked out for once. It's a lovely scent on me and somehow I can imagine stars of the 40's and 50's wearing this one if it had been around then because it strikes me as subtly glamorous.

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*TOP REVIEWER* hollyc01 on 1/6/2011 11:52:00 AM more reviews by hollyc01

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Dry, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Oh my !!! Wasn't expecting to like this at all, given that it is a light scent. But what hasn't been mentioned is that it is a fascinating scent. Really loving Hermes. While I do not love all their frags, there is no mistaking that they do not skimp on quality. Hiris goes on sharp, metallic with that unmistakable bitter carrot seed note (check out essential oils and you'll know). Then there is an underlying delicate sweetness that pokes out occasionally. Then the lovely comforting smell of bread dough (not baked). It is unlike anything I have ever smelled and I ordered a bottle immediately from Hermes. And did I mention the packaging? I would wear it as jewellery if I could. Heavy, heavy rectangular with rounded edges in cobalt blue frosted glass with mushroom shaped cap of acrylic and gold. Stunning.
Now, I don't buy for the packaging, but I appreciated that they respect my business (and the money I paid for this) by giving me the best they could. Thank you! This is a light scent that I think will perform best in hot weather. For now, in the dead of winter, I get the best performance from spraying on my decollete and clothes. I should also mention when I tried the tester, for the first few minutes I smelled absolutely nothing, nada, zip, zilch, then after about 10 mins., it starts and reached its full beauty at about hour 2 then faded to a very lovely light musk by about hour 5 or 6, yet I can still smell it sometimes the next morning. Lasts forever on fabric and is practically the only scent I can stomach when I'm feeling the flu. Blows my mind completely that Turin rated this beauty so poorly, but then again Bulgari Black got 5 stars, rather a lot for honey and treacle trapped in the treads of car tires. I guess even he makes mistakes. This one's a mystery and a beauty and I highly, highly recommend. Please Hermes, never stop making this!!

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debrsl on 4/17/2010 12:40:00 PM more reviews by debrsl

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Lovely iris fragrance. Sweeter and more springlike than others at the beginning; it settles into a warm iris scent that has hint of the pastry-like note that iris has sometimes Far drydown is soft iris; not powdery, not metallic.

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Mimiacid on 7/20/2009 5:51:00 AM more reviews by Mimiacid

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brown, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I think of this as a good everyday Iris scent that is more interesting and refined than Prada's. It's a soliflore/radix and on me is quite uncomplicated. I certainly don't get the decaying bag of carrots some reviewers complain of. To me this scent is strongly reminiscent of good fabric conditioner/detergent - it smells clean and airy. It lacks the drama of Iris Poudre, which is more a dressing-up scent, and comes nowhere near the melancholic dirge in a bottle that is Iris Silver Mist. Great uplifting scent for day or officewear, but with bags more distinction than standard department store fare.

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persimmons on 4/7/2009 11:12:00 AM more reviews by persimmons

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

One of my all time faves. Fantastic earthy-dirty beginning and a soft, powdery and light drydown.

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Debeh on 3/25/2009 2:28:00 PM more reviews by Debeh

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Silver   Eyes: Hazel    

Lots of wearers of Hiris have commented that it's a "wear anytime, anywhere" fragrance, and after giving it a few chances, I would definitely agree. I bought this unsniffed, and the first time I sprayed it on, I thought "Whew, carrots. Ew?" But I tried it a few more times, eventually spritzing enough on to last me through a day at work, and boy, did it smell nice throughout the day. It eventually dried down to a lovely clean smell that makes me visualize a large bar of lovely (expensive) white soap. But without smelling soapy, which is very weird. I am growing to really like this, another lovely scent from Hermes. I am blanking on the name of the nose (Olivia Gia-something) who created Hiris, but she also did Dzing, which is fantastic. And the bottle is just beautiful: simple, smooth, elegant. Actually, kind of like the progress of the fragrance itself.

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priyaj1 on 12/3/2008 2:32:00 PM more reviews by priyaj1

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Bleh. For a Hermes product, its a waste of money. Hopes dashed

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faizanj on 11/24/2008 8:56:00 PM more reviews by faizanj

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Trashy synthetic weak watery iris with carroty undertones. One of the worst. Luca Turin (in "The Guide" which so many MUA'ers worship)also considers this to be a crappy fragrance. As we all know, Luca Turin is always right ...what Turin says goes.

