Ledda 22 Orris was created in collaboration with beauty influencer Stephanie Ledda

LEDDA 22 Orris I have a confession: for years, I didn’t like iris as a note in perfumery. I loved the idea of irises in perfume  – they are my favourite flowers – but every time I came across a strong iris note in fragrance, I was puzzled. It smelled cold, rooty, and carrot-like; nothing like the complicated, mournful, sugar pastry bouquet of the bearded irises that display their frilly blossoms like saucy can-can girls around my neighbourhood each May. And then, one day, it all changed. I smelled Iris 39 from Le Labo, created by Principal Firmenich perfumer, Frank Voelkl – warm, woody, earthy – and realized that this flower could play nicely with other notes without losing its integral iris-ness. It wasn’t long before I came around to other styles of this elegant flower, from the chilly, powdered peruke of Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist to the adorably frisky Coolife Le Sixieme. So, when I saw that Frank Voelkl was the nose behind a new orris perfume, I lurched like a fangirl at a Harry Styles concert to try it.

 

Frank Voelkl, image via Firmenich

22 Orris is the debut perfume of LEDDA, a new fragrance brand from beauty influencer Stephanie LEDDA. Voelkl recalls the start of their partnership: “I met Stephanie when she visited our Firmenich New York offices and I was immediately struck by her passion for fragrances. She is very knowledgeable and able to exactly depict what it is that she likes in her scents, and we share the likes of similar scent profiles which was great when working together … it was several months of working through various iterations, and Stephanie is well versed in fragrances and was able to clearly explain what she wanted, which made this a great collaboration. This scent … has characteristics that are elevated but approachable at the same time.”

Bearded Iris by Lauryn

And approachable it is: a mixture of classy and sassy: powdery, elegant iris-in-the-rain and a whiff of hairspray, like Guerlain Après L’Ondee getting dolled up for a date with Gucci Rush. With its generous dollop of iris butter – a 22% concentration, per the name — 22 Orris treads a tightrope between warm and cool iterations of iris with the assured balance of an aerial artist. The initial spray announces the classic iris aroma; French pastry dough, old paper and a touch of damp wood. But iris’ characteristic  coolness is almost immediately offset by a generous dusting of fruity pink pepper —that fruity, zingy party girl of modern perfumery. Just after pepper bounces in, a cloud of expensive face powder puffs in the air, returning the iris back to her aromatic sang-froid, and I get some white flowers, gardenia-like in their tinges of spice and creaminess.

 

 Stephanie Ledda  via LEDDA Fragrances

At this juncture, LEDDA Orris 22 leans upper crust, even vintage. But, as the perfume warms on the skin, it teeters between sweet, fruity bounciness courtesy of the pink pepper and freesia and sophisticated, silken aspects thank to the central interplay of sandalwood and orris butters. This is a fragrance you could easily dress up with diamond studs and a satin slip dress or spritz on for some serious snuggling later. As time goes on, 22 Orris becomes creamier and richer, smoothed out by sandalwood. But that chipper, bouncy fruitiness continues to thread through the perfume, giving the fragrance an upbeat feel that carries on into the dry-down. 22 Orris settles into a cozy but polished skin scent with a finish that is powdery, a bit vanillic, but not overly sweet. Equal parts sophisticate and ingenue, LEDDA 22 Orris is a great first date perfume, equally at home at the ballet or a barbeque. Or, simply when you crave iris but not its foggy melancholy

Notes: Pear leaf, pink pepper, wild freesia, sheer jasmine, lily of the valley, iris butter, sandalwood, marshmallow musks, touch of moss.

Disclaimer: Bottle of LEDDA 22 Orris generously gifted me by LEDDA. My opinions, as always, are my own.

Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor

 

LEDDA 22 Orris

 

Thanks to the generosity of LEDDA, we have a 50 ml bottle of LEDDA 22 Orris for one registered reader in the U.S. ONLY. REGISTER HERE. To be eligible, please leave a comment about what appeals to you about 22 Orris based on Lauryn’s review and if you are a fan of iris perfumes.  Draw closes 12/6/022.

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