Infusion d’Iris by Prada

It’s clean, elegant, and so discreet it seems to ask for permission to stay on your skin. The iris isn’t powdery or grandma-floral; it’s a cold, metallic stroke, like the scent of opening an empty brass cookie tin holding only family photos. There’s a hint of orange blossom, light wood, and expensive soap that’s never used. It doesn’t seek to excite or impress. No dramatic twists or notes fighting for attention. Just a polished feeling of order and quiet distinction. If you’re looking for fireworks, you’ll find silence here, and if you know how to enjoy it, you’re probably already where you were meant to be.

It has a very personal scent, not for everyone’s taste. I love the top notes, but there’s a base note I don’t like, like earth, I’m not sure which one. Reading comments, I found one that I think hit the nail on the head: ‘Evocative of something melancholic and retro. Clean, soft, and vintage’ by Annie6. I don’t like saying I don’t like a perfume because, in my view, all perfumes are fascinating scents. But I wouldn’t buy it.

It smells like a diaper, what a shame because it looked so promising.

A very well-made perfume, a very real and deep iris, hyper powdery. Someone asked if it’s a youthful perfume; no, I don’t find it youthful. It’s too well-made, it’s serious, smells clean and very floral. I usually don’t assign ages to perfumes, but I’d say it’s for use from age 26. The opening is very potent, but it settles quickly and stays as a short skin sillage, yet it remains a deep and beautiful scent, nothing changes from the moment you apply it until it fades. Lasts about 6 hours on average.

Strangely maternal (and I don’t remember my mother smelling like this at all). Evocative of something melancholic and retro. Clean, soft, and vintage scent. I like it and understand why it has so much to talk about, even though it’s not for me. Very curious what this made me feel.

It starts citrusy, turns green after 15 minutes, and ends sweet on the skin. I was surprised because, even though it’s fresh, I didn’t expect that final fusion. The longevity is non-existent… the brand is lying to us, it barely lasts 4 hours. I don’t recommend it; there are mists for €2.99 that last longer. It’s harmonious, but not worth it. PADRA NEEDS TO STEP UP!!!!!

It’s an extremely elegant fragrance and perfectly unisex.

I used it sparingly and loved it, but I had to stop because it didn’t match my personality, just like with others that fascinated me (Prada Candy, Light Blue, Amarige…) but eventually left my list. They become time capsules, moments that now seem impossible to relive. I remember it as original, nothing I had smelled before. It has a nostalgic, sleepy, luminous, and tender point, like a white glow with that radiant, light iris. It brings to mind protagonists from Burne-Jones or Rossetti paintings, modernized. An intimate, clean, and discreet pleasure. For me, it’s a discovery, very beautiful. I’d love to try it again for a couple of days.

I smelled it on a relative this summer in Madrid and was left with a wonderful impression. It smelled clean without being childish; the wood settled in giving it an elegant touch for everyday wear, which I loved after years without fragrances that didn’t smell like a party. It doesn’t last long, maybe two hours, but enough for me. I, being from the north, bought it months later, obsessed. Here, after an hour, it smells green, mossy, and rainy, so much so it can be dizzying with the humidity. I don’t know if perfumes change based on the climate zone, but up here in the north, it’s impossible to wear, at least in autumn and winter.

A perfume with very limited sillage and scarce longevity. To smell it, you have to put your nose right against the skin. From the start, it smells like “after a visit to the theater”: you take off the cloak and the dress, and that glamour and classy venue scent remains, but what’s left here… by no means deserves its price.

Has anyone tried Victorio & Lucchino’s Essential Waters: Sweet Calm? The drydown is identical, and they cost 250ml for 15 pesos.

I loved this perfume; I think everything has already been said. I’ll just add that this version was limited, no longer sold, and they relaunched it in 2015 reformulated. I realized I bought the new 2015 version, the only one available now. I went years without buying it and didn’t know they had changed it, what a disaster! I can’t find the bergamot, vetiver, galbanum, or frankincense that made it rich, complex, and with that intensity I loved so much. The current version is boring, bland, cheesy, and even rancid. I don’t understand why they destroyed a 2008 Fifi Award winner; now it’s just a cologne, performs terribly, has no trail, and lasts less than two hours. It doesn’t matter if you shower with it, you get nothing out of it. I don’t get the hype because it’s “a Prada” and because the 2007 version was nice; otherwise, it would have gone unnoticed. It has nothing elegant about it, it’s for staying at home or walking the dog. It lacks charm, personality, and bite. I can’t see myself dressed up with this; it doesn’t complement me. The name fits perfectly: Iris Infusion, it’s just that, a watery infusion sweetened with neroli and mandarin. Even if I carried the bottle to reapply every half hour, I wouldn’t gain any presence. I prefer versions like the 2007, elegant and with presence, like Jacomo’s Silences or Chanel n°19 Poudré. This is just water… what a rip-off! I feel like I wasted my money. When a perfume I like gets discontinued or reformulated, there’s no way brands stay put anymore; now they just release flankers to kill them off in four days, and I understand that less and less.

Like most, I’ve heard about the similarity to Chanel No. 19 Poudré, so here’s my take on both. On paper, the notes seem similar, but in reality, the differences are striking: Chanel comes out greener and more astringent, while Prada is tender, slightly sweet, and creamy. The galbanum in Chanel gives that lasting green character; in Prada, it’s a “pastel green,” less intense and more gentle. The iris, the star of both, gives that powdery touch. The other flowers get overshadowed. Both release a beautiful vetiver when dry, though I feel it more in Prada, while Chanel ends up more soapy. The sweetness makes the green wearable. Maybe Prada is a bit sweeter, but it’s not a sweet floral. In projection, Chanel is more imposing at first, but as they dry down, both are very similar, with excellent longevity (more than 8 hours) but low projection, almost skin scent. On me, both evoke peace, and I choose them interchangeably; they are works of art. For lovers of green and bold scents, go for Poudré; if you don’t like green, choose Infusion d’Iris. Both have a powdery character, so enjoying those aromas is a must.

I prefer the 2015 formulation because it doesn’t have frankincense and feels fresher to me. It’s my comfort option for staying at home. Wearing it simply relaxes me, but for now, I don’t see myself going out with it because it doesn’t quite fit my vibe.

Mmmmmm, Mmmmmm, and Mmmmmm, as @Taurien said: it smells clean and classy, it tastes good, ideal for those moments, you know, like enjoying a good afternoon tea.