Nez A Nez: Overview
August 13th, 2006
Nez a Nez is a niche perfume house in Paris that I just recently got acquainted with and am delighted to share with you my brief impressions of their 10 scents here.
Bouche Baie: a rich fruity floral with the notes of black currant, blackberry, Maracuja, orange blossom, jasmine, cherry, peach, coconut juice, vanilla, almond, and honey. Toothache-inducing sweet for my taste and too saturated with fruits but nicely done nonetheless.
Fôret de Bécharré: a slightly masculine in effect first but quickly transforms to a nice scent with the notes of grapefruit, licorice, hazelnut, cedar, cinnamon, amber, leather, vanilla. A soft citrusy licorice blend in top notes with a hazy-woody drydown and just a hint of leather. Quite wearable but lacking some “oomph”.
Marron Chic: a gourmand scent with the notes of citrus, kumquat, orange blossom, iris, Karo Karounde, violet, cocoa flower, benzoin, labdanum, vetiver, cocoa beans. Brown is my favorite color, and this is a very brown scent in character. I think this is my favorite of the line. It’s a soft, slightly powdery/dusty iris-cocoa blend that gets accentuated by vetiver and just a hint of incense in the drydown.
Bal Musqué: a skanky musk (March, this is for you!) Oh wait, it’s not even a predominantly musk scent! Huh. Bergamot, licorice, cinnamon, cherry kernel, magnolia, rose, benzoin, leather, Tolu balsam, vanilla, musk. Something went wrong here. I’m getting some kind of stinky musk-cherry-rose combo that gets more balsamic and leathery as it dries down but the stink doesn’t go away, and I’m finding it difficut to like.
Rosier Ardent: not a bad rose! I like my rose spicy or woody, and this is exactly it – cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, rose, patchouli, vetiver, cedar, resins. I’m getting mostly cumin and rose that’s not too heavy or offensive. Just a nice, sort of hazy rose.
Atelier D’Artiste: rum, cognac, black grape, cade, patchouli, vetiver, raspberry, tobacco, coffee, vanilla. Yum! The notes sound smack-your-lips delicious! This is my second favorite. I’m picking up on rum, vetiver, tobacco, and some patchouli wth coffee and vanilla in the drydown. It’s a dense quality scent that dries down almost smoky. I also smell some skank – some kind of a sweaty feet note? Or maybe it’s just deodorant-free armpits. I like it! A very appropriate name, too.
1001 Figues: almond, fig leaves, fig, coconut, tuberose, amber, Gelee royale, black vanilla. I’m getting something that smells like figs and cilantro. I know cilantro is not an official note here but I swear I smell it. Then it turns into a syrupy sweet coconut juice with lush tuberose and some other fruity note that makes it smell way too heavy, once again, for my taste. There’s a nice crispy green note here, though, that’s quite appealing but not prominent enough to qualify it as a fig scent, as in Philosykos by Diptyque or Premier Figuer by L’Artisan.
Figues & Garçons: another fig! And boys! An herbal, grassy fig, with the notes of fig leaves, fresh herbs, petit grain, fig, kiwi, cedar, sandalwood, musk. If it wasn’t for this juicy kiwi note, I’d like it more. I also get tons of sweetness here.
Vanithé: verbena, rosemary, Earl Grey tea, jasmine tea, cedar, Gaiac wood, vanilla absolute, benzoin, honey, tonka beans. First of all, I’m not friends with verbena, and rosemary is a casual acquaintance that I only see accompanied with others, so not too hopeful here at first but it’s actually a nice blend of herbs and Earl Grey and jasmine tea but sort of too sweet again. This sweet note must be the common note that’s used in all Nez a Nez creations. It could have been a nice tea scent, instead of a syrup. Sigh.
Ambre a Sade: whoa! If there was ever a fruity amber, this is it. Once again, syrupy sweet, with some skank (what is it?) – an overall milky quality (the caramel, no doubt). Smells so edible I want to lick my wrist! The notes are: blackberry, strawberry, caramel, raspberry, cedar, cinnamon, amber, tonka beans, black vanilla, patchouli, Russian leather. Wait a minute, there’s leather here? That must be what gives it a skanky quality, although it’s more animalic-stinky. As it dries down, it smells kind of odd and borderline unattractive but I still find myself drawn to this milky/fruity amber. I think this is another winner.
For other reviews, please check Helene’s impressions here. She’s also planning to post an interview with the shop’s owners soon. You can also find more information on the line at their online shop. They ship to the U.S., and there’s a sample program.
Image source: www.nezanez.net
Entry Filed under: Uncategorized
23 Comments
1. chaya ruchama | August 14th, 2006 at 5:22 am
My, you have been busy!
Thank you for your impressions, it’s a lot to reflect upon…
I like your choices- the Atelier has my name on it, and the Marron Chic as well….although I probably would enjoy just nosing around [for better or for worse].
Did you order the sampler?
I look forward to the interview-
Be well, m’lovely!
2. Elle | August 14th, 2006 at 5:40 am
Can’t wait to try these! Sounds like many in the line should have diabetic warning labels, but I am really interested in Marron Chic, Ambre a Sade, Rosier Ardent and Atelier d’Artiste. For the sake of my budget, am hoping I don’t consider all four FBW.
