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Crabtree & Evelyn Iris Eau de Toilette
by QueenElf
This was the motto of a 17th century Englishman, John Evelyn who traveled far looking for shrubs and trees and gave the inspiration to Crabtree & Evelyn, a small family firm founded 40 years ago and now distributor to 500 shops nationwide. I thought I'd have a look on their site after testing a sample bottle of their eau de Toilette, ... Iris, which I was given along with several others. I thought the motto a good one for a title but is this contender for best perfume?
A Distinctive Design.
As an amateur artist I love experimenting with different mediums and the design for the Iris products is a good example of a lovely design. The card with my sample on it shows an outline sketch of a typical Iris in flower and the stem starts as a light green wash getting darker towards the flower and then bursting into a mixture of light and deeper purple flower. This gives an air of freedom, which appeals to the senses. The bottle design looks similar with a raised flower on the clear bottle. Even my little sample bottle has a raised word "Iris' on it. Little touches like this show the designer has taste and flair. But would the perfume be as good?
Floral Scent?
When I first put this on my wrists the overall scent was heavily floral and I wasn't sure I'd like it for me. I had, however, read other great reviews and knew I had to allow this one to settle. The perfume is made from a blend of notes with the Orris root of the iris flower a main ingredient. Prized by Renaissance perfumers the Iris is a symbol of English country gardens to me and the natural scent of a fresh flower is like a sweet spring day.
Most perfumes have a woody or musk base and this is blended with sandalwood, patchouli and a touch of vetiver that gives it a lasting fragrance with a slightly spicy base note. This was the overall impression I had of the perfume after about five hours. At that point I would have needed to top it up if I had been going out, but as I was staying in I forgot about it until later and the hint of sandalwood was still in the background. Since I've been reviewing perfumes I've looked up the plant and shrubs that give much of the base notes to all perfumes (and eau de toilette). There wasn't anything new to me in this line-up but I was interested to see that the Orris root extract was quite high up in the list of ingredients, so obviously this should be considered a floral scent.
My Final Impressions.
I liked this perfume very much and would certainly buy it as a perfume for day or night wear. I wouldn't class it as a favourite since I much prefer the oriental fragrances, but since I don't normally wear much floral this would be an ideal change for me. I would also buy this for my sister or my son-in-law's mum who is as keen on gardening as I am. That would put it in the upper age range but that doesn't mean I class it as 'older' person's perfume. Just that this is a classy scent, which I would recognize if I smelt it on someone else.
Currently this can be bought in many of the large department stores such as John Lewis. Amazon sell it quite a bit cheaper than the £28 per 100 ml this costs online at the Crabtree website. Since they have a 20% sale on everything this weekend why not take a look? Delivery on orders over £10 is free and the company sells La Source, which is another Spa favorite. You can also buy the iris perfume in a travel size and at £12 with 20% off this would make a great stocking filler or buy with body lotions and gels to make a gift bag of your own choice.
I'm giving this five stars since it's so appealing.
Thanks for reading.
İLisa Fuller2011.
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Crabtree & Evelyn Iris Eau de Toilette
by alyson29
I love receiving samples of new products and some time last year I was fortunate enough to receive a hand lotion and eau de toilette from Crabtree and Evelyn's Iris range. They were originally stored in the back of a drawer and over the last few months I have been attempting to use my current supplies of toiletries before purchasing ... anything new. I have used the eau to toilette and this review discusses my experience.
~~ A LITTLE ABOUT CRABTREE AND EVEYLYN ~~
Whilst I had heard of Crabtree and Evelyn I knew nothing about their company other than the fact that I considered them to be an expensive upmarket brand. It was only when I carried out a little research was I made aware that they are a family owned business that were established almost 40 years ago and they sell a wide range of toiletries, gifts and foods, which are marketed worldwide.
~~ APPEARANCE OF THE PRODUCT ~~
As my sample was a 0.5 glass vial, I am unable to discuss the full sized 100 ml bottle of fragrance. However, I have taken a look at the Crabtree and Evelyn website and can see that the bottle carries a beautiful image of a purple coloured iris with its' delicate petals, which is also displayed on the card accompanying my freebie. My initial thoughts on receiving the product was that it would be rather old fashioned, as I do not tend to favour intense floral fragrances and much prefer musky scents.
~~ USING THE FRAGRANCE ~~
On removing the lid I was greeted with a rather overpowering floral fragrance, which I presumed to be the iris and I didn't particularly find it favourable, as it was a little too girlie for me. However, I was determined to give it a try and applied a small amount to the inside of each of my wrists and was pleased to witness that the aroma was a little more delicate when it made contact with my warm skin. I found myself liking the fragrance, particularly as I was initially able to witness a musky aroma in combination with cedarwood, vetiver and sandalwood; all of which delivered a beautiful blend, which can be described as sensual. The heart notes of Orris Root, which I learned is the most aromatic part of the iris greeted me approximately fifteen minute later and was shortly followed by the top notes of Italian bergamot and cassis.
I cannot admit to be fully aware of all of the notes, but their delightful combination delivered an extremely captivating aroma, which I found extremely favourable. As this is an eau de toilette, the concentration is considerably less than a parfum and eau de parfum and as a consequence, they generally last a few hours on the skin before needed a further application. For this reason I don't tend to purchase eau de toilettes, as I prefer my fragrances to last all day, but the staying power of this was pretty good and lasted a good four hours before I needed to apply a little more to my wrists. Whilst my sample was a 0.5 ml vial I obtained a good dozen applications, as I used it very sparingly, as opposed to dousing myself in the liquid, which is something I would previously do!
I would definitely recommend this fragrance, which would appeal to all ages, and I have looked online for the best prices. At the time of writing you can purchase either a 30 ml bottle from Amazon for £13.96 inclusive of postage and packing or the 100 ml bottle for £23.50. As this is such a gorgeous fragrance it receives 5 stars from me.
I hope you found my review useful and would thank you for reading.
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