Best Irisss by Xerjoff Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

In 1912, Houbigant's perfumer Robert Bienaimé picked up the ball from Paul Parquet (who earlier invented the whole fougere category while working for Houbigant at the end of the 18th century) and introduced Quelques Fleurs, one of Houbigant’s all-time great fragrances and the first multi-floral bouquet ever created.

The current owners of Houbigant take the heritage and history of the house very seriously and try to adapt the famous formulas from the 18th and 19th centuries to the 21st century's tastes and technologies while keeping the character and old-school flair as close as possible to the originals.

You might have read about Quelques Fleurs in books on perfume and the guides on the greatest perfumes of all time.

The current reincarnation is an adaptation of the original formula to modern times taste and it benefits from modern advances in perfume making.

Meet the 21st century Quelques Fleurs, a gorgeous romantic floral with a big history and an infinite number of floral facets.

‘I fly
In an intergalactic space
Where gods are dancing…’

From "Neptune’s Flight" by Marco Pesatori, astrologer & poet

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Nettuno is a frozen rose floating amid nebulous musks, blue ginger, translucent blooms and soft embracing leather. Powdered particles of earthy iris and vetiver drift like ash over this perfumed flight of fate and stellar protection.

Perfumer: Amelie Bourgeois.

Orris butter, distilled from the root of the bearded iris, is one of the most expensive perfume materials in the world. Vanille des Afriques Intensivo harnesses its unique qualities – leather-adjacent with powdery undertones of violet and pepper – in a luxurious composition that is the very essence of stealth wealth. Jasmine, amber and Madagascan vanilla cushions the iris for the full pampered effect.

Evoking the traditional smoking of tea leaves in ancient China, Indigo Smoke is an aromatic landscape of narrow serpentine rivers, blue mountains and incense-filled temples condensed into a complex formula of black tea, woody notes and incense. Rich, sophisticated and long-lasting. With notes of lapsang souchong tea, mandarin orange, apricot, guaiac wood, incense and pine tar.

Perfumer: Mathieu Nardin

Creamy rich sandalwood with a hint of smoke and a lot of ambery vibes. 

Also available as an extrait.  The EdP version smells drier and woodier (there is more focus on carrot seeds in the opening). The extrait option is smoother and somehow has a stronger violet flowers presence.

Originally created at the Jermyn Street shop by Mr John Floris in the early 1800s. Devoted wearers of the fragrance have included Florence Nightingale, and Lord Admiral Nelson is reported to have bought Floris White Rose for his mistress, Lady Hamilton.

White Rose is a classic take on a classic theme. This perfume is quite stately in its introvert elegance. Carnations meet a bouquet of other flowers and in the powdery mist of orris it's not quite possible to tell the fresh roses from spicy carnations.

September 1757, Casino Venier, Venice

A powdery floral fragrance based on authentic 18th century cosmetic formulas.

A coquettish floral capturing the decadence of 18th century Venice, its rococo interiors and clandestine affairs: a powdery blend of black violet, blush rose, and chamomile nestled on an impossibly soft base of dusty iris and subtle, animalic amber. 

Okay, we know what you’re thinking. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Apocalyptic visions, Armageddon. Doomsday cults, mass suicides. The Mayan calendar. We endured the panic of the Millennium. We’ve seen the films, from “Dr. Strangelove” to “Melancholia”. We know the New Testament prophecies, we’ve heard about the End Times and the Rapture.

But one question remains: how will it smell?

Twilight to moonlight in an ancient city. Cumin, peach and cedarwood in an intimate embrace, summoning the smell of skin seasoned by passion.Turkish rose surrenders to a velvety bed of amber, patchouli and sandalwood. For lovers of Féminité du Bois, the groundbreaking niche perfume created by Christopher Sheldrake with Pierre Bourdon.

Perfumer: Mark Buxton

I was inspired while visiting Kew Gardens in London in May. Every May there are hundreds of blooming magnolia trees in different sorts, sizes, scents and colours. Usually it is a very rainy season and my inspiration was to create a scent of the water and rain on magnolia trees.  

The symbol of this modern perfume is an American modern dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis. She is not only a very talented performer, but also very feminine. 

Divine Dancer is an ethereal, watercoloured, light, fresh, feminine floral perfume. It is modern and vivacious fruity floral scent .

The Divine Dancer perfume is dedicated to one of the first American modern dance and ballet performers Ruth St. Denis.

Her vibrant and spirited art of dance, influenced by the East and South Asia, her divine body move and incredible costumes made Ruth St. Denis a worldwide well known star. Her body projects as Temple of femininity. 

When the dancer emerged from the darkness of the stage, her presence was immediately captivating, the air suddenly fragrant with her appearance. Adorned in jewels from head to toe, radiant in a special gold sari, her hair crowned in jasmine, she is an embodiment of divine feminine, mirroring the images of goddesses of Lakshmi and Saraswati but with the talented Ruth St. Denis touch of modern dance and ballet movement.