3. The Scented Salamander | August 14th, 2006 at 6:09 am
Ambre à Sade, I liked better after a couple more tries. I started noticing the amber more after having been initially shocked by the fruitiness and sweetness.
I am going to post the interview today.
4. Judith | August 14th, 2006 at 7:26 am
Well, I sent away for these, so I should be getting them any year now.:) They do sound a bit sweet-fruity for my tastes, but this was evident from the description. I have hopes for Atelier d’Artiste, Rosier Ardent, and–since you liked it, Marron Chic.
5. March | August 14th, 2006 at 7:37 am
Well…. I am neither the huge gourmand fan nor the freet-swuity fan (that’s the way I thought it, so that’s the way I’m tying it!) So skank aside, I’m not seeing undying love here. But they don’t sound dull, and that’s worth something.
6. Marina | August 14th, 2006 at 7:42 am
Great review! It only confirms my suspicion that I’d like Atelier the best and maybve Bal Musqué. IF my samples ever get here, which I am starting to doubt.
7. Patty | August 14th, 2006 at 8:16 am
The Marron Chic intrigues me the most. So that fruity top blows off pretty fast? Or how long does it last before it turns all brown?
8. Ina | August 14th, 2006 at 9:00 am
Chaya, yes, I got the sampler. Marron Chic is definitely a winner.
9. Ina | August 14th, 2006 at 9:01 am
Elle, Ambre a Sade sort of grew on me, although it was a bit too sweet at first. Not sure if any are FBW at this point – I have plenty in my sample bottles to last a while.
10. Ina | August 14th, 2006 at 9:03 am
Helene, I can’t wait to read the interview!
11. Ina | August 14th, 2006 at 9:03 am
Judith, yeah, my bet is on those three.
12. Ina | August 14th, 2006 at 9:04 am
March, dull they’re not, that’s for sure. You might very well like a couple.
13. Ina | August 14th, 2006 at 9:05 am
Marina, be patient (huh! Who should talk!) Bal Musqué was a stinker. I do need to retry it, though, to confirm my verdict.
14. Ina | August 14th, 2006 at 9:06 am
Patty, Marron Chic isn’t that fruity at all. It’s very much a cocoa scent but the drydown is more floral – irs/violet, a bit woodsy. Very pleasant and soft. You might also like Ambre a Sade.
15. Marina | August 14th, 2006 at 10:31 am
Stinker how? Stinker as in really a scruibber, cannot stand the stench? (ex, Cacao) Or stinker as in, mmm, this smells dirrrrty and sexy? (ex, MKK)
16. Ina | August 14th, 2006 at 10:45 am
Stinker as in odd-but-potentially-appealing stinky.
17. sariah | August 14th, 2006 at 11:26 am
Figs and boys!? I love the cheeky name, but really sweet fig doesn’t like me (had to scrub off Jardins de Kerylos).
Ambre a Sade sounds like a must try for me – anything “milky” or “creamy” – thanks for reviewing these I had never heard of them before.
Sariah
18. Ina | August 14th, 2006 at 11:45 am
Sariah, not sure why it’s called that.
Ambre a Sade is definitely a potential love.
19. Andrea | August 14th, 2006 at 4:24 pm
Hi!
Enjoying your blog for quite a while and finally I dare to even post!
My 10 (generous!) samples arrived on Saturday, and all I can say is that they were sometimes quite tricky to test; they are all well done but four out of the ten were for my taste a “dangerous” mixture of way too fruity and sweet.
My favs are two contrary one: Marron (although sweet, and yes: if a colour comes to my mind it is definitely a rich dark brown) and the figue with an “edge” (Figue & Garcons)
These two are followed closely by F. de Becharre (will try this tommorrow again since the forecast said it,s going to be not so hot) and the Mille Figue (coconut? strangly didn,t get anything).
The poor little Rose (started very! good for me although I,m not a rose-lover, and the drydown was nice but… the middle) and the Vanithe or somehow at the moment “sniffwise” at no-mans-land… will have to think about it.
Well, the rest… I should have known better (with notes like magnolia for example in Bouche Baie) but since this is a sample programm you have to take all 10. And if you are not open (or at least your nose) how can a perfume-addict find her HG?
Hoping I haven,t bored you to tears,
Andrea
20. Ina | August 14th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
Andrea, so nice to see you commenting here.
I did a rather quick sniff of all 10, so I plan to do more testing soon. Marron is definitely a winner, hands down. The Rose was nice but not nice enough for me to love it passionately. Agree on Vanithe. I think I’m actually gonna fall for Ambre a Sade, too. You haven’t bored me at all! On the contrary, I love hearing other ppl’s impressions. 
21. Victoria | August 14th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
Ina, thank you for the overview! Sounds interesting. Now, I cannot wait for your interivew with Christa Patout!
22. Ina | August 15th, 2006 at 8:14 am
Vika, thanks!
23. shifts | September 23rd, 2006 at 10:15 am
I’ve also received their sample pack, but I can’t say I’m swooning over them at all. I haven’t even cared to test them all after a very dissapointing start. I find them cluttered and unfocused and very much alike each other. Too bad, I had my hopes up :/
I guess I will have to give them a few proper chances before making my final decision about them. Anything else won’t be fair…