Found myself with a very rare hour of down time this afternoon, and just happened to be close to Nordstrom's. I figured I'd stop in and see if I could get my hands on a sample of the Armani I Will fragrance that everyone is so excited about. I'll talk about that separately, but TLDR I think it's boring. After talking with the sales clerk a bit, I mentioned that i was a fan of Iris notes, and that I was hoping to get a sample of Gypsy Water Absolu. Unfortunately, they were out, but then she told me they had a tester of the new Creed Iris Debonaire that is set to release on September 8th. She was kind enough to give me a little decant, and I've been wearing it all afternoon. I have talked in the past about my dislike of Creed. I get the appeal, but I'm just not a fan. I really hate their pricing structure, and in the past, I've resolved not to buy their stuff. All of that to say, that Iris Debonaire may be my new favorite perfume. It's up their with Black Orchid, Gypsy Water, and Iris Obsidian. I can't stop sniffing my arm. It's an absolutely lovely fougere with a really sophisticated French Lavender note in the drydown. According to the marketing, the Iris used is specially made specifically for this fragrance. Whether that's bullshit or not, I don't know, but it works. This stuff is incredible. We'll see how it works performance wise. I want to wear it tomorrow, but it's going to be 110, and I don't think powdery iris works very well in that kind of heat, so I'll have to wait a bit until I have an office day or day at home when i don't have to go outside much. But wow. This might end up being an actual bottle purchase if I can save up and get a good discount.

SOTD — Creed Iris Debonair I was able to score a tester of the new Creed Iris Debonair pre-release last week at a really good price, so of course I had to give it a proper wearing. This is definitely a different direction for Creed. Right away you get that smooth, powdery iris with a little pepper and lavender around it, but it doesn’t come across overly lipstick-like to me. Once it settles down, the iris gets creamier and the sandalwood and musk start showing up, giving it a much smoother, slightly woody feel. There are going to be Dior Homme comparisons, especially early on, and I understand why. But after it develops, I think Iris Debonair starts separating itself. It feels a little airier, cleaner and more polished rather than being that dense makeup-bag iris style. What I like most is the balance. It has some sweetness, but it isn’t really a sweet fragrance. It is floral without feeling feminine, powdery without becoming dusty, and has enough woods underneath it to keep everything grounded. Projection and sillage have been very good so far without it being obnoxious. This smells more like something I would wear dressed up, dinner, evening out or when I just want something a little more refined. Is Creed reinventing iris here? No. But they did a very good Creed interpretation of it, and I think this is one of their more interesting recent releases. I need a few more full wearings before I decide where it ranks in the Creed lineup, but my first impression is definitely positive. Iris Debonair is one I think people are going to be talking about once it officially hits the shelves.