The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
It Is arrived from Arno Sorel, a house whose earliest documented creation dates to 2012, the same year this fragrance first appeared. Since then, the brand has built a catalog spanning everything from oud-forward compositions to lighter daytime offerings. It Is sits firmly on the lighter side of that range, a floral-oriental for women built around a fruity opening and a vanilla-styrax base. The name carries no mythology, no place name, no coded reference. It just is what it is: a straightforward women's floral with a straightforward identity. That directness is unusual in a market that often leans on elaborate backstories.
What makes It Is worth attention is the tension between its fruity opening and its resinous-vanilla base. The grapefruit and mirabelle plum bring a bright, almost edible sweetness to the first ten minutes, but the heart quickly grounds things with cedarwood and blackcurrant, giving the composition a darker undertone than the top suggests. The jasmine-neroli pairing in the middle adds a creamy white floral layer, while hyacinth contributes a green, almost watery sharpness that keeps the bouquet from collapsing into pure confection.
The evolution
On skin, It Is opens with that grapefruit-plum burst, sharp citrus tempered by the soft, syrupy quality of mirabelle. Within ten minutes the jasmine and neroli arrive, and the composition shifts toward something creamier and more floral. The blackcurrant adds a tart, slightly green edge, while hyacinth keeps things from getting too sweet, a watery note that holds the middle together. Cedarwood provides structure, more like a clean wooden frame than a forest. By the second hour, the base takes over: ylang-ylang brings a banana-like richness, styrax adds a sweet, leathery resin quality, and vanilla smooths everything into a warm, almost edible finish. Vetiver lurks beneath, adding a dry, rooty undertone that keeps the sweetness from going cloying. The way the scent moves across these stages feels deliberate, each note folding into the next without abrupt transitions.
Cultural impact
It Is occupies a modest place within Arno Sorel's broader catalog, a lineup that spans from compositions like Bois de Oud Imperial to more understated offerings such as this one. The fragrance sits comfortably on the floral-fruity side of that spectrum, a daytime-leaning women's fragrance that prioritizes wearability over statement. Its main accords, including fruity, sweet, woody, and white floral, place it in a familiar territory, but the specific combination of mirabelle plum, hyacinth, and styrax gives it a slightly idiosyncratic character within that space.
