BON PARFUMEUR
502 – Iris Cartagena

2024

PERFUMER
Clement Marx

rum
cocoa
mandarin petitgrain

iris
sandalwood
vanilla sweetbread
cedarwood

coffee
sugar cane
papyrus
vetiver

‘Thus is born this iris cacao, a dry gourmand with an intense trail and indelible character that is part of the Entremets collection. Iris Cartagena 502 reveals a powerful contrast between syrupy rum, the powdery gourmandise of cocoa and iris and the woody character of papyrus. The fragrance in the collection that took the longest to come into being.’ – Bon Parfumeur

I had really high hopes for this one, as iris is one of my favorite, if not my favorite, note. Plus the supporting notes all seemed great. And 502 – Iris Cartagena delivered for me.

This is perhaps not as gourmand or dark as I thought it would be. It opens with chocolate powder, but the iris, which is prominent as you would expect, is more on the carrot side. Add to that the petitgrain, which adds a hint of green and orange, sappy qualities. Subtle, but they’re there and they keep this fragrance from going all gourmand. That being said, I get chocolate powder and coffee powder dusting all over it for the entire wear.

Closer Les Abstraits Belle Ame, than to most really sweet, gourmand iris scents, where the iris is mostly there for texture. It’s definitely much brighter in the opening hours than the woody-chocolate-coffee Diptyque Bois Corse, which I reviewed the day prior to this.

Speaking of textures, the brand promised a dry fragrance and it’s extremely dry. Powdery, chalky, dry to the point it’s almost palpable in your mouth. It works very well with the composition for me, but it may be something that not everyone appreciates as much.

The drydown is where 502 – Iris Cartagena reminds me of the dry, chocolate-esque patchouli from D:Sol MMXVI Terram. A more woody, earthy, forest-like experience, even with some green tinges, but still mostly sweet and almost edible at the same time.

A clear winner for me.