No. 2 · Root and powder · Batch 9
PALLIDA
Built on orris, the root of Iris pallida, dried for five years before it can be distilled. Cool, powdery and close to the skin.
- Top
- Bergamot, Carrot seed
- Heart
- Orris butter, Violet leaf
- Base
- Ambrette seed, Sandalwood
Not sure yet? All four in 2 ml for £22, taken off your first bottle.
On skin
Top · First minute
Bergamot, Carrot seed
Green bergamot and a rooty carrot seed.
Heart · First hour
Orris butter, Violet leaf
Orris: violets, cold earth, a little butter.
Base · Next morning
Ambrette seed, Sandalwood
Soft ambrette and sandalwood, close to the skin.
- Carries
- Close to skin
- Best for
- Every day
- Strength
- Eau de parfum
What it is made of
A tonne of dried orris root gives about two kilos of orris butter, the most expensive material in the trade. Its scent recalls violets, which is why violet leaf sits beside it. Sandalwood keeps its fragrance for decades, and here it holds the powder on skin.
People wearing it
It sits very close. My partner only notices it when she is next to me, which is what I wanted.
Smells of violets and cold soil for the first hour, then just skin but better.