Found myself with a very rare hour of down time this afternoon, and just happened to be close to Nordstrom's. I figured I'd stop in and see if I could get my hands on a sample of the Armani I Will fragrance that everyone is so excited about. I'll talk about that separately, but TLDR I think it's boring. After talking with the sales clerk a bit, I mentioned that i was a fan of Iris notes, and that I was hoping to get a sample of Gypsy Water Absolu. Unfortunately, they were out, but then she told me they had a tester of the new Creed Iris Debonaire that is set to release on September 8th. She was kind enough to give me a little decant, and I've been wearing it all afternoon. I have talked in the past about my dislike of Creed. I get the appeal, but I'm just not a fan. I really hate their pricing structure, and in the past, I've resolved not to buy their stuff. All of that to say, that Iris Debonaire may be my new favorite perfume. It's up their with Black Orchid, Gypsy Water, and Iris Obsidian. I can't stop sniffing my arm. It's an absolutely lovely fougere with a really sophisticated French Lavender note in the drydown. According to the marketing, the Iris used is specially made specifically for this fragrance. Whether that's bullshit or not, I don't know, but it works. This stuff is incredible. We'll see how it works performance wise. I want to wear it tomorrow, but it's going to be 110, and I don't think powdery iris works very well in that kind of heat, so I'll have to wait a bit until I have an office day or day at home when i don't have to go outside much. But wow. This might end up being an actual bottle purchase if I can save up and get a good discount.

One thing I’ve learned with fragrances is that some of the best fall and winter scents don’t have to be locked away once the weather warms up. The ones that cross seasons the best usually have some darker or richer character, but they aren’t overly sweet, syrupy, or weighed down with heavy vanilla and amber. Dry woods, iris, incense, leather, vetiver, musk, tea, and fresh spices can give a fragrance enough depth for fall and winter while still keeping it wearable in spring and even summer. Here are some that I think do this especially well: Creed Iris Debonair – This has the iris and woody character to feel right at home in fall and winter, but it stays polished, dry, and airy enough to work in spring and even summer evenings. I wouldn’t necessarily reach for it in the middle of a 110-degree afternoon, but mornings and nights are a different story. Amouage Reflection Man 45 – Richer and deeper than the original Reflection Man, but it still has enough floral freshness and lift to keep it from becoming too heavy. I think this is excellent when the temperatures are somewhere around that 60–80 degree range. Amouage Beach Hut Man – Probably one of the best examples of a fragrance that can cross seasons. It has plenty of green, woody depth for fall, but the minty, herbal, dry character makes it excellent in warm weather too. This is one that can actually handle some serious heat. Memo Irish Leather – Leather can sometimes automatically make you think fall and winter, but Irish Leather has that juniper and green aromatic freshness that keeps the leather from becoming thick or suffocating. It works especially well in spring. Guerlain Vetiver Parfum – Vetiver is almost a cheat code when it comes to seasonal versatility. It can smell earthy, dark, and sophisticated enough for cooler weather while still being dry and fresh enough for warmer temperatures. Guerlain Neroli Plein Sud – One of the best examples of a fragrance that bridges seasons. The spices give it that fall character, while the neroli and citrus keep everything bright and open enough for spring and summer. To me, this is about as close as you get to a true four-season fragrance.