Hey Frag Family,

Today you can come look at a fragrance from a line that I keep hearing great things about. They are often talked about on Fragrance Blogs, the FaceBook Frag pages and among perfumistas and are held in high esteem. Last year in Vienna with Birgit I bought a bottle of Nuda, I haven’t opened it yet, because one 10 minute wear and I was head over heels already. Today’s fragrance is from Nasomatto’s first offerings back in 2007, well that is the first mention I can find and it’s on Perfume Shrine who writes this: The masterminds are both Italian, Allesandro and Arturetto, who had been students in Germany at the H&R company for courses in “medieval” perfumery. We’re told that Allesandro was taught by Arturetto and then went on to create fragrances for designers such as Romeo Gigli, Versace, Valentino, Helmut Lang and Fendi, finally locating in Amsterdam and re-uniting with Arturetto to launch his private vision: a line of his own niche perfumes, called Nasomatto. 

Narcotic Venus by Alessandro Gualtieri for Nasomatto 2007

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Tuberose, jasmine, lily, spice

Nasomatto does not release note lists so we can wear the fragrance and enjoy it for what it is meant to be, a culmination of science and artistry that makes a fragrance that is more than the sum of its parts, it is an experience. My nose is so dodgy that I often need to check the notes because I smell things that are quite different, I think my nose and set of memory reference points can be slightly awry.

Anyway, how does Narcotic Venus smell on and to me?

Michael and I saw this lovely painting (Birth of Venus by Cabanel) while at the Musee d’Orsay in Feb 2014, purchased by Napoleon III at the 1863 Paris Salon which was the same year Manet showed ‘Luncheon on the Grass’ which we also saw. I think it a perfect representation of the cool, perfect, unsexy sensuality that Narcotic Venus displays. To be completely honest I like my narcotics more rough and in your face, this little baby is prim and pretty, and seems to be beautifully executed with expensive feeling ingredients but no raging sex kitten. Expectations have let me, and the frag, down I think. Such a shame because with a name like Nartcotic Venus I was hoping to be overwhelmed by a wall of white flowers with very dirty and sexy “come hither me hearty” attitude, sadly I am not. The end.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Further reading: Scent For Thought and Perfume Shrine
LuckyScent has $185/30ml and samples
First In Fragrance has €118/30ml

What are your thoughts about the Nasomatto line? Which have you tried? Do you like the aesthetic of the brand?
Portia xx