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*TOP REVIEWER* 52pigtails on 10/22/2008 4:09:00 AM more reviews by 52pigtails

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Well done fragrance, amazing bottle, but I'm into other kinds of Iris: my most perfect Iris is in Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige, which is ages away from this, or The Different Company Bois d'Iris, which is simply amazing. Hiris (the "H" at the beginning should stand for "Hermes", right?) is tart, a bit acidic. If I stick my nose to my wrist I can smell the orris root and it's perfect, though carrot-y, but of course any root smells carrot-y. The sillage, though, strangely feels chemical to me, and overall I feel as if I've done a great hair up-do and worn lots of Elnett hairspray to fix it: I feel great in my updo and I sense that the hairspray smell is just a necessary thing to hold everything up, but that is all, and of course I'll reach for one of my fragrances which are better than my hairspray smell.

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*TOP REVIEWER* IrisNobile on 10/4/2008 10:28:00 PM more reviews by IrisNobile

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

Has anyone ever wondered why all of my reviews have 5 stars? Because I usually want to say something about fragrances that have won my heart in every, single way. Hiris is another one of them. This is one of my biggest everyday scents, one of my all time favorites. This is something that never smells wrong on me, a scent that always stays great with my body chemistry.
I'll start by saying that this is a real masterpiece, a scent that is an olfactory miracle to me. It is a transparent, light, breezy, intryguing fragrance of the \ most beautiful flower on Earth - Iris. The flower of Iris has it's beautiful earthy, rooty undertones that stay beautifully combined with it's powdery sweetness. The carrot accord is a gorgeous ingredient in this case, it does NOT smell weird. Perhaps carrot and orris both come from rhizomes - they actually have more in common than we thought. It is the most delicate and pure scent to me - the scent of heaven. How does it manage to have that beautifull, earthy depth with it's unquestionable purity, I don't know. I shall thank Olivia Giacobetti for this most unusual, remarkable perfume.

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aquasea2 on 9/4/2008 9:06:00 AM more reviews by aquasea2

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I hate to say it but it's time to admit that I just can't do Hiris justice. That carrot note sticks in my nose and just won't budge. It's creating in me a prejudice against all Iris scents.

And the thing that most annoys me is that the bottle is unbelievably stunning - I feel more connected to the bottle than the fragrance. It's squarish but tall, cobalt opaque glass and topped with a brass (?) lid.

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phui on 7/1/2008 7:46:00 PM more reviews by phui

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I have to be in the mood for wearing this perfume- its so floral and sweet. I live in a warm climate, and I think I prefer fresher-smelling perfumes to cut through the heat! I love the packaging however- simple, but beautiful colours.

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*TOP REVIEWER* tessture on 5/27/2008 8:56:00 PM more reviews by tessture

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Woody Iris fades down to a slight hairspray edge. Not really a floral: Very earthy and plain. Not what I was looking for in an iris, but I like my iris a bit more old fashioned and floral. Also, this didn't give enough punch for the price. Not a lot of last on my skin.

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george3b on 5/19/2008 5:14:00 AM more reviews by george3b

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Olive, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Black    

This is one of my favourite fragrances. Got a sample after reading reviews and thought I would love it. At first sniff I recoiled (I have yet to develop my broad taste in fragrances at the time) and thought "eww, carrots.." But I tried it again, left it on my skin for longer and knew it was FBW. As I've now smelt more fragrances with iris notes, I now know that the carrot smell is not carrot (although carrot is also found among the notes) but the iris root . For me, this is what fall smells like. As if I were walking in the forest after a rainfall when the woods and leaves are wet and you can sort of smell the soil. The iris adds a powdery feel to it but it's more of a light and airy fragrance (as with most O. Giacobetti fragrances) than a sickly baby powder smell. Hiris has a cold feel to it, not like gloomy & freezing but like a sudden breeze or a blast or fresh air during spring/fall. Although it is not the usual foody comfort scent type, I find this scent quite comforting and calming. If you have smelt other Iris fragrances this is nothing of the floral sort like, say, Iris Nobile. It is more similar to Iris Silver Mist but in a less dirty, more pretty and wearable way.

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