Iris: The Scent of Sisyphus

Watch Ensar Oud and Sheikh Ehab get personal about artistic struggle, £70,000 / kg aromatics, Monet, and Van Gogh.
You rarely hear about the struggles of a perfumer. The costs involved, the years of experience required, the dedication; trial after trail till you get closer to the scent you're out to create. This video takes a deeper look.
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Iris Ghalia / pre-order now available:
ensaroud.com/product/iris-gha...
Iris Noir:
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Bois d'Iris:
ensaroud.com/product/bois-d'i...
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TRANSCRIPT (Partial)
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Ensar: It smells like the perfume.
Ehab: Yeah, I can smell it now from the top like you said.
Ensar: Yes, the top note is pure iris. It's like the scent of the iris rhizome, not the petals because iris flowers actually smell slightly distinct and they're not quite a root. But what we're interested in is the root of the iris flower because that is what we use in perfumery is the rhizomes of the iris.
Ehab: Yeah I heard that. I read a little bit about that and they were saying that actually many people think that iris doesn't have any smell at all-they were saying.
Ensar: Yeah, it almost has no smell at all. If you go up close to the flower it's almost like…it just looks nice but the smell is actually in the roots.
Ehab: Oh, I see.
Ensar: And the flowers that do have a smell, they smell almost like jasminish, more so than…
Ehab: That's what they were saying, yeah. It's like plummy. Some people were saying that.
Ensar: The fruitiness of Jasmine Sambac, for example. Yes.
Ehab: Yes, I see. Because they said it was different from the fragrance of iris like the oil. It's different than the flower itself.
Please click the show transcript link for the full transcript.
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#ensaroud
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[@treestrees171]

I start with sandal wood then I love vetiver, then go to iris. Iris is the mirror of vetiver but sunshine warm side. In my idea iris is the boyfriend of vetiver. Three of them all on the same line with very similar spirit.

[@MakingPerfumes]

Real Orris butter is absolutely divine. It`s the smoothest, most powdery texture of all materials in all perfumery, and this texture, this "rounding effect," it has on perfumes is what makes it special! Like Ensar said, it takes at least 6 years, highly skilled farmers and choice conditions to produce this material. I LOVE working with real orris butter as much as I do with oud, or ambergris or any top quality material. Amazing videos! Subscribed 1000% Keep the quality videos rolling guys!

[@ChildofGodforevr]

True orris is beautiful. The best Iris is Serge Lutens Silver Iris, he used more Iris/orris in the perfume than anyone ever has. But that’s the vintage batches. He sold out to Shiseido and they reformulated everything. It’s all a ghost of what it was. Another beautiful Iris is Lorga Iris and even Xerjoff Irisss I have a 2ml sample of Ensar Iris ghalia and I don’t like it. I get no Iris at all. The opening is terrible. Dry down is better, but fleeting. For an Ensar perfume, it’s weak.

[@MisterCreative]

I couldn’t agree more. The flankers and the copies in the perfume industry drive me mad.

[@EnsarOud]

Matthew Riva 🙌🏻😬

[@ammaribrahim5756]

We need more....we wanna see Thomas and Adam too....Wanna know your story and how you started it all.

[@desertfox432]

Very excited about both Iris Noir and Bois d'Iris. I love Ceram 97 for its iris nonchalant elegance. I always envied how Iris Poudre leaned more to the feminine so Iris Noir might redeem my feelings. This very much happened with EO2 EDP as I feel it's what Musc Ravegeur always wanted to be. Perhaps send M. Roucel a sample as a New Years gift ) Happy New Year to you all! Sheik Ehab is always wonderfully cheery and today looks like Dante engaging dialogue with Sisyphus. Italian genes maybe? haha

[@EnsarOud]

J If anyone tried to pay a greater compliment on No 2 I don’t think they’d be able to. ☺️🙏🏻♥️

[@ShoaibUsmani]

That's a very unique connection and resemblance. I mean how can you identify or relate a note from totally different substance not even different species but different entities. This is what the experience is speaking out loud now. Very remarkable thing, not everyone or I must say anyone could come across.

