Iris, the emblematic raw material

Iris is a plant with elegant and stylish flowers that conceals a hidden treasure. Already considered sacred by the Egyptians, the iris became, under the heraldic name of Lily, the symbol of royalty in France.

This aristocratic flower brings with it one of the most luxurious raw material available to perfumers. It was Catherine de Medici who made it famous in the 16th century and since then Iris is used in perfume compositions as well as to perfume gloves and powders. The Iris extraction process is very long and delicate. The plant has to grow for three years before being harvested. The rhizome, from which the “beurre” is then collected, must dry for at least three years before the perfumer can proceed with the extraction. Its smell is extraordinarily present, almost invasive, with powdered facets, and deploys its wooded green accents, evoking a comforting smell of warm bread.

Surprisingly, it is not its sublime flower but its underground part that holds this olfactory treasure; the rhizomes, the roots of the flowers contain the Irone, a unique fragrant and rich molecule that makes up the iris notes. The flower itself has no smell.


The Creative process

Many perfumers have worked with this fabulous raw material, unveiling its earthy facets but none of them has given thought to what the smell of the flower should be.

We have taken a completely different approach by wanting to recreate the scent of the flower and by doing so we have been following into the footsteps of our predecessor Paul Parquet, who created Fougère Royale.

When questioned about his creative idea behind Fougère Royale, Parquet responded that he had wanted to recreate the smell of ferns and when he discovered they had none, he created a fragrance that according to him would be what ferns should smell like. He liked to say that “if God gave ferns a smell, they would smell like Fougère Royale”.

Following Parquet’s creative path we have created an olfactory interpretation of the iris flower that will make whoever smells it feel as if he was taking a walk in a blossoming field of irises, in the Tuscany countryside, on a beautiful spring day.

This perfume development is the result of an encounter between the House of Houbigant and Mathieu Nardin, perfumer at Robertet.

Continuing a long tradition of excellence, the House of Houbigant has made exceptional ingredients the distinctive mark of its creations. To do so we have developed exclusive partnerships with carefully selected producers to ensure that we only work with the world's very best natural raw materials.


The Fragrance

Iris des Champs is a fresh floral olfactory interpretation of the iris flower, feminine and overwhelming by its beauty. The departure evokes the freshness of morning dew on the first days of spring with the scent of bergamot and rose. The captivating and sensual heart reveals a bouquet of iris, jasmine, ylang ylang and lily of the valley. In the background, the perfume recreates the velvety and sensual touch of iris petals playing with the seductive vanilla and the mesmerizing sandalwood.


The Eau de Parfum

We have modernized a classical crystal bottle from the beginning of the 20th century that was originally designed and manufactured by Baccarat for Houbigant. The bottle was originally created for Parfum Idéal for the Exposition Universelle that took place in Paris in 1900, symbolized by the Eiffel Tower, which was built at the entrance of the exhibition.

The blue and gold box reminds us of the beautiful iris flower and opens into fields of blossoming irises.

Olfactory notes:
Top notes: bergamot, lily of the valley, pink pepper
Heart notes: iris absolute, iris butter, jasmine sambac absolute, rose absolute, ylang-ylang
Base notes: amber accord, musk, sandalwood, vanilla, woody notes