VERONIQUE GABAI
LUMIERE D’IRIS

2019

Iris
Neroli
Bergamot
mandarin
Rose
Woody Notes
Amber

‘Ultimate chic revisited by the sunshine of the Côte d’Azur. A scent that hesitates between flower and wood, between the masculine and the feminine, to find its perfect balance marrying both, in an explosion of light, radiance and mystery.’ – Veronique Gabai

Veronique Gabai’s fragrance line is inspired by the Cote D’Azur, which is known Cannes and Saint-Tropez, but for fragrance enthusiasts, it should be known for Grasse. That’s the fragrance capital of the world and fittingly the place where ingredients for Lumiere D’Iris are from.

And the ingredients are beautiful, all the fragrances that I have from this brand smell natural and full of life. Lumiere D’Iris is perfectly described on the brand’s website as: ‘A scent that hesitates between flower and wood’.

It’s one of the brightest iris fragrances that I’ve come across, rivaled by Gallivant’s Bukhara. In Lumiere D’Iris it’s accompanied by rose and neroli, so it’s easy to see where the stronger floral aspect comes from. It’s not a chalky or chewy iris, it’s dry and a bit fizzy, though not as sparkling as in Bukhara. In the opening it’s joined by a bergamot and mandarin, but those seem to be fleeting on my skin. On the other hand the rose isn’t nearly as strong as in the iris-rose combination from Gabai’s Le Point G.

As a whole, the scent is understated and light on the projection, with some of the freshness fading after some hours. I do get solid longevity closer to the skin and that’s because of the amber accord and the woody aspect. In that later drydown, it’s style is closer to a Van Cleef & Arpels Bois D’Iris or Dior Bois D’Argent, although not as sweet as either of those.