Perfume Review: Nahéma by Guerlain
December 4th, 2006
Back in 1979, I was merely a three year old child, marching happily with my little red flag and singing numerous Lenin songs. With a ridiculously huge white bow on top of my never yielding, thin, dark hair, a short pink dress on, absurdly unmatching shoes, and socks rolled down carelessly, I was a girl as I knew it, and that was my definition of glamour. Back in 1979, Guerlain unveiled one of its masterful creations of all times - Nahéma - “a woman of great mysterious intensity, whose profound passions remained unexplored”, “the daughter of fire”, inspired by Scheherezade’s tale of “two twin princesses, of equal beauty but of different nature”. Back then, we couldn’t have been further apart. Today, we’re inseparable.
While I don’t wear bows in my hair any more, I could never call myself a woman of great mysterious intensity (great intensity, yes, but hardly mysterious). When I smell Nahéma, I want to be what I’m not - enigmatic, bewitching, glamorous. It gets accomplished in three stages. Its honeyed rose and silky peach accord is the epitome of olfactory intoxication, so it gets me drunk first. Then, its animalic-powdery heart is so sumptuous and plush it’s equivalent to being thrown onto a soft bed bursting with cushions and frills where I fall into a deep slumber. When I awaken, I’m Scheherezade herself. I’m a new woman, hardly knowing what to do with myself yet but very much reveling in my new-found guise.
Nahéma has the notes of bergamot, mandarin, rose, peach, cyclamen, lily, vanilla, sandalwood, vetiver, benzoin. In spite of being a hard-core rose scent, it’s not a dark, femme fatale kind of rose. For a great list of those, please check Marina’s musings.
Image source: www.escentual.co.uk
Entry Filed under: Perfume Reviews
28 Comments Add your own
1. chaya ruchama | December 4th, 2006 at 6:16 am
Good morning, Inushka-
A great favorite of mine, as well.
When it was released,I was thrilled- another classic Guerlain !
I hope they never fiddle with it…
2. Elle | December 4th, 2006 at 6:30 am
“Olfactory intoxication” - how perfect! There are a number of scents that have done that to me, making me lose all balanced, sane judgement. Should I wear this before noon? Why not? I need olfactory inebriation today, so off to find it.
Oh, and I can’t help it - I love those huge bows (well, I do now - I didn’t then). I’ve kept several we got on visits and my mother used to make me wear while we were there so that I could look like a little Pioneer or something. Who knows what she was thinking.
3. Judith | December 4th, 2006 at 6:43 am
You know, I’ve only smelled this in EdP; I do like it, but I imagine the parfum is divine. Not a bow type–my hair never lent itself to bows, although my mother sometimes would thread a ribbon through the curls>:)
4. Christina H. | December 4th, 2006 at 7:06 am
this is one of my all time favorite perfumes! I was so happy to read your review of it! Thank you!
5. March | December 4th, 2006 at 7:28 am
Well, I always had one of bowl haircuts that didn’t lend itself to adornment… as you can guess, Nahema (being rose) isn’t my favorite. But I would apply your description of enigmatic glamour to the Guerlain parfums I have smelled — especially Mitsouko and Vol de Nuit. There is something about Guerlain …. they don’t enhance who I am, they make me someone different. They are completely foreign. Nothing else makes me feel quite like that.
6. chaya ruchama | December 4th, 2006 at 8:09 am
March-
I find it so fascinating that you feel that way !
I’m probably deluding myself, but I often feel like they’ve gotten into my head, they know me so well.
That’s pretty scary, huh?
I guess that makes me a courtesan, LOL…
7. Marina | December 4th, 2006 at 9:44 am
Awww, you were so cute. Ah, Soviet chidlhood.
What a lovely review!
8. Sara | December 4th, 2006 at 11:06 am
wonderful review! Nahema parfum takes me on a journey every time I wear it.
9. greeneyes | December 4th, 2006 at 11:56 am
I am dying to try this one. The only thing that worries me: will it knock Vol de Nuit from its pedestal? I am a sucker for a rose note (unlike March)…
*goes off to look for decant on eBay*
10. violetnoir | December 4th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
Lord, Ina, you make me feel so old. In 1979, I was already a grown person wearing Nahema. :):)
Hugs!
11. newproducts | December 4th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
I have a decant of this in the EdP, loved it till it suddenly reminded me of scented pantiliners (don’t ask me why). I will take it out again tomorrow and see if it works its magic again. Lovely review, and lovely image of you as a child.
12. tmp00 | December 4th, 2006 at 3:30 pm
I’m always shocked when I read a review like this and read that the scent was released that recently. These Guerlain’s are so timless and yet so modern..
13. Ina | December 4th, 2006 at 10:14 pm
Chaya, I hope so too!
14. Ina | December 4th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
Elle, I hope the intoxication helped! As for the bows, I adored them back then, even if it took extra elastics to secure one on my thin hair.
15. Ina | December 4th, 2006 at 10:16 pm
Judith, the parfum must be superb. The review is for edp, too.
Love your curls!
16. Ina | December 4th, 2006 at 10:17 pm
Christina, you’re welcome!
17. Ina | December 4th, 2006 at 10:18 pm
March, totally agree! They’re very transforming or transformative, whichever fits.
18. Ina | December 4th, 2006 at 10:18 pm
Marina, I’m sure you can relate.
19. Ina | December 4th, 2006 at 10:19 pm
Sara, it sure does!
20. Ina | December 4th, 2006 at 10:20 pm
Greeneyes, not sure if it’ll knock it from the pedestal but it might ask to share the space.
21. Ina | December 4th, 2006 at 10:20 pm
Robin, if I was a grown person in 1979, I’d be wearing Nahema too!
22. Ina | December 4th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
Newproducts, yikes! Sending anti-pantyliners vibes your way.
23. Ina | December 4th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
Tom, I was surprised about Nahema being fairly young myself. Same with Samsara.
24. Aromascope » Winter&hellip | December 5th, 2006 at 11:51 pm
[…] Nahema parfum - because I’m worth it. […]
25. Flora | December 7th, 2006 at 12:33 am
I REALLY need to get some more of this - can one really get the Parfum anymore, or is that just a dream?
Wishlist? Who, me? Oh, okay…All things Andy Tauer, Frederic Malle & Serge Lutens (including Exclusive range, natch) - plus Nahema! Oh, and some Isabey Gardenia if it’s not too much trouble…..and for good measure let’s throw in a Fracas gift set with all the creams and powders plus a big bottle of the juice. For contrast, how about a nice big vat of L’Artisan Passage d’ Enfer, one of Santa Maria Novella’s Nostalgia and a new bottle of Caron Parfum Sacre - Finish it off with a bottle of Pink Manhattan (and Sali’s new unreleased fragrance that has hyacinth in it) and I should be good to go.
26. Aromascope » Oscars&hellip | February 26th, 2007 at 1:34 am
[…] My absolute favorite - Gwyneth Paltrow! Wearing Nahema by Guerlain. […]
27. Aromascope » Scents&hellip | May 30th, 2007 at 10:53 pm
[…] Rose by Frederic Malle, Songes by Annick Goutal, Nuits de Noho by Bond No 9, Rouge by Hermes, Nahema by […]
28. Lamya Marica | July 4th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Youre really losing i. Lamya Marica.
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