Naomi Goodsir - Nuit de Bakélite
Naomi Goodsir's Nuit de Bakélite is a portrait of the most tempestuous and challenging flower in all of perfumery: the tuberose. Whereas most perfumers attempt to restrain and control the natural exuberance of this difficult bloom, Naomi, in collaboration with renowned perfumer Isabelle Doyen, has decided to allow tuberose to express its most sensual, daring, and odd facets. Isabelle and Naomi describe Bakélite as "green, obsessive, and addictive". We completely agree. This is not your average tuberose perfume - it is stunning, bold, and will make you want to wear it over and over again, obsessively, until you figure out how it all pulls together. Nuit de Bakélite opens on a field of luridly green, fresh and bitter notes - the anisic sting of artemisia and angelica adding a cool wetness that frames the hot, buttery tuberose to perfection. This is a tuberose whose sweet excesses are balanced by cool, crunchy green notes, and it makes for an experience that is almost bracing, refreshing. Karo karounde surrounds the tuberose with its exotic, earthy, almost mango-like fruitiness, while judicious use of ylang serves to underline the tropical creaminess of the tuberose. Carrot seed lends a delightful iris-like rootiness and earthiness that grounds the florals.
There is a steamy, humid "jungle" feel to the tuberose in its heart, but the astringent green coolness of the herbs from the opening persist throughout, keeping things from getting too sweet or heavy. In the base, a rugged smoky leather rises to give the tuberose a backdrop of something sturdy and resinous to cling to. This is a focused, thoughtful, and above all, beautiful perfume.
Notes:
tuberose, angelica, artemisia, ylang-ylang, karo karounde, carrot seeds, cardamom, leather, styrax and green notes
