Naomi Goodsir Nuit de Bakélite
𓍯𓂃 Introducing Journal Olfactif
Welcome to JOURNAL OLFACTIF, a new space for fragrance writing and discovery. Today, multidisciplinary artist & fragrance enthusiast Nika Kocharov reviews Naomi Goodsir Nuit de Bakélite — an unexpected take on tuberose by French perfumer Isabelle Doyen. Challenging and long-lasting, NEZ ranked this scent as one of “111 pieces to smell before you die.”
Tuberose, galbanum, violet and tomato leaf in a turbulent dance — a true green scream!
Chopped up bell pepper on a slab of palo santo sheathed in raw leather; the bitterness from gnawing on a big waxy leaf numbs my mouth. I discovered this scent in interest of the house, Iris Cendré being a top reach of mine, but it wasn’t until browsing my sample collection that I had rekindled with this complete oddity of a perfume. More recently, I was impulsed with swatching the sample on my wrist during a flight when an infant grew sick in the row ahead. A scent so intoxicatingly green became the perfect antidote, masking any and all unwanted olfactory. Nose steady on pulse for 15-20 minutes, entranced in relief, I’d found a way to ground myself amidst the chaos. (Perhaps a worthwhile tactic for warming up to a new but challenging scent!) I’ve been equally mystified and charged up about this fragrance since.
Deep resins, fields of fleurs immortelles met with a bewitching murmuration of white florals casts a vibrant green spell. Notes of carrot seed, tomato leaf and angelica flower, a must for those who gleam in the sweet savoriness of summer vegetable gardens, or in need of a chartreuse kick in the chin during winter’s harsh months. Uniquely artisanal in classic N.G. fashion, Nuit de Bakélite isn’t by any means an everyday tuberose; it is meant to challenge and captivate — to enchant. Its intensity and silage is spellbinding, green by all means, image of a medieval grimoire taken over by the lush surrounding grove (note: Grimoire by Anatole Lebreton).
The flaxen-haired sculptress in all black linen Eskander and bakelite bangles wears this perfume. Her sharp brow peaks over large square acetate frames, she wears a somewhat maniacal yet innocent expression forged by years of travel and past-life wisdom: the premise of a narcotic lady.
A powerful, but grounded fragrance for a wearer in likeness — one who basks in their own shadow.
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Nika Kocharov lives in New York City. For more fragrance content, check out her blog.
