What does Orris Root smell like?
Orris root smells of rice powder and raw carrot. Underneath sit a cool violet and very fine glove leather. The whole thing feels distant and slightly mineral, with no sweetness at all. On skin it settles slowly and lasts a long time. Its velvety texture softens woods. Some find it melancholy. Others just find it chic.
Origin and production
Perfumers mostly use the rhizomes of Iris pallida, grown in Tuscany, and Iris germanica. Once dug up they are peeled and left to dry for about three years. During that time the irones form, the molecules that carry the scent. Distillation produces orris butter, solid at room temperature. Tonnes of roots give a few kilos, which is why prices are so high and synthetic irones so common.
How perfumers use it
Orris works with vetiver, leather and violet. It calms a loud rose and makes woods silkier. Tom Ford Grey Vetiver uses it to soften a crisp vetiver. Lancôme Magie Noire (1978) hides it in a dark chypre. Rochas Byzance surrounds it with spice and white flowers. More surprisingly, Britney Spears Fantasy and Jennifer Lopez Glow use a trace of it to powder their sweetness.
How to wear it
Orris suits autumn and the office, where its restraint helps. Amouage Reflection Man and Grey Vetiver can take three sprays without bothering anyone.