[@EnsarOud]

Sniff Zone Yes, it is a baffling similarity to orris root butter, I suspect there are actual irones in the wood’s aromatic compounds

[@mebsdhiraj492]

Mashallah .....i m very happy that Allah has blessed you with a beautiful art.May Allah bless you with long and healthy life...stay blessed my brother...

[@EnsarOud]

Mebs Dhiraj Alhamdulillah Rabbil Alamin. Jazakum Allah khayr dear brother! 😊🙏🏻♥️

[@sproaty]

Iris Noir is downright beautiful, it lasted close the 24hrs on skin too and most oils I wear before bed rub off onto my sheets, this just kept going and going. Fantastic work :)

[@aromafh2486]

Just can’t get enough of ensar

[@Curdle7]

Beautiful iris butter. Lately I can’t stop thinking about the buttery waxy vegetal iris note and iim looking for the best iris perfume. That’s cool that it’s ensar’s obsession as well

[@j.benjaminc.3805]

Love it!

[@aromafromheaven]

May Allah reward you Seedi Ensar for making these super informative gorgeous videos..May Allah rest your soul in peace shiekh Ehab.just awesome.

[@TheScentientMan]

This was great. You spoke about interesting topics. I share your opinions on cloning of existing scents. While it does take skill the process lacks integrity and originality and i can’t buy in to that.

[@ashfaque_1]

Sultan Pasha's Encens Chypre is way better than Diaghilev. So is Antonio Gardoni's Maai. :) As for orris root, I can see where you're coming from. So far I used orris resinoid in some of my blends - a stunning material, but a pain to take it off the bottle. I hope, insha'Allah, I can grab the absolute variant one day. Thanks a lot for another enjoyable video.

[@gunsandbullets6166]

MASHALLAH.may Allmighty ALLAH give baraka in your work

[@sheikhehab1550]

Al-hamdulillah the barakah in work is according to one's intention...................................and hard work! Jazakum Allah khayr for the dua' Waqar

[@matero30]

I wish we still used the apprenticeship system and could learn this craft.

[@reyaazpathan2358]

AsSalaaMuAlaikoom WaRehmatALLAAH Wabarakātahoo . Soul nd the body together again 👌🏼👍🏼 I haven’t bought any of ur products yet as I don’t look at price although it matters but instead i buy my attaar only if i like it nd can afford it aswell, InShaaALLAAH will be with you guys in 2019. Brother Ehab actually interviewing u without u realising it😉

[@sheikhehab1550]

Wa alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu wa maghfiratuhu Reyaaz. Good to hear from you again! In sha' Allah we'll be with YOU in 2019 and beyond in the wonderful world of fragrances!

[@reyaazpathan2358]

Aameen

[@gunmetal2445]

Another crux of the issue is there’s too many releases already. I’m reaching the point where I explore a discovery set and find myself saying ‘I’ve smelt this before’. The copying may not be intentional but the likelihood of something smelling familiar is happening more and more frequently.

[@EnsarOud]

gunmetal24 that shouldn’t really be happening-at least not with the “classics”. We have totally new ingredients available to us now which our forebears couldn’t even dream of. New and more plentiful ingredients ought to make for potentially countless new formulas. That SO many things smell like classic Guerlains etc is in my view no accident.

[@grant_chamberlain]

At first I thought Ensar was referring to Christian Provenzano about the Terre de Hermes copy (Basso), but I don't think it was released yet. Probably Roja Dove...

[@jensmith1291]

Speaking of imitation. Roja Dove basically made a high quality Mitsouko with Haute Luxe. Just compare the ingredients.

[@qaidikramuddin]

Sheikh Ehab back again :)

[@sheikhehab1550]

Yeah, back again Ikramuddin. And happy to be here.....again! Hope you're enjoying the video as much as i enjoyed doing it.

[@qaidikramuddin]

@@sheikhehab1550 I am.

[@greveeen]

@@sheikhehab1550 Salam aleykum Sheikh

[@alexanderschestag3247]

Well, Manet didn't see himself as an impressionist. But I knew that you would name van Gogh as the greatest impressionist. I absolutely agree. If scents were watches, replica would be illegal. Isn't there a copyright on scents?

