New Perfume Review: By Coolife Le Sixieme Parfum (Luca Maffei) 2017 +Delightful Iris Perfume Draw

Marcel Rochas dress, illustration by René Gruau, Femina Magazine, Oct 1948

Iris is generally not the kind of flower that jostles and flirts the way her voluptuous sisters jasmine, rose, tuberose and ylang ylang do. Hers is a sumptuous but subdued beauty of purples, blues and greys, the olfactory equivalent of a soignée 1940s Rochas silk dress; her scent, the rooty sweetness of damp ground, cool spring air, the pale hazy sun of early May.  Above all else, as Tom Jones observed: “she’s a lady.”  Pauline Rochas of French fragrance royalty (and the NYC photography studio Coolife), in collaboration with award-winning perfumer Luca Maffei, has managed to create an iris perfume that is offbeat, sparkly and downright sunny.  While Le Sixieme Parfum hasn’t quite lost all decorum, the long gloves are pulled off, the coiffure has come down, and this iris is out for a good time. 

(R) Pauline Rochas and Carole Beaupré(L)

Ms. Rochas is the granddaughter of the great couturier and his artistic, elegant wife, Helene, who presided over the House of Rochas’ perfumery at its apogee.  In contrast to the grandeur of the Rochas label, the Coolife brand, created in partnership with Carole Beaupré, has a Zen ethos. As Pauline Rochas explained, “it is all about helping people balance all their chakras though luxurious essential oils.  The power of scent on our bodies is undeniable.” Le Sixieme represents the sixth chakra of Ayurvedic tradition, combining “bright vibrancy with smoldering warmth” to awaken both hemispheres of the mind.”

The Doll Tea Party II, photo by Robert Coppa, 2011

And vibrant it certainly is. Le Sixieme Parfum opens with an intriguing Crayola note that seems to be what you get when you mix the French pastry smell of orris concrete with a tart smack of lemon and astringent bergamot. This chord hangs around for some time before the iris and lemon open up and become defined. Osmanthus starts to unfold soon after, adding a characteristic flowery trickle of apricot marmalade, intertwining with the waxy and doughy notes. Close your eyes and you might find yourself at a rather sophisticated child’s tea party, crayons and coloring books strewn amongst scones and jam.

Iris Apfel, photo, WiseWear.com

In the middle stage, Le Sixieme Parfum starts to feel quite a bit more adult, taking on facets of fine suede and a tickle of pink peppercorn that adds a subtly spicy flicker. The jasmine comes in at an oblique angle – sometimes I can just catch its paper white milkiness; other moments it eludes me. There are two harmonies playing in the perfume now – a lower register strummed by the oolong fruitiness of osmanthus melding with florals and citrus; and a pop rock counterpoint of little bursts of lemon, spice and suede. The overall effect is delightfully giddy.

Photo by Kristian Schuller, “Racy Ladies” fashion editorial, Tatler UK, Jan 2012

As Le Sixieme Parfum settles down, there is just the touch of bad manners as the sweet sweat of labdanum and a slightly furred musk make their presence felt.  This iris ought to be a bit ashamed of herself, but she is so damned charming you can’t blame her for being something of a party girl. I’d wear her on the mistiest, drippiest of grey days and feel the sun smile from behind the clouds.

Notes: Bergamot, tart lemon, spicy pink pepper, osmanthus absolute, orris concrete (iris), jasmine absolute, patchouli, labdanum, suede, cedarwood, ambroxan, musk. Sillage is modest; longevity about 4 hours.

Disclaimer:  Perfume sample provided byJosie of OsswaldNYC– many thanks. My opinions are my own.

Lauryn Beer, Editor

Le Sixieme, photo Coolife

Thanks to the generosity of Carole Beaupré and Pauline Rochas at Coolife, we have a 100 ml bottle of for 1 registered reader in the U.S. or Canada. To be eligible please leave a comment with what appeals to you about Le Sixieme Parfum based on Lauryn’s review and if you are a fan of iris perfumes. If you have a fragrance or are dying to get one from Coolife  we would love to know. Draw closes 2/11/2017.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS FEED…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

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22 comments

  • Oh, this sound just lovely! Osmanthus is my favourite floral note and I’m so happy to see it in here to balance the coolness of iris. I’m also pleasantly surprised to see suede in the base notes. I do like iris perfumes! My favourite is Iris Poudre, by Frederic Malle. Iris is such an elegant note, I’m excited to try an iris scent with a naughty edge! All of the Coolife fragrances look amazing, but Quatrieme and Sixieme are the most exciting to me. I live in Canada, thank you.

  • Iris is one of my favourite fragrances. My favourite iris perfume is Ferre by Ferre.

    Thanks for the chance, hello from Canada.

  • There’s an avant-garde feeling to the description. Something forward moving. I own no iris perfume, but I would love to. I have no Coolife fragrances, but I’m open to them. Thanks for the draw. I live in the USA

  • Who doesn’t want to be BAD sometimes 😉
    Suede, woody and musk…with dark and flowery notes…. sounds like a winner.

    In US.

  • MikasMinion says:

    I like and respect iris, but I usually find the note a bit too refined and chilly to wear comfortably. I do have a couple of iris-centric fragrances that I enjoy, but Equistrius is probably my most reached for. I would love to try another iris with some warmth and haven’t sampled any of the Coolife line yet. I’m in the US. Thanks!

