Sama Parfums- Jardin d'Iris

Sama Parfums is a French all natural perfume and skincare line (also mostly organic and certified as such by Ecocert France). Here in the US we don't see many natural perfumes imported from Europe, so it's an interesting discovery. One of the owners of Sama Parfums is a classically trained perfumer while the other one is a free spirit and a world traveler. Their inspiration is an East-meets-West amalgam and the perfumes are composed according to principles of ayurvedic medicine seeking balance of body and soul.

Jardin d'Iris includes notes of Moroccan iris root, jatamansi root from Nepal, orange Blossom, vanilla, and Australian sandalwood. The first thing I smell is the typical natural perfume aroma. The organic alcohol Sama Parfums use is distilled from wheat and denatured with organic lavender essential oil. There's also rose and geranium oil in the carrier base, contributing to the herbal and aromatherpeutic feel of the fragrance before the actual composition takes front and center.

The orange blossom note is more dominant than anything irisy or rooty. I would feel disappointed if I didn't like the result so much. Jardin d'Iris is warm and slightly powdery. It's n EDP but wears like a perfume oil that deepens and darkens as its heated by the skin. On the husband the vanilla jumps out quickly before the sandalwood takes over, while my skin makes the orange blossom linger. Jardin d'Iris become sweeter and almost edible before it takes a dry and woody turn and dries down into a wood-vetiver base (vetiver oil isn't listed anywhere but I smell it loud and clear) where the iris is more pronounced. I'm not in love with the sandalwood used here by Sama Parfums, as it's a bit too raspy and even the lovely vanilla note can't hide it. I guess that's what we get for depleting Mysore of its exquisite sandalwood. Still, despite the raw and jagged wood there is a very comforting element in the dry-down and Jardin d'Iris is a very enjoyable fragrance.

Sama Parfums- Jardin d'Iris is available from Parfum1.com ($174, 3.3oz EDP)  and directly from samaperfumes.com (a more attractive $115 1.7oz EDP). The sample for this review was sent to me free of charge by Parfum1.

Art: Purple Iris Parade by Claire Bull.