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Friday, June 05, 2009

Parfums Delrae Mythique: Perfume Review

In the last couple of years, iris perfumes have, in my humble opinion, over-saturated the market, turning the fairly precious ingredient into something ubiquitous and thus no longer exciting. Or maybe I simply never have been that much into iris, and after a couple (dozen) of releases I was done with the note. Mythique, Yann Vasnier's (not Michel Roudnitska's, thank you for correction!) new creation for DelRae revives my interest in all things orris.

Inspired by the legendary courtesan Diane de Poitiers, the scent is a simultaneously playful and classic take on iris. If you wanted a raw, "natural"-smelling orris, this is probably not the scent for you. This is a perfumey iris, imaginatively adorned with other ingredients and gallantly stylized. Totally suited for a courtesan in a way that the earthy-streamlined-realistic Iris Pallida is not.

I like the fresh, slightly sweet juiciness that citrus fruits in the top notes lend to iris, the note that fairly often tends to be quite dry. I love the rosy glow that peony puts on its ordinarily pale cheeks and the way jasmine highlights the sensual side of orris, a side not often enough brought up in iris perfumes. And I adore the way sandalwood, ambrette and patchouli create a leathery quality in the base of Mythique, giving its flirtaceous, vivaceous, girly femininity a dark, subversive depth. If Mythique had an ad campaign, it would be shot by Ellen Von Unwerth. If I had to compare Mythique to other iris scents, I would say that the rich, honeyed, again, perfumey way the note is interpreted here, made me think of the late and lameted L'Artisan Orchidee Blanche and Editions de Parfums Iris Poudre.

Right now Mythique is available at First in Fragrance, €145.00, or Les Senteurs, £110.00

Image, obviously, is by Ellen Von Unwerth. Yes, I know that it is stylized for an epoch later than Poitiers's, but it fits my impression of the fragrance.

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13 Comments:

Anonymous Lavanya said...

oooh- I want this!!
Must try this asap..

11:25 PM EDT  
Blogger carmencanada /Grain de Musc said...

Marina, the fragrance isn't one of Roudnitska's, it's by Yann Vasnier (a first for DelRae).
Funny you should get a flirtatious vibe from this! I found Mythique rather serious, very delicate and close to the skin. A lovely composition, and it can definitely draw "non iris" people.

2:50 AM EDT  
Blogger occhineri said...

I need to get my hands on some of this! I'm sort of glad it's not by Roudnitska because I'm not a fan (now, his father is another story). Hopefully, LuckyScent will get it soon.

9:29 AM EDT  
Blogger Divina said...

Chiming in to say I am SO with you on the iris oversaturation of the market. It has come to the point that I've grown so bored I can't give a perfume heavy on iris a proper go anymore. I am actually an iris admirer, but enough is enough. The nose needs a rest :P

11:06 AM EDT  
Blogger elle said...

I liked this scent infinitely more than I liked Emotionnelle. I'm not sure yet if I need a bottle, but it's one I am very much enjoying sampling.

11:42 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Lavanya,
please share your impressions, when you do!

11:48 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Denyse,
Thank you! Duh. What a dumbo I am.
It got kind of serious in the end, but it was delicately flirtatious for the most part on me :-)

11:50 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Occhineri,
I am a fan of MR's work, but this is lovely too. I do hope LS gets it.

11:51 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Divina,
I hope they move on to the next flower. Let's see, what would we like?

11:52 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

L,
I loved it so much more than Emotionelle. As much as I love Amoureuse, I'd say. Which is a lot.

11:53 AM EDT  
Blogger Tammy said...

Oh, instant lemming! You make it sounds right up my alley.....but then you always do! And I have loved everything DelRae thus far....Emotionelle, more like a lot than love, but I did enjoy my sample.

2:23 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Tammy,
I hope you enjoyed as much as I did!! Let me know how it goes.

2:26 PM EDT  
Blogger Flora said...

I love iris as long as it's not smothered in too much powder; this one sounds really interesting.

2:06 PM EDT  

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