Atelier Materi Cuir d’Iris photo by Ann Bouterse with digital effects by Nicoleta Tomsa
Quite recently, the ever-obliging Ann Bouterse of Indigo Perfumery graciously sent me samples of a relatively new fragrance house based in Paris: Atelier Materi. The collection consists of five eaux de parfums (four of which are composed by Swiss perfumer Marie Hugentobler, and one by master perfumer Lucas Sieuzac), from which I selected Atelier Materi Cuir d’Iris – an- iris-on-horseback perfume. For the life of me, I can’t truly find any other fitting description.
(l-R)Véronique Le Bihan, owner and Marie Hugentobler, perfumer (photos courtesy of Atelier Materi )
A little background always enlightens. The founder of Atelier Materi is Véronique Le Bihan, a native of Brittany who is passionate about beauty in all forms. Every aspect of the creative prospect demanded equal attention – from the very cap adorning each flacon down to the denizen deep hue of the curvaceous sleek cube itself, which appears as if it would mold itself to one’s palm. Even the packaging possesses a pleasing architectural /coloration minimalism. The overall impression is that of exquisite restraint and proportion. With regard to the fragrances themselves, Atelier Materi’s intent is to explore a particular material in each one: citrus, cacao, ambrette, sandalwood, iris. I feel that, in choosing one relatively young nose and a very seasoned one, the house has given careful thought to its line’s relevancy. All of the perfumes were developed with Cosmo Fragrances and they seem to present a contemporary air of genial, wearable scents which will appeal to a broad audience.
image by Osmat Tzadok
There is an innate challenge at play: the theme of iris and leather in wedlock has been addressed myriad times in perfumery. We can state the obvious: Cuir de Lancôme, Parfum d’Empire Cuir Ottoman, Cuir de Nacre by Ann Gerard (Duchaufour), L’Artisan Parfumeur Skin on Skin (Duchaufour), Cuir Fétiche by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier and Pierre Guillaume’s discontinued Cuir d’Iris are simply some which spring to mind. How to garner recognition sans comparison? Comparison is inevitable; what matters is execution.
Specifically, Atelier Materi Cuir d’Iris utilizes iris predominantly as floral of choice; most often it is jasmine, orange blossom, at times rose/carnation/geranium, occasionally ylang ylang (alone and in combination) one finds in the floral leather category. Where styrax, labdanum and birch tar frequently make their presence known in leather bases, they are absent here. In other words, Cuir d’Iris has already distanced itself by virtue of composition.
Fantasy painting by Virginie Carquin
The introduction is a lovely one – full of nose-tickling pink pepper and pungent allspice, which complement our fleeting, low molecular weight citruses beautifully. Tangy, juicy optimism in the form of mandarins and petitgrain usher in the luxury of iris: woody, powdery, vegetal, silvery. The leathery notes are more raw, intense – perhaps something like Suederal LT® from IFF in addition to other aromachemicals. These are the galloping leather tones, a saddle to my nose, not pale suede opera gloves with tiny pearl buttons. This bestows a boldness which is gentled by vanillic Peru balsam and creamy sandalwood. Cuir d’Iris’ drydown is distinctly musky with a tooth or two under its velvet for good measure. Longevity is excellent; the fragrance is potent, insistent underneath a surmised softness.
All fragrances are intended for everyone. I find it fascinating that my husband remarked: “I’d like to smell this on a man”.
My suggestion would be to sample them each for yourselves; mileage may vary.
Notes: red mandarin, petitgrain, mandarin, allspice, pink pepper, iris, suede, Peru balsam, sandalwood, leather, musk
Samples generously provided by Ann Bourterse of Indigo Perfumery – many thanks! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Senior Editor and Natural Perfumery Editor
photo via Ann
Thanks to the continued kindness of Ann Bouterse of Indigo Perfumery, we are able to offer one 100 ml. flacon of Atelier Materi Cuir d’Iris for one registered reader USA ONLY. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what strikes you about Cuir d’Iris based on Ida’s review. Draw closes 6/26/2020
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