Santa Maria Novella debuted their first Eau de Parfum in more than 800 years last month. And it is intense. The fragrance combines the green notes of galbanum and timur pepper with florentine “concreta d’iris”, neroli, magnolia champaca, geranium and sambac jasmine. Its base notes are Florentine iris, musk and ambergris.
This elegant perfume is called L’Iris.
It comes in a clear glass bottle covered with a vintage-inspired purple and gold label. The bottle is crowned with a gold engraved cap. It looks like something straight out of a palazzo in the 1500s.
HISTORY OF SANTA MARIA NOVELLA
Santa Maria Novella has been making fragrances in Florence since 1221. The company started as the Dominican convent of Santa Maria Novella. There, Dominican friars created a garden to cultivate plants. They eventually used their plants to create medicines.
In 1533, they became internationally known when Catherine de Medici commissioned a special essence to celebrate her wedding to the future king of France, Enrico di Valois.
Her fragrance is still in production today. It is called Acqua della Regina (the Queen’s Water). It is Santa Maria Novella’s oldest perfume. Some say it is Italy’s first modern perfume.
Today, Santa Maria Novella has expanded their business to include moisturizers, cleansers, toners, shaving cream, bath gels, body lotions, face creams, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, hair oil, pot-pourri, diffusers, scented wax tablets, candles, incenses, scented sachets, room sprays, ceramic vases, leather bags, bathrobes, and much more.
BALISSANDE FINISHING SCHOOL 