Iris is perfume shorthand for elegant. Although it’s a flower, this note in perfume is not really floral – its source is the iris root that produces the ridiculously rare and expensive iris/orris butter used in fragrances. To me, the mood of iris has more in common with vetiver and woody notes (although it’s more delicate) than it has with luscious white florals or rose. That said, it is often paired with the latter and is an important component in many classic florals.

Iris is one of my favourite perfume categories. It can be powdery or vegetal, fresh or earthy, or all the above. It has an affinity with violet and these two notes are often combined for a softer impression than you get from iris alone. There are woody irises and green irises; oriental and gourmet irises; iris with leather and iris with flowers. Limiting myself to scents that put their focus on iris, these are the three I never want to be without:

1. Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist. ISM in perfumista-speak, this iconic Lutens is known as the iris to end all irises, an iris monster. It is not a warm and welcoming fragrance and many newcomers are put off by the carroty aspect of the overdose of orris butter in it. For me, this is the essence of iris, unadorned. It combines the damp roots, cold earth and bare branches of early March with no flower in sight. I thought I had it all figured out, ISM used to be my Ice Queen fragrance and I loved its austere beauty for special occasions. But maybe because it’s become so familiar to me in recent years, I no longer find it aloof and proud. I now wear it throughout the year, both for casual and dressy moments, without any effort.

2. Aedes de Venustas Iris Nazarena. In my opinion, this is the best iris fragrance launched in the past 5 years, although I’ve always struggled with describing it. I’ve read tens of reviews and they seem to talk about several totally different fragrances. Even my own perception of Iris Nazarena has changed quite a bit. The first time I tried it, it seemed very dry (possibly because of the incense note), something I no longer think to be true. Most people – including me – seem to agree, however, that this is a very elegant iris. It has a transparent quality, despite being an intricate and complex fragrance; the complexity is probably the reason why people perceive it so differently. Although not necessarily a mainstream crowd pleaser, Iris Nazarena is more approachable than Iris Silver Mist, a refined green-incensy-woody-floral iris that works both for men and women. And it comes in the most beautiful flacon.

3. Chanel 28 La Pausa. Chanel doesn’t seem to be capable of making a fragrance without iris and the house is known for the excellent quality of their orris butter (they now have their own Iris Pallida fields in Grasse). No 19, one of the Chanel classics, is the best green iris scent in the world and my beloved 31 Rue Cambon and Cuir de Russie rely heavily on iris to achieve that signature polished result. Despite my love for all these fragrances, I have picked La Pausa for this post – to my mind, this is the only iris soliflore (soliroot?) of the bunch. It’s a gorgeous, rooty but floral scent that is also terribly frustrating: La Pausa is notorious for its lack of staying power. On me, it’s mostly gone in an hour. But I love it, so I just treat it as an iris cologne and reapply as soon as it disappears. It’s my favourite iris for summer, exactly because of that annoying lightness.

Iris-focussed scents are not common among mainstream perfumes – iris is not sweet or floral or fruity, it’s none of the things the mass market likes (or what the brands think mass market likes). There are a couple of wonderful exceptions, however: Prada Infusion d’Iris is a great one to start with and the Absolue version is beautiful, too. Dior Homme is a gem of a scent, recommended both for men and women. And No 19 is of course widely available in all its concentrations and also in the Poudré version, perhaps more accessible than the original.