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    Sounds amazing! I love the chance to at least try all things iris and this one sounds up my alley. I absolutely love the fruit and iris mix of Iris Gris (the famed), so I do wonder if you get any hints of that here with iris being complemented by the fruity/leathery osmanthus. I have given these scents a quick spritz occasionally, but haven’t lived with a sample of any. They always struck me as well-made, but ones that I was dabbling in as I was on my way elsewhere. Thanks for the draw!
    I’m in the US

  • Sounds fantastic! I never knew orris smelled like French Pastry. I learn something on your site all the time. Since I work in an elementary school I am very curious about the combo of notes smelling a bit like crayola. So maybe kids in a pastry shop eating lemon tarts keeping themselves busy with crayons? I used to take my daughter to St. Honore’ in Portland for our “fancy outings”. I am not familiar with this line. Thanks for the draw. I live in the U.S.

  • Oh wow a crayola note, I kinda like that. Sounds like a complex and ever changing perfume. Yes, a fan of iris fragrance but not had the pleasure of wearing something from this house thus far.

  • cardinalmind says:

    Iris is one of the hidden staple notes in my arsenal. I have decants of Dior Homme, Valentino Uomo Intense, and Prada’s Infusion d’Iris. But having iris and crayola as notes in a fragrance? Consider me intrigued and curious. Add to the fact that I don’t own any Coolife fragrance so I really want to smell that.

    Thanks for your generosity. I live in the US.

  • Crayolas and suede? Count me in! This sounds so offbeat and yet interesting. No, I haven’t had the opportunity to try an Coolife scents but if Pauline inherited any of her grandfathers perfumery talent, this should be spectacular. I am in the US.

  • You had my attention with the Crayola reference, too! Iris is one of my favourite notes (Chanel 19 among others) but am intrigued by the suede and osmanthus here.

  • fazalcheema says:

    In my case iris is a hit or miss, either I love a perfume with iris as central note or I am disappointed. The review indicates Coolife has quite a different aesthetic than Rochas; Rochas gave us voluptuous perfumes while Coolife has Zen-like aesthetic. Le Sixieme seems full of suprises, taking different forms throughout the evolution of the fragrance.
    Thanks for the generous draw. I am in the US.

  • All three stages of the Sixieme sound inviting. I’m interested most in the dry down as it settles into “the touch of bad manners as the sweet sweat of labdanum and a slightly furred musk”. Although I find individual iris perfumes oftentimes quite different I seem to love them all. Love to win this giant bottle. 🙂 usa

  • I’m interested in this because I’ve recently discovered that I’m a big fan of osmanthus and labdanum. I haven’t tried anything by Coolife but I love their aesthetic, and how their scents are connected to individual chakras. Such a good idea! I just wish they sold a sample set so I could try all six! I live in Canada, thank you.

  • Presence of pink pepper, patchouli, labdanum, suede and cedarwood makes it unique in a different way. I absolutely need to sniff it to find out about the combination and the balance. I personally prefer to have more woody/resinous/leather effect more than musk. Living in US.

  • I am in general not a fan of iris perfumes, as they are mostly too noir for my taste. However, your description as ‘sunny’ has my attention, a rainbow of synesthesia from the all the colorful flowers given. I live in the US, and have not yet sampled any of Luca Maffei’s fragrances but would like to, thanks!

  • ntabassum92 says:

    I LOVE iris perfumes, so of course this appeals to me. I like the description of a playful iris. While I adore iris in her classy magnificence, I’ve never smelled something like this, where iris has been done so differently. Would love to try it. I would also love to try Le Quatrieme, it sounds so sensual, although all of them sound unique in their own way 🙂

  • Anna Egeria says:

    I wait for my iris to bloom each year so this fragrance does appeal to me. I haven’t tried anything by Coolife yet. Thank you for this draw.

  • I am a fan of iris in perfume. Hiris is a favorite that makes me feel calm. Le Sixieme Parfum sounds like a party in a bottle which is quite a feat, almost the opposite of what I expect from iris fragrances. Very exciting! Thank you to Lauryn for sharing her experience with this scent from Coolife, a house I have not yet tried but would love to explore. I’m in the US, and thank you for the draw.

  • doveskylark says:

    I like the way the website of Coollife is all about chakras, while Lauryn’s review is fun and breezy. Well, why not? I love the notes described in the review, especially the doughy ones. I am gluten free due to health reasons, so let me get my dough from perfume.
    I like the iris note in Dior Homme.
    I’d like to try the Le Quartrieme Parfum. The root chakra appeals to me.
    I live in the USA.

  • Hikmat Sher Afridi says:

    Thanks for a wonderful review. The last paragraph about settlement of the dry down is fascinating. I am a fan of Iris flower like rose, jasmine, gardenia and tuberose. Le Quatrieme Parfum and Le Cinquieme Parfum are on my want list.
    Thanks to the generosity of Carole Beaupré and Pauline Rochas at Coolife and Cafleurebon for the opportunity by letting my relative address in US to participate in the draw.

  • I hope I’m not too late for this drawing, as this sounds like my kind of iris. My favorite iris perfume so far is Gianfranco Ferre Ferre, which is ladylike, but not too ladylike. I just a few days ago read something about Coolife Le Quatrième Parfum, and would love to try that one, too. I’m in the US.