It is the underground stem of the flower because in the iris, we use the stem
to make perfumes.
We use a species that comes from Florence in Italy,
the iris germanica, then the iris pallida, also cultivated in Italy and Morocco,
to obtain the essence of iris by distilling it.
Iris is one of the most expensive raw materials because it must be dried for
three years before distilling it, profitability is therefore low.
A ton of iris is used to distill just 2 kg of essential oil.
Iris is intended for prestigious perfumeries.
It gives off a delicate powdery, buttery, violet, strawy, woody scent.
but it is both powerful and refined.
It was Catherine de Medici who began using iris as a fragrance.
Iris was used as hair powder in the 17th century.
we pounded and sifted the rhizome which gave off a sweet scent of violet
which is actually the scent of irone.
Iris is combined with floral notes or used as a base note.
Iris, darling of luxury perfumeries
The powdery note of iris is different from the vanilla note which is more delicious.
Moreover, the name powdered note comes from rice powder which was initially
scented with iris.
We define this note as subtly woody, dry, a little pastel,
violet and airy.
Unlike other perfumed materials,
the smell of iris strengthens over time.
The irone contained in the iris is a molecule that develops over time.
Iris flowers smell very little, it is the rhizome from which the perfume is extracted.
which smells of powder.
These are the rhizomes which have reached maturity and which have been dried
lasting 2 and a half or 3 years which gives off a clean and fresh smell,
even if they are dry products.
Distillation does not give an essential oil but iris butter,
it is soft, a little oily but very pleasant.
It is from iris butter that we make the absolute, an extraction with a volatile solvent
like with jasmine or rose.
The Chanel N°19 fragrance is designed with Italian pallida which is less and less cultivated there.
The house of Chanel decided to grow iris in their own field in France, in Grasse to be able to produce enough iris for its powdery, uplifting and sensual perfume.
Two species are cultivated there: the iris pallida and the iris germanica.
The Hermès brand also uses iris for its Hiris and Iris Ukiyoe perfumes by Hermessence.
