IRIS SILVER MIST

You know that moment right before one of your closest friends gives you the perfume of your life? You know that moment right before she says, "This is for you", and hands you Serge Lutens' masterpiece Iris Silver Mist...? Have you ever experienced such a moment? I have. It was a couple of weeks ago but I remember it like it was yesterday.

Right before it happened there was a calm, a quiet, a reverence, if you will. The birds hushed, the dog settled, everyone and everything held their breath for a split second. Then I saw it. Coming towards me was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. I heard myself take a sharp intake of breath, but it was like I was looking at myself from outside of my body - a surreal experience. The first thing I saw was the grey box. Next thing I knew the cellophane wrapping was off and I was smelling, for only the second time in my life, the most beautiful, haunting, melancholic, reverent scent I have ever smelled in my life - Iris Silver Mist.

To say that Maurice Roucel (possibly with the collaboration of Christopher Sheldrake) is a genius and a should have at least one, if not several, altars built in his honor is an understatement. It is the creation of a lifetime. Once you create something like this, it's all downhill from there. Meaning, whatever you do, make, accomplish after that, is gravy, an afterthought.

While I would like to be able to review this and put you all in a perfume, iris induced trance, I cannot do better than those who have gone before me. For this reason I direct you to Victoria at Bois de Jasmin and and Robin at Now Smell This who will hypnotize you with their eloquence and just fascinatingly beautiful reviews that respect and represent the magical, otherworldly jewel that is....Iris Silver Mist.

I don't know if you realized this yet, but the purpose of this post was just to brag and say that I now have in my possession a full bell jar of Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido exclusive - Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist - I am both honored and humbled (not really) to be part of this exclusive club.