New Hermessence: Iris Ukiyoe

I’ve only had three serious perfume obsession in my life – 1/ Chanel Allure (only the original one though! Why they tried to revamp a classic is beyond me…) 2/ Tom Ford White Suede and 3/ Hermes’ Hermessence Ambre Narguile. I have these three in constant rotation depending on my mood and as of yet no other scents have been able to hold a candle to any of them (though Hermes Caleche and Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Eau de Toilette put in very good fights!). I’ve been wearing the Ambre the most lately perhaps because it’s the newest edition to my go-to list. People keep telling me I smell like sweet food when I wear it…Is that a good thing? Not sure, but I really don’t care because the scent literally has the power to perk up my mood. Plus I love that it’s so strong that I’ll often still smell it the next day on my scarf or coat collar. Now Hermes has come out with a new addition to their Hermessence line, Iris Ukiyoe and it’s divine (not top three divine, but def runner-up divine!). Jump for more!

There are way too many Iris fragrances out there and more often than not they smell like cheap potpourri! This Iris scent is a super lightweight and delicate contrast to my treasured Ambre Narguile and will be awesome in the summer. I’m not sure of the exact fragrance notes, but the reason I think it works is because the floral notes are balanced by citrus, woody and grassy ones so the overall impression is not something overly feminine and floral (it is unisex after-all!).

You can buy Iris Ukiyoe here in a 3.3fl oz bottle for $235, but I’d suggest going for the gift set and opting for four .5fl oz sprays instead. The gift set is well-priced at $145 and not only are the bottles super-easy for travel (they each come in a pouch and the whole thing is wrapped in an Hermes box), but you get to try four out of the nine scents. Aside from Iris Ukiyoe and Ambre Narguile, I’ve tried Rose Ikebana, Vanilla Galante, and Vetiver Tonka all of which are awesome. Have yet to try Paprika Brasil, but my bestie who’s a nose told me it’s her fave:)