[@Sovnarkom]

only trade secrets on scents/recipes and copyrights on brands/names

[@aromafh2486]

I think Mr Ehab shouldn’t cut down Mr ensar oud everytime

[@adms8169]

al faatiha for shaykh ehab

[@JohmathanBSwift]

_best wishes to you and all you know in 2019_

[@sheikhehab1550]

And the best to you and yours Johmathan! Our resolution is to bring all of our oud brothers together for the oud experience physically and spiritually! Hope you'll stay with us throughout!

[@EnsarOud]

Johmathan .B. Swift 😊🙏🏻♥️

[@fortheloveofwater_]

Orris root butter is definitely not the second most expensive perfume material after oudh. As an ethnobotanist and perfumer Who for the last six years, has only just begun understanding the wealth of aromatic and odoriferous plants that yield extracts and substances utilised in the perfume industry, Amongst many other endeavours as well as there being an abundance of materials, That for the most part is still largely unknown... For example Boronia Red champaca Some of the higher quality rose oils from Saudi Arabia and Bulgaria Not to mention some of the CO2 extracts of these oils, where we will be paying for the processing at a slightly higher rate than with traditional distillation. However there is no doubt that Iris extracts are not cheap and for the higher quality aged Materials, As with vetiver and many of the denser wood and root oils that can undergo and usually improve with ageing.

[@marleywilliam2611]

Do you think smelling oud is actually smelling and experiencing a higher faster spiritual plane of existence...just a thought...❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@EnsarOud]

Marley William I don’t think so. I know so! 😊♥️

[@alion22]

i wouldn't mind if you made a natural santal royal from guerlain

[@bel19119082008]

What u said that if the copy maker says "this is a copy perfume of my take inspired by this or that original " that is perfectly acceptable. That is something, at least, like showing some respect to the Original one.

[@laneweaver7899]

I'm confused. All the blooming Iris flowers I've smelled had a strong smell, it doesn't project far, but when you get near it is very strong and pungent. Skunky, almost animalic, kid of musky but still floral, deep in a certain way that reminds me of a similar quality in oud. Is this unusual? Is it specific to my region (NYC)? Do Irises normally not smell? I often pick them when I see them around blooming and bring them in my room and smell them often enjoying the scent and the visual beauty.

[@curlyhairdudeify]

The scent comes from the roots.

[@thegladiator6657]

Assalam o alaikum ! Brother how can I buy your products in Pakistan?

[@sheikhehab1550]

Wa alaykum assalam gladiator, why not go to the website of ensar oud? I'm sure they can arrange something.

[@thegladiator6657]

OK جزاك الله خيرا

[@sheikhehab1550]

و اياكم

[@oscarcastellanos9270]

At what point is acquiring a particular scent just not worth it? Seems like a great deal of work for the Iris fragrance but not a lot of wow factor for it. Which fragrance ingredient gives the best bang for the buck, so to speak?

[@pooolish334]

Depends on your point of view and enjoyment vs cost and result. Let me explain, if you really enjoy and appreciate natural scents/ingredients (oils, non-synthetic, etc) then this type of work is for you, but if you buy a fragrance from Ensar and think you are going to smell like Creed Aventus or Dior Sauvage (wich are ment to appeal average noses) then this will not be for you my friend. You see, a lot of people think because you buy something expensive it should smell a "certain" type of way but Ensars fragrances are way above our understanding of smell, these are very unique smelling fragrances that can only be appreciated or enjoyed by knowing that you are smelling the acutal real thing and not a synthetic version that is ment to appeal to the masses. I own this perfume that he is talking about in the video, Iris Ghalia, and to me is heavenly and amazing but to the average nose is "not that good".

[@AB-bw5yc]

I am on the fence about those clone houses. On the one hand, they are stealing an artist's work and that is not right. On the other hand, I'm not a wealthy person and I'm very much into perfumery. How can a person of modest means get to experience these amazing fragrances otherwise? I've visited your website a few times and always leave empty handed. I know your work is worth the price and probably more but the moths in my wallet don't seem to care.

[@sheikhehab1550]

Hey DirtyHoody, why not visit us and join the experience?! That's how i get to be swiped by the best😉

[@AB-bw5yc]

@@sheikhehab1550 Sheikh, that would be amazing. You guys are great.